These are our observations of Planetary nebula

• The Skull Nebula (NGC 246) in Cetus

  I've always considered the Skull Nebula to be too low in the sky, with a maximum altitude of just 26 degrees from my location, to image successfully. However, clear skies on the nights of 30th and 31st October gave me an opportunity to attempt it.

  NGC 246 is a planetary nebula in the constellation of Cetus and was discovered by William Herschel in 1785. Stephen O'Meara writes about it in his book Deep Sky Companions: The Caldwell Objects and discusses the visibility of the central 12th magnitude star. It turns out that this star is readily visible in my image but it is not the dwarf star responsible for the nebula. The central star is, in fact, at least a triple system. There is a 14 magnitude companion, an orange dwarf star, type G8-K0 V, just 3.8" from the primary. Further, in this link to Stars and Skulls: new ESO image reveals eerie nebula, ESO describes work by the ESO VLT in 2014 that reveals a third red dwarf star.

  

  The first inspection of my captured image revealed that the central star was not round. My first reaction was to think that I had some sort of guiding error but I quickly realised that other stars in the image did not exhibit the same feature and this set me to investigate further. Inspection of the central star revealed a blue-white primary star and an orange companion. There is just a hint of the companion visible in the image processed to bring out the nebula and its structure. I reprocessed the data to see what could be revealed by stretching the image only slightly to limit the blooming of star images. I then used this second image as an additional luminance layer on the original image to reveal the companion 14 magnitude orange dwarf star.

  

  Image Details

  • Telescope: 200mm Ritchey-Chretien.
  • Camera: QSI 683 camera.
  • Mount: Skywatcher EQ8.
  • Software: PixInsight and Photoshop

  The data comprise 15 x five-minutes subs each of RGB and 51 x five-minutes luminance subs - eight hours of data.

  David Davies - (20 November 2021).

• NGC 6058 in Hercules

  Sadly no new observations from me of late as my telescope software has malfunctioned and I can't find a remedy!

  However I do have a sketch that matches up with one of this months challenges 😀 It's NGC 6058 in Hercules observed with 14" Newtonian in June 2008, and sketched using a Watec video camera.

  

  Dale Holt - (19 May 2021).

• Observations from Orion… at last

  Last night I had my planetary head on mainly because Mike Wood had shown me his stacked video image of Abell 12 which was rather impressive and evidentially had impressed Owen Brazell too! After Mike showed me his image I went through my files expecting to find a drawing from some time or other but nothing!

  I need to put that right so I went straight after Mu Orionis as I knew that Abell 12 lurked in the glare of this magnitude 4.1 star. I had the exposure of my Watec video camera turned down to 5 seconds and bang the ghostly round orb of Abell 12 aka PK 198-6.1 was obvious and striking next to the dazzling star with its large diffraction spikes.

  

  So to were Mu orionis Ab & Ba as this star is a 4 star multiple. I'm not sure if I could see the fourth member Bb as I had no idea where to look and as the faintest member it was most susceptible to Mu A's glare. Anyhow if I kept exposure relatively short then the other two were framed nicely between Mu A and Abell 12 adding to the spectacle considerably in my humble opinion.

  Lengthening the exposure right up to 20 sec did nothing to enhance the detail seen in Abell 12 but it simply lost the multiple members in the glare and bloat of the primary. No central star was seen, mottling across the whole of the round and sharp edged planetary remained unaltered. The attraction of this PN is its ethereal appearance and contrast with its bright neighbour. A delight no less.

  Next I went onto nearby Abell 14 another planetary with the PK designation of PK 197-3.1 This was to be a failure! This isn't the first time that I have tried and failed on this PN. It is very small 40"x27" and faint at magnitude 14. Tonight I had the location absolutely spot on but my camera could not pull it out even with a 25 sec exposure. It is obviously strong in the blue spectrum emission where my camera is less sensitive.

  I dug out an old visual Lumicon 1.25 UHC filter and screwed this to the camera nose piece. I had to refocus and then I tuned the exposure up to 15sec then 20 sec with my fingers literally crossed but I could see not hide nor hair of this nebula! FAIL big style!

