IC 4593: Planetary Nebula (Hercules) RA: 16h 11.7m / DEC: +12° 04'.3 Instrument: 10-inch Starfinder |
Planetary nebulae offer some of the most interesting observing targets in the night sky. They can appear linear, square, circular or any of several different shapes. This guy, IC 4593, resides in southern Hercules along the border with Serpens. My drawing captures the nebula's appearance in the 10-inch Starfinder at 247X, a magnification achieved by pairing a Meade 13.8-mm SWA eyepiece with TeleVue's 3X Barlow. IC 4593 is tiny, just 30" in diameter, and has a bright 11.2 magnitude central star. The central star burns through the surrounding nebulosity intermittently as I flit between direct and averted vision. A 9.4 magnitude star blazes 5' to the northwest and just inside the field boundary. Another four stars complete the view. |
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