Object Name: NGC40 (also Caldwell 2)
Object Type: Planetary Nebula in Constellation Cepheus
Observing Location: Sudelfeld, Bavaria, Germany
Date: 16. November 2012, 11:50 PM
Observer: Christian Rausch
Telescope: 12inch/F5 Dobson (Hofheim Instruments)
Used Filters: none
Power: 300x (Nagler 5mm)
Conditions: SQML = 21,45 mag/arcsec*2, seeing good, transparency very good, Temp. +3C, rel. humidity 40%
Media: Chalk pencil on black paper
The night from the 16. to the 17. of November was exceptional here in southern Bavaria. A very good transparency combined with good seeing conditions is very rare in our area. In addition the fog down in the valley damped the artificial lights.
A brief window to observe the deeper sky was taken tonight as it was clear, dark early and with the moon not due to interfere until around 20.30ut.
As has become the norm, I was intent to grab another of the 100 Hickson groups, but before I did this and as Altair (Alpha Aquilae) was a stop off on my hopping progress up into Pegasus I took a look into Mark Bratton’s excellent Guide to the Herschel Objects to see what was local. I picked up on NGC 6781 which is a beautiful mag 11.8 planetary in Aquila with plenty of exquisite detail to enjoy. Compared to M57 the Ring Nebula in Lyra it is relatively large and faint, yet not so faint that it isn’t visible in smaller, say 8” telescopes, I feel it is more akin to the Helix nebula, though considerably smaller at 2.0′ diameter.
At 16.8 magnitude, the central star (a white dwarf) is clearly seen just off centre in my sketch, made using the 500mm mirror, Watec 120N+ video camera of course! Sketched in pencil on white and then inverted on the computer.
No time to spare, one sketch in the bag, yeeha!, with the Moon getting ever closer to the horizon, I pushed onto Hickson 99 there are 5 members in this group which is located just SW of Alpha Andromedae (Alpheratz) in the square of Pegasus.
(A) member UGC12897 mag 14.8 is extended N-S with a star on its southern tip. (B) UGC12899 is round fairly bright at mag 14.7 with a brighter nucleus. I find (C) PGC 58 to be the most interesting, it is a barred spiral and despite being only mag 15.6 I was able to see and capture arm structure in my sketch, amazing J (D) & (E) members PGC 60 & PGC 57 respectively at mag 17.1 & 17.6 are merely tiny smudges to the south of the 3 main members.
I was very pleased with this short and productive observing session, time to close up and return to the family & gardeners world indoors!
Dale
Barnard's Galaxy & Little Gem Nebula (NGC 6822 / NGC 6818)
Object Name – Barnard’s Galaxy & Little Gem Nebula (NGC 6822 / NGC 6818)
Object Type – Galaxy / Planetary Nebula
Location – Monte Bello Open Space Preserve, California
Date – August 7, 2012
Media – Graphite pencil, white paper
Equipment – 15″ reflector (103X)
Conditions – Transparency 5/10 (Saguaro), seeing 7/10 (Pickering)
I send my sketch of the planetary nebula M27. This is one of my favorite objects to observe the summer. Reminiscent of dumbbells for exercise. Draft reflects the view of the eyepiece PL25mm who get a 48x magnification. It also pointed star, which I took in the field of view. Before there was the effect of the white night, I decided to observe and sketch the object. Since this is a sketch object typoy summer I decided to send today to encourage all lovers of astronomy observations.
Thanks Very much:)
Date: 28 April 2012
Location: Psary in Poland
Tib object: a planetary nebula
Telescope: Newton 200/1200
Media: 2B pencil and white paper
Here is my submission of to day: NGC 5189, one of the most structured planetary nebulae of the all sky.
The number of details is impressive in the 20” Obsession, and the pristine skies of Tivoli lodge, Kalahari desert, Namibia, during the new moon of last june.
Sketch has been made, as usual, directely on the screen of my computer, with lines of equal luminosity. From this sketch, and the detailed notes I wrote on my observing paperbook, I realised the final drawing some days after, with Paintshop Pro.
Object Name (M57 Ring Nebula)
Object Type (Planetary Nebula)
Location ( Zielona Gora, 51.9333°N, 15.5000°E )
Date ( September 14, 2012)
Media (graphite pencil, white paper)
I send my sketch of the M57. This is planetary nebula. I live in the countryside and have good conditions for observing faint objects. M57 looks very nice in my 150x magnification telescope.
Daniel Stasiak
Object name: Planetary nebula, Messier 57
Location Psary in POLAND
Media: white paper and pecil. GIMP
date: 22 august 2012
Here is my sketch of NGC 6905, a planetary nebula in Delphinus. I made the sketch from my backyard in Orleans, Ontario, Canada July 29, 0025 EDT. The sketch was done with graphite on white bond paper using my 120mm f8.3 refractor with a 13mm Hyperion EP with an OIII filter. The seeing was above average and the nebula was quite bright in averted vision with a nice blue tint and a bright central star.