  I then thought well I will leave the filter on and try the old favourite, NGC 2022, another planetary nebula in Orion and one I have been observing both visually and with video for 20 years or more. When the scope drive stopped NGC 2022 was bang in the centre of the field and strikingly obvious at 5 sec exposure. At 20 seconds it was incredibly detailed.

  

  I dug out my file and looked at 3 previous sketches, better view tonight for sure 😀 I agonised over the sketch trying to show all the detail available. My new digital monitor is such that I can use a magnifying glass to study small objects and see yet more detail! I love it 😁

  So that was 2hrs gone and time to get indoors and ready for bed, not that I slept! No,no way too excited.

  Dale Holt - (11 February 2021).

• A few finds in Lepus

  It was my initial intention to stay in Orion and look for more faint planetary nebulae. Here I have to report 2 failures.

  The first one was absolutely zero seen of PK204-8.1, this according to images is a lovely ring structure. I could detect nothing, not a hint. I spent an hour trying with settings on the monitor and camera turning the exposure up to 20-sec integration and still nothing. I could see the stars that are superimposed on the nebula, all the field stars down to magnitude 19 or fainter but no nebulosity and I knew exactly where it would be!

  Next PK215-30.1, I could see nothing at the location, looking at images this was less surprising than the first failure as it was a diffuse and tenuous nebula. Studying the monitor with the knowledge of what the nebula looked like, well maybe there was some milky structure there but I was far from sure so I moved on.

  I dropped down into Lepus and changed quarry to galaxies.

  Arp 123 was a revisit, last sketched back in 2013. This time I pulled out a little more of the dust lane than previously and sketched in some fainter stars than back in 2013. I also caught a nice little PGC 172117 with a central bulge just out of the field-of-view to the south. I made a quick shape sketch in the info margin of the main sketch.

  

  Next I got a nice little first, NGC 1843 a fine SC spiral, magnitude 12.7, two arms seen, mottled central region and a couple of superimposed brighter stars, a nice object.

  

  IC 418 (PK 215-24.1) was an interesting and surprising observation, to cut a long story short, using the camera in the usual setting format the nebula appeared as a bright circular and uniform disc.

  I know it is basically a fairly bright star and a faint spherical nebula in line of sight association. The camera appeared to be combining the two! If I turned it up to max 20-sec integration then the object displayed diffraction spikes. However if I turned the camera right down to a very short integration time that would just show down to magnitude 5-7 stars then a small nebulous disc appeared with an obvious associated star, as drawn. I can't work it out but I have recorded what I saw, and from my perspective it is what it was on the video camera.

  

  That is all I have to share. This persistent haze or clag as they say north of Watford really has put the kibosh on what could have been a nice little winter run for us deep sky peeps.

  Dale Holt - (21 January 2020).

• Planetaries in Orion

  Andrew Robertson challenged me with Abell 10 (PK 197-14.1) a couple of weeks back so that was my first object for last night.

  Easily seen, increasing exposure time didn't make it much clearer but it did pull out more field stars. Disc distinctly mottled and 'fluffy' edged. Two stars to note on right-hand side of the disc, the upper slightly detached from the disc, the lower one was brighter and was superimposed on the disc.

  There was I believe a very faint galaxy just in the upper left of the field-of-view, I didn't identify it or draw it in as it was so tenuous.

  Abell 10, lovely object thanks to Andrew for bringing it to my attention 😊

  

  Close by was PK 193.9.1 so I thought I would take a look, one catalogue stated it as being in Orion another as in Taurus.

  Another nice planetary nebula, smaller than Abell 10 and dominated by its bright central star, it looked to be a tight almost perfect round shell, wonder what colour this appears to the eye?

  Just outside of the upper field-of-view was a nice edge on galaxy, distinct but I didn't identify.

  

  Very enjoyable observing.

  Dale Holt - (18 January 2020).

• Abell 84 in Cassiopeia

  Image courtesy of Mike O'Brien.

