reflection – Page 8 – Astronomy Sketch of the Day

Antares´s Neighborhood

Rho-Ophiuchi, Antares and M4
Sketch and Details by Leonor Ana Hernández

The view through the binocular was splendid, Antares highlighted with an intense orange and was surrounded by a diffuse cloud, visible with averted vision.

The field was rich, plenty of stars, I distinguished perfectly the cluster M4 as a round nebula of grey cotton. Rho Ophiuchi showed flirt in the upper zone with its three components forming the shape of Mickey Mouse… with a blue intense color. The nebula around Antares appeared to reach Rho Ophiuchi indirectly.

Site : Mazarambroz, Toledo (Spain)
Date : June 20, 2009
Time : 21.53 UT
Binoculars : Vixen 12×80
FOV: 4.2°
Sky brightness : 20.70 magnitudes per square arc second near zenith (SQM reading).
Orientation: N up, E left
Sketch made with graphyte pencil, difumino, on white paper. I scanned it and change to negative view. I added the color tone of the main stars.

Leonor Ana Hernández

Reflections on the Running Man

NGC 1977, The Running Man Nebula in Orion
Sketch and Details by Jeff Young

At first I was somewhat disappointment with this sketch, as I only managed to capture about 1/2 the nebulosity that O’Meara did in his “Hidden Treasures” — and he was using all of 4″ of aperture (albeit from under pristine skies and with the advantage of altitude).

On the other hand, my considerable focal length (4000mm) is more similar to instruments of the 19th C, and if you equate my light pollution to their poorer-quality optics, then my sketch goes a long way toward demonstrating why Herschel (and later Dreyer) gave this nebula 3 separate designations (NGC 1973, 1975, 1977).

In any case, one draws what one sees, not what one should see.

Running Man Nebula / NGC1973, 1975, 1977

Reflection nebula in Orion

Sketched Jan 28, 2009 from County Louth, Ireland,

as viewed through 16” Mak-Cass @ 150X; Pickering 7, NELM 5, SQM 20.4

Daler-Rowney HB Graphic pencil on white 160gsm cartridge paper. Scanned and inverted in Photoshop.

— Jeff.

A Fine Reflection

M78 (NGC 2068) reflection nebula in Orion
Sketch and Details by Frank McCabe

Reflection Nebula M-78 (NGC 2068)

This Orion gas and dust cloud extends 5 light years across and is illuminated by the two hot 10th magnitude B class stars (HD 38563A&B) that appear in front of this dust cloud. For comet hunters of the 18th century, this was an important entry made to the Messier catalog shortly after Pierre Mechan’s discovery in 1780, because it looks very much like a comet. At 1600 light years away this cloud of dust may best be seen without the use of a filter of any kind at least that is from my urban/suburban sky. It shines at about 8th magnitude and is rated as a bright diffuse reflection nebula. A great deal of star formation is taking place in this region. Dark light blocking gas and dust create the sharp edge at the top of the Northwestern margin of the nebula in the sketch. You will find the nebula at R.A. 5h 46.7m: Dec. 0° 3m.

Sketching

Date and Time: 1-25-2009, 1:15-2:00 UT
Scope: 10” f/5.7 Dobsonian. 21 mm Hyperion eyepiece 68x, no filter,
8”x11” white recycled sketching paper, 2H, 2B graphite pencils, blending stump, eraser shield, scanned and inverted, some star magnitude adjustments and background made after scanning using Microsoft Paint.
Temperature: -14°C (7°F), calm, partly cloudy
Seeing: Pickering 4/10
Transparency: Below Average 2/5

Frank McCabe

Hubble’s Variable Nebula NGC 2261

Hubble’s Variable Nebula NGC 2261
Sketch by Kiminori Ikebe, text by Frank McCabe

As can be seen in Kiminori Ikebe’s excellent sketch, the Hubble variable nebula is an example of a cometary reflection nebula associated with a bright protostar known as R Monocerotis. R Monocerotis is a large, young, hot binary surrounded by a close in orbiting dust and molecular gas cloud that is common to stars that are massive and entering the main sequence. Beyond the close in orbiting gas and dust is a larger, empty paraboloid shaped gas and dust cloud we see as the visible nebula with R Mon. occupying the vertex. This region extends out nearly 1 light year from the illuminating protostar. The nebula variability is due to shadows cast upon on the visible nebula created by irregularities in density of the orbiting inner gas and dust clouds which are cutting off some starlight. Variability can be detected in time intervals of weeks and months. It is fascinating to watch the shape and brightness of NGC 2261 as it varies over time. The nebula measures 2′ x 4′ in size and can change by 2 magnitudes or more in brightness.

Sketching:

Date: 2002.12.14 02:26

Telescope 32 cm. at 150x

Object Location: Constellation Monoceros

R.A.: 6h 39.2m Dec. : +08: 44′

Sketching Location: Kyushu, Japan

Blue Beauties

M45, The Pleiades or “Seven Sisters”
Sketch and Details by Przemysław Horoszkiewicz, text by Rich Handy

This beautiful arrangement of stars is the Open Cluster M45. The Pleiades or the “Seven Sisters” contain nebulae that reflect and scatter the blue light of the hot cluster stars. This gives the dust clouds the characteristic blue color. This superb sketch was submitted to ASOD by Polish amateur astronomer Przemysław Horoszkiewicz.

