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NGC 7293, The Helix Nebula. The Helix is a hard target visually, and also a very popular target for astro-imagers. The Helix has the designation of being the closest planetary nebula to Earth at a distance of about 450 light years. Its apparent size is huge at 16 arcminutes. When observing the Helix, use low magnifaction, because it is a very low contrast object. (Low magnification gives you high contrast.) I was able to view the Helix with my 8" f/6 reflector at 50x from a dark sky site. Of course, a nebula filter will help! More info about the Helix. Also see our Image.

The Shoes of Aqaurius. This is my nickname for this part of the sky, which I find fascinating. To the naked eye, the 3 shoes (the third is to the left) appear as 3 diagonal lines of 3 stars each. A detailed star chart like this one reveals more stars in the group, most of which are visible in 7x50 binoculars. You will probably need binoculars to see the Shoes at all unless you are at a dark sky site with a clear southern horizon.

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