Why can't see the Rosetta Nebula?

[Rusty Strings]

I managed my first proper night out in ages last night and armed with a plan to bag some NGC's between Orion and Gemini. After a wonderful view of M42 and M1 (first time with my TV 24mm Panoptic - marvellous EP) I tracked down the cone nebula and various open clusters, but try as I might, I couldn't see the rosetta nebula. I was looking in the right place as I found NGC 2244 which I sketched and compared with the image in stellarium. Will it require an OIII filter to make it visable?

John

[Doc]

I've never seen it either. I've tried it with a O111 filter and it made no difference.

Did you see the cone shape in the cone nebula John?

[Rusty Strings]

Not really cone shaped to my eyes, it looked more like a bright star within very tight nebulosity. Again, like the Rosetta nebula I confirmed the location by sketching the stars immediately surrounding the cone and confirming it with stellarium.

John

[acey]

I've seen the Rosette with an 8-inch from a dark site (limiting mag 6), and found that a filter certainly helped. From a light polluted site it would be essential.

The thing to note is that the nebula is very large - once you've got the cluster in view you need to move out from it and carefully patrol the area around it. Some parts of the nebula are brighter than others - this provides a lot of detail for inspection once you find it.

But it's a lot harder than M1 or M42, so don't despair if you can't find it.

Incidentally, the Cone Nebula is rated even harder. I've never managed it, though the adjoining Christmas Tree cluster is a delight.

[Doc]

Erm! i'm sure I've seen the cone nebula. It really looked like a cone and according to my notes that was without a filter.

I'll look again at this when I get a chance.

[Rusty Strings]

That explains it Mick, your lighthoover sucked all the light in, there's probably nowt left for the rest of us!

Not wishing tempt fate but tonight is looking good (damn! I've said it now) so I'll give it them both another go, but if you can't see the rosetta with your scope I won't hold my breath.

John

[Mark at Beaufort]

Although I have looked a number of times I never saw it with my Nexstar5 using a Baader UHC filter. Well this year I have the 10" Dob and a 35mm Panoptic with a Skywatcher UHC filter to give me a 2 degree FOV. Hopefully I can have a look over the next few nights before the Moon gets too bright and get a positive sighting.

In the Prairie astronomer website it states the following using a 4" frac -

The Prairie Astronomer

NGC 2237-9 "ROSETTE NEBULA" (diffuse nebula in Monoceros).

(100mm f/6, 22x)

DEEP-SKY: (2) Some increase in contrast, but nebula is still more of a diffuse haze around the central star cluster with hints of irregularity.

UHC: (5) Noticeable increase in contrast, with more outer nebulosity visible and some irregular light and dark structure being visible. Nebula was visible when UHC was held up to unaided eye!

OIII: (5) Higher contrast than with UHC, with more dark irregular detail throughout the region (especially in the 10 inch), but not quite as much nebulosity visible as in UHC.

H-BETA: (1) Very faint glow around the star cluster, not much better than without a filter (but much dimmer).

RECOMMENDATION FOR ROSETTE NEBULA: UHC/OIII.

I live in a pretty good dark site looking south so if I am successful I will give an update - fingers crossed!!

Mark

[acey]

Erm! i'm sure I've seen the cone nebula. It really looked like a cone and according to my notes that was without a filter.

You've got more aperture than me, Mick, and I've no doubt you've seen it. I'll aim the 12-inch at it when I get the chance. But with 8 inches it was invisible, while the Rosette was easy and highly detailed.

The Cone extends away from the star at the tip of the Christmas Tree and much of it is dark, so one problem is shielding the glare of the star, another is picking up dark nebulosity. A bit like the situation with the Flame Nebula in Orion (which I was able to see barely with the 8-inch and UHC filter).

[Scottie]

Hello everyone, happy sky hunting.

Last night it was a very good clear sky from around 10.30pm until midnight. In some places between the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border we fight the glow from 24hr operating quarries, Manchester or Buxton.

This was not a problem last night though.

I hope it was good elsewhere.

The Orion Nebula M42 was a real treat. No surprise there as you know it is the brightest in the sky. The Andromeda spiral however is as vague as ever despite being high in the sky at this time of year.

I think I might need help to come down to earth though

I should describe the scope as it may help. It is a classic 6.25" f12 reflector made twenty seven years ago by Charles Frank Co. of Glasgow. I restored it over the Autumn and had the mirrors re-aluminised by Galvoptics/Image Optics of Basildon with superb results. I custom made the secondary spider, a four curved vane job worked a treat.

A few things bug me though. The 40mm Swift eyepiece and the focusser which is not even 1.25" but a 16th smaller. Its downhill from here I'm afraid without some money thrown in its direction.

The other week I noticed Jupiter as that bright little lemon with three sharp major moons visible. Ganymede, Europa and Callisto if I'm not mistaken. No bands present on the disk. I agree that it may be just too low in the west to ideally present itself. There is always a nagging anxiety about the scope though. I do remember all those years ago when I first got the scope that I resolved the two major equatorail bands quite easily. It is somewhat frustrating not to beat that memory yet.

Is anyone else playing catchup with old memories of past nights successes?

Also does anyone or is anyone beating visually the dreary faint fuzzy description through their scope of Deep Sky objects?

Oh yeah, neck ache through contortions with the finder scope is a blast, and bumping your jasper conrans on the tube at the same time. (Specs that is.)

Heavy dew does loosen up the torque on the mount. Last night was the worse yet. I end up holding the scope from slipping downward. Grass viewing might be deep pile but is in opposition to deep sky.

[Talitha]

You don't need large aperture to pull in the Rosette, just dark skies, a filter, and (most importantly) a very wide fov so you can clearly see where the outer boundaries are. Here's what it looks like with my 80ST... faint, but definitely there.

[ashenlight]

wonderful sketch Carol

[Rusty Strings]

I need to use a lower mag and an OIII filter to see the Rosette methinks. Using a panoptic 24mm I'm not going to see the nebula boundary judging by Carols excellent sketch.

John

[Talitha]

Thanks. The 80ST definitely needed the O-III because the nebula was invisible without it.

John, you might not need the O-III. I've seen the Rosette through the f/10 8" SCT without it. But the nebula was too big for the fov even while using the f/6.3 focal reducer and my widest eyepiece.

If it's too big in your scope, you might try scooting the nebula off to the side so it only covers 1/2 the fov. When i did that with the 8" SCT, the unfiltered nebula was seen as a 'brightening' of the background sky, much like the outskirts of M31 or M42.

[Rusty Strings]

Thanks Carol I'll give that a try at the next opportunity (suffering fom Leonid cloud screen at the moment).

John

[Guest]

A filter will be required, either a UHC or an OIII. As noted by others a wide field is also needed as the object is very large. I believe some claim to be able to see it with the naked eye from a dark site with a filter held up to the eye.

As for the cone what you saw was the Christmas tree cluster NGC 2262 with teh bright star being S Mon. The actual cone nebula is the dark nebula in that cluster and that is very difficult to see and will require a pretty large instrument.

Owen