 M57 – The Ring Nebula in Lyra May 2nd 2006 23:00 UT 200mm/10mm/ 120X M57 lies between Beta Lyrae at Magnitude 3.45 and Gamma Lyrae at Magnitude 3.24, in the distinctive constellation Lyra. These stars named Sheliak and Sulaphat make up part of this parallelogram shaped summer constellation. Slightly offside from the fainter Zeta Lyrae at Magnitude 4.36, this stellar grouping also displays its brightest or Alpha star Vega at Magnitude 0.03. Here is my pencil sketch of this Planetary Nebula, which I have inverted in Photoshop to give it a night sky appearance. I had seen the Ring Nebula several times in other people’s larger telescopes. It was exciting that evening to have it clear enough to sketch before my eyes in my 8 inch Dob even though it appeared small and smoky. |
 Ring nebula, by Jane. First sketch 10-inch reflector, August 14, 1989. This sketch was one of my first sketches, and this matches closely to Deirdre's sketch. My observing log for this date shows August 13 was a Sunday night. No wind. I observed and sketched M13 for the first time, plus Saturn, Arcturus, Antares, Lyra, M92, M29 and M57 the Ring Nebula. 10-inch f/7.3 reflector. 75x view using a 25mm Kellner eyepiece, which was my only eyepiece. Today that old Kellner eyepiece lives in my bright yellow homemade sun scope named Dob Sun. Location of the Ring Nebula sketch, my upper deck in San Rafael, CA 37N 122W. You can see all my first Messiers and more here : |
 Ring Nebula, Jane Houston Jones Discovered by Antoine Darquier de Pellepoix in 1779, the famous ring nebula M57 is often regarded as the prototype of a planetary nebula, and a showpiece in the northern hemisphere summer sky. My sketch revealed two stars in the center. The mag 15.7 central star, a planet-sized white dwarf, and a fainter companion. I also observed knots and bright spots in the shell around the star. Mike and Dave the telescope operators on Mt. Wilson's telescope this night pulled up Brian Skiff's Ring Nebula photometry and we compared my sketch to the chart. I saw and sketched the mag 14.7 and 14.9 double stars north of the planetary nebulae, and the mag 15.6 star on one side. Here's a nice chart for this project. 240X using the 100mm (4-inch diameter) Masiama Kellner eyepiece. 400x using the 4-inch diameter 60mm Erfle. |