NGC 1579 – “The Northern Trifid”  Reflection Nebula in Perseus 

JANUARY 2013 OBSERVERS CHALLENGE – NGC-1579

Date: January 31st 2013 – Telescope: 10-inch f/4.5 reflector @ 104x – Location: Moderately light polluted Backyard in western North Carolina with a NELM 4.8 

Faint and very diffuse with a brighter oval shaped middle.  The texture is somewhat mottled and uneven, and at least two dark lanes can be seen with averted vision (see sketch).  The nebula has very uneven edges which fade very gradually outwards.  A mag. 12  star lies just to the NE, and a group of four stars to the south make the shape of a dipper.  The following sketch was made using a 5 x 8 blank notecard, a No. 2 pencil, and an eraser.  The color was inverted using a scanner…

Roger Ivester  2-16-13

Date: January 31st 2013 – 10-inch reflector @ 104x by Debbie Ivester

Description:  The night was cold and it was pretty difficult for me to spot this nebula.  This object appeared very faint, situated SW of a faint star.  I’m beginning to be able to recognize the cardinal points relatively easy.  I’m pretty proud of myself for this.  I just center the object and when new stars enter the eyepiece field, I know this is east.  I then move the scope north and then south, lifting my eye to look over the tube on the declination axis.

It took me several minutes to see the nebula, which appeared as a faint cloud with a very irregular shape.  I tried my best to see the lanes and irregular texture that Roger talked about, but these features completely evaded me.  I would call this a very faint object, and it was difficult for me.  Debbie 

Debbie Ivester  2-16-13