
Witch Head Nebula/Calif. Nebula
#1
Posted 21 January 2012 - 12:42 AM
Ernie (PilotStar)
#2
Posted 21 January 2012 - 02:30 AM
Anyone ever sight IC 2118, The Witch Head Nebula, visually? If so, what size scope, filter, and viewing conditions? I caught it five-years-ago in my 6" f/4 Newt using wideband and narrow band filters under a mag 6.5 sky. Very faint, but shape definite. Also caught the Calif. Neb last year with my C11 SCT under a mag 6.2 sky using a H-Beta filter--barely visible, had to pan to see entire object.
Ernie (PilotStar)
The smallest scope I have seen the Witch Head Nebula in was a good pair of high quality 10x50 binoculars at a dark sky site. Even then, all that was seen was the faintest of glows that was a little elongated northeast to southwest. I have seen its dim glow in my 10 inch f/5.6 Newtonian, but it was marginal, and best noticed using my broad-band Lumicon Deep-sky filter. I have seen it a couple of times in my 100mm f/6 refractor at about 15x, but again, it was very difficult and showed little detail other than a vague elongated brightening of the sky background and maybe a little irregularity. Again, the only filter that seemed to help it at all was a broad-band filter like the Orion Skyglow or the Lumicon Deep-sky filter, but the improvement was slight.
The Californian Nebula (NGC 1499) in Perseus is considerably easier, but requires a filter for a decent view of it. Without a filter, it is just a very dim somewhat diffuse elongated glow not a lot brighter than the surrounding sky background. It is best seen using a good H-Beta filter, and indeed, with just an H-Beta held up to the eye, I have seen that object without other optical aid. It occupies much of the four degree field of view of my 100mm f/6 refractor at 15x with my 40mm MK-70 eyepiece (a 4.49 degree field of view) and my Lumicon H-Beta filter. It shows up as a large elongated patch of light with a slight darkening along its main axis. In an 8 inch f/5 Newtonian and the H-Beta filter, I can easily see the nebula with hints of the two broad diffuse filaments which outline much of the northern and southern edges of the object. In my 14 inch f/4.6 Newtonian, the filaments are quite easy to see and start to show a little bit of structure with the H-Beta filter, although I can only see less than half of the entire object at any one time. Clear skies to you.
#3
Posted 21 January 2012 - 03:14 AM
#4
Posted 21 January 2012 - 05:30 PM
#5
Posted 22 January 2012 - 12:30 PM
NGC 1499 is relatively easy from a dark site through the same telescope and an H-beta filtered 35mm Panoptic.
Dave Mitsky
#7
Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*
Posted 22 January 2012 - 03:50 PM
- Roy
#8
Posted 23 January 2012 - 01:32 AM
#9
Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*
Posted 25 January 2012 - 11:03 AM
#10
Posted 25 January 2012 - 01:31 PM
#11
Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*
Posted 25 January 2012 - 02:12 PM
Interestingly I found a narrowband filter dimmed the Witch Head (isn't it solely reflection?). The smallest scope I've observed it with is my 80mm finder at 13x unfiltered. The main prerequisites are dark skies as it has a lower surface brightness than Barnard's Loop and low power to frame it.
That is what I've always understood, so I initially wondered what I was really seeing. I checked Finder Chart 14-10 in The Night Sky Observer's Guide and the nebula was right where it should have been.
I have seen unusually transparent regions in the sky before, and possibly the narrowband filter eliminated any ambient light in that area.
A similar thing happened in 2010, when we were able to view details on Uranus and Neptune, as well as some of those planets' satellites - all with an 11" Celestron. Such breaks in the atmosphere don't happen often, but when they do, you can see some memorable sights.
Has anyone else here had similar experiences?
- Roy
#12
Posted 25 January 2012 - 03:24 PM
http://ivm-deep-sky....011/04/m51.html
#13
Posted 25 January 2012 - 04:23 PM
Interestingly I found a narrowband filter dimmed the Witch Head (isn't it solely reflection?). The smallest scope I've observed it with is my 80mm finder at 13x unfiltered. The main prerequisites are dark skies as it has a lower surface brightness than Barnard's Loop and low power to frame it.
Yes, the Witch Head is mostly reflection nebulosity. Some "narrow-band" nebula filters are broader than others, so they may help some reflection nebulosity to at least some degree. However, the Witch Head seems to be helped most by a good broad-band LPR filter like my Orion Skyglow. Indeed, with the Merope Nebula in the Pleiades, my Skyglow filter can be the difference between seeing and not seeing that nebula from my backyard. Still, the improvement isn't exactly huge, so filter or no filter, the Witch Head can still be a fairly tough object. Clear skies to you.
#14
Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*
Posted 25 January 2012 - 08:54 PM
You can see the Merope from your back yard? I will have to try that some time.Indeed, with the Merope Nebula in the Pleiades, my Skyglow filter can be the difference between seeing and not seeing that nebula from my backyard.
#15
Posted 25 January 2012 - 09:12 PM
You can see the Merope from your back yard? I will have to try that some time.Indeed, with the Merope Nebula in the Pleiades, my Skyglow filter can be the difference between seeing and not seeing that nebula from my backyard.
