|
NGC 1514 in Taurus
Date of Obs ...... January 17, 2021 |
I had never attempted to observe this planetary nebula before,
so I was not prepared for its presentation. Its nickname
is the Crystal
Ball Nebula. I didn't find
it to be very difficult to locate, although since I am not very
familiar with this area between Perseus and Taurus, it took a
bit of care to ensure I was going in the right direction.
This part of the sky was almost directly overhead, so navigating
with my dobsonian was a little tricky. I was able to see
the star pattern easily except for an extra star in the field at
the exact location where the PN was supposed to be. Only
after several repeated star-hops did I realize that this star-
like object was the PN. The observing guide I am using
cites a diameter of almost 2' which is 120", fairly large for an
unknown planetary. It appeared exactly like a star at 76x; I saw no evidence of the nebular halo. Then I switched to 238x and at first also saw no nebulosity, but then I noticed that the central star was encased in an unresolved haze that did not seem to surround the other stars in the area. Unfortunately, I did not have a 1 1/4" OIII filter on hand so I didn't check its appearance with a filter. This one has to be on my list for a look from a darker site. |