NGC 7008 (Planetary nebula)
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Also known as: Fetus nebula
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Right ascension: 21h 1m
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Declination: 54° 33'
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Constellation: Cygnus
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Date/time: 2008.09.02 23:00 UT
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Equipment: 12" f/5 Newtonian
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FoV: 12'
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Magnification and filter(s): 250x
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Seeing: 6/10
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Transparency: 4/5
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Location: Nádasdladány, Hungary
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Observer: Ferenc Lovró
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Description:
A very large planetary nebula in the Cygnus constellation, also known as the Fetus nebula. Its naming perfectly suits its look, which is very conspicious. Its an asymetrical shell with widely varying brightness and an enormously shiny area to the NE. The central star is a 13.2 magnitude one, easily detectable because its surrounding dark areas. To the East from this you may notice another star of the similar colour and luminosity. I cannot see any hint of colour throughout the planetary. It's a nice object even at low powers of around 100x thanks to its relatively high surface brightness, therefore it may be a reachable target for small telescopes too. I've tried using my UHC filter, but the results were worse than without it.
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Hi-resolution image: [ reversed sketch | original sketch ]
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This sketch was featured on Astronomy Sketch of the Day on Oct 4, 2008.
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