North American Nebula

Are any of you able to see any of the nebulosity around the North American nebula WITHOUT a nebula filter? If so, what aperture and eyepieces are you using? (I think my little scope is not picking up enough light.)

Daryl

I think that I have, but I also think that I am lying. Perhaps that deserves some explanation. I started observing the vail and NA last summer using a lumicon UHC filter on an 8" dob. The vail was wonderful, and later I found the NA. It so big and so faint that it is very hard to spot unless you are right on the edge with the best contrast. With practice it gets easier. last fall i tried my new MN56 on it (very contrasty scope, it actually worked better, mostly because the almost 3 degree view meant that I could see much of it and that allows the nebulosity and shape to emerge. So a five inch scope will do it, and a good 4 inch refractor certainly should as well.

Last week I was trying out the B&W 30mm 80 degree eyepiece, and looked at both the veil and NA with the UHC filter (and it wasn't that dark a night, about mag 5 or perhaps a little less. I put the B&W back in the focuser while I put the filter away, and then went back to look through for yet one more sense of its edge correction in the star field there (quite good, by the way). I could have sworn there was nebulosity in the field when I wasn't looking for it. The more I tried to confirm this the more it dissappeared. But finding the NA without a filter, I never have, or even felt that I might come close.

I can't say positively I've seen it with my 4" TV-102 APO refractor. That is, until after I got my UHC and O-III filter; I really recommend the filters - so much better view! After I remove the filter, surprised - I could now see at least the "New England" portion.

Ron B[ee]

I have seen the North American Nebula in 8.5x44 binoculars, and in a 5" refractor at 27x. Large faint objects like this are easiest to see in a wide field of view, so use your lowest power eyepiece. The area around the "Gulf of Mexico" is the most obvious, due to the dark cloud that defines the gulf.

David

From a dark sky with a UHC it is a VERY easy object in the TV-85 + 31mm Nag. I have seen it many times with this combo and it nearly fills the entire 4.5 degree field of view. Reason you are probably having trouble spotting it is not aperture it is FOV.

The North America Nebula is usually visible with binoculars from dark sites. At the best ones that I frequent it is also visible through a rich-field scope such as a 101mm Tele Vue or 80mm Orion ShortTube without filtration. A narrowband or O-III filter will greatly enhance the view.

Dave Mitsky