Observing Report for June 11, 2002

by Gregg Blandin


DateJune 11, 2002
LocationEmigrant Gap
Equipment25" f/4.5 Newtonian dob
ConditionsTransparency 7/10, Seeing 7/10
Estimated limiting magnitude at zenith6.0
Subject of observing sessionPlanetary Nebula in Cygnus

PK 068+1.2
TypePlanetary Nebula
ConstellationCygnus
RA19h 59m 16s DEC: +31 55' 15"
Mag v14.7
PK 068+1.2 lies 10 arc minutes NW of a zig-zag asterism of stars, the brightest of which is approximately Mag 7. An O3 filter was required to see this faint, roughly triangular shaped wisp extending westward from what appears to be a fairly bright background or foreground star.
PK 071-02.1
TypePlanetary Nebula
ConstellationCygnus
R.A.20h 21m 5s DEC: +32 29' 36"
Mag v14.5
This nebula appears as faint and compact circle requiring averted vision to see. On the edge of a group of stars to the SW is a small right triangle of two white and a dimmer blue star.
NGC 7008
TypePlanetary Nebula
ConstellationCygnus
R.A.21h 0m 4s DEC: +54 32' 48"
Mag v10.7
NGC 7008 is a bright, very interesting 3/4 ring with two prominent background stars oriented SW-NE. With an 03 filter the two background stars disappear and the nebula becomes three dimensional with varying shades of intensity and width. A pretty double star is rougly 2 arc minutes south.
NGC 7048
TypePlanetary Nebula
ConstellationCygnus
R.A.21h 14m 11s DEC: +46 16' 30"
Mag v12.1
This planetary is an almost perfectly round uniform texture disc. With averted vision there appeared to be a dark area in the center and two superimposed stars on the northern end.
NGC 6884
TypePlanetary Nebula
ConstellationCygnus
R.A.20h 10m 22s DEC +46 27' 42"
NGC 6884 is a tiny 6" spot of bluish-green light which needed an O3 filter to distinguish it from nearby stars. Averted vision revealed a much larger size than first observed and a small protrusion on the NE side, probably PK82+7.1
NGC 7027
TypePlanetary Nebula
ConstellationCygnus
R.A.21h 07m 4s DEC +42 14' 6"
This planetary nebula looks almost rectangular in shape and green in color with an O3 filter. PK84+7.1 shows up nicely on the NE edge as a distinctly blue dot. The apparent color difference between the two is quite interesting to observe.
PK 068-00.1
TypePlanetary Nebula
ConstellationCygnus
Mag v16
Along with being was challenging to locate, this low surface brightness planetary was difficult to see even with averted vision. It couldn't be seen without an O3 filter. It appears to be slightly oblong although it's a tough call. A line of mg 11 stars to the NE was helpful in locating the object.