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M1 Crab Nebula and M78 - how difficult for you?

Moonshane

By Moonshane
in Observing - Discussion

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spaceboy

spaceboy

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With my head held in shame you need only tell me what the Messier number it is and it will be found my friend. :)

I am itching to go out as the Sky's ain't to bad but I am still trying to recover from last nights all nighter. The forecast is for cloud later so I may just have a quick look with the bins. Do you reckon I can get the Eskimo in 15x70's or 20x60's ??

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Hypernova

Hypernova

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The Eskimo Nebula is a lovely little planetary, similar in size to the Blue Snowball, to my eyes at least.

I have never been able to detect colour in it in my 8", maybe I should try again on a transparent night because I can see colour easily in the Blue Snowball and only a very slight hint of green in M42.

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Hypernova

Hypernova

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Oh and by the way, I think I managed to glimpse M78 last night whilst using my 15x70s, I can't confirm the sighting but I am sure there was a patch of fuzz visible with averted vision in the right place :)

Details in last night's observing report, the first one and not the messier marathon one.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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Oh and by the way, I think I managed to glimpse M78 last night whilst using my 15x70s, I can't confirm the sighting but I am sure there was a patch of fuzz visible with averted vision in the right place :)

Details in last night's observing report, the first one and not the messier marathon one.

nice one Tom - I am sure you had it. :evil6:

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stolenfeather

stolenfeather

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I saw M1 for the first time a couple of nights ago. It was very faint and not one of the more pronouced Messier objects I have seen so far. I did have some trouble finding it at first and when I did was not too impressed.

However, I remembered that M1 (the Crab Nebula) was a remnant of a supernova over 700 years ago (correct me if I'm wrong) and said, "wow" nonetheless.

However, it's true,... it doesn't have much to give as visual entertainment.

Isabelle

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michael.h.f.wilkinson

michael.h.f.wilkinson

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I saw M1 for the first time a couple of nights ago. It was very faint and not one of the more pronouced Messier objects I have seen so far. I did have some trouble finding it at first and when I did was not too impressed.

However, I remembered that M1 (the Crab Nebula) was a remnant of a supernova over 700 years ago (correct me if I'm wrong) and said, "wow" nonetheless.

However, it's true,... it doesn't have much to give as visual entertainment.

Isabelle

The Crab stems from supernova observed in 1054, so it is more than 950 years old in our frame of reference. As it is about 6500 ly away, it is really about 7500 years old.

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Space Beagle

Space Beagle

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Managed to nab M1 last night too! Didn't have to use any filters as it was very good seeing here near Boston for a change :)

Also saw M78 in Orion for the first time, quite small in my 200P dob but found it easily enough thanks to the good conditions. Couldn't get M79, a globular cluster, lower down in the sky in Lepus - too much light pollution from the town!

Also managed to tick off the three galactic clusters in Auriga M36, M37 and M38, so all in all a good little session, I must be getting better at finding things :evil6:

Doc

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spaceboy

spaceboy

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Hi Shane

I had a go at M1 last night in my 8" under my usual light pollution 6 mile from B'Ham city center & 6 ft from nearest surrounding houses. All I can say is THANK GOD FOR GOTO!!!! best investment to date. My goto is off slightly I assume to backlash ( and a 22mm house brick :evil6:) so it means I have to have a little search for stuff in the FOV. This occasion there was nothing. The moon was almost full so I wasn't holding my breath but thought I'd try my Castell OIII. After your review Sahne I thought this might help. Well yes it did make some thing "stand out" (loose term of words) and I was able to center into view. Other than experience telling me there was some thing there & coupled with dark adapted averted vision I almost wouldn't have found it even with GT. Only the fact the GT got me to the vicinity and the OIII lit a little reflection from the nebula did I get to see what was nothing anyway. Very faint would be an understatement so I think you managing to find it in a dob was an outstanding achievement. Only the fact that last night the moon was high and almost full will I bother to attempt M1 again in the hope a moon free sky will give me some thing.

To me pictures speak a thousand words.

Here is what I should see and a very close what I did see. M1 Crab nebula, 21:50 16/12/10, 9mm Nagler (x 111.1), 8" F/5, Castell OIII

Might be worth mentioning this is roughly what I saw with averted vision so you wouldn't have got this view looking straight at it..... but I wanted to give an idea what I saw and my descriptions can sometimes be painful :eek:

Well after our chat Shane I decided to go have a look for the Eskimo Neb and you are right it is very impressive :). I can't say I saw any blinking in my 8" but very impressive non the less. I will add this to one of my future points of call to see if I can make out the blinking. Amongst the sights I also checked out Ghost o Jupiter which was pretty good also. It kinda felt quite odd as there was no moons but the size and disk shape of the PN is the same as Jupiter.