  Image Details

  70 minutes in Hydrogen Alpha composed of 7 x 10 minute lights.

  Equipment

  Telescope

  12" Skywatcher PDS

  Camera

  Atik 314L+ mono

  Mount

  Skywatcher AZEQ6GT

  Guiding

  Starlight express mini USB filter wheel with built–in off axis guide prism and Orion G3 camera

  Mike O'Brien - (24 October 2016).

• The Ring Nebula (M57) in Lyra

  For the first time in ages I got out the telescope for a very short session on Sunday night, 17 July 2016. The moon was about 95% full and it was my main target for the two hours I was out. The air was very warm at about 14°C and this was the first time I that I have observed wearing a short sleeve t shirt! It was so warm all my family came out to enjoy spectacular images of the Moon.

  However, I did observe M57 and the lovely classic double Alberio in Cygnus. I normally use large dobsonians for my observing but this time I used my (apo) refractor, a CFF 127mm f7 on a NEQ6 mount. This made quite a change for me! I was out in the garden from about 22:00 until 24:00 UT. With a nearly full Moon it was not a night for deep sky objects but I just wanted to be outside with a telescope again.

  I made my sketch of M57 using an Ethos 6mm eyepiece giving x148. The low contrast was exacerbated by the closeness of Cygnus to the Moon. The lovely M57 appeared as a dim smoky ring with a dimmer centre. The view was very different to that I normally see with the dobs!

  

  I then turned to Alberio which I often look at. Although it is probably a hackneyed target for double star observers (of which I am not one) I never tire from looking at the lemon and pale blue pair. A real delight.

  David Reynolds in South Norfolk (18 July 2015).

• A Haul of Deep-Sky Sketches

  This is the best haul of deep sky sketches that I have had for quite some while!

  The two planetary nebulae NGC 2022 and NGC 22371/2372 are 're-visits' I have sketched both of these before but years ago with my old 350mm Newtonian and Watec camera, the level of detail is significantly higher in these new sketches.

  

  

  ARP 186 was a challenge, especially seeing the slender trunk like projection/arm there are also another 3 small faint galaxies in the field, these I have not identified.

  

  Some nice detail can be seen in NGC 1924 a rare Orion galaxy and a first observation for me, note also a faint unidentified galaxy to the upper right of my sketch and what appeared to be another spiral directly below the main galaxy, again unidentified.

  

  NGC 1964 in Lepus was disappointing until I went out into the observatory and saw just how low the scope was pointing into the murky glow in London's direction!

  

  Finally a first visit for me to a lovely galaxy trio in Gemini, another constellation not normally associated with galaxy hauls.The largest spiral which I believe is NGC 2389? shows some great detail.

  

  Dale Holt - (8 January 2016).

• NGC 2371 / NGC 2372 in Gemini

  I was delighted to see some more detail recently in this lovely and very interesting planetary nebula, which I will recount to you. At long last the poor weather relented and I managed to use my telescope for what turned out to be almost an 'all nighter'.

  Tuesday 08 December 2015 was forecast to be clear well in advance and so many local astronomers got out to enjoy the night sky. I turned my 600mm f4.5 dobsonian onto a good range of objects including this Planetary Nebula (PN) in Gemini, sometimes called The Peanut because it is bi-polar, hence the reason why it was given two NGC names. Conditions were not particular good; the darkness was only SQM 20.79 which is very poor for this site, but transparency was average to good. Seeing was poor.

  I spent thirty minutes studying this interesting planetary, starting at 01:35 UT early on Wednesday morning (night of 08/09). With a magnification of x 340 (Ethos 8mm) and then x570 (Ethos 4.7mm), the overall shape was of a pear drop. For once, the nick name peanut is accurate. Of the two brightest patches the Southern end was slightly brighter and smaller. The opposite end, Northern, was broader forming the wider base of the pear drop, with some much fainter nebulosity extending Westward. Fainter nebulosity filled the space between them with a slightly brighter band joining the two lobes on the Eastern edge. I then tried adding a UHC filter to the 8mm Ethos. Almost immediately I thought I could see some additional nebulosity outside the 'normal' planetary. After some minutes I was sure I could see very faint but definite curved bands on the West and East sides of the main body, with a clear gap between the 'pear' and the bands. They appeared to follow the curve of the planetary as if forming parts of a shell. The East section was larger - longer and wider at the South end with a much wider section going Eastwards. The West section also had a 'T' piece at the South end but much smaller. These shells were very faint and required AV2 to see (averted vision, but is held steady). I also noticed that the band joining the two parts of the bi polar planetary was very slightly brighter in the middle. The central star was prominent throughout.

