2

4.5'x2.9'

11.7B

05 42 04

69 22 44

NGC 1961 - 17.5" (12/8/90): moderately bright, moderately large, elongated 2:1 E-W, weak concentration, small bright core. A mag 13 star is 30" SSE of center and a mag 12 star is just off the W edge 2.4' from center. Appears to have a dark patch between this star and the core. Forms a pair with CGCG 329-011 7.6' NE (not seen).

4

10.1'

17.0

06 18 42

67 25 00

4

9.0'

17.5

05 37 54

64 01 00

2

6.0'

10.2

06 03 00

49 52 00

13.1" (2/25/84): 25-30 stars mag 12-14.5, fairly dense, small, pretty cluster. The cluster is dominated by mag 6.1 SAO 40801 which lies on the NE side of the cluster.

4

13.4'

15.3

06 12 36

48 36 00

2

5.0'

10.9

06 15 18

39 51 18

4

37.0'

-

05 42 27

36 09 00

4

11.4'x5.8'

-

05 39 20

35 56 00

4

7.8'x3.2'

-

05 41 00

35 51 29

4

2.0'

-

05 38 31

35 51 18

2

6.0'

10.1

05 31 26

34 14 42

Sh2-237 - 18" (1/20/07): bright, high surface brightness nebula, ~2'x1.5', surrounds six stars including two mag 11/12 stars, a mag 13 star and three fainter stars. The central 4 stars = ADS 4112 (one difficult in fairly poor seeing) form a small trapezium asterism. Best view is unfiltered.

1

12.0'

6.0

05 36 18

34 08 24

8": very bright, large, loose, includes two curving star lanes. Double star ·737 = 8.5/9.0 at 11" is near the center.

4

20.0'

4

05 43 30

32 39 00

1

23.0'

5.6

05 52 19

32 33 12

8": very large, very rich cluster, over 150 stars, rich in mag 10-13 stars. A reddish star is near the center. Best of the three bright Messier open clusters in Auriga and one of the top open clusters in the sky.

4

2.0'

-

06 04 00

30 15 00

4

200.0'

-

05 39 00

28 00 00

4

7.1'x6.5'

-

05 51 50

27 01 20

18" - Difficult Observation: Very dim object. Only suggested with OIII filter. Best seen when scope is shaken. Approximately 6'X3' in apparent size. Very faint, with visibility increasing with eye's adaptation at the eyepiece. H-beta filter: Visible in H-beta filter. Very faint in the field of view, but more visible than with the OIII filter. Art Russell.

1

28.0'

5.1

06 09 00

24 21 00

8": very bright string cluster, very large, excellent field but not rich in faint stars. Many of the stars are arrange in rows and loops. Visible naked-eye in dark sky.

2

5.0'

8.6

06 07 26

24 05 48

2

6.0'

6.7

06 01 07

23 19 15

17.5" (12/20/95): bright, fairly rich group surrounding two mag 7.5 and 8 stars (SAO 77842 and 77839) oriented N-S. There are about three dozen stars mag 10-14 in an 5' well-detached circular group with several double stars including a faint pair preceding the northern mag 8 star. The southern mag 8 star has a couple of very faint companions. This group is apparently an asterism based on a 1994 study (1994, RMxAA, 28, 139).

4

6.0'

-

05 39 22

23 17 26

4

8.4'x7.5'

-

06 08 27

21 37 00

4

29.0'x27.0

-

06 09 38

20 29 00

N2174/N2175/IC 2159 - 17.5" (1/16/02): at 64x and OIII filter, this is a beautiful, detailed nebulosity surrounding a mag 8 star (SAO 78049), extending at least 20' diameter. The OIII filter gives a dramatic contrast gain. With averted vision and careful viewing, the outer borders extend to ~25'. Structure includes interior streaky dark lanes visible to the west of the star. The rim is slightly brighter or has a higher contrast on the western edge but slightly more nebulosity is visible on the following side of the star.

