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Very nice Graeme. The eyes ablaze and the wings stretched out. The eye you mentioned is Phi Cassiopeiae at mag 4.95. It clearly dominates the cluster field, but in all likelihood is not part of the cluster and merely a line of sight member. NGC 457 is approximately 7.800 LY distant while Phi Cas is closer to 13,000 LY.
FYI, believe you meant the Owl Cluster vice Nebula.
Alan
Scopes: Astro Sky 17.5 f/4.5 Dob || Apertura AD12 f/5 Dob || Zhumell Z10 f/4.9 Dob ||
ES AR127 f/6.5 || ES ED80 f/6 || Apertura 6" f/5 Newtonian
Mounts: ES Twilight-II and Twilight-I
EPs: AT 82° 28mm UWA || TV Ethos 100° 21mm and 13mm || Vixen LVW 65° 22mm ||
ES 82° 18mm || Pentax XW 70° 10mm, 7mm and 5mm || barlows
Filters (2 inch): DGM NPB || Orion Ultra Block, O-III and Sky Glow || Baader HaB
Primary Field Atlases: Uranometria All-Sky Edition and Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas
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"Astronomers, we look into the past to see our future." (me)
"Seeing is in some respect an art, which must be learnt." (William Herschel)
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Nice! The outline is very pronounced and easily recognized from my dark sites, but here at home I see the "eyes" well before the rest of the cluster becomes obvious.
============================================================================= I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do. =============================================================================
AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
Just getting to this - a little late to the party - the Owl Cluster is one of my favorites because how striking it is and DOES look like an Owl.
Great image, Graeme!
-- Brett
Scope: Apertura AD10 with Nexus II with 8192/716000 Step Encoders EPs: ES 82* 18mm, 11mm, 6.7mm; GSO 30mm Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars List Counts:Messier: 75;Herschel 400: 30;Caldwell: 12; AL Carbon Star List: 16 Brett's Carbon Star Hunt
I first saw this through a small refractor at Astrofarm France this summer and was absolutely blown away with it.
Though I see it as one of its other names, the Dragonfly Cluster.
Up till now I've tended to observe with a Mak or an SCT, and open clusters are often too big to be seen to best advantage.
Though it has to be said that really dark skies are also in short supply round here.
Great image.
LS8 Meade SCT, SW 127 Mak, 72mm Lightwave Refractor
Star Adventurer
AZ Gti mount www.midcheshireastro.co.uk for astro company
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED102 APO, Sharpstar 61 EDPH II APO, Samyang 135 F2 (still on the Nikon).
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro with Rowan Belt Mod
Stuff: ASI EAF Focus Motor (x2), ZWO OAG, ZWO 30 mm Guide Scope, ASI 220mm min, ASI 120mm mini, Stellarview 0.8 FR/FF, Sharpstar 0.8 FR/FF, Mele Overloock 3C.
Camera/Filters/Software: ASI 533 mc pro, ASI 120mm mini, ASI 220mm mini , IDAS LPS D-1, Optolong L-Enhance, ZWO UV/IR Cut, N.I.N.A., Green Swamp Server, PHD2, Adobe Photoshop CC, Pixinsight.
Dog and best bud: Jack
Sky: Bortle 6-7
My Astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/users/Juno16/
