Nearly Horse Head Season

[mapstar]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

Thanks Damian. Just trying to maximise chances of seeing it. Was the 1.25” filter lower quality or was it the fact that it was 1.25” rather than 2” which made it dimmer?? Different exit pupil being used perhaps?

The filter was no difference in quality it was a lumicon, its just better with a 2" if you've never seen it before and the 1.25 would make it more difficult. 

Dark site, eyepiece in scope and filter in and you'll see it. 

Don't make it complicated as not everything is about numbers but if you want to their are loads of HH eyepiece/exit pupil/filter discussions/threads out there to read up if you cant. 

I've seen it with the 21, 17, 13, 8mmE using both the 1.25" and 2" filters. Just prefer having the 2" filters in. 

[John]

From the experiences that I had with the Horsehead last November, my tip is to give yourself some eyepiece options to try. Also I had to go to much greater lengths than normal to get, and stay, dark adapted (not popping in to go to the loo for example !). It really helps to get into the "zone" by warming up on some other faint and challenging DSO's before moving onto the HH. Normally the Flame Nebula is not an outstanding object from where I observe but on the nights I had HH success, the Flame and it's rifts were standing out clearly.

All in all it's quite an effort (un-aided by NV) to see this dark notch of an object from a semi-surburban garden like mine but the sense of quiet satisfaction when things eventually come together is surprisingly strong. Well worth the trouble despite the extremely subtle nature of what you eventually see. 

 

[scarp15]

I think Gerry took issue with a 2" Lumicon H-beta filter some time ago, cannot recall if it would have been the former, high esteemed company or the current less favoured version. My original version, 2" Lumicon H-beta filter has delivered good performance on a few select targets. Quite agree that gaining 'optimum contrast' requires broadly changing between eyepieces that you have, there's not exactly much in it considering the difficulty of this subject, yet I favour my 20mm plossl to my 25mm for observing B33, that is with my particular 14" F5.3 (with paracorr) scope. I suspect that 16,17 and 19mm may also work fine and I have seen it, averted vision, with my 13mm ethos. Further objects to add to the list, the brighter section of Barnard's Loop, brighter again being a wide over-statement, the Cocoon Nebula, another tough subject, Seagull nebula, not had much opportunity, success with this so far.  

[Littleguy80]

Got it last night     Here’s my report: