Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1604
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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I've had an opportunity over the last couple months to visit some beautiful planetary nebulae. If you visit the sketching forum regularly, some of this is a repeat, but I do have a couple new ones to add. These observations are made with my 8 inch f/5.9 Dobsonian. They've been such a pleasure to sketch, since the magnifications are high, field stars are at a minimum, and I can really concentrate on what's happening in those little blossoms of fluorescing gas. If anyone has their own observation notes or sketches to share on the same objects (or any others), please feel free to post them!
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/6 Newt) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1604
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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NGC 6210
I had been working on a sketch of M16 at Anderson Mesa one night last month, but increasing clouds to the south made it impossible to continue. So I took a break and decided to look for something in a part of the sky not dancing with clouds. Hercules was in decent position, so I scanned my SkyAtlas 2000.0 for something in the vicinity and picked out this beautiful planetary nebula.
It showed up as a non-stellar, blue-green object at 37X and took magnification well. I really could have used more power than 240X. It held on to its blue-green color at high power, and appeared to have a faint outer halo surrounding an irregular inner core. These irregularities gave this nebula the appearance of a rectangle with rounded corners or nodules. These corners appeared at the 1:00, 5:00, 7:00 and 10:30 positions as seen in the eyepiece. The core was not stellar, but slightly brighter.
The full report and larger sketch can be found here: NGC 6210
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1604
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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NGC 6891
This was my fourth and final observation and sketch during a full night at Anderson Mesa. I picked it from my Bright Star Atlas since it was a convenient find next to the tail of Delphinus. Sky Atlas 2000.0 provided the star hopping route. At low power (37.5X), it stood out as a brighter star that really liked averted vision. At 240X, it took on a double-shelled appearance with a brighter, but non-stellar peak at the core. It exhibited a pale, aqua-gray color. I didn't end up using the UHC filter on it, since dawn was making its presence known, and I was feeling pretty wiped out.
The full report and larger sketch can be found here: NGC 6891
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1604
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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NGC 6543 - Cat's Eye Nebula
This observation was made from my back yard under transparent (~5.8 NELM) skies, but with a fair amount of reflected residential glare. I wasn't sure how much I would see, but this planetary nebula turned out to be a great visual treat. It bore a noticeable aqua color and was elongated at a position angle of about 30 degrees. The brighter portion of the core was vaguely lumpy, but not concentrated at the center. Its contour was roughly shaped like a parallelogram with slight hints of hooklike shapes at the northeast and southwest ends. The western side also had a subtle rounded extension. A larger, fainter halo appeared to surround it all. I was not able to detect the central star at any magnification. I tried the UltraBlock filter, but contrast was already very good, and it didn't help in my opinion.
My observation shows only hints of structure from the inner portions of the nebula. I overlaid a Hubble photograph to produce a rollover comparison, and tried to scale it to what appears in my sketch. I did not pick up the outer spindled ends of the nebula, but did notice some of the contours closer to the core. The Hubble image has been beautifully optimized to pick up as much detail as possible, but relative brightness does not compare well to the visual experience. Follow this link to the Misti Mountain Observatory - Astronomy Pages to see a photograph that is somewhere between the visual view, and the Hubble view.
The full report, comparison rollover graphic, and larger sketch can be found here: NGC 6543
Some other comparison sketches of NGC 6543 can be found here:
Wes Stone
(note that his north marker is off by 90 degrees--The whisp of IC 4677 is actually on the west side of the nebula.
Kiminori Ikebe
Markus Dähne
Serge Vieillard
Daniel Restemeier
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1604
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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NGC 7008 - Fetus Nebula and HJ 1606
This fascinating planetary nebula was pleasantly large, and easy to spot with my low power eyepiece at 37.5X. I could see no color in the nebula, but there was some color right next to it in the double star HJ 1606. The primary of this double was a subtle, warm ivory, while the secondary was blue. The nebula had a comma or ear-like shape, formed by a dark intrusion entering from the south-southeast. It also appeared lumpy and enmeshed with faint stars. Those stars gave an initial impression of a highly unresolved open cluster. What appeared to be three stars at first, turned out to be only two. After some examination of astrophotos, the northernmost "star" appears to be a highly condensed bright spot in the nebula. A look at Wes Stone's gallery shows that he too detected this area as star-like in this excellent sketch: NGC 7008 - Wes Stone.
I measured the double star at a PA of 183° and a separation of 18.9 arc seconds. The Washington Double Star catalog lists a 1901 value of 185° and 18.4 arc seconds.
This colorful double, and fascinating, unusually shaped planetary nebula make for a great pair to observe on a warm summer night.
The full report and larger sketch can be found here: NGC 7008.
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1604
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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M76 - The Little Dumbbell
In preparation for an upcoming project, I made a new observation of this interesting little planetary nebula. I noticed no color in it. The southern lobe was the brightest. Both lobes were brightest at their outer apexes. The bright portion of the northern lobe seemed to have a bit of a hollow along its inner edge. I spent a lot of time glued onto the eyepiece, looking for the lateral extensions that this nebula possesses. As I grew better adapted, and spent time with the view, the east and west sides of the bright, inner dumbbell showed a soft glow. This extended outward nearly the same width as the inner portion of the nebula on each side. The western extension appeared to have a slightly brighter whisp along its northern edge that peeled away from the northern dumbbell lobe. The eastern extension was brighter along its southern side--this brighter area was not as slender as the northwestern streak. In comparison to the main body of the nebula, these extensions were very subtle, and would be easy to miss. If you have a dark, transparent sky, try giving this nebula a long, focused look and see if they show up for you.
The full report and larger sketch can be found here: M76.
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Fiske
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/14/04
Posts: 1903
Loc: Missouri / United States
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Great work, Jeremy! Thanks for posting these. 
The comparison sketch links for the Cat's Eye is a particularly nice touch.
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Fiske Miles
Nikon 8x42 LX / 12x50 SE Binos
Mini Borg 60ED, TV-101, AT80Ach, XT-8, C11/CI-700, 22-Inch Dob
Way too many Nagler eyepieces
http://www.fiskemiles.blogspot.com/
www.fiskemiles.com
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desertstars
Say What?
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 28624
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Very good, indeed.
I think we're ready to wade through the next batch... 
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Tom W.
SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ
Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor
Under the Desert Stars
It is a plain road from the earth to the stars though mortal feet can not tread it. Garret P. Serviss 1888
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Mr. Mike
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/08/05
Posts: 501
Loc: Churchville, NY
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Excellent reports, Jeremy. Great detail and explanations! Makes me wish I had a bigger scope so I could get views like that!
NICE! 
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Stellarvue NextGen 80mm ED
Meade 7x50 Binos
Takahashi LE 7.5mm
Vixen LVW 22mm
Vixen LVW 13mm
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Silicon Owl
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/25/05
Posts: 809
Loc: Waimea, Hawaii
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Beautiful drawings that capture the view through the eyepiece! I am going to have the try NGC6210 again for the structure you noted in your report.
Stuck at home this new moon weekend, so no chance to go out and view these planetaries myself. I am on call and need to stay near a phone and computer, but at least I can do some astrophotography from my driveway.
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Andrew Cooper
Personal Website and CN Gallery
Handmade 18" Dob / NS11GPS / 6" RFT / 90mm APO / TV-76 ...and a twin 10m
"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." --Sarah Williams
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1604
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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Fisk, Tom, Mr. Mike & Andrew, thanks very much
Andrew, I'm interested to hear how your next look at NGC 6210 goes! I hope your on-call weekend goes smoothly. You know, it was a satisfyingly bright object...maybe it would stand up to your neighborhood sky conditions...
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/6 Newt) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars
The Belt Of Venus || Astro-Sketch Gallery || Astro-Sketching Resources || Astro-Photo Gallery
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Silicon Owl
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/25/05
Posts: 809
Loc: Waimea, Hawaii
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The streetlight just across from my driveway effectively eliminates any chance at dark adaptation, thus I do photography instead, the sky is nicely dark past the glare from the local lights. I need to travel a little ways out into the dark to do visual, at least until the strategically located royal poinciana tree I planted this spring grows a few more feet!
It is truly strange to be unable to go out and observe because I might (and probably will) get a call from the operator of a slightly larger telescope.
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Andrew Cooper
Personal Website and CN Gallery
Handmade 18" Dob / NS11GPS / 6" RFT / 90mm APO / TV-76 ...and a twin 10m
"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." --Sarah Williams
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Nick Lloyd
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/24/06
Posts: 1536
Loc: cincinnati
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Thank you for posting your sketches. Not only did I learn about new objects to observe, but I get a better idea of what to look for in apertures of 8"-10".
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"The best scope is the one you use." -rcg
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stevek
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/16/06
Posts: 1170
Loc: west michigan
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Jeremy, great report & fantastic drawings (as usual). Love your work & the links are a great touch. I've spent several nights this month chasing PNs but havent included 6210... yet. Cant wait to try - thanks. Clear skies.
Steve
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DSO 8" f6 DOB w/ 8x50 RACI & 2"Crayford
1958 Sears Discoverer 76mm Refractor
GSO SV 30mm 2",21mm Hyp,13mm Strat,BO/TMB ver2-6mm & 4mm
1.25"Filters: DGM-NPB, 25%ND
1.25" plossls: 25mm,20mm,15mm,9mm
Orion 2X Shorty Barlow
Garrett Gemini LW 11x56mm binocs
BTG-10 4.0mW green laser pointer
"What is that burning in the sky? Tell me y'all..." Jeff Beck/Jan Hammer
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Jeremy Perez
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 1604
Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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Nick and Steve, thanks for your comments. Sorry it took so long to reply, I was out of town. I look forward to hearing how the NGC 6210 observation goes, Steve!
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Orion SVP 6LT (6" f/8 Newt) || Orion XT8 (8" f/6 Newt) || 15x70 Oberwerk Binoculars
The Belt Of Venus || Astro-Sketch Gallery || Astro-Sketching Resources || Astro-Photo Gallery
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Tommy5
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/28/04
Posts: 1371
Loc: Chicagoland
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Outstanding sketches and reports, great job, thanks for posting.
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scopethis
super member
Reged: 05/30/08
Posts: 188
Loc: Kingman, Ks
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My observation notes on 6210 indicate (using 10 SCT) that it is a fuzzy star @ 64x, but plainly becomes an oval disk at 100x. Pretty bright with a bluish white hue. My notes also say that this object is called the "Turtle Nebula".
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Bill Weir
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 694
Loc: Metchosin (Victoria), Canada
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Thanks for posting this Jeremy. I couldn't recall ever observing NGC 7008, and as soon as my scope was on it I knew I hadn't.
This is how I saw the nebula on Aug 3 using my 12.5" at 154X. The detail was so intriguing that I had to get my sketch pad.
http://rascvic.zenfolio.com/p566114947/?photo=h29E2A037#551022723
Bill
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6'' Orion SkyQuest
12.5'' f/5 Custom Truss Dob
William Optics 80mm ZenithStar II ED Doublet
f/5 25" newtonian on a giant GEM, any time I want
Observing sessions grand total for 2007, 171.
So far in 2008, 83
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 5538
Loc: Pennsylvania, USA
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Those are all excellent objects for a mid-summer night's observing.
I've seen NGC 6543 through a 24" Tectron equipped with an I3 Piece a couple of times and much of the internal structure visible in the Misti Mountain Observatory image was visible. NGC 40 was also quite spectacular through that setup.
NGC 7008 is an interesting planetary nebula that I've observed on more than a few occasions. NGC 7027, a very young bipolar proto-planetary nebula, is another object in Cygnus that deserves greater attention.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Deepskydave
member
Reged: 06/27/08
Posts: 85
Loc: Waltham, MA, USA
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Although not known by most, Abell 39 (PK 47+42.1) is a great PNe to observe. I remember observing it through my 13" at a dark sky location in Northwestern CT.
It was a very large, round, faint PNe with a faint brighter ring than the overall nebula. The central star was quite bright. The PNe is 12.9 and with an OIII filter, it does stand out quite nicely. Size is roughly 174" x 174".
www.mistisoftware.com/astronomy/Nebulae_pk47p42v1.htm
Dave
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Nextstar 8i SE XLT
Proxima 8-24mm Zoom
OPT OIII
Vector 19ah Power Tank
Stellarvue 1.25" 99% refelctive diagonal
Homemade (and attractive) dew shield
Edited by Deepskydave (08/13/08 04:34 PM)
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