  I made a couple of sketches and the enclosed one illustrates, as best I can because I am not an artist of any sort, the view at x340 with the UHC filter. The outer shells are more prominent in the sketch than I saw them.

  

  I have looked at this planetary many times over the years with various instruments but I have never seen the outer shells before now, and neither did I know of their existence. The following day I checked my usual (printed) sources and none mentioned this feature. However, an internet search revealed a DSS image of the the shells in exactly these positions.

  

  Image Credit: Digital Sky Survey (DSS).

  Pleased! It was a great night and I also enjoyed another great planetary and five Hickson Groups including Copeland Septet. Roll on the next clear skies.

  David Reynolds (16 December 2015).

• NGC 1501 in Camelopardalis

  I was out last Tuesday for a few hours and for once the clouds had the decency to delay their appearance until the moon was up at around 23:00 UT. I was using my 600mm f4.5 dob and the thin high cloud meant that it was not a night for the faint stuff. My Sky Quality Meter L read about 20.80 and the air temperature at minus two, and I judged the seeing to be 'average'. One of the objects I observed was a very nice planetary nebula NGC 1501 in Camelopardalis, which shows some nice detail to medium sized telescopes and above.

  

  With an 8mm Ethos eyepiece and O3 filter I recorded the following in my notes:- Circular, large, central hole slightly oval in the NE-SW direction, brighter arc on the E edge of the PN extending about one-sixth of the circumference. which appeared to 'shimmer' or glitter! The best view was with AV1 (averted vision level 1). No sign of central star, no colour noted.

  

  Using the same eyepiece but without the O3 filter, the PN was more easily seen. The central star was bright and obvious, mottling within the nebulosity with brighter patches to the N and W of the CS. No colour seen. The PN is flanked by three field stars spread symmetrically around the planetary.

  David Reynolds (10 March 2015).

• Messier 76 in Perseus

  Image Courtesy of David Davies, Cambridge, UK. For more images from David please visit his Flickr Photostream.

  David's Observation Notes.

  Hello everyone,

  The poor weather in late November meant that I was able to get out only twice, the 23rd and 29th. The 23rd was a new moon but the forecast was very poor for the next week so I decided to try Messier 76 in hydrogen alpha - at least that way I could return to it on the next fine night and capture more narrow band data, even though it might be close to full moon. Sure enough the next fine night the 29th was close to full moon and I returned to M76 and see what oxygen III and sulphur II data I could capture.

  In the end I managed to capture two hours each of H-alpha, Oxygen III and Sulphur II. The core of M76 is relatively bright and showed up well but the outer regions are very faint and needed some teasing out in processing.

  I've tried both a Hubble palette (red, green, blue is derived from sulphur, hydrogen and oxygen, respectively) and the less frequently seen HOS palette (red, green, blue is derived from hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur, respectively). The Hubble palette gives a predominantly blue image from which it was difficult to tease out any detailed structure. The HOS palette yielded a green/yellow and red image and more of the detail could be teased out by tweaking the colour balance in Photoshop.

  So this is Messier 76 in HOS palette. Six hours of data was captured in 20 minute subs, equally split between hydrogen-alpha, oxygen III and sulphur II.

  Image details

  Image Processing

  Pixinsight and Photoshop.

  Telescope

  254 mm Newtonian with Tele Vue Paracorr at F/4.5

  Camera

  QSI 583wsg with Astrodon 3 nm narrow band filters. Off-axis guiding by SX Lodestar.

  Mount

  EQ6 controlled by EQMOD