Rossette Nebula

[david_r]

Just been out in the garden with one of my Christmas presents... Celestron 15x70 bins. They are fantastic. Since getting them I've not taken the scope out at all. All that faffing about. So much easier with bins.

Anyhow, managed to get around the clusters in Auriga, a quick stop at Orion then over to Pleiades.

I've never tried to view the Rossette Nebula in my scope for reasons I cannot think of! Anyway, I found the 6 main stars in the centre (lined up almost like a domino to want for a better description) so was pretty sure I was at the right spot. but could not see any nebulosity. Fair enough. On Stellarium though the nebula looks enormous.

My question is would I see any of the nebula in my scope? I've an 8" F5 newt. I also have a Baader UHC filter if that would enhance it. IF not the UHC filter would any others? OIII?

Thanks

David.

[ollypenrice]

The domino comparison is the one I always use with beginners who don't know the cluster. I used it last night! We had a great view of the nebula.

In principle you can get to it with 15x70. I was using a TeleVue Pronto and 35 Panoptic so a monocular version of yours, optically. However, without an O111 or UHC filter it is very hard and can only really be 'sensed' rather than seen. It shows as a distinctly milky patch around NGC2244 in the filter. It isn't ambiguous at all. I have heard of people using a filter held in front of just one ocular of their bins and I recommend you try this. I'd love to know if it worked for you.

Be aware that we have a very, very dark site and this makes a world of difference. I first saw it from a dark site in Spain using a 4 inch TeleVue and UHC filter.

Your 8 inch f5 has a metre of focal length so even in a 35 Panoptic you would not see the whole thing. Try bins and filter. In our twenty inch it is dead easy but unrewarding because you only see fragments at a time.

Hope you get it,

Olly