I have seen the N.A. nebula through a variety of telescopes. Probably the best view was last September at Lakeside with Joe Bauman. The conditions were pretty much the best they get and it was not difficult at all with my 16" dob, with and without a filter. My daughter's 8" f4 ball scope is a fantastic instrument for the N.A. nebula as the FOV is very large with a low power eyepiece. The method that works well for such large nebulae, is to "slide" into them. In other words, get in the general vicinity of the object and then move the scope towards the nebula. Once you notice the sky becoming a bit brighter, you're in the nebula. This method also works well for perceiving just how large the Andromeda galaxy is. For that one, start with the bright inner region (what most observers consider the galaxy) and move outwards, when you think you've gotten to black sky again, move farther out and then move back in and pay attention to where the sky starts getting brighter. It is amazing how large that galaxy really is when you do this. Mat -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Brent Watson Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2012 2:51 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: **SPAM** Score: 6; [Utah-astronomy] Nebulosity The only time I can claim to have seen the North American nebula was through an Edmund Astroscan - 4-1/4 inch bowling ball. I have seen the bright part of the Horse Head through my 12.5 inch at a star party in southern Ut. Through the 22 inch I actually have seen the indent of the dark nebula against the bright portion, but it was just an indent - a sort of semicircular indentation along one side of the nebula. Again that observation was made in southern T. I don't recall any filtration, although it may have been through a deep sky filter. I am pretty sure the 12.5 inch observation was without any filter in place. _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Send messages to the list to Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com The Utah-Astronomy mailing list is not affiliated with any astronomy club. To unsubscribe go to: http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Then enter your email address in the space provided and click on "Unsubscribe or edit options". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This message and any included attachments are from Siemens Healthcare and are intended only for the addressee(s). The information contained herein may include trade secrets or privileged or otherwise confidential information. Unauthorized review, forwarding, printing, copying, distributing, or using such information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you received this message in error, or have reason to believe you are not authorized to receive it, please promptly delete this message and notify the sender by e-mail with a copy to Central.SecurityOffice.Healthcare@siemens.com Thank you