[AZ-Observing] an EN RN gn Diffuse Bright Nebula

  • From: "JTPest" <jtpest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 01:10:13 -0700

Saturday's Sentinel was my best sky since the Grand Canyon Star Party.

Thank you to the mystery person who made the Pierre Schwaar Memorial there--so 
very thoughtful.

The last little gewgaw I added to my collection was NGC 1788.   A beautiful 
little enigma in Orion near Eridanus described (a combined description from 5 
sources) as a Comet shaped, pretty sight, hot dog, peanut, banana, paint 
splatter.  Ok, I admit that when I found this object it was at 4 a.m., a time 
when everything is funny to me, but even to read the word "hotdog" in the 
Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects (Skiff & Luginbuhl) I had 
to laugh.  

Additional to the realization that astronomers obviously do not eat enough 
while observing, this item was also a lesson in Astronomy Vocabulary and a 
possible catch of a mistake.

In the books and guides I use, NGC 1788 is listed as an:
 
Emission Nebula in the SAC 110 Best of the NGC (I think the mistake, a UHC 
filter stole it's comet tail, cooked its hotdog, ate its peanut, peeled the 
banana, cleared the splatter).

Reflection Nebula in The Night Sky Observer's Guide (Kepple and Sanner).

gn (galactic nebula) in The Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky 
Objects (Luginbuhl and Skiff).  A general term for nebula objects including the 
supernova remnants but not planetaries.

Diffuse Nebula in Burnham's Celestial Handbook.  A general term for nebula 
objects including the supernova remnants but not planentaries or Dark Nebula and

Bright Nebulae< or = to 10' on the Sky Atlas 2000 charts.

Steve Coe's "SAC Observing Notes" on line at Saguaro Astronomy Club's Site, 
http://www.saguaroastro.org/archive/home.htm calls this the Peanut Nebula, but 
since it's the only peanut  I've noticed in his notes or his book, I think 
peanut is not a nebula type but rather a late night astronomer craving.

Is it possible that NGC 1788 is both a Reflection and an Emission Nebula?  In 
that case wouldn't it still show a little of it's nebulosity with a UHC filter?

Is it really possible for one deep sky object to be included into 3 food groups?

~Jenn, TP

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