Meade Lightbridge Observing report as of 3.7.2009

[Doc]

3.7.2009

Meade Lightbridge 16" FL 1829mm F4.5

Moon gone by 23.00

Seeing abt mag 4.2

Warm night

Started observing at 23.00.

Have recently added a O111 filter to my equipment so was anxious to do some testing. Started the night on the Veil Nebula NGC 6992 and NGC 6990 in Cygnus. With my 32mm Tal eyepiece I could not make out the Veil at all but there was a huge collection of stars to see, alot of different sizes and colours. I then inserted the Baader O111 2" filter into my adapter and re inserted the 32mm Tal and of course the sky darkens and the stars that can be seen turned green. Having never used a O111 filter before this was a little hard to get used to but it did make a very slight difference on the Veil Nebula. When I moved the scope to the outer extremes of the nebula a little detail could be observed in the Veil itself. To be honest I didn't actually like the view it gave but I did see slight nebulosity using the filter. I think it would benefit more from a wider and better quality eyepiece and darker skies.

Over to Vulpecula next to one of my favourites the M27 otherwise known as The Dumbell Nebula. Found it real easy in my 21mm Hyperion and it looked as wonderful as ever. Slipped in the O111 filter and once again the skies darkened but the filter really bought out the shape of the dumbell and the inside was more detailed then without the filter. Seemed to have a green hue about it but once agian that may be because of the filter. The M27 lies 1250 light years away.

By now Lyra was getting very high so had a quick look for the Ring Nebula the M57. I left the O111 filter in place and aimed at the position I know off by heart which is half way between Beta and Gamma Lyra wow did this nebula pop out. The skies in that part of the sky looked dark due to the filter butwhen the nebula appeared

and the detail in it was lovely, you could easily see the outer structure and it appeared to have slight colour.

I then went on the hunt for a little planatary nebula NGC40 In Cephus. I have been trying to find this one for ages but have never managed it. Once again inserted my trusty 21mm hyperion and located the correct position and I looked for a good 20 minutes but found nothing. So in popped the 0111 filter and after a further 5 minutes I found it. At 1.0x0.7 in size it's small and looks just like a star with a very small halo. So easy to miss this one and if it wasn't for the O111 filter darkening the surrounding stars I would have missed it again. Lord Rosse said he saw a spiral structure when he observed it, I just saw a very small star but at least I've seen it.

I then turned to an object I've never seen before the M11 the Wild duck Cluster in Scutum. At 14x14 in size it's pretty large and very easy to locate. In my 21mm hyperion you can see the shape of the duck, the 21mm at x 87 showed maybe 60 stars, some of these were very dim indeed I would say at least mag13. The 8mm hyperion at x 228 was simply awesome it felt I was inside the cluster looking out, so many stars maybe 300. This is such a rich cluster that comprised of mainly very dim stars with the exception of one bright central star, it lies 6000 light years from Earth and has a span of 21 light years.

I then dropped down 3.5 degrees to the M26. This is an Open cluster in Scutum and lies 5000 light years away and has a diameter of 22 light years. This was rather hard to find as it pretty low down and has a surface brigtness of just Mag12. It didn't look like much and only seemed to comprise of about 50 stars, no where as impressive as it's neighbour M11.

I then headed for the M76 in Perseus but try as I might with both O111 and unaided vision I could not find it. Maybe it was swallowed up in the light pollution as it was at an altitude of 30 degrees and seeing down there was rather poor. This nebula is also known as the Little Dumbbell Nebula. Other names that have been given to this object include Cork Nebula, Butterfly Nebula, and Barbell Nebula. At magnitude 10.1 it is one of the fainter of the Messier objects. The appearance of this nebula is very similar to that of M27, the Dumbbell Nebula. As with most planetary nebulae, its distance it not very well known. Best estimates put it at between 1,700 and 15,000 light-years.

I then swung about 10 degrees west and easily found the M31 the Andromeda Galaxy. Not at it's best just yet as it's still very low down but was easily seen through the light pollution.This was my first look of the year and I know will not be my last.

Jupiter was getting higher by now and was a fantastic sight through my 12.5 ortho at x146. Banding was clearly visible as was Callistro, Europa, Lo, Ganymede.

Looking at Cartes du Ceil it stated the Neptune was only about 1 degree away from Jupiter at this time and it was very easy to starhop via Mu Capricorn to Neptune. I have never seen this planet before and it looked just like a star. But by inserting my 9mm ortho at x203 I could clearly see a blue hue to the star. A very reawarding sight and because of it's close proximity to Jupiter

very easy to find.

With two more Messier objects observed tonight this brings my total to 49/110.

Packed up at 02.00 hours.

A few things I learnt tonight, one was the O111 filter worked but it will take a very long time to get used to it. The view you get is very dark and it makes it almost impossible to star hop with the filter in place. But it does brighten the nebula slightly so it's more visible. Lets just say I need more time with it.

I also removed my laptop table I designed, this was the first night out with it and even though I had designed a conterweight system, it still left the scope very hard to nudge around. It was no longer smooth and it began annoying me.

Hope you enjoyed reading this.

