3 PNs and an emission nebula

I've been lazy (again) about logging and scanning my sketches, so here's another two nights in one report:

M27 Dumbbell 10/16/2009 22:15 UT; Pickering 8, NELM 5.5, SQM 20.6
400mm Mak-Cass @ 150x, UHC

S side of apple core brighter and fairly linear, with a slightly more bulbous E end. N side more curved, with an easy, direct-vision field star inside the arc. Central star also direct-vision, but more difficult.

Some extent of nebulosity outside apple core unfiltered, but the UHC really brings out the football shape. Extension of very dim averted-vision material outside the WNW of the arc describing the football.

NGC7048 10/16/2009 22:40 UT; Pickering 8, NELM 5.5, SQM 20.6
400mm Mak-Cass @ 225x, UHC

Direct-vision at 150X, 235X and 450X, both filtered and unfiltered. UHC and OIII broadly similar at 235X; both too dim at 335X.

PN circular with unsharp edges in a very rich star field. Faint star near the N edge, but I didn't notice the other embedded star this time. At times the UHC filter shows hints of annularity, and a slightly more pronounced fringing to the edge to the N.

NGC7538 11/8/2009 21:31 UT; Pickering 4, NELM 5.5, SQM 20.5
400mm Mak-Cass @ 150X, UHC

Visible unfiltered at 150X, but no more than a bit of haze immediately to the W of a double star. Much higher contrast with UHC and OIII, with hints of structure and a greater extent in UHC.

235X reveals 3rd involved star embedded in nebulosity, a hint of a dark lane to the WSW of it, and dimmer extensions to the N and NE of the main body. [Nebulosity to SE of the double not seen.]

NGC40 IV-58 11/8/2009 22:01 UT; Pickering 4, NELM 5.5, SQM 20.5
400mm Mak-Cass @ 450X

Bright star with bright halo unfiltered at 150X. UHC accentuates halo a bit, but it doesn't really need it.

235X unfiltered reveals better scale and a brightness gradient with the S end being somewhat dimmer. 335X better yet, revealing a slight pinching along N-S axis, with brighter sections to the periphery to the E and W.

450X really getting into the swing of it with knots along the W brighter edge. 600X reveals last knot in the chain (to the S) to be a foreground star, but the nebulosity is starting to wash out at this magnification.

Cheers,
-- Jeff.

Thanks for the reports Jeff.
The most impressive sketches & info as always.
A great treat to read especially with our bad weather as of late.

Inspirational again. When is the book coming out...
Donal

Thanks, guys!

No book yet, but I think I do have a sketch in the next issue of Astronomy Now (Dec).

-- Jeff