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(IAAC) Obj: NGC 1514 - Inst: 13" f/5.6 Newt.
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Observer: Steve Coe
Your skills: Advanced (many years)
Date/time of observation: Jan 1997
Location of site: Sentinel, Arizona (Lat +32, Elev 1500 ft)
Site classification: Rural
Sky darkness: 8 <1-10 Scale (10 best)>
Seeing: 7 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Moon presence: None - moon not in sky
Instrument: 13" f/5.6 Newt.
Magnification: 150X, 220X
Filter(s): UHC
Object(s): NGC 1514
Category: Planetary nebula
Class:
Constellation: TAU
Data: mag 10.8 size 120"X90"
Position: RA 04:09 DEC +30:47
Description:
On a good night from a dark site this planetary is pretty bright, pretty
large, round and has a 10th mag central star that is easily seen at 150X
in the 13" without a filter. Going to 220X and adding the UHC filter
makes a big difference, the contrast of the entire nebula is much better
and there are several dark markings within the nebulosity. The higher
power also reveals that there is a narrow dark band around the central
star, so that the nebula doesn't really come into contact with the star.
All in all a nice planetary. As a historical note, this is the nebula
that caused Wm. Herschel to re-consider his postition about the question
"are there true nebulae or are all these nebulous objects just un-resolved
stars?" Herschel thought that he resolved the Orion, Lagoon and Trifid
nebulae into tiny stars at extremely high powers. Then seeing this
"star with atmosphere" in his 18 inch aperture, 20 foot focal length
reflector got him to think that at least some of the nebulae are truly
cloudy objects and not groupings of little stars.
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