Sketch information:
Obiect name: Messier 45
Scope:Orion APO ED 80
Eyepieces: Super Plossl 25mm
Place: Poland, Zielona Góra (A few kilometers for city)
Seeing: 5/10
Date: 30.12.2008 r
Technique:Pencil,graphics GIMP2
Amateur astronomer: Przemysław Horoszkiewicz (Poland)

Frozen Crab with T600

M1, The Crab Nebula in Taurus
Sketch and Details by Bernard Augier

Messier1

The Crab Nebula

Dobson T600

I was surprised not to found many drawing of the famous Crab Nebula,
espacially with large apperture scope (over 11″).

So I decided to draw my own with a 24″ Dobson F/D 3,3 on equatorial
platform. I’m living in French Alps, in a little village.called Saint
Etienne-de-Tinée.

In fact it takes me two nights on 28 and 29 december 2008. Temperature of –
11°C, Lightly windy, SQM at 21.20 not so good.

It is very usefull to use plenty of various magnification from 100 to 800
and observe without and with OIII filter.

It results (in) plenty of different perceptions and the sketch is really a
combination of all of them.

Without filter the shape of the nebula is smooth and familiar with “gulf” on
the two sides, and a sort of mushroom on the top. With filter, the
perception is surprising with a very “fat” shape on whch you can see the
famous filaments, and the border is ruffled and tormented.

The best wiew was at x200 with OIII.

Bernard Augier

Thor’s Helmet

NGC 2359 “Thor’s Helmet”
Sketch and Details by Serge Vieillard, translation by Frank McCabe

Thor’s Helmet NGC 2359 in Canis Major

Using an ultra compact 250 mm.Newtonian telescope to observe Serge wrote (Roughly translated from French):

I was staying in the Sahara just south of the oasis town of Djanet, during the 2nd week of January, 2008. The only drawing made of a deep sky object during this tremendous journey was of NGC 2359, although other numerous, spectacular objects were visited. The vision of this beautiful nebula in the T250 with an OIII filter shows a nice structure centered on a rather complex bubble, with filaments and of well defined tormented outlines. This quick drawing suffers from some imperfections, notably the absence of nebulosity that was visible and the misplacement of one of the wings. This object was so beautiful that I promised myself to revisit it again.

Wide Field Orion

M42, The Great Nebula of Orion
Sketch and Details by Daniel Stępniak

Daniel Stepniak’s beautiful wide field sketch of the Orion Nebula is a spectacular example of just what wonders await those with even modest apertures. He has submitted several others that will featured on ASOD.

All the sketches were made from suburbs of medium city- Sochaczew,
Poland. Unfortunately, there’s here big light pollution.
I’ve used small newtonian telescope- Synta 114/500 and NPL15mm (33x) and
made it with graphite pencil.
I like sketching during watching the sky. I think it’s the best way to
show what we are able to see using the telescope.

Daniel Stępniak

The Finger of God

“The Finger of God”, western Veil complex
Sketch and Details by Robert Twarogal (Ignisdei)

Now I want to present a sketch, that was never publicated in internet. A western part of the Veil Complex, known as he Witch’s Broom Nebula, but I rather prefer other, rare used name, ( less formally ) of this extremely beautiful object: The Finger of God.
A veil nebula especially western part of it, is a marvellous conglomerate of fibres frayed matter.
This complex is a large object, so I usually use my lowest-power eyepiece : Swan 40mm witch nebular filter UB in Newton 305mm
I could spend hours in watching this unusual, extraordinary spectacle, which make me out of touch with reality.

Object Name : The Finger of God, NGC 6960 – Western part of Veil Nebula (Ignisdei)
Object Type: Nebulae/emission/reflection
Location: Poland/ Oborniki/suburbia
Date: 29.09.2008 y,
Equipment: Synta 305/1500, UB”, SWAN 2″ 40mm

Sublime and Glorious

The Trapezium and Other Bright Stars of the Orion Nebula
Sketch and Details by Janis Romer

Janis wrote:

January, 1983. Temple University Night Owl, 17 1/2″ Dob. One of those Coulter mirrors*.

You will notice I have not included any of the smaller stars. I was using stars only as reference points for the nebula and simply ignored them. I’ve been tempted to go back and add them in, but decided I liked it better just the way I originally made it, warts and all.

Sketching:
Conte pastel pencils (white, blended greens) on black pastel paper.

*Note: James A. Braginton (Jacobsen), the owner/operator of Coulter Optical (deceased) was the first manufacturer of commercial Dobsonian telescopes. The Odyssey 2 (17.5” f/4.5) debuted in January of 1982. Nearly all of them were made in a small shop in Idyllwild, California. The early ones had well figured mirrors and were very inexpensive. Finished mirror sets were also sold in good numbers. -Frank McCabe