[albedo0.39]

Hi Mick - very good - no excellent report and of course, of specific interest to me (considering UHC filter) - hopefully by the time we get to Salisbury we can do a back to back ?

I'm guessing you bagged a few of those DSO's because you have access to the north ? I have a tree at the bottom end of my garden and it is a touch annoying so I guess I'll have to wait until they rotate into view.

Very interesting comment about the OIII - I'm no expert and have never used, but I can almost empathise with your frustration at not being sure if it's a good 'un or not. Shame about the Laptop table. Perhaps the near bearing set up I'm considering for my LB might support the extra weight a little better ?

Anyhow - good back of objects

[mike-h]

Sounds like a great night and a great write up. I could really like to have a night where I take in so much. Maybe even write a report too.

Haven't had much opportunity for weeks. The clear nights have been few and far between lately and rarely seem to fall on the weekend.

Last night looked good but unforunately I was busy. Boo!! Still dying to try my Pentax XW.

Mike H

[albedo0.39]

Mick - this is a good / simple visual chart showing how the OIII works c/w other filters.

What make did you get by the way ? I've seen such a huge variation in pricing but unsure what you get for your money (or not !) with filters.

[Doc]

Cheers guys.

Steve it's a baader. And btw a good comparison chart but I'm not 100% sure what it all means.

[calibos]

Another great report Mick. M11 the Wild duck cluster was a very pleasantly suprising object for me the first time I saw it. I wondered where the name came from. I dscovered its not in the shape of a single duck (like the Swan Nebula) but of a V formation of ducks. However I didn't see that shape either. Apparently in smaller apetures when some of the lower mag stars in the cluster are invisible, it does indeed look like a V. However in my 12" dob with so many more stars visible, that shape was lost. Did I care? No!! Its an amazing open cluster, almost Globular in its star density once you put some decent apeture on it.

Did you use anything higher mag than your 32mm on the Veil with the 0III. I'm actually coming at this object with the 0III from the other side. The longest Focal length EP I could use with my 1.25" OIII was my 21mm Hyperion. I could only scan sections of one side at a time with my more limited Ep FOV but I could make out some knots and whirls, ie. some texture to it rather than a flat grey smudge. I longed to be able to use a 32mm with an OIII for the larger FOV but that'll have to wait till I got my 2" OIII. Maybe it wont be worth it in the end if your experience is anything to go by. Maybe one has to put up with a more limited FOV to get the benefits of the increased contrast at the higher mag to bring out some detail.

[Doc]

Another great report Mick. M11 the Wild duck cluster was a very pleasantly suprising object for me the first time I saw it. I wondered where the name came from. I dscovered its not in the shape of a single duck (like the Swan Nebula) but of a V formation of ducks. However I didn't see that shape either. Apparently in smaller apetures when some of the lower mag stars in the cluster are invisible, it does indeed look like a V. However in my 12" dob with so many more stars visible, that shape was lost. Did I care? No!! Its an amazing open cluster, almost Globular in its star density once you put some decent apeture on it.

Did you use anything higher mag than your 32mm on the Veil with the 0III. I'm actually coming at this object with the 0III from the other side. The longest Focal length EP I could use with my 1.25" OIII was my 21mm Hyperion. I could only scan sections of one side at a time with my more limited Ep FOV but I could make out some knots and whirls, ie. some texture to it rather than a flat grey smudge. I longed to be able to use a 32mm with an OIII for the larger FOV but that'll have to wait till I got my 2" OIII. Maybe it wont be worth it in the end if your experience is anything to go by. Maybe one has to put up with a more limited FOV to get the benefits of the increased contrast at the higher mag to bring out some detail.

I used the O111 with both my hyperions on the veil as well. The 21mm did show some wisps of grey a little like curls or knots. The 8mm was just to dark to see anything. What would excel I'm sure is a wide angle eyepiece such as a 31mm nagler at 82 degrees fov. You should be able to see most of the veil, especially alot more then I saw. This will show you the borderline between the veil and clear space alot better.

I actually thought the m11 did resemble a duck. Their seemed to be two seperate clumps of stars, one for the body and a smaller one for the head. It's funny how your mind persieves these things. But the cluster is amazing and I agree more like a loose globular then an open cluster.

[Beulah]

Ah great - another new O111 user!!! I always enjoy reading your descriptive reports, because your telescope is a relative monster compared to mine, and it's interesting to read what can be seen through it.

Y'know I was really sceptical about the thing when I recieved it in the post, as for some reason I started finding articles about the UHC filter being a good all-rounder. But now I love it and believe that eventually a UHC filter would just enhance the collection. It's enjoyable just finding the objects and quickly whipping the filter on, providing it doesn't fly out of your fingers onto the wet grass....

[Talitha]

Wonderful report as usual, Mick.

The O-III takes getting used to, but it can make a nebula look absolutely 3-D in the eyepiece. A number of years ago, the Veil (8" SCT) absolutely shimmered. The seeing was pretty bad that night, which might have contributed to what appeared to be movement in the nebula. It was a definite 'omg' moment, hard to explain. It was like a glittery gossamer ribbon... i can still see it when i close my eyes. Stunning to say the least.

