the
The binoculars used have been the 10.5x70 and 15x85 (BA8),
with the filters: H-Beta 8.5nm and 12nm, and blue (
The H-Beta 8.5nm narrow passband filter has been mainly used for finding the structures in the nebulae, the H-Beta 12nm medium passband filter has been helpful for the faintest nebulae.
The blue
Orion through the binoculars March 2021.jpg
The first object has been the Lambda Orionis SNR Nebula (Sh2-264). This time, the task has been to see, if there are any details inside, visible through the binoculars, and if the dark patches inside the disc will become visible.
Already during the observing sessions before, I have retrieved the “forgotten” Gaze-Shajn (1955) 63 brightening. Among the brightenings at the rim, the LBN 857 has been another visible nebula.
The 10.5x70 binoculars with the 8.5nm H-Beta filters have revealed the four darkenings inside the disc, and actually better than I have expected.
And yet another surprise has been the confirmation of the brightened rim of the nebula disc through the 15x85 binoculars. This rim marks the SNR as embedded into the surrounding molecular cloud. The molecular cloud itself has not been noticed during this observing session.
Moving towards east, the LBN 908 is most probably the catalog number for the faint N-S band pointing towards the bright Betelgeuse, interrupted by a dark nebula south of the Betelgeuse, in plain language “The Betelgeuse Nebula”. To its south, this band of light widens and merges with the NE arc of the Barnard’s Loop, and with the nearby LBN 905.
Interesting has been to follow the NW arc of the Barnard’s Loop, which seems to dissipate into the Lynds nebulae LBN 885, LBN 888, LBN 892, and LBN 890, all of them comfortably visible as small bright glows in an area of bright stars (ASCC 21).
A faint and narrow stream follows the bright stars 38 Ori – 52 Ori and points towards the hardly visible dark nebula B36. I have so far not identified this stream in the catalogs.
The LBN 934 north of the Orion’s Belt is another less known extended nebula, I have paid attention during this observing project, even if already noticed in past. It’s glow looks to me like a mix of the Rayleigh scattering – often found on the molecular clouds, and of some faint HII emission.
The Barnard’s Loop then continues with its NE arc (LBN 976), and with its SE arc (LBN 988, LBN 989), the most popular section of the Barnard’s Loop, and easily visible through the binoculars, good observing conditions given.
Close to the LBN 989, the SE arc looks like bifurcating towards the west: A branch pointing towards Rigel, and the southern branch LBN 1001, at the Orion/Lepus border.
Even if this “bifurcation” can be seen both through the binoculars, and on the astrophotos, its nature still would require a confirmation by the astrophysicists. Otherwise, the LBN 1001 would be another nebula, belonging to a nebular field further towards south in Lepus.
The Sh2-278 is one of those “forgotten” nebulae, even if bright enough for the 15x85 binoculars with the H-Beta filters. It’s appearance of a “boomerang” can be already seen through the 15x85 binoculars. (The 6”
The LBN 910 and LBN 915 small bright nebulae make a pair on what I have nicknamed as the “Saxophone”
Both of them are easier to see through the binoculars than the nearby
The last object in this observing project has been the molecular and HII cloud LBN 937, which makes a large diffuse glow. The LBN 937 will be inspected in more detail during the next observing sessions.
Thank you for looking and reading,
JG
