The Caldwell Objects

sweep the telescope in a north-south direction
while keeping my eyes relaxed and my mind
alert. It also helps to take frequent notes and to
make sketches to confirm any suspected details.
With the wide field of view offered by the
Genesis at 23x, AE Aurigae appears as the
brightest star in a tight kite-shaped asterism
oriented southeast to northwest; an 8th-magnitude
star to the northwest of AE Aurigae marks
the kite's tail. The nebula's most prominent
portion is a wedge flaring southeast from AE. In
blue-light photographs one can see dark
nebulosity pinching into the southeastern side of
this wedge, forming a distinct Y-shaped pattern,
but I could not make out that detail in the 4-inch;
perhaps those with larger telescopes can do so. A
fainter nebulous glow surrounds the lOthmagnitude
star just northeast of AE Aurigae, and
a long, thin streamer runs along the kite's entire
northeastern edge.
The Caldwell Objects
31
Very faint patches of nebulosity hide inside the
kite's southwestern edge.
Another of IC 405's surprises is that its
brightest features take magnification well. The
details are not apparent at first, but with patience
the once-amorphous glow to the southeast
becomes a sharp hook of nebulosity, while
several patches appear to the northeast and north
of AE Aurigae, almost suggesting a ripple
pattern. The streamer along the kite's
northeastern edge vanishes at high power, its
surface brightness unable to withstand much
magnification. The 8th-magnitude star marking
the northwestern tip of the kite asterism is a nice
double at high power. Its fainter companion is
supposed to shine at about magnitude 10, though
I found it closer to magnitude 12.5. Interestingly,
the Washington Double Star Catalog lists 8th
magnitude for both companions. Keep your eye
on this star; it might be a variable.
125