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Favourite Unknown Summer Target


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Astronomical darkness is beginning to return to our skies so I find myself thinking of targets to go in search of. There are many well known targets, particularly within Cygnus and Sagittarius, but what are the less well known targets that you like to observe? I’ll offer up a couple of targets as a starter. 

Barnard’s E (B142/B143)

It’s a good time of year for dark nebula. This target is in fact two dark nebula in Aquila. @scarp15 suggested this to me last year and I really enjoyed it. I found it with both my dob and binoculars. This year I’ll look for it in widefield with my refractor this summer. 

6105FE2D-CDDD-4EE1-B485-5DA09D0B4C04.jpeg.9c2b22821ce6ea17cf9821c5c1f1a4ac.jpeg

NGC 7008 (Foetus Nebula)

I observed this planetary nebula, found in Cygnus, this week. Nice curving nebulosity around a pair of brighter stars with some brighter areas within it. I found a UHC was required for a clear observation.

What are your favourite lesser known targets?

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Doubles and more doubles - there are thousands of 'em, and they are usually fine in summer skies.  The variety is immense - relative magnitudes, separations, colours, numbers of components.  They can be tricky to track down and separate, but that's part of the fun.  And no matter how long you go for them, there are always more to delight.  (And this from a gazer who originally thought there was little merit in these fascinating, beautiful, and sometimes elusive targets!)

Doug.

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30 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

Doubles and more doubles - there are thousands of 'em, and they are usually fine in summer skies.  The variety is immense - relative magnitudes, separations, colours, numbers of components.  They can be tricky to track down and separate, but that's part of the fun.  And no matter how long you go for them, there are always more to delight.  (And this from a gazer who originally thought there was little merit in these fascinating, beautiful, and sometimes elusive targets!)

Doug.

I’ve seen a few doubles but haven’t seen many. I often ponder getting Double Stars For Small Telescopes by Sissy Haas to look up a few more. 

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1 hour ago, Littleguy80 said:

I’ve seen a few doubles but haven’t seen many. I often ponder getting Double Stars For Small Telescopes by Sissy Haas to look up a few more. 

It's good Neil, but The Cambridge Double Star Atlas is better.  I have both, and they complement each other, but if I only had one, it would have to be the CDSA.

Doug.

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19 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

It's good Neil, but The Cambridge Double Star Atlas is better.  I have both, and they complement each other, but if I only had one, it would have to be the CDSA.

Doug.

Why gives CDSA the edge, Doug? 

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51 minutes ago, Littleguy80 said:

Why gives CDSA the edge, Doug? 

More detail for the targets, useful charts, and the SAO numbers which can be used in the GoTo handset and in Stellarium.  But Haas gives nice descriptions.  As I say - they complement each other, but CDSA is the definitive guide.

Doug.

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4 hours ago, Littleguy80 said:

Why gives CDSA the edge, Doug? 

I've got both these atlases and I'd also go for the Cambridge atlas, bit for me it's because  the Cambridge atlas focuses on real multiple star systems that are gravitationally bound, it doesn't include optical doubles whereas  Sissy Haas covers both.

For me it's what things are that is interesting, not what they look like aesthetically, so optical doubles are of less interest to me personally (though they can still be interesting .. e.g. colour comparisons or technically difficult visual splits).

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21 hours ago, Littleguy80 said:

Astronomical darkness is beginning to return to our skies so I find myself thinking of targets to go in search of. There are many well known targets, particularly within Cygnus and Sagittarius, but what are the less well known targets that you like to observe? I’ll offer up a couple of targets as a starter. 

Barnard’s E (B142/B143)

It’s a good time of year for dark nebula. This target is in fact two dark nebula in Aquila. @scarp15 suggested this to me last year and I really enjoyed it. I found it with both my dob and binoculars. This year I’ll look for it in widefield with my refractor this summer. 

