NGC 1499 Per Diffuse nebula Difficulty level: 4/5
The California Nebula
Date of Observation: 2001/10/15 00:00
Observing site: Kuju
Transparency/seeing/sky darkness: 3/4/4
Instruments: 10X42 binoculars and narrow-band filter
Magnification: 10x
Width of field: 6 degrees
This is a good photographic object but difficult visually. 10x42 binoculars are used with a filter. Under excellent sky conditions this object is visible without a filter.
It is very faint and extensive. The extent of nebulosity is not clear due to its faintness. Jiggling the binoculars brings out faint nebulosity more clearly. A curved extension is visible. There seems to be two slightly brighter areas; one is near a star in the southeast and another in the eastern extension. The area around two stars in the west seems to be slightly brighter.