The Veil with UHC and O III filters

[Nyctimene]

Was out this morning, unplanned, with the 5.1" Skywatcher Heritage Flextube under already brightening midsummer skies, NELM 5.0. The horizon was slightly foggy, so I looked for a target high up and easy to find - the Veil. With the 26 mmf 62° ES LER, nothing could be made out around 52 Cyg, the pointer star. Adding a Baader UHC filter, and, after a while of careful exploration, the N pointing part of the "Witches Broom" was popping in and out with averted  vision. Somewhat disappointed (I can see the Veil without filters during a good night), I switched to the Methuselah of my filters, a 30+ years old Thousand Oaks O III - and, to my surprise, the Veil unveiled  itself in it's familiar brightness and shape. The western part showed the brooms "stick" as well as the "brushwood" with direct vision easily. The semicircular shape of the brighter eastern part was even more obvious, and, switching to the Seben 8-24 zoom, details in the S part began to show up. Even "Pickering's Triangular Wisp" could be made out with direct vision. I wouldn't have expected the difference between the two filters that big out of my memory. Always rewarding to re-evaluate former observations!

Without filters, I ended with a look at Saturn, just rising behind the neighbours house roof. The seeing allowed only mags of around 130x-150x, and the Cassini division could only be made out in the ansae. Titan was visible, and, fainter, Rhea. The sky was more and more brightening, and I had a last look at the just rising moon and the Pleiades very low to the NE, before I ended after an hour at 03.30 CEST.

Thanks for reading

Stephan

[Kon]

Very nice report. I found my OIII brings it out really nicely on my bortle 4/3 skies with a lot of features similar to what you described.

[Stu]

Lovely stuff Stephan. There can be quite a difference between filter performance so I’m not surprised to read your report. You’ll be hanging on to that TO filter then!! 👍👍

[John]

Great report !

I've only had one session late enough to view the Veil so far this year. Looking forward to more when the skies clear again and your report has reminded me why this os my favourite Summer DSO

Actually I should say group of DSO's because there are a number there of course !

I have to confess that I usually go straight to the O-III filter on the Veil. UHC's show it but my goodness a good O-III really "unveils" the many parts of the Veil