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(IAAC) Obj: Van den Bergh 152 - Inst: 20" f/5 dob newt
Observer: Lew Gramer
Your skills: Intermediate
Date and UT of Observation: 1997-07-31/08-01, 04:45 UT
Location: Savoy, MA, USA (42N, elev 700m)
Site classification: rural
Limiting magnitude: 7.2 (zenith)
Seeing: 3 of 10 - pretty good
Moon up: no
Instrument: 20" f/5 Tectron truss-tube dob Newtonian reflector
Magnification: 420x
Filters used: None, DeepSky
Object: vdB 152
Category: Reflection nebula
Constellation: Cep
Data: mag 8.8 (star) size 12'x6'
RA/DE: 22h14m +70o18
Description:
Easily found in a field due E of beta Cep, surrounding and near the
lovely, bright double HD 210884 (mags 6 and 8, separation about 15",
PA 250o, colors white and pale violet). This double is due S of the
"bowl" of a neat naked-eye asterism shaped much like a spoon, just
NE of beta Cep. VdB152 faintly surrounds the pair, but is especially
prominent around two nearby mag. 8 stars which form a long triangle
with the double, about 10' to the W and WSW of it. (As a matter of
fact, the greater brightness of the haze around these stars vs. the
brighter double-star, is what initially confirmed for me that this
nebulosity was more than eyepiece dew!) The N mag. 8 star (which is
either GSC 4467-0434 or SAO 10287?) shows very obvious nebulosity to
the N and W, little or none to the E, and just faint averted-vision
haze to the S. The S mag. 8 star (HD 211319) is faintly bathed in
haze requiring averted vision to see all around. Slight brightening
in the sky AWAY from these stars was apparent, especially to the N.