4

5.0'

-

06 25 40

20 00 46

4

11.0'x7.9'

-

06 12 18

18 02 30

4

3.8'x3.0'

-

06 12 42

17 59 15

4

4.0'

-

06 12 54

17 59 00

4

1.5'

-

06 12 36

17 57 02

4

1.0'

-

06 13 27

17 55 32

4

2.0'

-

06 11 28

17 26 18

4

33.0'x29.0'

-

06 08 39

15 47 10

4

1.5'x1.2'

-

06 18 45

15 17 02

4

4.0'

-

06 15 50

14 16 12

1

6.0'

5.9

06 08 25

13 57 54

17.5" (1/19/91): 20 stars mag 7.5-13 in bright, distinctive group. Fairly small, about 6' diameter, not rich. The stars are divided into two main subgroups - along the west side is a string of six stars aligned N-S in a very shallow "V" asterism. The northern two stars in this string form the wide double ·844 = 8.8/9.9 at 24" and less than 2' S is mag 8.7 SAO 95271. The eastern subgroup consists of 9 stars forming a distinctive triangle outline and includes the close double star ·848 = 7.5/8.0 at 2.5". The brighter stars form a fairly distinctive "37" pattern! Located 0.9 degrees WSW of Xi Orionis.

4

3.0'x2.0'

-

06 14 39

13 49 53

4

1.0'

-

06 10 13

12 48 44

2

10.0'

8.5

06 13 46

12 48 24

4

67.0'

4

05 30 16

12 46 00

Large dark area with few stars. There is a nebulous border, .5 degree wide, to the semi-vacant region extending 1 degree east and north from BD +12 803 (magnitude 7.0). Apparently this nebulous border extends many degrees east in a very diffused manner. There is a narrow dark lane extending south from the semi-vacant region, running close west of BD +12 803 to a point nearly 1 degree south of BD +12 801 (mag 6.9). There is a small fan-shaped nebula close north of small star in the position 5h24m30s, +12 3.9' (1875.0). A small strip of nebulosity extends 5' southwest from this star. These two nebulae are probably the brighter parts of a large obscure nebulosity.

4

30.0'

4

05 32 01

12 45 00

4

2.0'

-

06 14 53

12 21 23

PK 197-02.1

4

1.0'

-

06 15 01

12 19 54

Abell 14

Ori

PN

40"x27"

17.5P

06 11 08

11 46 43

4

75.0'

-

05 36 18

09 58 00

4.1" - Cr 69 consists of the three bright stars of Orion's head plus about 40 more in 1o. The surrounding nebulosity is very large and shows up faintly with the OIII filter. Sue French

2

37"

12.4

06 02 20

09 39 14

22” f/4.1 (203, 293 and 377x) – This nebula is a very bright and obvious round smudge with a sharply defined edge. A 6th magnitude star lies very, very close to the southwest. The surface showed a little mottling with averted vision. Estimated size is about 35” across. No central star. Alvin Huey

3

35.0"

12.4P

05 42 06

09 05 13

18" (2/24/06): at 220x appeared moderately bright, fairly small, round, ~25" diameter, very slightly elongated, irregularly lit and brighter along the western half of the rim giving a "C" appearance. A faint sparkle is occasionally visible on the WSW edge of the rim and images show this may be a faint superimposed star or knot in the planetary. Excellent view at 320x. The planetary is weakly annular with the rim a bit dimmer on the SE side. At 435x, the shape is slightly elongated SW to NE, ~27"x22" with a mottled interior and a brighter rim, particularly along the western half. The appearance is quite patchy at 565x and the sparkle on the SW end is still evident. No central star seen at any power.

2

6.0'

8.5

06 29 40

06 49 48

13.1" (1/18/85): two dozen faint stars in a 5' region over background haze. The brighter stars are in a rich 1' triangular outline with the brightest mag 11 star in the cluster. A long curving arc of fainter stars emanates from the group. Fairly striking cluster.

4

Abell 10

Ori

PN

35"x32"

14.0

05 31 45

06 59 09

22” f/4.1 (203, 293 and 377x) – This nebula is a very bright and obvious round smudge with a sharply defined edge. A 6th magnitude star lies very, very close to the southwest. The surface showed a little mottling with averted vision. Estimated size is about 35” across. No central star. Alvin Huey

2

4.0'

8.7

06 12 08

05 27 30

17.5" (1/19/91): at 140x about 30 stars in a 4' diameter including three mag 10 stars. Includes a prominent subgroup with a mag 10 star on the N side and a double star 11/12 at 10". A clump of mag 13/14 stars is just W of this subgroup.

