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(IAAC) Obj: M 27 - Inst: 7x50 binoculars




Observer: Lew Gramer
Your skills: Intermediate
Date and UT of Observation: 1997-07-26/27, 03:10 UT
Location: Medford, MA, USA (42N)
Site classification: urban
Limiting magnitude: 5.7 (zenith)
Seeing: 7 (out of 10 highest) - good
Moon up: no
Instrument: 50mm Simmons binoculars
Magnification: 7x
Filters used: None
Object: M27 (Dumbbell Nebula)
Category: Planetary nebula
Constellation: Vul
Data: mag 7.6  size 8'x6'
RA/DE: 20h00m  +22o43m
Description:
A startlingly BRIGHT, squarish haze even under these skies, M27
was directly visible just S of the "snout" star of an asterism
which strikingly resembles Draco's head (together with iota Her!)
This Nmost snout star of the asterism is none other than mag. 6
14 Vul, while the "neck" (the Smost stars) are eta and gamma Sge.
M27 showed no noticeable brightening in the middle, but the shape
was quite intriguing. In moments of concentration the imagination
could easily fill in the classic "apple-core" shape. Nearly in
the same field to the W were the two binocular open clusters,
ngc6830 and ngc6823 (see observations for same night).