Observing Report -- M57

(Tony Flanders) wrote in message m...
Craig B wrote:
Location : Montreal , Canada
I wasn't then able to find M57 . Tonight
I did :-) . Not a very impressive object , not at all like the Orion Nebula
. Didn't see the hole , just made out a dark smudged circle .

vic20owner resonded:


This is all excellent advice, but seeing M57 as a ring in a 4.5-inch
scope under heavy light pollution isn't a forgone conclusion. It would
be a cinch with a bigger scope in the same location, or with the same
scope in a darker location, but as it is, I'd say the observation is
a little iffy. Which shouldn't stop you from trying, of course!

In my 70mm scope in the suburbs, M57 is like a bottle with a cork.
If I like at it directly, it's a solid circular hole. With averted
vision, the center pops out and it looks like a ring. Look straight
at it again, and pop! -- the cork's back in it again. Lots of fun.

- Tony Flanders

Tony,

Your "bottle with the cork" analogy is good and describes what I see
in my TV85 on M57 up to 100x. Above that (if it's a good night like
the last few), it's a smoke ring with direct vision. In my XT6 last
night, it was a ring with direct vision at 60x.

As far as splitting the double double, I can do it often at 60x in the
TV85, though slightly higher is more normal. I've done it once at 60x
in the 6" Dob. Usually it takes 80x or so in the Dob. 80x will do it
the majority of the time in my Ranger.

Clyde