I tried to see the Helix from MB a couple of weeks ago, and failed
(through the finder and my C14 with 31mm but I was getting tired). The
star hopping is pretty poor in that area of the sky, and so whenever I
am able to see it, I see it in my 9x50mm finderscope. The next night I
saw the Helix from Chews Ridge, clearly visible with the finder (no
moon, 8/10 trans, 4.5/5 seeing) and then easily in the scope.
Perhaps we should see how many people can see it on the next moonless
night at MB ??
Chris
rnapo wrote:
>Hi Julius,
>
>I wasn't the only one at MB who saw the Helix that night. While looking
>through my binocular I aimed my green laser pointer at it and several other
>people there were able to see it with their binoculars.
>
>Rich
>
>
>
>> This year while watching the Perseid meteor shower from MB
>>open space I found the Helix Nebula with my 8x42 Leica BN
>>binocular. This was about 2 am when the Helix was in the southwest
>>where the sky is a little darker at MB, but MB is not what I would
>>call a dark sky site. This was without a filter. Just the bino and my
>>eyes.
>>
>>Clear skies,
>>Rich
>>
>>Well, you must have one heck of a 42mm bino, Rich. Me and my friend
>>observed at MB last year, 12.5" DOB and I had a 8" LX-200 and had a hard
>>time to find and see the Helix nebula.
>>Friend asked me to point the GOTO to the Helix, since he had a hard time to
>>find it with his DOB. I did, but it was hard to see in the 8" SCT. With the
>>LP filter it was better.
>>I also have a 100x25 bino, very good for DSO's from a dark site.
>>
>>Julius
>>
>>
>>Some official coment on the Helix:
>><" It is also one of the apparently largest planetaries known: Its apparent
>>size covers an area of 16 arc minutes diameter, more than half of that of
>>the full moon; it halo extends even further to 28 arc minutes or almost the
>>moon's apparent diameter (These dimensions were taken from Stephen J. Hynes
>>who quotes AAT and ESO photos). Although the nebula is quite bright, its
>>light is spread over this large area so that it is not an easy object for
>>visual observing; the Herschels have apparently never cataloged or observed
>>it. ">
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Mon Aug 30 16:37:44 2004