[Prev][Next][Index][Thread][Search][Objects]
(IAAC) Obj: NGC 3242 (Ghost of Jupiter, CBS Eye) - Inst: 11" f/4.5 dob
Observer: Joe Henry, Lew Gramer
Your skills: Intermediate (some years)
Date/time of observation: 28/29 Mar 2001, 04:00 UT
Location of site: ATMoB Clubhouse, Westford MA USA (42oN, 86m elev)
Site classification: Exurban.
Sky darkness: 5.6 <Limiting magnitude>, 6 <Bortle Scale>
Seeing: 9 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Moon presence: None - moon not in sky; Cirrus bands nearby
Instrument: 11" f/4.5 dob
Magnification: 180x
Filter(s): None.
Object(s): NGC 3242 (Ghost of Jupiter, CBS Eye)
Category: Planetary nebula.
Class: 4+3b
Constellation: Hya
Data: mag 8.6 12.10m*; size 45"x36" PA 147o
Position: 102446.11 -183832.6
Description:
This was only a brief look at the eerie Ghost, through avid ATMoB
observer Joe Henry's fine new(?) 11" dob. Tonight was a night of
wildly varying, and often poor, transparency. But seeing for much
of the night was really excellent: all in all, not bad conditions
for seeking detail in bright planetary nebulae! For once the "CBS
Eye" was readily apparent at first glance in this lovely object:
the complex disc-inside-a-ring-inside-a-disc showed up in averted
vision right away at 180x, and with direct vision it was possible
to see a darker (or more faintly nebulous) inner area immediately
surrounding the coy little central star. Further, the central star
did not seem "truly stellar" with either averted or direct vision.
--
The slight N-S elongation is easiest to note in the intermediate
ring (that is, the "lid" of the Eye). The lovely bluish-green and
blue colors were striking over most of the object (again, this is
without any filters), though color was especially noted, and was
seen as especially blue, in the inner disc (the "blue iris").
--
Browse other logs of the Ghost, with 10x50 binos(?) up to a 40":
http://www.visualdeepsky.org/msg00146.html
http://www.visualdeepsky.org/msg00410.html
http://www.visualdeepsky.org/msg00505.html
http://www.visualdeepsky.org/msg00507.html
http://www.visualdeepsky.org/msg00523.html
http://www.visualdeepsky.org/msg01689.html
http://www.visualdeepsky.org/msg01688.html
http://www.visualdeepsky.org/msg01772.html
To UNSUBSCRIBE from the 'netastrocatalog' lists, use the Web form at:
http://www.visualdeepsky.org/subscribe.html
Follow-Ups: