WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2779
Loc: Lodi, California,
|
|
Here is a neat little Planetary Nebula known simply as the "Blinking Planetary"; found in the constellation Cygnus (The Swan, Northern Cross).
As I soon discovered (after reading about this object when making my observing list earlier in the afternoon), it does indeed appear to "blink"; the blinking depending on whether one is looking at the object directly or with averted vision. If you look directly at it, and then with averted vision, and back and forth in this manner, it really does appear as if it is blinking...which is a neat little optical illusion to be certain.
I was able to readily see the bright central core/star, as well as the gaseous outer shell, but not a whole lot of detail within the outer shell itself. It seemed to show a little more definition with the use of my OIII filter however. It also appeared to have a greenish-blue color cast to it.
A nice little jewel tucked away within one of the "wings" of Cygnus, the Blinking Planetary is a unique object that deserves to be visited while it is high in the sky.
--------------------
Orion XTi10 f/4.7
Orion XTi8 f/5.9
Meade NGC 70mm f/10
Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars
My Sketch Gallery
My Astronomy Blog
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
|
frank5817
Post Laureate
Reged: 06/13/06
Posts: 3005
Loc: Illinois
|
|
Wade,
Beautiful sketch of this very nice planetary nebula. I really enjoy observing this one in late summer and fall.
You got that blue-gray color exactly the way I see it. Nice post Wade.  
Frank 
|
WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2779
Loc: Lodi, California,
|
|
Frank,
Thank you for your kind comments. 
--------------------
Orion XTi10 f/4.7
Orion XTi8 f/5.9
Meade NGC 70mm f/10
Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars
My Sketch Gallery
My Astronomy Blog
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
|
CarlosEH
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/19/05
Posts: 3082
Loc: Pembroke Pines, Broward County...
|
|
Wade,
An outstanding and accurate observation of the famous Blinking Planetary (NGC 6826) in Cygnus. It is fun to watch this planetary "blink" in the eyepiece field (due to the the central star overwhelming the fovea (site over the center of the retina of the eye where the sharpest vision occurs). When the eye looks away from the center the nebulous outer portion "pops" into view). Thank you for sharing it with us all.
Liks;
http://www.hawastsoc.org/deepsky/maps/cyg/cyg2.gif
http://www.perezmedia.net/beltofvenus/archives/000711.html (Jeremy Perez's excellent observation of this planetary nebula)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGC_6826
http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album/nebula_collection/pr1997038d/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fovea
Carlos
--------------------
|
PhilH
sage
Reged: 01/27/05
Posts: 232
Loc: Long Island, NY
|
|
Very nice, Wade. Very nice sketch, indeed. I especially like the subtle coloring.
--------------------
Phil Harrington
"Binocular Universe" Columnist, Astronomy magazine
Author: Star Ware || Star Watch || Touring the Universe through Binoculars || et al...
http://www.philharrington.net
http://www.observingsites.com
"Two eyes are better than one!"
|
mike bacanin
sage
Reged: 03/19/07
Posts: 342
Loc: united kingdom
|
|
Hi Wade,
A beautiful and realistic sketch, very impressive work!
regards
mike
|
markseibold
sage
Reged: 01/19/08
Posts: 441
Loc: Portland Oregon
|
|
Wade
Beautiful rendering. You've also captured the color accurately. Now is there a program in all this technology that will make it blink here in the computer screen?  Just kidding. . . 
I had not observed it for some time until a large star party east of Portland Oregon in the Columbia River Gorge on the Persied Meteor Shower peak night last month. We observed many deep sky objects through a 20" Obsession.
Great sketches like yours rekindle those memories of the live observing now and you may have inspired me to try my first deep sky object rendering soon when the clouds clear here.
Thanks,
Mark
|
rodelaet
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/28/06
Posts: 2632
Loc: 50°56' N - 4°58' E (Belgium)
|
|
Wade,
It does look perfect! 
--------------------
Rony
My Astronomy Sketches
My Binocular Sketches
|
WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2779
Loc: Lodi, California,
|
|
Phil, Rony, Carlos, & Mark,
Thank you for your very kind words. My first thoughts when I centered this object in the EP were:
"That is so cool!" followed by "I can't believe I never tracked this gem down before now".
Thank you once again.
--------------------
Orion XTi10 f/4.7
Orion XTi8 f/5.9
Meade NGC 70mm f/10
Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars
My Sketch Gallery
My Astronomy Blog
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
|
rd56
sage
Reged: 12/17/06
Posts: 285
Loc: Central New Jersey
|
|
Wade, beautiful sketch as usual. One (novice) question: Is the greenish-blue cast only seen through the OIII filter or does it show color without the filter also.
Ron
--------------------
-Orion SkyQuest Intelliscope XT8
-Meade ETX-105 Maksutov-Cassegrain
-Antares 8X50 RACI Finder
-Alt-Az/EQ mount with Autostar Go-To
-Meade Super Plossl Eyepieces: (9.7mm,15mm,26mm,40mm)
-SkyChart (Cartes du Ciel) software
Ron
E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle
(And so we came forth and once again beheld the stars)
Dante's Inferno
|
WadeVC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/02/05
Posts: 2779
Loc: Lodi, California,
|
|
Quote:
One (novice) question: Is the greenish-blue cast only seen through the OIII filter or does it show color without the filter also.
A color is noticeable without the OIII filter, the addition of the OIII simply increased the contrast/definition of the outer gaseous shell.
--------------------
Orion XTi10 f/4.7
Orion XTi8 f/5.9
Meade NGC 70mm f/10
Orion UltraView 10x50 Wide-Angle Binoculars
My Sketch Gallery
My Astronomy Blog
A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 