What was this?

[Manok101]

I was randomly looking for anything interesting to look at, and decided to see if I could find Orion. I think I did, and I was just wondering, what do Nebulae look like without filters? I saw three stars, fairly close to each other, at first I thought I saw the horsehead nebula, but then again, it could have just been a leaf, this was about tree line level. It looked like, I said with 3 stars, but around those 3 stars there was this whitish hase, and something I could have sworn looked either like a horse head (Really dark) or a leaf. Also like I said before I do not have any filters. I am new to looking at things through a telescope, and can't really give any more information. because I have only had 2 days of real practice at trying to find things. If I do not make any sense please let me know.

[yesyes]

Sounds like you were looking at the Trapezium in the Orion Nebula (M42).

I don't think you can see the Horse Head visually. (someone correct me if that's wrong)

[iamjulian]

You could probably see it if your scope was massive. We have no idea how big your scope is, but the leaf theory is probably more likely. As yesyes said, the Horsehead is something that usually only shows up in long exposure images. The white ish haze you describe does sound like you were looking at the nebula. The bright colours you see in photographs will not be visible to the eye.

[ronin]

What time and what direction were you looking.

If the white haze was around the 3 stars then it wasn't Orion. The 3 belt stars are distinct and the nebulea are below the belt stars.

The nebulea are not really "a haze" in Orion, they appear as a fairly distinct block/area.

[mark7331]

Sounds like you were looking at the Trapezium in the Orion Nebula (M42).

I don't think you can see the Horse Head visually. (someone correct me if that's wrong)

Through a 12" the horse head is a smudge to me. It only really shows up when I point my CCD at it.

What do nebula look like without filters - it depends on which on you're looking at. M57 (ring nebula in Lyra) will look like a smoke ring. Quite easy to make out once you've found it. M27 (Dumbbell in Vulpecula) is larger but looks like a grey smudge and you need to use averted vision to "see" it properly.

Some you can't see, some are impressive - the ring is amazing to me

After 2 sessions it sounds like you're doing brilliantly. A bit of advice would be to download Stellarium - it's free and it will help you learn the sky as you view (google will give you a link).

All the best

Mark

[Manok101]

It was between 2 and 3 in the morning, I tried finding it again but couldn't so began looking for other things, the haze could have been a cloud, it had been overcast for much of the evening. I was trying for the nebula in orion's sword, which also would have been near or behind a tree here at the point I was looking. Like I said I'm very new and don't know how to distingudh between clouds on earth and actual space objects just yet.

[mark7331]

It was between 2 and 3 in the morning

Which direction were you facing? I'll see if I can get Stellarium to show me what you could have seen.

[Manok101]

I was looking vaugely east, around the area of orion.

[mark7331]

I think you were looking at M31 - the Andromeda Galaxy. It's huge and looks kind of milky. That's the most likely candidate. Have a bit of a google and see if you recognise it.

Mark

[Manok101]

It's possible, it looks vaugely similar. I'll try and find it on stellarium in a few and see what is around it. I was using an orion 4.5 reflector, a 25mm eyepiece and a 3X barlow lense if that gives any more help.

[Moonshane]

I tend to agree with yesyes that this was most likely M42 in Orion

I have not seen it for a bit but there are three large and obvious 'stars' almost vertically through M42. one of these 'stars' is the cluster known as the trapezium and can look like one star at low power, there are other similar clusters close by too.

see if you can see the orange giant Betelguese and the three huge well spaced stars with the white haze below. if you can then it's Orion. you won't see the Horsehead unless you have a large scope, perfectly dark skies and possibly the right filters.

[Catanonia]

Definately not the old horsey, would say orion nebula.. Many stars in it and may confuse 3 of them with whitish haze for the horse.