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This
is a low surface brightness planetary nebula that you won't often find
mentioned in the popular literature. A target for larger apertures
without a filter, Abell 21 may be accessible to instruments as small as
8-inches with an OIII filter in place.
It isn't obvious from the photographs on this page, but the brightest portion of this nebula is the southwestern end (top left). You should concentrate your search on this area. Use low magnification. Look for a bar-shaped diffuse area with none of the color or detail of the images shown here. Once found, try to trace the nebula toward the bright star on the bottom right. I spent some effort finding this one last year with my 18-inch f/4.5 without an OIII filter. Without the filter only a slight, roundish haze was perceptible at 94x. Although considerably easier to detect than some of the fainter diffuse planetaries such as JnEr 1, it isn't exactly obvious. With the OIII in place it became easy! Averted vision gives the impression of a large, roundish glow. The brightest portion of the nebula appeared as a luminous bar running east/west. More haze surrounds the 11th magnitude star GSC 00776-1339. Taken together, they take on a sort of elongated "P" shape, very much reminiscent of Thor's Helmet (NGC 2359), although the latter is considerably brighter. I should have attempted more magnification than 94x. In photographs this nebula is composed of multiple arcs of nebulosity which may have become apparent at higher magnification.
The field in a 8-inch at 50x. North is down and east is to the right. |
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