Dancing with the Horse's Head

[BiggarDigger]

Reading a few articles about the HorseHead Nebula and wondered if I could bag it visually.

It's a clear night on January 1st and a back garden session chasing my quarry with my 200P Dob.  It's bloomin' cold (-4°C) outside and I'm wrapped up like a Michelin Man. 

The seeing is fair to good.  Those who have read any of my other reports will know I'm very fortunate to enjoy Bortle 3/4 skies to the South and my "test objects" M1, M33 are easy catches with a 27mm BST Starguider.  M33 was also visible through 8x40 field binoculars before dinner, suggesting a good evening was at hand.

So onto the HorseHead.  Moving Alnitak out of the field of view the Flame Nebula with the dark central band was plainly visible.  Moving down and across I could see nebulosity surrounding the most eastern of the three close mag 7 stars.  Spent a lot of time observing with options of 12 and 27mm EP's plus and O-III filter that I had to hand.  The filter made observing worse for this target, so that was put back in the case.  The 12mm EP showed increased contrast of the faint nebulosity around the star and occasionally teased out a line of contrast extending beyond the three start mag 7 stars.  It appeared to be IC434.

I swapped back to the 27mm and checked the Flame, which was brighter now.  IC434 had a defined edge, dark on the East and lighter on the West but "fuzzing" in and out even with averted vision.  It was pretty much on the limit of visibility.

In all I spent two long cold hours outside and I think I may have caught the HorseHead three times as a darker finger appeared through the line of IC434.  Nudging the scope made sure it wasn't wishful thinking - there was something there.  However, being pedantic, I couldn't say for sure it was the HorseHead as definition wasn't really there and IC434 was disappearing into the background then some minutes later reappeared.  However, there is no other object in the vicinity that would present a darker finger ingressing into IC434, so I think it's quite likely that it was the HH.

I've read that a H-Beta filter makes observing the HorseHead easier, so that will be on the shopping list soon enough.

Although I couldn't be 100%, I'm fairly sure I did catch a glimpse of it and am pretty happy.

Returned inside to warm up, de-frost the scope and enjoy a drop of The Macallan, as is fitting for the New Year.

Wishing everyone clear skies for 2019!

Richard

 

[kippford]

The Macallan. Did you say anything else?

[BiggarDigger]

1 minute ago, kippford said:

The Macallan. Did you say anything else?

Sláinte!