mnastro

Points: 4583

Observations: 65

Kudos: 17

NameDean
LocationBirch Lake Observatory
TimezoneUS/Central
Latitude45.0
Longitude-98.0
Altitude287m

Clear

Revisited to check the OIII filter. For this PN the best view is without any filter. Hints of center bright filaments with averted vision. With the OIII you lose some of the bright filaments but see a somewhat ring like structure with a darker center. Use plenty of magnification here, the color will fade with magnification but the details come into view.

Revisited with the OIII filter. Very small PN, with an 11mm EP and no filter could only hold direct view about 50% of the time, holds steady with averted 100%. With filter it holds direct 100%. Hints of a brigher center slightly offset toward the N within the nebula. A tie on the Ultrablock vs. OIII.

Small and very difficult to find under suburban skies until you know the star field and can use the star just to the E as your guide. In the 24mm EP it is barely a fuzzy star and requires averted vision to spot at all, a OIII filter helps it to stand out just a bit. Once found it requires magnification, best view was with a 8.8mm EP and an OIII filter (exit pupil of 1.8mm, 170x in my scope). Two brighter lumps within a slight haze, lumps are on the WNW and ESE sides.

Revisited to see how the OIII filter would perform. Seeing was poor and keeping the central star in view was difficult with the filter. Nice contrast improvement, will have to revisit on a night with better seeing to try to pull out more detailed views.

Revisited M76 to see if an OIII filter would improve the view. OIII provided a darker background and a touch more contrast detail than the Ultrablock but either filter improves the view over no filter. WNW lobe stands out as the brighter of both lobes with the filters.

InstrumentObservations
Naked eye 2
XX12i 49
Starblast 4.5 3
7x50 Binos 10