California nebula?

[stefski]

Hi All,

Was trying to observe the California Nebula (NGC1499) in Perseus the other night. Wasn't sure if I bagged it... I was using my Meg72, 26mm ep + OIII filter.

Did I imagine it? Has anyone 'seen' it? Is it more visible with an OIII filter?

Stef

[philipok]

Hi Stef

I've had a try without a filter (but perseus was quite low in the murk).. it's on my list once it reaches the zenith (about now).. supposed to be difficult without H-beta

Any luck with the north american nebula?

philip

[Taff]

Hi Stef' i have never found the neb myself.I have a go one night with a filter.Taff

[stefski]

Hi guys,

Phil - I've seen the North American, but couldn't fit it in the fov in my old Europa 8" at the lowest magnification. Haven't tried with my Meg72. Not much point in trying with the Nx11, as it definetly won't fit in the fov!

I needed an LPR filter and could only just make it out (a bit of averted vision too btw).

Taff - let mew know how you get on....I'll have another go next time the clouds clear.

Stef

[Talitha]

Never saw the California Nebula, but I did see the North American Nebula naked-eye a few times by holding the O-III filter up to my eye. (Btw, the H-beta is reportedly the best filter for the California Nebula.)

[jamieren]

Um, it says in "Nightwatch" that it's photographic in the star charts, leading me to believe chances are beyond remote for seeing it in real time. On the other hand, I can't even see the NA nebula, so I wouldn't listen to me. :?

[Talitha]

Real time seems to be possible. According to SEDS: "Under very dark skies, it can just be glimpsed with the naked eye. Because of its low surface brightness, it is not much easier when visually observed in telescopes. Instead, this nebula is a great target for astrophotographers."

The nebula was discovered by E.E. Barnard in 1884-5, but I haven't been able to find out whether he did it visually or with a photographic plate. In any case, the SEDS page has a link at the bottom leading to some interesting IAAC Netastrocatalog observing reports.

I'm tempted to get a filter after reading that Jaakko saw the nebula using an 80mm refractor. My 8" SCT is an f/10, but I can speed it up to f/6.3 with the focal reducer and get an 80' fov with the 40mm ep. Only half of the nebula would fit into the fov at a time, but it'd be interesting to see what it looks like. Or I could always use the 40mm ep with the 120 achro.. almost the entire nebula would fit.

[Graham Darke]

Hi Stef,

I obseved the California nebula a number of years ago from a reasonbly dark site. I was using a 10" Orion f4.8 Newtonian with a 32mm plossl eyepiece and tried OIII, UHC and H-Beta filters. The H-Beta was the only one to show it and it was still a difficult object to observe. Its appearance to me was of a very slight brightening of the sky background. As you say it is a large object which did not fit into the field of view of the scope/eyepiece combination being used. My experience with the North America and Rosette Nebulae leads me to think that small fast refractors are actually better for these objects than larger reflectors. I have had incredible views of the NA and Rosette nebulae at extremely low magnifications - less than 20x through Skywatcher Star Travel 150 and my TEC140 refractors and less than impressive of the same objects through bigger reflectors. I guess low magnification is the key for these ones. Your Megrez72 whilst small in aperture has the ability to give very low magnifications.

Graham.

[themos]

good heavens, they do start young these days, don't they?