M 1-64 (PN G064.9+15.5, PK 064+15.1)

Planetary Nebula
RA: 18h 50m 2.1s
Dec: +35° 14’ 36″
Size: 17”
Mag: 13.3v
Mean Surface Brightness 10.3 Mag/arcsec2

When we think about PNe in the constellation of Lyra we remember the bright ring of Messier 57. But when we travel 2,3° NNW of M 57 we find another PN with very similar morphological characteristics – Minkowski 1-64.

Discovered in 1946 by R. Minkowski at his first discovery run based on objective-prism survey plates obtained by W.C. Miller with the 10-inch telescope on Mount Wilson the new PN was one of 80 objects which shows no continuous spectrum on the plates and showed typical PNe like forbidden lines through the spectrograph of the 60-inch or 100-inch.

The PN is easy visible with an 8-inch telescope as a round disk with uniform brightness bit good defined edges. From 12″ up the PN gets more interesting. The ring structure becomes visible and a faint star which sits directly on the N edge shines out the neighborhood of the PN. Bigger telescopes can show details of the ring structure. I never heard about the visibility of the CS but perhaps you can catch him?

Michael Paur, C 9.25


IAC


sketch: 27", 586x, no filter, NELM 7m+, Seeing III



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GOOD LUCK AND GREAT VIEWING!