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Filter Performance Some Common Nebulae

By Dave Knisely
Article cut from original as a simple list. The full article by Prairie Astronomy Club is a fantastic piece of research work and a must read!
More information from David Knisley at The Paririe Astronomy Club
http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org/resources/by-dave-knisely/filter-performance-comparisons-for-some-common-nebulae/

  • M1 CRAB NEBULA (SNR in Taurus): UHC/DEEP-SKY (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • M8 LAGOON NEBULA (diffuse Nebula in Sagittarius): UHC/OIII
  • M16 EAGLE NEBULA (diffuse nebula in Serpens): UHC/OIII, but H-BETA hurts the view.
  • M17 SWAN (OMEGA) NEBULA (diffuse nebula in Sagittarius): OIII/UHC (H-BETA not recommended).
  • M20 TRIFID NEBULA (diffuse emission/reflection nebula in Sagittarius): UHC/H-BETA.
  • M27 DUMBELL NEBULA (planetary nebula in Vulpecula): UHC (OIII also useful in showing some inner detail, but H-BETA is NOT recommended).
  • M42 GREAT ORION NEBULA (diffuse nebula): UHC/OIII (near-tie)*
  • M43 (north part of Great Orion Nebula): H-BETA (UHC and Deep-Sky also help).
  • M57 RING NEBULA (planetary nebula in Lyra): UHC/OIII. Nebula is bright and small enough not to really benefit enormously from filter use, but UHC does improve it to a degree (H-BETA is NOT recommended!).
  • M76 "MINI-DUMBELL" or BUTTERFLY NEBULA (planetary nebula in Perseus): UHC/OIII (H-BETA NOT recommended!).
  • M97 "OWL NEBULA" (planetary nebula in Ursa Major): OIII/UHC (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 40 (Planetary Nebula in Cepheus): DEEP-SKY/UHC (near tie).
  • NGC 246 (Planetary in Cetus): OIII/UHC. (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 281 (Diffuse emission nebula, Cassiopeia): UHC/OIII.
  • NGC 604 (HII region in galaxy M33 in Triangulum): OIII/UHC.
  • NGC 896/IC 1795 ("Heart" nebula in Cassiopeia): UHC/OIII (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 1360 (large Planetary Nebula in Fornax): OIII/UHC (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 1491 (diffuse Nebula in Perseus)(10 inch f/5.6, 52x, 71x): UHC/OIII (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 1499 CALIFORNIA NEBULA (diffuse Nebula in Perseus): H-BETA.
  • NGC 1514 "CRYSTAL-BALL NEBULA" (planetary nebula in Taurus): OIII/UHC (H-Beta NOT recommended).
  • NGC 1999 (diffuse nebula in Orion): DEEP-SKY
  • NGC 2022 (planetary nebula in Orion): OIII/UHC (H-Beta NOT recommended).
  • NGC 2024 "FLAME NEBULA" (diffuse emission/reflection nebula in Orion): DEEP-SKY/UHC (near tie).
  • NGC 2174 (diffuse nebula in northern Orion): UHC/OIII (near tie) (H-Beta NOT recommended).
  • NGC 2327 (diffuse nebula in Monoceros): H-BETA/UHC
  • NGC 2237-9 "ROSETTE NEBULA" (diffuse nebula in Monoceros).: UHC/OIII.
  • NGC 2264, "CONE NEBULA" near S Monocerotis: UHC (other filters may be more useful in larger apertures above 10inch).
  • NGC 2359 THOR'S HELMET (diffuse nebula in Canis Major): OIII/UHC (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 2346 (Planetary nebula in Monoceros): UHC/OIII (near tie) (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 2438 (planetary nebula in Puppis): OIII (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 2371-2 (planetary nebula in Gemini): OIII/UHC (near tie) (H-Beta *not* recommended)
  • NGC 2392 "ESKIMO NEBULA" (planetary nebula in Gemini): OIII/UHC. (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 2440 (planetary nebula in Puppis): UHC/OIII (near tie) (H-Beta not recommended).
  • NGC 3242 "GHOST OF JUPITER" (planetary in Hydra): UHC/OIII (near tie) (H-Beta not recommended).
  • NGC 4361 (planetary nebula in Corvus): UHC/OIII (near tie), (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 6210 (planetary nebula in Hercules): OIII/UHC (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 6302 "BUG NEBULA" (planetary nebula in Scorpius): OIII/UHC (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 6334 (diffuse nebula in Scorpius): UHC (OIII and H-beta also useful).
