Horse Head nebula (Barnard 33)

[Kon]

After the great session the night before, I was treated to even nicer skies last night. I got out fairly late with my 8" Dob and I was amazed to see the sky being 'bright' from the stars so transparency was pretty excellent. My aim was to see if I can see the Horse Head nebula (B33). I started at M1 for a warm up. Nicely shown in the EP and with the OIII filter I could get some more details. Somehow when I tried to up the magnification (ES 14mm 82degrees) with the filter, it made it completely dark; without the filter it was looking very nice.

I then check M42/M43 and colours were more vivid this time compared to the night before, so things were looking promising. The reds were much stronger and I could see some faint pinks through the Trapezium nebula rather than just around it.

Finally, I got to Alnitak and even without a filter I could just about make the Flame nebula (I was using my ES 24mm 68degree EP). With the Hb (Explore Scientific), the Flame was really standing out 'very bright' with the dark lanes cutting through with direct vision. Reports I had read here and an excellent thread on B33 suggested to look for the NGC2023 nebula as an indication of seeing conditions. This time I could see the nebula around the star as a diffuse light/halo. Things were looking even more promising. I then got Alnitak out of my FOV (at the bottom of the EP, and NGC2023 was much easier to see. I spent a good 30 mins scanning around moving Alnitak out of the way and very very faint elongated nebulosity running from S to N was observable between HD 37805 and roughly HD 37744 with direct vision. With averted vision I thought I saw part of the nebula missing towards the East (Dob orientation). It was the size and shape of half thumb. No Horse Head shape, no features just a little cut out of the nebula. I could not believe my eyes. I was literally jumping around with joy and disbelieve. I moved away from the EP and started the procedure all over again. It was still there! The more I relaxed, especially  knowing where to look and what to expect, it was popping much easier; at this point I was dark adapted for more than 1 hr. As others have reported,  fairly dark skies and excellent transparency are key. Although Alnitak was a bit of nonsense in the wide FOV EP, it helped to see the nebula between between HD 37805 and HD 37744 since I could make some of the darker background edges; a narrower one might have been easier to tame Alnitak but maybe to the expense of spotting the weak nebulosity.

I am pretty confident to say that I have seen this elusive nebula, Barnard 33 🐴 . What a night! I am still buzzing from the experience. I finished the session by just looking up and taking all in; I spotted the Persei double cluster naked eye and had a quick look through the EP and it was a magnificent display of stars with various colours as always.

[Stardaze]

That's a superb observation @Kon, I'm very envious. How dark are your skies, out of interest? I'm guessing that the H-Beta filter is a must, I couldn't really make out a lot of nebulosity in the area, it was ever so slightly there with an UHC.

Well done again! 

[John]

Superb report and what a result @Kon !

When I've managed to see it (just a couple of times with my 12 inch dob from home) it has been about the hardest thing that I've ever observed and probably one of the least spectacular visually but it is a significant observing achievement. I'm so pleased when I read about others getting it

Your description of the process and the observation seem just right - especially the long dark adaptation. I can recall not even turning on my Rigel finder reticule to keep the light levels around me as close to zero as possible !

Very well done again and thanks for sharing this achievement !!!!

[Kon]

14 minutes ago, Stardaze said:

That's a superb observation @Kon, I'm very envious. How dark are your skies, out of interest? I'm guessing that the H-Beta filter is a must, I couldn't really make out a lot of nebulosity in the area, it was ever so slightly there with an UHC.

Well done again! 

My skies are supposed to be bortle 3 (with my E, I would say 4 due to lights from a nearby village). As discussed in a previous thread about scales etc, I can see the Milky Way arch from S to N with structure in the summer when it is overhead. Several clusters are visible naked eye as smudges of light. Again transparency is key as some nights Milky Way is not that great at all.

[John]

3 minutes ago, Kon said:

My skies are supposed to be bortle 3 (with my E, I would say 4 due to lights from a nearby village). As discussed in a previous thread about scales etc, I can see the Milky Way arch from S to N with structure in the summer when it is overhead. Several clusters are visible naked eye as smudges of light. Again transparency is key as some nights Milky Way is not that great at all.

That's interesting. Mine are bortle 5 generally although worse towards the horizons with Bristol and Newport on them. I need a really exceptional night here to be able to see the HH and that is with my 12 inch.

The HH is never an easy target by any means I understand, even under really dark transparent skies. Well done again !

 

[Kon]

5 minutes ago, John said:

Superb report and what a result @Kon !

When I've managed to see it (just a couple of times with my 12 inch dob from home) it has been about the hardest thing that I've ever observed and probably one of the least spectacular visually but it is a significant observing achievement. I'm so pleased when I read about others getting it

Your description of the process and the observation seem just right - especially the long dark adaptation. I can recall not even turning on my Rigel finder reticule to keep the light levels around me as close to zero as possible !

Very well done again and thanks for sharing this achievement !!!!

Thanks John. I agree it is not a spectacular sight but the difficulty as well as the reports behind it make it  a must-see. I still think the Veil is the highlight of my observing thus far in terms of wow factor. 