Yup, my backyard often has a zenith limiting magnitude of around 5.5 to 5.9 or so depending on conditions. This makes for a bit of a problem with the nebulosity in the Pleiades, but a good broad-band filter can help with that, making the nebula just visible in my 100mm f/6 refractor. From my site nine miles outside of town however, no filter is needed (ZLM 6.1 to 6.9). Clear skies to you.
#16
Posted 26 January 2012 - 02:19 PM
It's funny how some objects get undeserved reputations, like IC 2118, while other, better objects can go completely ignored. For example, one time, while looking for another object, I just randomly "found" a big reflection nebula (about 60' X 15' if I remember correctly) that is much brighter than the Witchhead nebula, and yet is not plotted on ANY star chart/electronic chart I know of (including Uranometria and Megastar). To get the designation, I had to use Simbad!
#17
Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*
Posted 26 January 2012 - 02:46 PM
- Roy
#18
Posted 26 January 2012 - 08:13 PM
I think that nebula is charted in The Night Sky Observer's Guide. Is what you saw to the right (west) of IC2118?
- Roy
Well, if you want to know, pulling out my notes I see that it was LBN 534 which is near 23h 38m +48 30', in Andromeda, near the border with Cassiopeia. It appears this nice object has not gone totally without notice, see this image here:
http://www.collectin....DG191.1200.jpg
(If you look carefully, you'll see a little blue/green planetary left of center- that was what attracted me to the area, but I must admit, the reflection nebula proved far more interesting.)
#19
Posted 26 January 2012 - 11:02 PM
It's funny how some objects get undeserved reputations, like IC 2118, while other, better objects can go completely ignored. For example, one time, while looking for another object, I just randomly "found" a big reflection nebula (about 60' X 15' if I remember correctly) that is much brighter than the Witchhead nebula, and yet is not plotted on ANY star chart/electronic chart I know of (including Uranometria and Megastar). To get the designation, I had to use Simbad!
Well, if you want to know, pulling out my notes I see that it was LBN 534 which is near 23h 38m +48 30', in Andromeda, near the border with Cassiopeia. It appears this nice object has not gone totally without notice
Two questions. First, which telescope were you using, 4", 18" or 25"? Second, Is there someplace where you can find a list of the LBN (Lunds Bright Nebulas) objects with all the pertinate information on each?
#20
Posted 26 January 2012 - 11:42 PM
Attached Files
#21
Posted 27 January 2012 - 12:02 AM
#22
Posted 27 January 2012 - 12:40 AM
Is there someplace where you can find a list of the LBN (Lunds Bright Nebulas) objects with all the pertinate information on each?
Here you go, I put it up for you...
https://sites.google.../www/catalogues
#23
Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*
Posted 27 January 2012 - 08:52 AM
I think that nebula is charted in The Night Sky Observer's Guide. Is what you saw to the right (west) of IC2118?
- Roy
Well, if you want to know, pulling out my notes I see that it was LBN 534 which is near 23h 38m +48 30', in Andromeda, near the border with Cassiopeia. It appears this nice object has not gone totally without notice, see this image here:
http://www.collectin....DG191.1200.jpg
(If you look carefully, you'll see a little blue/green planetary left of center- that was what attracted me to the area, but I must admit, the reflection nebula proved far more interesting.)
Sorry, I thought you were talking about the object west of the Witch Head. However, I will look for this one as well, since Andromeda is still fairly high in the sky.
Thanks,
Roy
#24
Posted 27 January 2012 - 11:35 AM
25" from West Texas, in Dec. 2009, on one of the best nights I've had out there. So I suppose I could be overestimating the surface brightness of this object a little bit, because I stumbled across it on such a good night (I haven't reobserved this object since), but I am highly confident that a reobservation and direct comparison on the same night will prove that it is in fact of significantly higher surface brightness than IC 2118.Two questions. First, which telescope were you using, 4", 18" or 25"? Second, Is there someplace where you can find a list of the LBN (Lunds Bright Nebulas) objects with all the pertinate information on each?
You have a good point about the catalogs. It seems we shouldn't trust the star charts (even Uranometria and Megastar) to determine what nebulae we might and might not be able to see. Several years ago, I sorted through images of all the Sharpless 2's, found the brightest, and observed some of those that aren't plotted on any star charts. Obviously, it seems like you have the idea of doing something similar for the LBNs, and I should probably follow suit as well. It would be the only way to be sure.
#25
Posted 27 January 2012 - 10:16 PM
The For example, one time, while looking for another object, I just randomly "found" a big reflection nebula (about 60' X 15' if I remember correctly) that is much brighter than the Witchhead nebula, and yet is not plotted on ANY star chart/electronic chart I know of (including Uranometria and Megastar). To get the designation, I had to use Simbad!
John,
Then you haven't ever checked out (the now defunct) Desktop Universe planetarium software, created primarily by Peter Ceravolo. It was released in 2003, and was based around an all-sky photomosaic (the same one now used in Starry Night Pro Plus.
I compiled the DSO databases and drew the nebula outlines. There are a LOT of obscure nebulae included, and LBN 534 is among them. Indeed, it reasonably clearly shows up in the image mosaic as a 1 degree long cometary cloud, it's surface brightness being just a tad less than that of IC 2118.
This program is the bee's knees for users of binos and RFTs. With an image scale of 12 arcseconds/pixel, it just begins to resolve the better globulars, and reveals some detail in the larger galaxies. Best of all from my perspective is the plethora of intricately detailed dark nebulosity. I wouldn't be without this program.