4

Abell 13

Ori

PN

174"x134"

15.3

06 04 47

03 56 36

PK 204-8.1 = PN G204.0-08.5 = YM 28

2

11.0'

9.1

05 53 46

00 24 36

17.5" (2/8/91): three dozen stars over unresolved haze, roughly 10' diameter. The brightest star (mag 10) is at NW edge. Includes a string of five mag 12-13 stars on the N side but most stars are very faint. This cluster is fairly rich but not dense. Barnard's Loop passes just west of the cluster heading south and NE where it is brightest!

3

8.0'x7.7'

-

05 47 05

00 18 00

17.5" (12/20/95): fairly bright reflection nebula surounding a mag 9.5 star, 3.5' diameter. Shape appears irregular (although no distinct borders) but extends more to the south side of the star which has a faint companion close south. A second mag 9.5 star (not involved) lies 3.5' NW. The field is strangely lacking in stars due to obscuration.

1

8.4'x7.8'

8.3

05 46 45

00 03 30

17.5" (12/20/95): very bright reflection nebula surrounding two mag 10.5 stars with a mag 13 star involved at the S end. Large, irregular shape, 6'x4'. Brightest along the north side which has a sharply defined slightly bowed-out edge with one of the mag 10.5 stars near the midpoint. A brighter knot is just following this star. Irregularly fans out towards the south and fades with no distinct borders but tapers somewhat at the south edge.

2

30.0'x22.0'

-

05 41 39

-01 48 00

17.5" (2/8/86): bright, very large. Consists of two main parallel sections elongated SSW-NNE separated by prominent detailed dark lanes. Excellent structure with ragged edges, gaps, streaks, rifts and various brightness levels. The eastern strip has one or two indentations or a scalloped inner edge. The inner edge of the connecting strip has a sharply defined edge and the gap at the base connecting the brighter western section is obvious. Zeta Orionis lies 15' NE detracts and the best view is unfiltered.

2

10.0'

-

05 41 42

-02 15 00

13.1": fairly prominent nebulosity surrounds mag 7.8 SAO 132464. The Horsehead nebula lies 15' SW.

3

-

4

05 40 52

-02 27 00

16" - IC434(the backlight) and its sharp boundary were clearly defined. The torso of the horse was fairly easy with direct vision, and with effort coupled with averted vision, I was able to trace the outline along the top of the horshead as it pointed downward. I was able to trace the contours along the top of the head down the lengh of the snoot, but wasn't able to do the same for the underside of the nose. As you can imagine, I spent a fair amount of time on this to see what detail could be coaxed. All in all, considering the conditions, you could say I was pretty thrilled with the results. For kicks, once I knew exactly where it was, I tried without the filter. I could still faintly make out IC434 and its sharp boundary, but making out the torso was very hard. With averted vision, the notch was barely glimpsed. Without the benefit just using the filter and knowing its exact size and position, it would have been a negative report. Transparency was hit and miss on this night, so I was very happy with the results. "Paul"

3

29.0'x20.0'

-

05 35 25

-04 47 00

N1973/1975/1977 - 13.1": extensive bright nebulosity including N1975 and N1977, very large, elongated ~E-W. Involves several bright stars including 42 (V = 4.7) and 45 Orionis (V = 5.3). Irregular and detailed nebula with detached segments. Extends N-S beyond 42 Orionis. Located N of M42 and south of the bright cluster N1981.

1

29.0'

4.2

06 28 02

-04 50 48

17.5" (12/28/94): at 100x appears as a scattered group of bright stars surrounding 10 Monocerotis (V = 5.1) with the remaining stars forming a wedge tapering to the SW. Includes 7 brighter mag 8-10 stars and another two dozen fainter stars. Richest surrounding 10 Mon and five brighter stars form a distinctive box around the bright star. Too large and scattered for higher power.

1

7.0'x4.0'

9.0

05 35 29

-05 16 30

13.1": large detached piece of M42, mottled outer region, very bright center. Has a large rotated "comma" shape with a dark indentation on the E side. A mag 8 star is embedded.

