The Veil like never before

[RobertI]

Last night was wonderfully transparent, with fast moving clouds cleaning the air and surprisingly good seeing. I thought I'd make use of the good conditions to observe the Veil with my 150P and Astronomik OIII filter. I wan't disappointed and was treated to by far the best view I have ever seen in any of my scopes. The Eastern Veil was extremely bright, luminous and sharply defined with many filaments visible with direct vision, especially at the 'wide' end. The Western Veil was even better in many ways, showing such a well defined 'pointed' end and hints of dark lanes (with averted vision) at the other end - it was almost like looking at a photo. It was a truly stand out moment, one of those that will stick in my mind, and probably get exagerrated over time! If my ED100 ever arrives, I look forward to trying the Veil with my new 2" 38mm Panaview eyepiece, which should almost be able to fit in the whole complex.

Buoyed with success I thought I'd have another go at the Crescent Neb - this was not so good sadly. Just a large smudge in with a slight curve, no detail and not much to see. I think a larger aperture is needed, perhaps the C8 might reveal more.

M27, the Dumbell, was very good with the OIII, with the fainter parts visible, making it look like an egg with a bright bow accross the middle (the bow being the normal dumbell shape, and the egg the fainter parts not normally visible) . M97, the Owl, was very low down in a brighter part of the sky and I failed to see either of the 'eyes' - not sure if this is achieveable in a 6"?

I feel that a filter drawer would be very useful for switching between my 3 different filters, I might investigate.

By this time (midnight) Mars was reasonably high and I had a quick look and did a rough sketch - the polar cap was clearly visible and what I later identified as Syrtis Major like Africa, with Syrtis Minor and other Mare forming a wide dark band across the diameter of the planet. I could also see some dark areas near the pole.

I finished by lying down and scanning the sky with my home made 2x60 wide field binoculars. Putting an OIII filter in front of one eypiece and a UHC in front of the other gave the effect of instant X-ray vision, with the sky going black and the nebulosity in Cygnus suddenly popping into view, especially the North America Neb and nebulosity around Sadr. Interestingly the stars remained bright and numerous, adding to the X-ray effect.

A memorable night, but I'm paying for it now!

[scarp15]

Good to read and successful observing account on the Veil. Gleaning a lot flexing the O-III filter, an optimum time of year. Great that you got a good night of transparency.

[John]

Excellent report - a good O-III filter is such a wonderful tool for the Veil and other nebulous targets. I use mine a lot more than a UHC filter.

Not that I've had clear skies for quite a while - which made reading your report all the more enjoyable

[Stu]

Excellent report Robert, a really successful night. A good OIII really makes a big difference doesn’t it? I recently picked up a Lumicon OIII and had some very good views in my Heritage 150p from home, not as good as yours by the sounds of it, but really surprisingly good considering my Bortle 7 skies. I do think the transparency has improved a lot since lock down with the huge reduction in flights.

[Captain Scarlet]

Very nice read. You've reminded me to use my Oiii filter. I've had one for ages but never used it, and somehow I never remember it when I go for my quick stroll outside before bed with just binoculars. I must tie a knot in my fingers or something.

M

[Mark at Beaufort]

Very enjoyable read Rob. I always enjoy using my 15x70 binos with an O-III on one side and UHC on the other.

[jetstream]

3 hours ago, RobertI said:

the Veil with my 150P and Astronomik OIII filter

Great report!

What is the f ratio of the scope?

The Owl nebula can take much more mag than some think and using more can reveal the eyes- what eyepieces did you use on the Veil and Owl?

[RobertI]

2 hours ago, jetstream said:

Great report!

What is the f ratio of the scope?

The Owl nebula can take much more mag than some think and using more can reveal the eyes- what eyepieces did you use on the Veil and Owl?

Thanks! It’s an F8 giving 1200mm focal length. For the Veil I used the 21mm Hyperion (x57), for the Owl I started with the 21mm and then upped to the 10mm (x120).  Do you think I could have gone higher?

[jetstream]

6 hours ago, RobertI said:

Thanks! It’s an F8 giving 1200mm focal length. For the Veil I used the 21mm Hyperion (x57), for the Owl I started with the 21mm and then upped to the 10mm (x120).  Do you think I could have gone higher?

It sounds like youre in the strike zone, but I'd try the 38mm/OIII on the Veil and define your mag limits on the Owl- I like a pocket full of cheap Circle T orthos hanging around for this.

Excellent observing Robert.

[skyhog]

Nice report Robert.