6105FE2D-CDDD-4EE1-B485-5DA09D0B4C04.jpeg.9c2b22821ce6ea17cf9821c5c1f1a4ac.jpeg

NGC 7008 (Foetus Nebula)

I observed this planetary nebula, found in Cygnus, this week. Nice curving nebulosity around a pair of brighter stars with some brighter areas within it. I found a UHC was required for a clear observation.

What are your favourite lesser known targets?

Hi Littleguy80,

Ngc7008 is indeed a beautiful target. Unlike other planetaries, it does show detail and shape even in small scopes. A nice field star seems almost embedded into it. One of my favorites! An O3 Filter helps as well.

CS, Frank

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To begin, a favourite summer target that is not quite in the lesser known scheme. The pairing of NGC 6946 Fireworks Galaxy and NGC 6939 Open Cluster in Cepheus.

Sh2-91 The Little Veil, Cygnus, formed as a supernova remnant, characterised by a wispy streak of dimly glowing filaments of nebulosity. A very difficult subject to observe, requires much patience, concentration, complete dark adaption, honed observing skills, a good quality OIII filter at low power and fairly large aperture to throw at it. Under dark skies when transparency is favourable, locate 12 Cygni, a little north of Albireo and it just might be possible to glimpse and follow a very faint streak of nebulosity. I am aware that this is something that you are interested in pursuing this season Neil and Gerry may chip in, who had provided much in the way of tips and guidance, a difficult very testing yet not unachievable subject from dark transparent UK skies.  

Another plan is for wide field, B144 The Fish on the Platter dark nebula and mentioned in another thread in Deep Sky Observing, located in the Cygnus Star Cloud among other Barnard class nebulae are of interest this summer,

cannot wait!

Edit: Sh2-91 Consult closely the star field pattern  

Edited by scarp15
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1 hour ago, scarp15 said:

and Gerry may chip in

This sucker is hard-SH2-91- but do able in a 10" if everythings right. One thing- its easy to get pulled over to that great little chain of stars...in the wrong spot lol! Use discretion with the exit pupil...too little forget it too much forget it...for me anyway.

I eagerly wait reports on this one!

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An easy to find, but often overlooked target that I enjoy is Brocchi's Cluster in Vulpecula. Its near border of Sagitta. Its a nice binocular/ small scope target with it's coat hanger asterism.

Right Ascension: 19h 25m 24s

Declination: +20°11′00″

Magnitude: 3.6m (visual)

Diameter: ~60'

Magnitude of Brightest Star: 5.19m(visual)

Rob

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Been digging into some old logs from the past two summers for any further details concerning sh2-91. My memory is patchy and my notes ragged, however I discovered that in mid Sept last year I had used my VX8L: "sh2-91 and potentially sh2-94 - Little Veil - vague, familiar shapely curve apparent. Drifted for the Dumbbell and encountered a faint glow which I think might have been emission, reflection nebula sh2-82 - The Little Cocoon". At the start of Oct, this time using the VX14: "sh2-91, the familiar curvy streak was familiar with averted vision". 

Late Sept 17 with VX14: "The Little Veil - well just maybe, but very hard and taxing". As you can tell my notes are pretty rubbish but may convey some idea. I had logged a report for on here last year which indicated that I had used my 21E, 3.5mm exit pupil with VX8L and (assuming I was using a paracorr) 3.96mm in VX14. It is an intense observation but seems to have become for some reason - not really sure, that I find most intriguing and remember, even though what you actually get to see is almost nothing. 

However as Gerry has mentioned and just as with B33, exit pupil is an aspect to experiment with, as I do recall trying out my two - 20mm, 25mm TV plossl's on this subject to. Not worth while at all if transparency is average, but according to my encounters, 8" and above might just be worth a go provided that the sky is dark enough. 

Edited by scarp15
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Thanks Iain. Those are some really helpful notes. I was thinking my TV 25mm Plossl might be a good choice for this target. Good to hear you also used that eyepiece. Reassuring that you managed an observation with the VX8 too. Gives me a bit more confidence in getting it with the 10”. Having Cygnus close to the zenith will be a big help too. 

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