1

60.0'

3.0

05 35 00

-05 25 00

17.5" (10/12/85): best emission nebula in northern sky, fantastic view under all conditions, bright colored wings sweep to the east and south. The remarkable structure is difficult to describe but includes bays, filaments, knots, nebulous stars and a huge outer loop. Definite colors are visible including pale greens and pinks. Highlighted by the Trapezium which contains six stars and appears to reside in a darker hollow. The bright portion surrounding Theta probably has the highest surface brightness of any HII region in the sky with an "electric" appearance. Dark streaks and a dark wedge = "fish's mouth" intrudes on the NE side. Using an H-Beta filter, the nebulosity significantly dims in general but there is one outer wing or loop on the W side (oriented N-S) which obviously increases in contrast with the filter!

4

15.0'

2.5

05 35 26

-05 55 00

13.1" (1/28/84): very faint, large nebulosity of low surface brightness surrounding Iota Orionis (V = 2.8). Very difficult to distinguish from glare of Iota. M42 lies 30' N.

3

2.0'

-

06 11 06

-06 13 00

18" (1/13/07): faint, fairly small, 1' reflection nebula surrounding a mag 12-12.5 star. This glow is a few arcminutes NE of a group of 4 mag 12 stars which are also encased in a larger 3' haze of weak nebulosity. Both of these pieces are part of N2185. Located 5' E of N2183.

3

2.0'

-

06 09 30

-06 19 38

18" (1/13/07): bright reflection nebula, round, ~2' diameter, surrounding 9.3 HD 42261. In a group of reflection nebula with N2170 28' WSW and N2183 20' ENE.

3

4.7'x4.4'

-

06 07 29

-06 24 15

18" (1/13/07): fairly bright, moderately large reflection nebula surrounding a mag 9.5 star, ~2.5' diameter. There are two stars bracketing the nebula at the north and south ends with the brighter southern star 10th magnitude. Reflection nebula vdB 69 lies 8.5' ENE.

2

21.5'x18.0'

-

05 36 14

-06 39 00

18" (2/24/06): spectacular view at 565x. The bright mag 10.5 central star appears slightly offset east of center, though this may be an optical affect due to the Bok globule on the west side. The bright, 2' reflection nebula is slightly brighter just following the central star. The irregular dark vacuity is large and detailed at this power and appears anvil-shaped. The base of the anvil is along the western side and oriented N-S. There is a narrow extension to the south that tapers to a wedge. Along the north side, the globule extends to the east and partially wraps around the central star. This was the first time I've seen the globule take on an appearance similar to the well-known HST image.

2

11.0'

8.4

06 20 50

-07 17 00

17.5" (12/28/94): about 50 stars mag 11-14 in a 12' region, pretty evenly distributed and stands out well in the field at 100x. At the W edge is a faint detached group of 8 stars. Near the center are several wide pairs and one close evenly matched fainter pair. The cluster is not well defined on the E side and merges into the general field.

2

12.0'

8.6

06 15 33

-18 40 00

13.1" (1/28/84): two dozen stars mag 12-14 in a 10' diameter. Two mag 9 stars are on the SW and NW edge and many stars are aligned in strings. Mag 6.0 SAO 151274 in field to NNW about 11'.

3

2.8'x2.1'

11.8B

06 12 09

-21 48 22

13.1" (1/28/84): fairly bright, fairly small, almost round, increases to a small bright core.

3

5.6'x2.1'

11.6B

05 33 21

-21 56 47

17.5" (12/3/88): fairly faint, fairly large, very elongated 3:1 SSW-NNE, unusually bright stellar nucleus. A mag 13.5 star is at the W edge 0.7' from center and a mag 14 star is at the SSW edge of the major axis 1.2' from center. Located just SW of a thin triangle of mag 9.5-10.5 stars, the closest being mag 9.3 SAO 170546 1.7' NW of center.

4

2.6x1.9

12.0B

06 01 07

-23 40 26

17.5" (12/8/90): moderately bright, moderately large, slightly elongated, broad concentration, core appears offset to NW of center. A mag 14 star is at the N edge 1.3' from center and a mag 11 star lies 3.5' SSE.

4

Abell 15

CMa

PN

34"

15.8

06 27 02

-25 22 50

PK 233-16.1 = PN G233.5-16.3

4

56.0'

13.7

05 47 06

-25 36 00