Luckily everybody was asleep and before I got out, I was in the house for a good 20min having a cup of tea in the dark (sounds a bit sad). My rigel was off, no mobiles around, total darkness.

I believe the conditions have to be right, since the night before it was a no-go. The guidelines, on how to see it, posted in your observation thread from 2017 were of extreme help as well. Thank you!

[Kon]

1 minute ago, John said:

That's interesting. Mine are bortle 5 generally although worse towards the horizons with Bristol and Newport on them. I need a really exceptional night here to be able to see the HH and that is with my 12 inch.

I had to wait until Orion was in my SSW horizon. I think conditions were just right last night. With gaining more experience in observing, I notice that M42 has colour in good nights and in so-so/bad it is just greenish/grey.

In your 12", is the long nebula between the two stars also very faint or much brighter?

[John]

Just now, Kon said:

In your 12", is the long nebula between the two stars also very faint or much brighter?

Very faint. The HH seems like a vague bite out of it - a small patch where the nebula (which is IC 434 I think) just "isn't there".

I know I've posted this a few times before but I do love Jeremy Perez's description: "Really, it's like trying to see a little bit of nothing with a little bit of less than nothing resting over it"

 

[Stardaze]

Fascinating. Makes me want to see it even more now. It's really quite amazing the more you read into these targets. I can't see any real colour in the Orion neb from here, only green with a filter 😆 I'd like to try a DPM NPB filter here too, which may well give it the same sense we see in photo's? 

Also affirms the effect of a darker site. I'm bortle 5 here so with that and my lack of experience, I accept that I have a lot to do yet. 

I do love the veil too, but that's not too bad from here, the HH is next level, which makes your achievement something to really be ecstatic about 😊

Edited January 6, 2022 by Stardaze

[Kon]

7 minutes ago, Stardaze said:

Fascinating. Makes me want to see it even more now. It's really quite amazing the more you read into these targets. I can't see any real colour in the Orion neb from here, only green with a filter 😆 I'd like to try a DPM NPB filter here too, which may well give it the same sense we see in photo's? 

Also affirms the effect of a darker site. I'm bottle 5 here so with that and my lack of experience, I accept that I have a lot to do yet. 

I do love the veil too, but that's not too bad from here, the HH is next level, which makes your achievement something to really be ecstatic about 😊

Thanks!! With my OIII and Hb I do not see colour any more but more extended nebulosity, especially with the OIII. I do not have experience with DPM NPB; the colours I mention in this and previous report are without filters and very subtle, so do not expect the vivid colours from AP. The pinks around the trapezium teal nebulosity is more prominent and the darker reds in the wings is again very faint and subtle. 

 

[scarp15]

Conditions were fantastic last night. Superb session Kon and for having the patience to keep having a go at the Horse Head. You know when you've seen it, as you and others have described, you just have that conviction, having done all the homework, its just patience and dedication. 

Encountered it myself last night and will be compiling  a report.

[Captain Scarlet]

Well done! Keeps my inspiration up for the HH.

[PeterStudz]

What a lovely report. And wow! When I started and first joined this site I didn’t appreciate observing reports and didn’t find them interesting. Now I think that they are great and really appreciate people taking the time to write them up.

I didn’t even think that the likes of the Horse Head was possible with and 8 inch dob in the south of England. Really makes me want to take my 200p to a nice dark site. Well, it’s only a matter of time before I give it a go.

I do know what you mean when you say that you were “buzzing”. The first time I say a galaxy in my telescope I was buzzing so much that it took an age for me to get to sleep.

[Kon]

22 minutes ago, PeterStudz said:

What a lovely report. And wow! When I started and first joined this site I didn’t appreciate observing reports and didn’t find them interesting. Now I think that they are great and really appreciate people taking the time to write them up.

I didn’t even think that the likes of the Horse Head was possible with and 8 inch dob in the south of England. Really makes me want to take my 200p to a nice dark site. Well, it’s only a matter of time before I give it a go.

I do know what you mean when you say that you were “buzzing”. The first time I say a galaxy in my telescope I was buzzing so much that it took an age for me to get to sleep.

Thanks Peter! The observing section has been my go-to from the beginning especially what others have seen and make note of targets that I am not aware of or tips on how they observed them (EPs, filters etc); feedback has always been great on my reports and I love sharing my experience, as others also do.  

I am lucky with my dark skies from my back garden and only two neighbours without night lights so last night everything was in place.

Regarding the buzzing, I feel like that most of the time I am out and see new things, I love this hobby but not enough clear skies.

[Epick Crom]

Nice work Kostas you did it, the notorious HorseHead! Well done, that takes heaps of skill and patience to see. I personally have not yet seen it or NGC 2023 yet. It must be one a huge buzz to see it! Congratulations 🎉🎉

[Ships and Stars]

Well done Kon, especially though an 8" under B3 or B4 skies! I've eeked it out with my 12" under 21.5, I think my eyes are starting to reflect my middle age. I've see it many a time though my 20", but my goal this winter is to see it though my 20/40x100 bins with an Hb on one side and TV Nebustar on the other. I live under 20.3sqm on a good night, and have been unable to see it with the 20" from home, which is very frustrating. 

