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(IAAC) Obj: NGC 7662 (Blue Snowball nebula) - Inst: 20" f/5 dob newt
Observer: Lew Gramer
Your skills: Intermediate
Date and UT of Observation: 1997-07-31/08-01, 05:30 UT
Location: Savoy, MA, USA (42N, elev 700m)
Site classification: rural
Limiting magnitude: 7.2 (zenith)
Seeing: 7 of 10 - pretty good, with intermittent haze
Moon up: no
Instrument: 20" f/5 Tectron truss-tube dob Newtonian reflector
Magnification: 70x, 210x. 360x, 420x
Filters used: None, UHC, OIII
Object: ngc7662 (Blue Snowball planetary)
Category: Planetary nebula [4+3]
Constellation: And
Data: mag 9.2 size 32"x28" (halo 130")
RA/DE: 23h26m +42o32m
Description:
The sky haze played many contrast tricks on this object tonight,
showing a disk at 210x and 360x which alternated between being
distinctly annular and completely even in brightness! In times
when annularity was most pronounced, the nebulosity in n7662's
central area showed occasional striations to averted vision. The
bright area on the NE inner edge was continually very distinct,
but seemed nearly stellar even at 360x! With the OIII at 420x,
this NE brightening became clearly non-stellar, with irregular
outlines merging into the surrounding ring. The central star was
definitely visible to averted & concentrated vision at 420x, but
only WITHOUT a filter. The outer disk of the Snowball seemed to be
remarkably SYMMETRIC (non-elongated) this morning, although hints
of an outer halo to the NW and SE could be seen merging with the
outer edges of the bright disk when an OIII was used. Lovely pn!