| Name | Helix Nebula, The Eye of God |
| Designation(s) | NGC 7293, C63 |
| Object Type(s) | Planetary Nebula |
| Relevant Catalog(s) | All (Chron), Caldwell, NGC |
| Obs. Lat/Long | 42° 17', 073° 57' |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Date and Time Observed | 2024-08-12 00:58:00 |
| Instrument | Askar V 80mm w reducer f4.8-384mm FL |
| Camera | ASI294mc-Pro |
| Image Details | Up is 272.1 degrees E of N. Total integration time was 23. Exposures 30s@305g, UV/IR Cut Filter. Darks subtracted, no flats. Dithered and recentered in SharpCap. No guiding.. |
| Description | There are two observations here. One in August of 2024 where I managed to catch the Helix in the SE as it rose towards the Meridian. This is a challenging observation because Aquarius is low on the horizon, but this evening it was about as high in the sky as it ever gets here... nearly 30° elevation. The second was October of 2023, was very low on the horizon towards the SW, under 15°. We'd had a string of cloudy evenings, and this night was only slightly better. I would have liked to capture more data, but the object was getting extremely low in the sky, so I had to be content with 22 minutes. You can see the huge difference in quality the more recent observation in good conditions achieved... even though the Askar is only 384mm focal length, it's just so much better. |
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