Horsey? Were my eyes playing tricks?

[yeti monster]

After viewing Andromeda Galaxy, then doing the e-sketch, I was on my way back to the control room to return the 20x60s when I decided to have a look at where I now know horsey to be. After moving Alnitak out of the field of view and averting my vision, I could swear that I was catching the feintest of glimpses of ye olde HH! I know it isn't probable, nor indeed possible. But I "managed" to catch this glimpse several times.

I've just looked at an astro-image of the nebula and confirmed that I was looking in the correct location.

Orion is almost overhead here, and the seeing is very good, despite all the LP being thrown up.

Perhaps I'm just tired and imagining things, I'll have a good look when I'm home and the moon is new (weather permitting).

[barkis]

I have heard of observers seeing the HH, and I don't doubt that it is feasable. There is enough contrast available, so the seeing conditions will determine the chances I reckon. Averted vision will help too of course. I have read that an H beta filter helps, and a 12" scope.

Ron.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Now i wanna see the HH with bins. Time to put the Dob away and take out the 20X90s. Well not right now. I might wait til it gets dark.

I've never seen it with any scope.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have always found the HH a REAL pain. Amazed you should be able to spot it with binoculars. I have never been able to pin it down with my 10x50s. I will try again with my C8 or the little 4.5" sweeper if and when the weather clears.

[yeti monster]

Like I said, they were the feintest glimpses, I wouldn't claim to have pinned it down just yet. If I can see it for certain, then I'll have pinned it down, or rather "nailed" it!

[arad85]

I'd say if you did see it, it will be down to your location....

[Doc]

Impressive stuff if you did catch a little glimpse. I thought I caught a glimpse once quite a few years ago when I was observing in Derbyshire dales with some mates.

[yeti monster]

I've not had chance to try again yet, either too busy, or when I did try to grab a look, the cleods rolled in just as my eyes were adjusting. I suppose it was a good thing, as I really needed a decent sleep last night.

It doesn't look like I'll get a chance tonight either, can't see a single star.

[MartinB]

Much more likely that you were seeing the flame, although that's pretty dim itself.

[yeti monster]

Looking at these images:

http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-deep-sky/96468-horsehead-ngc-2023-a.html

If they were rotated by about 90 degrees cw, then those 2 bright stars would be in a left and right sort of position, what I "think" I saw, was a sort of dark horsey shape, just where the dark horsey shape is/would be in the pics/if they were rotated 90 degrees, if you catch my drift, like. As for the flame, I dunno, but wouldn't that be to the left of the dark horsey shape?

Needles to say, I still can't be sure until I can actually say for definate, but when I do nail horsey, I'll know whether or not I saw it the other night.

I get all fuzzy thinking about it though. Is that ODD?

[Talitha]

Something's been bothering me about this...

Please don't take offense with what i'm about to say, ok?

The background nebulosity that illuminates the HorseHead is very dim and to be perfectly honest, i'm having a lot of trouble imagining that you detected the HH with 20x60s "despite all the LP being thrown up". The HH needs very dark skies and i'm not saying you didn't see it, but your mention of LP is tossing up a huge red flag.

By way of comparison.. in my dark sky, i can avertedly see the Flame Nebula using the 22x100s (no filter). But if the transparency drops a bit below average and allows the upper fringes of my southern light dome to creep up, the Flame can't be seen. I can only imagine how much more sensitive the HH's background nebulosity is to LP, especially when using 60mm binos.

[yeti monster]

Like I say, until I nail it, I can't be sure. It just "felt" like I could glimpse it. I'm not familiar with that area, so it may well have been the Flame. Time, as they say, will tell. And I'll be the first to own up if to what ever it was that I could almost swear that I almost saw.

[yeti monster]

Looking at MishMichs image here:

http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-deep-sky/95543-horse-flame-nebula.html

Assuming that the "burning tree" is the Flame nebula, then I can definately rule that one out. If anyone has a slightly wider field image, then perhaps theres something further to the right of Horsey that I saw. Other than that, I can only draw one conclusion. I shall try to do an e-sketch to illustrate how I saw things.

[yeti monster]

Using a "borrowed" pic (apologies to CoolHandJo) I can demonstrate where I was looking and what i "thought" that I could see (please ignore the "burning tree" nebula, as I wasn't aware of seeing that at all). Orion was high (the belt being at about 70-75 degrees elevation). The flood lighting around the rig is mostly aimed in a downward direction, and I was in a dark area where I can avoid them.

Firstly, with Alnitak in FOV, clearly anything dark was drowned out:

Secondly, with Alnitak moved out of FOV, I saw "something dark" in my periferal vision:

I don't know how well these images will come up on the site, but they are as close as I could get them.