NGC 7354 – Planetary Nebula in Cepheus

2012 08 16, 0400 UT

NGC7354/PK 107+2.1 (4+3b)/H II-705

Planetary nebula in the constellation Cepheus, 22h 40.4m, +61deg17´, 0>20´, m12.9v

Erika Rix – Liberty Hill, Texas

www.pcwobservatory.com
16” Zhumell reflector f/4.5 on a non-tracking Dobsonian mount, Baader Planetarium Hyperion 8-24mm Mark III (75-225x magnification)

82.4°F, 54% H, 9.2 SSE winds, clear, Pickering 6, T 2/6

NGC7354 is a small, slightly faint planetary nebula in Cepheus. Through the telescope, it is located the middle of a star pattern that resembles Sagitta where Delta Sagittae would have been. The star pattern consists of TYC4265-877-1 (m11.7) and USNO J2240137+612011 (m13.2) to the north with TYC4265-347-1 (m10.68) to the south. A strand of three other stars to the west, along with the pattern of stars that resembled Sagitta and NGC7354, resembled the shape of an ear or an ammonite fossil.

75x magnification: Small, soft circular disk, with a hint of slight elongation. O-III adds contrast and there was a hint of brightness in the center of it. A 14.75 magnitude star to the southwest and a 15.3 magnitude star to the southeast of NGC7354 were observed at this magnification just outside of the disk.

225x magnification: A third star with a magnitude of 14.9 was observed just outside of the disk to the west. Using an O-III, the NE and SW edges of the disk were fainter and I could see a brightened edge to the nebula around the rest of the disk with a fainter center. I detected a faint, diffuse haze outside of the brighter borders and there may have been a hint of the central star as it looked slightly grainy in the center of the disk.

Sketches created with AL template, #2 graphite pencil, loaded blending stump with charcoal, super-fine Faber-Castell Pitt artist pen “S”, 0.5mm mechanical pencil.