Outters 4, anyone?

[akarsh]

Hi DSF

I'm curious if anyone has managed to see the elusive OIII-emitting bipolar nebula called Outters 4. Many of us have viewed Outters 5 through Jimi's leviathan scope, but I haven't heard much about Outters 4, also known as the "Giant Squid Nebula". Reiner mentions it on his website here: http://www.reinervogel.net/index_e.html?/LargePN/LargePN_e.html and also describes his observation attempt:

"With 7mm exit pupil and OIII, the brightest part at the NE side of the southern lobe was suspected, very doubtful. "

For those who haven't come across this beautiful object, it is cradled within the H-alpha heavy Sh2-129 "Flying Bat Nebula" in Cepheus, as a contrasting blue-green OIII emission. Here's APOD:
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1610/Sh2-129+OU4+vdB140_Rolf-Geissinger.jpg

Clear Skies
Akarsh

[Mark McCarthy]

Hi Akarsh,

I have one from the Pinnacles in my 10-inch f/3.7 Springsonian from last June, SQML 21.4

Outers 4 & Sh 2-129: 10-inch 35x: Outers 4 is nearly centered on STF 2780, which in the field is part of a triangle of similar magnitude stars, including a pretty orange star V419 Cep. With OIII I detect a extremely faint arc connecting the STF 2780 AB (not split, 1") with another nearby star to the SW (9th mag HD 239600); there is a non-stellar (or maybe just a very faint star) in the center of this. It appears, from astrophoto, I detected the very center and brightest part of the object, where two lobes originate. I did not see anything of the lobes. It was discovered in 2011 by French amateur Nicolas Outers, and is not a planetary nebula; it is thought to be either a protostar or a post-AGP star (for more info & picture see https://astrophotography.mk/the-giant-squid-nebula-outter-4/.) Sh 2-129 was quite easy with Hbeta filter and is a large, 2 degree "C" arc, either ends of which are brighter and thicker than the middle, with some wispy detail.

[Uwe Glahn]

Hi Akarsh,

after some negative results I finally succeeded.
After all the failed attempts I have to summarise that it was not the faint surface brightness of the nebula but simply the huge dimensions which shocked me every time and makes it very difficult to concentrate where and what to look at.

So during a very good night with fine transparency but some humidity I started another try and again was short before to give up. Than I saw a thin but clearly visible longish streamer SE of the bright HD 202214. This was my first detail. Second detail was the SE "cap" which also was visible as a single nebula brightening. After concentrated observation some more structures came out. Most of them were only visible as an edge between dark and some brightening. Interestingly the on photographs very faint NW part was clearly visible as a very large top.
Of course the around 1.2° long nebula was never seen as one object. With max. EP in my 27-inch (0,7° field) I have to scan the single parts.

sketch: 27", 113x, [OIII] 12nm, NELM 7m0+
4929
home (http://www.deepsky-visuell.de/Zeichnungen/Ou4.htm)