13 replies to this topic

[Goofi]

Last spring (2015), I started receiving requests from imagers for suggestions for summer narrowband imaging targets. Most were beginners, just starting on narrowband. Rather than repeat myself, I made a list and posted over on the Beginner & Intermediate Imaging forum. The list was a success, and I decided to add a list for fall targets as well.  Along the way, I started getting requests for more advanced targets. 

 

This list of 20 narrowband targets covers the whole year, with selection emphasis weighted towards spring galaxy season when the traditional narrowband targets are scarce. The only selection criteria I held to were a declination higher than -25, and targets that could be imaged with typical gear (3"-4" refractor up to an 8" SCT/RC). Although the beginner's list can be imaged with DSLRs and clip-in filters, this list is really for CCD imaging.

 

The List

Desig	 Type	RA	Dec	Size	Notes
HFG1	 PN	03h 01m	+64 58'	14'	Abell 6 PN easily framed with HFG1
IsWe1	 PN	03h 49m	+50 00'	13'	Strong OIII
Sh2-216	 PN	04h 45m +46 49'	100'	Strong OIII
Sh2-240	 SNR	05h 41m	+28 05'	180'	Simeis 147
WeDe1	 PN	05h 59m	+10 42'	22'x17	NII predominates
PuWe1	 PN	06h 20m	+55 37'	20'
Sh2-308	 EN	06h 54m	-23 56'	40'	Wolf-Rayet Bubble, Strong OIII
JnEm1	 PN	07h 58m	+53 25'	7'		
Abell 31 PN	08h 54m	+08 54'	17'	Strong OIII, aka Sh2-290
EGB6	 PN	09h 53m	+13 45'	13'		
Hewett1	 PN	10h 37m	 -0 18'	120'	Strong OIII
LoTr5	 PN	12h 56m	+25 53	9'
Abell 35 PN	12h 54m	-22 52'	16'x11'	aka Sh2-313	
Jacoby1	 PN	15h 22m	+52 22'	11'	Strong OIII
TK2	 PN	17h 38m	+66 54'	60'
WR134	 EN	20h 10m	+36 11'	15'	Wolf-Rayet Bubble, Strong OIII
OU4	 PN	21h 12m	+59 59'	70'x20'	OIII; embedded in Sh2-129
IsWe2	 PN	22h 13m	+65 54'	15'			
KjPn	 PN	23h 24m	+60 57'	10'	A tubular PN
CTB1	 SNR	23h 59m	+62 27'	35'	Garlic Nebula, Some OIII

This list can be used with my list of summer, fall and winter/spring targets.  Together, all four lists have 52 targets - one for each week of the year.

[Dan Crowson]

Nice list. Is it available somewhere to download? I went to your site but didn't see it.

Dan

[Goofi]

Dan .. the plan is to consolidate all four lists into one on my website. I've got a 'minor' health issue going on right now and am in a little pain. So it isn't happening tonight, or realistically this week.

 

I have posted a Master List ... just links to all four of them.  

[Hilmi]

Hope you get well soon

[Goofi]

Thanks Hilmi ... 

[josh smith]

Nice and better health to you.  This will be bookmarked for me

[space_eagle28]

Wish you a full and quick recovery. Thanks for your list.

[schmeah]

That's a great list of large PNs. Thanks!

 

Derek

[Carl N]

Nice, Goofi!  Hope you feel better. Still got that AT-72 if you wanna try it out.

[WesC]

Thanks for the very cool list, Goofi, I can't wait to try some more of these out. 

 

And get well soon!

[pbunn]

Thanks for the list.

 

 

Pat

Edited by pbunn, 28 October 2015 - 12:56 PM.

[Goofi]

My pleasure everyone, and thanks for the well-wishes. 

 

Carl, I haven't forgotten about the offer - I want to finish the current 9-panel mosaic (6 of 9 done, 2 more partially), then I'll be looking at the short focal length options.  

[errorname629]

Great list, thanks for sharing. Other narrowband imaging targets I can think of are Sh2-221, the Soap Bubble Nebula (Jurasevich 1) and the Soccer Ball Nebula (Kronberger 61). And Hewett 1? That's so elusive I cannot imagine. Only a few images of it exist in the world.

[Goofi]

Thank you.  

 

There are lots of targets I didn't include; culling the list down to these was pretty painful. The Soap Bubble was cut fairly early on (I forget why, but partly due to its location and a desire to emphasize the spring more).  Hewett 1 was the third to last cut ... I wanted to include it, but couldn't figure out what to drop.  Jones-Emberson 1 almost got dropped (size issues), but its location saved it. I wanted to include Barnard's Loop (Sh2-276) in order to have an extreme widefield object .. I went with Simeis 147 (Sh2-240) instead. Finally, the last cut was M13 ... yeah, that's right!     True, I am a little goofi, but it's a fantastic challenge for natural color narrowband imaging.

 

I worried a lot in the end at how many PNs there were. I went with it, because they are challenging targets but fair .. and the list did include a handful of more traditional emission nebulas.