Planetary Nebulae
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Astronomers’ Observing Guides Steven R. Coe Nebulae and How to Observe Them Steven Coe Phoenix, AZ 85022 [email protected] Cover illustration: The Sword of Orion with Takahashi refractor.Courtesy of Jon Christensen. Library of Congress Control Number: 2006926453 ISBN-10: 1-84628-482-1 ISBN-13: 978-1-84628-482-3 Printed on acid-free paper. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC All rights reserved. This work may not be translated or copied in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher (Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA), except for brief excerpts in connection with reviews or scholarly analysis. Use in connec- tion with any form of information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed is forbidden. The use in this publication of trade names, trademarks, service marks, and similar terms, even if they are not identified as such, is not to be taken as an expression of opinion as to whether or not they are subject to propri- etary rights. 987654321 springer.com Acknowledgments This book is dedicated to the two groups of people who have supported me without hesitation in observing the sky and writing about my adventures. First is my family. Fred Rainey, my grandfather, was the first to show me the sky as I learned a few stars and constellations when we were out fishing in the early morning hours, during my childhood. Linda Ross, my wife, has provided me the time to enjoy the Universe and the quiet I needed to enter it into the computer. Without her love and devotion I could not have completed one book, much less two. Her sister Laura Ross and my brother-in-law Bob Lambert provided me some time at their cabin so that I could put it all together and create a coherent manu- Acknowledgments script out of the mounds of notes that I had written at the eyepiece. Much of the rest of my extended family: Audrey, Judy and Matt, Meghan, McKenzie, Ashley and Kevin all asked how the book was going and were willing to listen as I went on about my progress. Well, it is done! The second group is the Saguaro Astronomy Club members who have been my observing buddies for many years. A.J. Crayon, David Fredericksen, Curt Taylor, Rich Walker, Tom and Jennifer Polakis, Pierre Schwaar, Bob Erdmann, George deLange, Chris and Dawn Schur, Matt Luttinen, Thad Robosson, Rick Rotramel, Paul Lind and many others have been out in the dark with me, for decades in many cases. They have been generous enough to allow me to direct the observing for a while when I needed observations.We have shared victories at finding a faint object that none of us had seen before and defeats when giving up the chase after half an hour of observing blank sky. I believe that it made us stronger and cemented our friendship. I appreciate all of you Steve Coe v Contents Acknowledgments . v 1 Viewing the Sky . 1 Binoculars . 1 Telescopes . 2 Eyepieces . 5 What’s to See: Stars, Galaxies, Nebulae . 12 2 Becoming a Deep Sky Observer . 14 Finding a Site . 14 Staying Warm . 16 Car Camping . 17 Lots of Stuff to Take Out (Remembering it All) . 18 3 Using a Computer . 20 Planetarium Programs . 20 Contents Specialty Programs . 21 Note Keeping . 21 Laptop vs. Desktop . 21 Web Sites . 22 4 Fun Night Under the Stars . 23 Observing List . 23 Getting Ready to Go . 23 At the Site . 24 Back Home . 25 The Trip to “Five Mile Meadow” . 25 5 Improving your Skills . 27 Getting and Staying Dark-Adapted . 27 Learning to Really Observe . 27 Get Comfortable . 28 Knowing the Magnitude of an Object in your Telescope . 29 Knowing the Size of an Object in your Telescope . 30 Knowing Orientation or Position Angle in your Telescope . 30 6 Nebulae Knowledge . 32 Emission Nebulae . 32 Reflection Nebulae . 32 Planetary Nebulae . 33 Dark Nebulae . 35 vii Supernova Remnants . 35 Wavelengths of Light . 37 Spectra . 37 Filters – What They Do and How to Use Them . 38 7 Introduction to Observations . 41 8 Northern Autumn (Southern Spring) Nebulae . 42 Nebulae in Andromeda . 42 Aquarius Nebulae . 43 Cassiopeia Nebulae . 45 Cetus Nebulae . 49 Eridanus Nebulae . 50 Grus Nebulae . 52 Pegasus Nebulae . 52 Perseus Nebulae . 53 9 Northern Winter (Southern Summer) Nebulae . 58 Auriga Nebulae . 58 Cancer Nebulae . 61 Canis Major Nebulae . 62 Dorado Nebulosity . 64 Gemini Nebulae . 67 Lynx Nebulosity . 69 Contents Monoceros Nebulae . 70 Orion Nebulae . 73 Puppis Nebulosity . 78 Pyxis Nebulosity . 80 Taurus Nebulosity . 81 Vela Nebulosity . 82 10 Northern Spring (Southern Autumn) Nebulae . 86 Carina Nebulosity . 86 Centaurus Nebulosity . 89 Corvus Nebulosity . 90 Crux Nebulosity . 91 Hydra Nebulosity . 93 Musca Nebulosity . 94 Ursa Major Nebulae . 96 Extragalactic Nebulae in M 101 . 97 11 Northern Summer (Southern Winter) Nebulae . 99 Aquila Nebulae . ..