September 2011 - Miami Valley Astronomical Society

Page 5M27 – The Dumbbell Nebula in VulpeculaBy John GrahamTelescope: Meade LXD75 SN6Luminance: Meade DSI Pro III, 30x60xec, IDAS LPS-2 FilterColor: Meade DSI III, 20x60sec, Orion Imaging Skyglow FilterGuide scope: Meade DSX-90, DSI Pro II, PHDSoftware: Envisage, Autostar Image Processing, Nebulosity, PhotoshopM27 (Mv 8.1) is one of the largest and brightest planetary nebula is the northern sky.During September M27 is high overhead during the early evening and it’s fairly easy tofind even with a small telescope. First locate the star that marks the tip of the little constellationof Sagitta, the arrow, then sweep due north about 3 degrees. Planetary nebulalike M27 also respond very well to light pollution filters because most of their radiation isemitted in two very narrow regions; H-alpha (red) and O-III/H-beta (blue-green). Somelight pollution filters suppress the red H-alpha, but most pass the blue-green O-III/Hbetaradiation to which your eye is very sensitive.