Category: diffuse

Filaments Dispersing into Obscurity

Messier 42
Messier 42 and 43
Sketch and Details by Juan Perez (Juanchin)

Object : Nebulae M42 and M43
Date : January 06, 2010
Time : 1230 LST / 0730 UT
Location : El Mirage Arizona USA
Instrument : CPC 1100 / 25mm Plossl / Orion Skyglow filter
Magnitude : M42/ 4 M43/ 9
Weather : In the chilly mid 40’s almost no winds and clear skies !

Sketching this stellar nursery was no easy task ! I salute all you brave people who have done a great job rendering this difficult deep sky object. I for one, almost gave up not knowing where to start. This seagull, dragon, bat, mustache, etc… has so many highlighted features. There is of course the biggest detail when peering through the scope- the Trapezium. I started with this tiny cluster of four prominent stars. As the scope settled from me not touching it, I soon was able to discern the two other less noticeable stars of the six visible. The Trapezium is largely responsible for the illumination of the reflective portion of this nebula so, its no coincidence that the surrounding cloud of dust is also the brightest. There are two curving arms of nebulosity that stretch vaguely to the north and the other to the south. Under these arms and with averted vision, you will notice intricate filaments of dust that disperse into obscurity. Not far from M42 slewing the scope in a northeast direction, a 9th magnitude star is covered or engulfed with a wispy nebulous aura. I believe, I saw some subtle dark lanes on the southern portion of this nebula which had an elongated and attenuated or diffuse tail pointing away from M42. Anyway, I had spent almost 4 hours trying to see with the corners of my eyes and it was time to give it a break. So here is my final sketch for now, maybe sometime later I’ll include one of the Trapezium by itself. Enjoy !!!

Three Parts of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex

M78
Messier 78, NGC 2071, NGC 2067
Sketch and Details by Serge Vieillard

Another sketch made on the second night of observing at La Palma, and with the 16″scope is the beautiful, bright and diffuse reflection nebula M 78 (left center). Other parts of the Orion molecular cloud complex included in this sketch are NGC 2071 far right and below and to the right of M 78 is NGC 2067. This was another quick sketch of the “splendor of Orion” as Serge calls it.
Object: M 78(NGC 2068), NGC 2071, NGC 2067 – Artist: Serge Vieillard – Sketch Date: 10-10-09 – Sketch Location: La Palma in the Canary Islands

Two Views of M42

M42
Messier 42, 43 and NGC 1977

M42 Trapezium
Messier 42 Trapezium
Sketch and Details by Kiminori Ikebe

M42 (NGC 1976) Ori diffuse nebula Difficulty level 1

M43 (NGC 1982) Ori diffuse nebula Difficulty level 2

NGC 1977 Ori diffuse nebula Difficulty level 3

Date of observation: 1995/01/25 22:08
Observing site: Hoshinomura
Transparency/seeing/sky darkness: 2/4/2
Instruments: 30×125 binoculars
Width of field: 1.6‹
This is the brightest and most interesting diffuse nebula among those that are visible from Japan. It shows very complex structures and extremely difficult to draw. North of this nebula a diffuse nebula called NGC 1977 is clearly visible.
NGC 1999: This nebula is relatively bright with complex structures. If this nebula was a separate object, it could attract more attention of observers.
M42: Even at this magnification the four stars of the Trapezium are resolved and a dark band intruding the bright nebulosity from the east is noticeable. There are three stars along this dark band. There is also a dark band south of the Trapezium.
M43: The star at the center stands out and the southeast side of the nebulosity is sharply defined by dark areas.

Radiance and Reflection

Radiance and Reflection

M78 (NGC 2068) Diffuse reflection and emission nebula in Orion
Sketch and Details by “wanderer”-Piotrek Borek

Object Name – M78
Object Type – Reflection Nebulae
Location -Poland,Krosno/Rogi
Date – 11.26.2009 hour 01:20 local time
Graphite pencil,white paper
Newton 203-1200,eyepiece Plossl 25mm
Viewing condition – strong wind, temp, 5 * C, clarity good.

Gleam of the Hunter’s Sword

Gleam of the Hunter’s Sword

M42 and M43, The Great Nebula of Orion
Sketch and Details by Gábor Sánta

The Great Orion Nebula (M 42-43) is the best winter object seen with
the naked eye. This drawing made at four evenings (30 Jan, 2 Feb, 16
March and 17 Oct 2007), with two instruments (114/500 refl., 20×90
binoculars). Three of the four nights there was no evidence of
colours, but the last time, at the morning of 17 Oct 2007, was great
transparency. Me and some friends stargazing at the observing terrace
of Szeged Observatory. I turned the 20×90 bino into M42 and gasped my
breath. The filamentary surface of the nebula was really colourful –
pale greens and greys at the W edge, intense light reddish-brown core
and rim at NE-E. Everybody could see this phenomena. So my final
sketch became colourful, too.After I saw the Great Nebula several times,
and sometimes sensed these niceties in the best skies.

Telescope: 20×90 binoculars
Location: Szeged, Hungary
Time: 30 Jan, 2 Feb, 16 March, 17 Oct 2007
Technique: black paper, colored pastels
Category: Diffuse nebula

Best regards, light
Gábor Sánta
Szeged, Hungary
Columnist of Deep Sky head of amateur astronomical magazine called
“Meteor”
Hungarian Astronomical Association (HAA)

Hostile Serenity

Hostile Serenity

NGC 3199
HII Region-Wolf-Rayet Shell
Carina
30/04/03
Ilford NSW Australia
41cm f4.7 Dobsonian Telescope
Field 40′
Magnification: 100x with Oxygen III filter

Black Canford paper
White pen
White pencil
White pastel chalk
Blending stump

Only some 4deg from the Keyhole Nebula lies this lovely diffuse nebula
surrounded by numerous pretty stars, one of which is a Wolf-Rayet and
the powerhouse generating this ghostly object.
Looks so serene, but I would not like to get to close to this region, as
I imagine it would be pretty hostile.

Scott Mellish

Seven Enchanting Sisters

Seven Enchanting Sisters

M45, The Pleiades Star Cluster in Taurus
Sketch and Details by Tomás Ruiz Lara

This Sketch was done with a common pencil and with cotton to sketch the nebulae around the stars (Taygeta, Maia, Electra and Alcyone).
Equipment used, 114 mm newtonian reflector f/8 with a Vixen Plössl 32 mm (28x).
What to say about M 45? The most famous open cluster of the northern hemisphere. The vision with an eyepiece with low magnification is spectacular.
Seeing: 3/5
Phase of the Moon: Gibbous

Object Name: M 45, The Pleiades
Object Type Open Cluster
Location Úbeda, Jaén, Spain.
Date 25 – Sept – 2007

Tomás Ruiz Lara

Mountain Swan

Mountain Swan

M17 (NGC 6618) the Swan Nebula in Sagittarius
Sketch and Details by Dan Israël

Object Name M17
Object Type Emission nebula
Location Molines-en-Queyras, France
Date 20/08/09

This sketch was made in a small hamlet in the French Alps (elevation 1900m), using a 250mm Dobsonian telescope with a 13mm wide field eyepiece (92 X) and an Oxygen-III filter. The sketch was made on the spot with graphite pencils on white paper.

regards,

Dan