While out I thought I would try M1 again as the last time the moon was in phase and I thought I might get a better view with the moon out of the picture. Although M1 wasn't as high in the sky as my last attempt I would have thought I would have got more of an eye full but there was nothing. I tried the OIII filter and still no good. The goto looses calibration slightly through the night due to slop on the worms so I have to check for objects but it never too far off but nothing. I must admit it's never properly gets night time around my obsy due to LP but I managed it last time. I take it this is a neb you have to have near zenith to spot ??? Last time it was over head and could only just make it out but I thought this was just because the moon was almost 6/8th full and I would do better with no moon light. At times I thought I had some thing last night but not sure enough to say yes it's M1.

SPACEBOY

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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Well after our chat Shane I decided to go have a look for the Eskimo Neb and you are right it is very impressive :). I can't say I saw any blinking in my 8" but very impressive non the less. I will add this to one of my future points of call to see if I can make out the blinking. Amongst the sights I also checked out Ghost o Jupiter which was pretty good also. It kinda felt quite odd as there was no moons but the size and disk shape of the PN is the same as Jupiter.

While out I thought I would try M1 again as the last time the moon was in phase and I thought I might get a better view with the moon out of the picture. Although M1 wasn't as high in the sky as my last attempt I would have thought I would have got more of an eye full but there was nothing. I tried the OIII filter and still no good. The goto looses calibration slightly through the night due to slop on the worms so I have to check for objects but it never too far off but nothing. I must admit it's never properly gets night time around my obsy due to LP but I managed it last time. I take it this is a neb you have to have near zenith to spot ??? Last time it was over head and could only just make it out but I thought this was just because the moon was almost 6/8th full and I would do better with no moon light. At times I thought I had some thing last night but not sure enough to say yes it's M1.

SPACEBOY

Nice one mate. The linking is easiest if you stare at the centre and then it disappears. then look away and it pops back.

M1 is tricky but once you see it well enough you'll get it every time.

not seen Ghost of Jupiter - will have a butcher's at that one next time out.

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spaceboy

spaceboy

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I can't wait to get out to dark skies with my 10" dob as M1 will be first on my list closely followed by the rosette Neb. I just think there is too much LP in my area to really appreciate the fainter nebs and galaxies. For the same reason I don't use my 10" and tend to stick to the 8" or bins.

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  • 3 weeks later...
spaceboy

spaceboy

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it definitely looked blue to my eyes, more so with aperture. really nice. 'blinks' well too - stare at the central star and it disappears and becomes just another star; look away and it puffs out again to a PN!

Well finally had some clear skies and decided to pack up and head out to darker skies. I gave M1 a try and what a difference dark skies and a 10" makes :p I managed a similar image to Acey's picture with out filter and although a lot duller but more detailed image with the OIII filter. If I had to choose I would prefer the none filtered view as it is less of a strain on the eye.

After several attempts to find the Eskimo neb I finally found it. And you are correct Shane it dose blink although I think this to be more an optical illusion. This blinking was what made this such a hard target for me to find as looking straight on it seems to be just a star but with slightly averted vision it's there. It is there when you look back but the neb slowly fades away ???? WOW!! This object stands testament as the perfect example of why averted vision works best on faint and fuzzes.

Thanks for the heads up on the Eskimo Shane as this is definitely one of my favorite objects. I also noticed there is a nice little cluster near to it. ;)

SPACEBOY

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spaceboy

spaceboy

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It's only a small cluster. I found it while searching for the neb. I checked my stellarium but it doesn't show the cluster ??? After searching the web it is NGC2420 Gemini only small but still nice. I could just make out the blur of it by eye in the sky and set the scope upon that thinking it was the Eskimo.

The Eskimo neb was a challenge with out goto which made it all the more worth it when I did find it. I don't know why it didn't blink the first time unless under LP skies I naturally looked at it with averted vision ???

Have you got to see the ghost of Jupiter yet Shane?

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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It's only a small cluster. I found it while searching for the neb. I checked my stellarium but it doesn't show the cluster ??? After searching the web it is NGC2420 Gemini only small but still nice. I could just make out the blur of it by eye in the sky and set the scope upon that thinking it was the Eskimo.

The Eskimo neb was a challenge with out goto which made it all the more worth it when I did find it. I don't know why it didn't blink the first time unless under LP skies I naturally looked at it with averted vision ???

Have you got to see the ghost of Jupiter yet Shane?

nice one, I'll be checking that out myself soon! another I have just seen is the lovely little tight cluster next to / within M35 also in Gemini, NGC 2158. worth a look for sure. not seen the ghost of jupe yet - so much to see and so little time. if it's anywhere near clear in a bit I'll be looking for the supernova within NGC 2655 with any luck!

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spaceboy

spaceboy

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A quick heads up Shane, I just got a Hrs observing in and I thought I'd give NGC2420 a go but it was a disappointment under my LP skies. I had a look at the Eskimo while that way and again it didn't blink :):) the effects of light pollution I guess ??? not so obvious when the sky is as bright as the nebulosity ??? You must have better skies where you are Shane so it may be worth trying NGC2420.

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