M76m76


Planetary Nebula in Perseus
NGC 650 and NGC 651
Mag 10.1
The Little Dumbbell Nebula, The Barbell Nebula, The Cork Nebula



13/11/15
The Little Dumbbell. Easy to spot and I'm supprised that I've not observed it before since it must be visible for most of the year
Sits in the same 12mm FOV as HIP 8063 at Mag 6.65
Elongated shape readily apparent as a wispy oval and with inverted vision appears split, hence it has two NGC numbers, NGC 650 and NGC 651
There is also a faint hint of haze out from the two central bright spots
Then experimented with using UHC filter in 25mm and 12mm, darkened the FOV which brought out the shape slightly but diminished the overall view
Then 12mm and 18mm with Barlow to give magnifications of 180x and 120x
With the Barlow with both eyepieces the central 'gap' was noticeable, however only fleeting glimpses during lulls in the gusty wind causing the FOV to dance
Just to the South East in 25mm is an amazing asterism of Mags 9 to 11 stars forming a crown, a line between HIP 8379 at Mag 8.7 cuts the corner of it
HIP 8063 is a very yellow star appearing as a perfect pinprick in moments of good seeing