Not so faint fuzzy tonight?

I was out grilling some hot dogs (38 degrees isn't so cold, is it?), and
glanced up to see how the sky was looking.

After a few seconds, having no dark adaption at all, I caught a fuzziness
near the zenith. After I turned the outside light off, it was even more
prominent. It's an elongated fuzzy patch in my 10x50's, brighter than any
galaxy I've seen even through my telescope. In fact, it looks to the
naked eye a bit like M31 looks in my 8" telescope.

There's solid cloud cover right now, so I can't see it anymore.

There wasn't a whole lot of clear sky when I first saw it, so the only
location I can come up with is to roughly follow a line from Epsilon Cas
through Gamma Cas, for a few tens of degrees. It was near the zenith at
around 21:00 EDT at -74:47W and 41:18N. I see nothing in the charts to
explain it. I estimate its size to be a couple degrees in length, and
maybe half a degree in width.

Anyone else see this thing?


--
- Mike

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The position and appearance indicate that what you saw is M31. You've just
given an excellent description of the way M31 looks to the naked eye and in
binoculars. In a really clear sky, it jumps out at you.

In your telescope, you usually see only the central core, which is much
smaller. The object you describe -- about 0.5 x 2 degrees -- is just what
the relatively bright part of M31 looks like in binoculars. (The fainter
parts may extend out to more like 1 x 4 degrees.)

And M31 was only 5 degrees from the zenith at the time and place you
describe.

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 00:17:48 -0400, Michael A. Covington wrote:

The position and appearance indicate that what you saw is M31. You've just
given an excellent description of the way M31 looks to the naked eye and in
binoculars. In a really clear sky, it jumps out at you.

In your telescope, you usually see only the central core, which is much
smaller. The object you describe -- about 0.5 x 2 degrees -- is just what
the relatively bright part of M31 looks like in binoculars. (The fainter
parts may extend out to more like 1 x 4 degrees.)

And M31 was only 5 degrees from the zenith at the time and place you
describe.

That was my first impression of what it must be, but it was far too
bright, and not in the right position in relation to Cassiopeia. But I'm
not positive, because most stars weren't visible, and the angles were a
bit awkward.

If it was M31, I'll be able to tell if there's a cloudless night in the
next few days. Otherwise, I'll remain stumped.


--
- Mike

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Aurora? Cloud?

Regards,

Bill Ferris
"Cosmic Voyage: The Online Resource for Amateur Astronomers"
URL: http://www.cosmic-voyage.net
=============
Email: Remove "ic" from .comic above to respond

On 19 Oct 2003 15:46:37 GMT, Bill Ferris wrote:

Aurora? Cloud?

There's no trace of it tonight, and I can now conclude that it was
definitely not M31 (wrong position, very much wrong brightness). It was
perhaps a very small and very still noctilucent cloud.


--
- Mike

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I was checking out m31 tonight also, in these polluted skies between
baltimore and d.c.
But alas I could not see it via the naked eye, just by starhopping.
In my 8" newtonian it is still an elongated fuzzy, I do not see a central
core.
It seems to be close to the same view as in my 15x70 binocular's, an
elongated fuzzy.
Too much light pollution I guess.
I'm checking out the light pollution map for my area, it looks like I fall
in the bortle scale of 7-less than 100 stars visibe, I'm looking for a
bortle scale of at least 4-with some milkyway structure.Maybe only 15-20
miles away, it would be nice if some smaller town locations
were indicated, for approximate location of the close good viewing spots.

"Michael A. Covington" wrote
in message ...
The position and appearance indicate that what you saw is M31. You've
just
given an excellent description of the way M31 looks to the naked eye and
in
binoculars. In a really clear sky, it jumps out at you.

In your telescope, you usually see only the central core, which is much
smaller. The object you describe -- about 0.5 x 2 degrees -- is just what
the relatively bright part of M31 looks like in binoculars. (The fainter
parts may extend out to more like 1 x 4 degrees.)

And M31 was only 5 degrees from the zenith at the time and place you
describe.

Mike,

It could be that you glimpsed the North American Nebula (in the
constellation of Cygnus) with a total magnitude of 4.0. This nebula,
NGC7000 lies roughly in the area you describe and could have been visible to
your naked eye given dark enough skies and good enough seeing.


Martin

"Starstuffed" wrote in message
ink.net...
Mike,

It could be that you glimpsed the North American Nebula (in the
constellation of Cygnus) with a total magnitude of 4.0. This nebula,
NGC7000 lies roughly in the area you describe and could have been visible
to
your naked eye given dark enough skies and good enough seeing.


Martin



I believe Mike and I live in the same town, and the light pollution here
always sucks a lemon. Only time we get dark skies here is during a general
blackout...and they only come during periods of full moon.

Al

"Al" wrote in message
news
I believe Mike and I live in the same town, and the light pollution here
always sucks a lemon. Only time we get dark skies here is during a
general
blackout...and they only come during periods of full moon.


Thanks for the info. That pretty much rules out NGC7000.

I'll go back to sleep now,


Martin

On Sun, 19 Oct 2003 16:53:40 GMT, Al wrote:

"Starstuffed" wrote in message
link.net...
Mike,

It could be that you glimpsed the North American Nebula (in the
constellation of Cygnus) with a total magnitude of 4.0. This nebula,
NGC7000 lies roughly in the area you describe and could have been visible
to
your naked eye given dark enough skies and good enough seeing.

I believe Mike and I live in the same town, and the light pollution here
always sucks a lemon. Only time we get dark skies here is during a general
blackout...and they only come during periods of full moon.

I used to live in central NJ, but I now live in northwest NJ, where light
pollution is very slight. ZLM is at least 6.0.

Whatever I saw, it was not any known DSO for certain. It was far too
bright.

I can only guess it was a small noctilucent cloud, since there's no trace
of anything like it tonight.


--
- Mike

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