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(IAAC) Obj: ngc2237, ngc2238, ngc2239, ngc2246, ngc2244 (Rosette) - Inst: Newt 20" f/5
Observer: Lew Gramer
Your skills: Intermediate
Date and UT of Observation: 1996-11-15/16, 04:00 UT
Location: Basin Camp, Evans Notch, NH, USA (44N)
Site classification: rural
Limiting magnitude: 7.3
Seeing: 4 - poor
Moon up: no
Instrument: Newt Reflector 20" f/5 (dob)
Magnification: 70x, 211x
Filters used: None, DeepSky, DeepSky+OIII
Object: ngc2237, ngc2238, ngc2239, ngc2246, ngc2244 (Rosette)
Category: Open Cluster and Nebulosity
Constellation: Mon
Data: mag 4.8 (cluster) size 80' x 60' (nebulosity)
RA/DE: 6h32m +5o03m
Description:
At low power without any filtering, the lovely pale Rosette was
visible as a faint haze surrounding and (especially) WSW of the
fine bright "Rosette" open cluster (ngc2244). With a DeepSky
filter in place, an obvious "double-ring" of nebulosity became
apparent, vaguely reminiscent of pictures of the Helix nebula.
Also to be seen was a further halo of nebulosity out at least 40'
from the center of the cluster. A dark inner area was obvious,
which had been only guessed without the filter. Also, sharp dark
"indentations" could now be seen emanating from the inner edge
of the "inner ring" of nebulosity, out to the WNW, WSW, and esp-
ecially the SW. And I noted a further, very strong, narrow dark
"lane" about 15' N of the Northernmost bright star of the central
open cluster. With the OIII filter in place (in tandem with the
DeepSky), the halo of the Rosette suddenly grew beyond the 55'
field of my shiny new 35mm PanOptic. And the dark areas observ-
ed above began to show connections to each other, perhaps indic-
ating areas of the nebulosity which are actually reflecting the
cluster's light, rather than emitting their own. Lastly, the OIII
at higher power (211x) showed delicate dark "striations" winding
their way from the inner dark area outward through the inner app-
arent "ring" of pale light in the nebula. Obviously, under such
ideal conditions, this cluster/nebula complex is a stunning sight!
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Karen Simmons & Lew Gramer dedalus@alum.mit.edu http://www.tiac.net/users/lewkaren
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