The Webb Deep-Sky Society

Editorial - Quarterly Journal 124 Spring 2001

Again my apologies for the late arrival of this edition of the magazine.

There appear to have been some misunderstandings in my last editorial. Some concern has been raised that we no longer wish to publish articles for large telescope users. This is emphatically not the case. The Webb Society has always been at the forefront of deep sky observing and keeping a balance between articles for large and small telescope users is always a challenge. This in part depends on what material is sent in. Recent issues have seen a large amount of material for small telescope users. Although we recognise the need to grow the society we must cater to both schools because it provides an interest level for small telescope users to go for. The same applies to imaging, both CCD and photographic. Although we cannot hope to compete with the large glossy magazines in terms of publishing colour material, the level at which material can be published can be more technical. Obviously not all readers will be interested in the different types of material but that maybe as it should be.

On another and frequent note this issue has seen me out of most of my material apart from reviews so we need some more stuff for the next edition.

The Society held a very successful AGM continuing the theme of European co-operation and a report of the meeting will appear in due course. We were lucky enough to gain several new members of the committee. Long time Webb member Alan Dowdell will replace Brian McInnerny in charge of the AGM following Brian’s decision to step down after thirty three years on the committee. I think we can let him go now. Tim Walker has replaced Keith Fowler as Web master as Keith has had to step down due to his impending marriage, for which our congratulations. Any material that members think should go onto the web site please send to Tim at his address on the back cover. Stewart Moore has also come onto the committee and I am sure we will find things for him to do. One theme that did come out of the AGM after discussions with Rich Jakiel and Ronald Stoyan was the possible holding of an international deep sky meeting to be held perhaps in 2003 over a weekend. The general thought was that perhaps the first one should be held in Europe and we could try and attract some of our North American brethren across. We would welcome thoughts on this from any interested parties. Whether we host it or not is a matter for some debate.

Whilst following a thread on the amastro forum I came across a small planetary nebula K4-8 near, indeed in the same low power field as IC1295. There was nothing strange about this as both

Guide 7 and Megastar 4 showed the PN in the same position SW of IC 1295. SkyTools however showed it to the NW. I assumed that SkyTools had the wrong position but looked up the SECGPN. Here the anomaly appeared to be explained. The photographic finder chart had it in the middle of a line of faint stars to the NW of IC1295 but the position noted in the text had it to the SW. The question is which was correct. Going back to older references Steve Hynes book had the PN NW of IC 1295 as did the new Kohoutek catalogue and the older PK67. It appears that the position in the SECGPN must be wrong and SkyTools which appears to use the old PK for its positions was correct in this case. The finder chart accompanying this note shows stars from the USNO A2 overlaid on a chart from Guide 7. The SECGPN position is that marked by PK 023.5-04.6.

SECGPN, Acker et 1992, ESO

Planetary Nebulae, Hynes, Willmann-Bell 1991

Catalogue of Planetary Nebulae, Kohoutek, University of Hamburg 2001.

Editor: Owen Brazell

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