I've never been fan of filters for visual astronomy apart from the OIII. I've got quite a few and its the only one I'd ever use now. I would rename it the 'veil filter' to be honest as I clearly remember the first time I used in on that object many years ago. It went from being indistinct to clearly visible with direct vision, the structure blew me away. Never tried it on a pair of binos but you have definitely whetted my appetite.

Funny how the veil was never mentioned in a visual observing sense when I started in this hobby. Its image graced countless astronomy books but it was never discussed as a target for moderate telescopes. Strange when Herschel was describing it at the eyepiece back in the 18th century much as how we now see it. Transparency as you say is everything mind you.

 

Ed

[John]

22 minutes ago, skyhog said:

Nice report Robert.

I've never been fan of filters for visual astronomy apart from the OIII. I've got quite a few and its the only one I'd ever use now. I would rename it the 'veil filter' to be honest as I clearly remember the first time I used in on that object many years ago. It went from being indistinct to clearly visible with direct vision, the structure blew me away. Never tried it on a pair of binos but you have definitely whetted my appetite.

Funny how the veil was never mentioned in a visual observing sense when I started in this hobby. Its image graced countless astronomy books but it was never discussed as a target for moderate telescopes. Strange when Herschel was describing it at the eyepiece back in the 18th century much as how we now see it. Transparency as you say is everything mind you.

 

Ed

Until decent narrowband and line filters were available it's possible that the Veil Nebula was not considered a good target for amateurs ?

Even with my 12 inch dob I can't see much of it without a filter. Put the O-III in an, wow, what a difference.

Until I discovered that I could actually see this object with a scope (about 10 years back with a 100mm refractor and a Baader UHC-S filter) I thought it was a photographic only target. Now it's one of my favourite deep sky objects.

 

 

[skyhog]

Yes, have to agree john. But its still doable as you say without a filter and a lot easier than many DSOs that I was hunting out in my youth. Wish I'd tried it with younger eyes when I was straining on the horsehead.... 😔😔

[scarp15]

1 hour ago, skyhog said:

Yes, have to agree john. But its still doable as you say without a filter and a lot easier than many DSOs that I was hunting out in my youth. Wish I'd tried it with younger eyes when I was straining on the horsehead.... 😔😔

Not-so-young eyes, with applicable filter, eyepiece, conditions, can yield stimulating observations, including the Horse Head.

[RobertI]

The Veil has definitely become my favourite summer object. Out of interest, can anyone think of another object which reveals itself so dramatically with the right filter?

[John]

The Owl Nebula is nowhere near grand as the Veil but it does respond well to an O-III filter.

 

[scarp15]

Yes The Crystal Ball Nebula NGC 1514 in Taurus. Visually invisible until you apply an O-III filter. Then you get a diffuse fuzz around the central star, which becomes highly visible. The O-III will enhance many other subjects, such as The Monkey Head, The Bubble, The Rosette besides many more. 

[skyhog]

20 hours ago, scarp15 said:

Not-so-young eyes, with applicable filter, eyepiece, conditions, can yield stimulating observations, including the Horse Head.

I still enjoy visual astronomy, as much as I ever did, but I would say my visual acuity isn't what it was. My vision has certainly declined in the last 10 years or so. I didn't require specs back then. Can't read a book without them now!

 

[RobertI]

2 hours ago, skyhog said:

I still enjoy visual astronomy, as much as I ever did, but I would say my visual acuity isn't what it was. My vision has certainly declined in the last 10 years or so. I didn't require specs back then. Can't read a book without them now!

 

Same here!

[John]

3 minutes ago, RobertI said:

Same here!

And here !

[F15Rules]

Me too!!😔

Dave

 

[scarp15]

4 hours ago, skyhog said:

I still enjoy visual astronomy, as much as I ever did, but I would say my visual acuity isn't what it was. My vision has certainly declined in the last 10 years or so. I didn't require specs back then. Can't read a book without them now!

 

Yes me to in recent years with sometimes a specsavers moment. Ironic in a way that I require reading glasses to check labels in a supermarket and yet Scotopic vision; dark adapted outer light sensitive rod cells, will enable me yet to see very faint diffuse nebulae. 

[callisto]

Me too 🤓=🙁

[faulksy]

absolutely love the veil, love seeing the maroon colour. try the cresent nebula next looks like a brain

[RobertI]

32 minutes ago, faulksy said:

absolutely love the veil, love seeing the maroon colour. try the cresent nebula next looks like a brain

Been struggling with the Crescent, I've seen it, but it's been very faint and underwhelming - I probably need to try a dark sky and a different scope.

[faulksy]

dark skies are key mate 😀