I find strangely sometimes aperture is not the be all, end all, for faint nebulae. The Cocoon is a good example, I couldn't find it with an Hb/25mm plossl on the 20", but immediately picked it up with filtered 15x70 Apollos under 21.7sqm in the Cairngorms one night... go figure. I think it was a matter of low mag and contrast. I still can't explain that one.

Dark adaptation in urban areas is tricky, my eyes never seem to fully adapt unless I go to extreme measures. I took my ski goggles for winter walking and cut some red film from RVO and taped it on the outside. I wear those for 30 min and walk out to the scope with them, then don a hood and hit the ep, they work wonders but frankly, I look like a bit of an idiot  Who cares, no one sees me and it works!  I'd post a pic of the goggles for a laugh, but they are out in shed somewhere...

Congrats on finding the HH with an 8" scope!

Edited January 9, 2022 by Ships and Stars

[Kon]

12 hours ago, Ships and Stars said:

Well done Kon, especially though an 8" under B3 or B4 skies! I've eeked it out with my 12" under 21.5, I think my eyes are starting to reflect my middle age. I've see it many a time though my 20", but my goal this winter is to see it though my 20/40x100 bins with an Hb on one side and TV Nebustar on the other. I live under 20.3sqm on a good night, and have been unable to see it with the 20" from home, which is very frustrating. 

I find strangely sometimes aperture is not the be all, end all, for faint nebulae. The Cocoon is a good example, I couldn't find it with an Hb/25mm plossl on the 20", but immediately picked it up with filtered 15x70 Apollos under 21.7sqm in the Cairngorms one night... go figure. I think it was a matter of low mag and contrast. I still can't explain that one.

Dark adaptation in urban areas is tricky, my eyes never seem to fully adapt unless I go to extreme measures. I took my ski goggles for winter walking and cut some red film from RVO and taped it on the outside. I wear those for 30 min and walk out to the scope with them, then don a hood and hit the ep, they work wonders but frankly, I look like a bit of an idiot  Who cares, no one sees me and it works!  I'd post a pic of the goggles for a laugh, but they are out in shed somewhere...

Congrats on finding the HH with an 8" scope!

Thank you very much. I am still chuffed to have  seen it. From my limited experience, my best seeing of the faint nebulas is when transparency is extremely good. I think in UK skies might look nice with many stars but many times there is a very faint haze/moisture in the atmosphere that ruins things. When there are freezing conditions and dry, that's when my skies are the best or after heavy rainfall and clear skies afterwards. I think when I saw it, the conditions were the best I ever had. (I should probably try measure the sqm for my skies, it will be interesting than relying on online charts).

 

You ought to post a pic of the goggles and probably with you wearing them, maybe under the Imaging DSO section 😂. I agree any measures to fully dark adapt is a must. My wife things I am crazy having teas in complete darkness. 

[Mark at Beaufort]

What a brilliant thread and really well done seeing the HH. Your approach to observing is first rate. I have only viewed the HH once and that was using a 16" Dob at a SGL star party a few years ago.

I keep trying with the 12" but I may now need to find a darker site because of lights that have been installed in recent times.

[Whistlin Bob]

Well done @Kon- that's an excellent report and a superb achievement in an 8 inch newt, thanks very much for sharing. 

I've seen the HH a few times from a dark site, but, before last week, only once from home in several years of trying. I then saw it on both Tuesday and Wednesday last week, which highlights just how good the conditions were. Such a shame it's so rare, but as you describe so well, it's a massive thrill when the skies make it possible 😁.

I must try an Hb filter on it- my views last week were with a 40mm Stellalyra ep and a UHC filter. It was there, but it didn't pop in the way that describe.

[Kon]

30 minutes ago, Whistlin Bob said:

Well done @Kon- that's an excellent report and a superb achievement in an 8 inch newt, thanks very much for sharing. 

I've seen the HH a few times from a dark site, but, before last week, only once from home in several years of trying. I then saw it on both Tuesday and Wednesday last week, which highlights just how good the conditions were. Such a shame it's so rare, but as you describe so well, it's a massive thrill when the skies make it possible 😁.

I must try an Hb filter on it- my views last week were with a 40mm Stellalyra ep and a UHC filter. It was there, but it didn't pop in the way that describe.

Well done as well! It is good to hear others got to see it as well last week (what telescope did you use and how dark are your skies?); it's giving me further confidence that I was not imagining things. 

[Kon]

1 hour ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

What a brilliant thread and really well done seeing the HH. Your approach to observing is first rate. I have only viewed the HH once and that was using a 16" Dob at a SGL star party a few years ago.

I keep trying with the 12" but I may now need to find a darker site because of lights that have been installed in recent times.

Thank you. I think sticking with this one target for the night and trying over and over for a few nights did help. I am fascinated by nebulas so I am learning that taking my time and reading other's reports (including googgling things) is helping me to be mentally prepared on what to expect.

[Whistlin Bob]

10 hours ago, Kon said:

what telescope did you use and how dark are your skies?

I've got a 14" dob- so pretty good aperture- and bortle 5 skies. 

[wookie1965]

Well done so really great objects and observing there it's great when everything comes together.