M
2-55 is a very nice planetary when seen in larger
instruments. Nonetheless it is little known and not
often observed or written about. It is large
enough to be obvious at low magnification, making it
relatively easy to find. At high magnification it
reveals tantalizing hints of the intricate details that are
captured in photographs. This planetary responds
fairly well to the OIII and UHC filters, which are
particularly useful at low power. As with many
planetaries the utility of these filters diminishes as
you increase magnification.
At the eyepiece
of my 18-inch f/4.5 I noted this one as,
"Nice!" At 97x it was barely visible as a
smudge. The addition of an OIII filter made it stand
out well as an obvious PN. At 270x the view was
better, with hints of internal detail. At this
magnification it is quite large in the eyepiece. The
OIII made the background darker and produced a hint of
annular structure. The brighter portion appeared,
"sort of square."
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