TBH though, i prefer a non-filtered view through the 8" SCT and 120 achro, but my sky is dark and i really don't need the filter too much with those two scopes. It sure makes the brighter areas of diffuse nebulae pop, though. It's great for verifying small pnebs (planetary nebulae), too. I 'blink' the filter in front of the eyepiece and compare the filtered and non-filtered view in order to pick out the pneb from the rest of the starfield.

But i really enjoy using the filter with the 80ST. It's absolutely stunning to see the entire Veil complex in the eyepiece (including Pickering's Wedge ). The O-III does a great job with the North American nebula in small aperture, too.

[Doc]

Wonderful report as usual, Mick.

The O-III takes getting used to, but it can make a nebula look absolutely 3-D in the eyepiece. A number of years ago, the Veil (8" SCT) absolutely shimmered. The seeing was pretty bad that night, which might have contributed to what appeared to be movement in the nebula. It was a definite 'omg' moment, hard to explain. It was like a glittery gossamer ribbon... i can still see it when i close my eyes. Stunning to say the least.

TBH though, i prefer a non-filtered view through the 8" SCT and 120 achro, but my sky is dark and i really don't need the filter too much with those two scopes. It sure makes the brighter areas of diffuse nebulae pop, though. It's great for verifying small pnebs (planetary nebulae), too. I 'blink' the filter in front of the eyepiece and compare the filtered and non-filtered view in order to pick out the pneb from the rest of the starfield.

But i really enjoy using the filter with the 80ST. It's absolutely stunning to see the entire Veil complex in the eyepiece (including Pickering's Wedge ). The O-III does a great job with the North American nebula in small aperture, too.

Thanks Carol.

Can you explain the procedure for "blinking" your O111. So the filter is not attached to your eyepiece or do you have a filter wheel?

Widefield scopes must be fantastic to see the Veil with as you should be able to get the whole nebula in the fov. Compared to a large dob they show so much more space.

[Talitha]

Oops, sorry for not explaining it. All i do is hold the filter in my fingers and blink it back and forth in front of the eyepiece. No refocussing is required, and the little pnebs really pop. Works with diffuse nebulae too, but it might take a bit more concentration because of the low surface brightness some of them have. If the contrast in diffuse nebulae is greatly improved, then i screw the filter into the ep, refocus, and enjoy.

[Doc]

Oops, sorry for not explaining it. All i do is hold the filter in my fingers and blink it back and forth in front of the eyepiece. No refocussing is required, and the little pnebs really pop. Works with diffuse nebulae too, but it might take a bit more concentration because of the low surface brightness some of them have. If the contrast in diffuse nebulae is greatly improved, then i screw the filter into the ep, refocus, and enjoy.

Thanks for that Carol. I will try that the next clear night.

[iamjulian]

Great read Mick, thanks for the info on the filter.

Sounds like you had a very productive night.

[Beulah]

Oops, sorry for not explaining it. All i do is hold the filter in my fingers and blink it back and forth in front of the eyepiece. No refocussing is required, and the little pnebs really pop. Works with diffuse nebulae too, but it might take a bit more concentration because of the low surface brightness some of them have. If the contrast in diffuse nebulae is greatly improved, then i screw the filter into the ep, refocus, and enjoy.

That is a great idea!! At least it prevents any danger of the filter dropping into the tube through fumbling around trying to screw tit onto the EPs.....

Doc, you said that M57 looked great with the O111 - my experience with the 25mm & 10mm EPs plus the filter rendered the neb to be subdued - could that be due to the apeture of my telescope?

[Doc]

That is a great idea!! At least it prevents any danger of the filter dropping into the tube through fumbling around trying to screw tit onto the EPs.....

Doc, you said that M57 looked great with the O111 - my experience with the 25mm & 10mm EPs plus the filter rendered the neb to be subdued - could that be due to the apeture of my telescope?

I tried it with and without the filter and there was a significant difference in appearance. In my scope I have no trouble finding it anyway but with the filter in place the contrast was more defined which in turn enhanced the donut shape. a little colour was also detected but that might be an after effect of the filters coatings.

Of course aperture plays a big part in how the object looks and also colour rendition.

[hal2000]

Excellent report Mick. M11 is one of the most beautiful objects in the Messier catalogue. I always see it as a open fan, with a dark section splitting the fan from the rest of the cluster. It lies in an area containing a great many dark nebulae (Barnard regions), and it is worthwhile to spend some time teasing these out of the surrounding area.

[Phil Fargaze]

Agree, M11 is a fantastic cluster. It looks good in my 10" but I can only imagine how amazing it looks through the 16".

[John]

Great report Mick - thanks for posting it

I've seen Jupiter recently but I did not realise that Neptune was so close to it - I must have another look as I've yet to see Neptune. Thanks for the "heads up" on that.

Interesting stuff about the Baader OIII. I've been trying out an Astronomik OIII recently and I'm about to post a review of it - it's been interesting comparing (mentally) what I recall of using the Baader OIII when I had one to the Astronomik and also comparing the latter with an Ultrablock.

Cheers,

John