Humason 1-2 is a tiny, often overlooked planetary
nebula in Cygnus. Look for two opposing lobes at high magnification.
A six inch will show the nebula as a faint star that looks slightly
non-stellar. Larger apertures and high magnifications are required
for a good view.
In "Summertime Planetaries Beyond the
NGC" (August 1999, Sky & Telescope) Jay McNeil describes
this planetary as "Easily located just 3o
east of the 4th-magnitude Sigma Cygni, Hu 1-2 appears virtually
stellar at powers below 300x. However, it's identity becomes quite
apparent when the field of view is blinked with a filter. Using a
10-inch telescope and magnifications approaching 400x, this object
displays wonderful structure reminiscent of the Dumbbell
Nebula."
The view in a 6" at 50x. North is down, East
is to the right.
This
image is from the Hubble Space
Telescope |