  • NGC 6445 (Planetary Nebula in Sagittarius): UHC/OIII (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 6357 (diffuse nebula in Scorpius): OIII/UHC (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 6543 "CAT'S EYE" (planetary nebula in Draco): OIII/UHC (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 6559 (diffuse nebula in Sagittarius): UHC
  • NGC 6781 (planetary in Aquila): OIII/UHC (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 6804 (Planetary nebula in Aquila): OIII/UHC (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • CRESCENT NEBULA (NGC 6888) (diffuse nebula in Cygnus): OIII/UHC (near tie). H-beta *not* recommended!)
  • NGC 6905 ("the Blue Flash" planetary Nebula in Delphinus): UHC (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • VEIL NEBULA NGC 6960-95 (SNR in Cygnus): OIII/UHC (OIII is somewhat better but H-BETA is NOT recommended).
  • NORTH AMERICAN NEBULA NGC 7000 (diffuse nebula in Cygnus): OIII/UHC (near tie) but both H-BETA and DEEP-SKY are useful on the object.
  • NGC 7008 (planetary nebula in Cygnus): OIII/UHC (H-Beta *not* recommended!).
  • NGC 7009 SATURN NEBULA (planetary nebula in Aquarius): Filters are not needed, but OIII/UHC will help bring out the fainter detail (H-BETA not recommended).
  • NGC 7023 Emission/reflection Nebula in Cepheus: DEEP-SKY.
  • NGC 7026 (Planetary nebula in Cygnus): OIII/UHC *near tie* (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 7027 (Planetary nebula in Cygnus): OIII/UHC *near tie* (H-BETA not recommended!).
  • NGC 7048 (Planetary nebula in Cygnus): OIII/UHC (H-Beta *not* recommended!).
  • NGC 7129-33 (Diffuse Emission/reflection Nebula in Cepheus): UHC/OIII
  • NGC 7139 (faint planetary nebula in Cepheus): OIII/UHC (H-Beta *not* recommended).
  • NGC 7293 GIANT HELICAL NEBULA (planetary nebula in Aquarius): OIII/UHC (H-beta NOT recommended).
  • NGC 7538 (Diffuse nebula in Cepheus): UHC/OIII (H-beta NOT recommended).
  • NGC 7635 BUBBLE NEBULA (diffuse nebula in Cassiopeia): OIII/UHC.
  • NGC 7662 BLUE SNOWBALL (planetary nebula in Andromeda): Filters are not really needed, but UHC/OIII may help with locating it at low power via "blinking" (H-BETA is not recommended).
  • NGC 7822 (faint diffuse nebula in Cepheus): UHC (H-Beta and OIII also useful).
  • IC 405 FLAMING STAR NEBULA (diffuse emission/reflection nebula in Auriga): H-BETA.
  • IC 410 (Nebula assoc. with NGC 1893 in Auriga): OIII/UHC. (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • IC 417 (diffuse Nebula in Auriga): H-BETA/UHC
  • IC 434 HORSEHEAD NEBULA (diffuse nebula in Orion): Lumicon H-BETA (UHC also helps, but OIII not recommended).
  • IC 443 (supernova remnant in Gemini): UHC
  • IC 1283 (diffuse nebula in Sagittarius): H-Beta
  • IC 1318 GAMMA CYGNI NEBULA (diffuse nebula in Cygnus): H-BETA/UHC (OIII *not* recommended)
  • IC 1396 (nebula S.W. of Mu Cephei): UHC.
  • IC 1848: ("The Baby Nebula", Cassiopeia): UHC (H-beta *not* recommended)
  • IC 2177: ("Seagull Nebula" diffuse Nebula, Monoceros): H-BETA/UHC.
  • IC 4628 (diffuse nebula in Scorpius): UHC.
  • IC 5067-70 PELICAN NEBULA (diffuse nebula in Cygnus): UHC/OIII, Deep-sky also useful on the object (UHC was brighter, but OIII shows more detail).
  • IC 5076 (diffuse nebula inside cluster NGC 6991 in Cygnus): H-Beta
  • IC 5146 THE COCOON NEBULA (diffuse nebula in Cygnus): H-BETA/UHC *near tie* (OIII not recommended).
  • PK64+5.1 "CAMPBELL'S HYDROGEN STAR" Cygnus (Henize 2-438, PNG 64.7+5.0): H-BETA (UHC also useful).
  • PK205+14.1 "MEDUSA NEBULA" (large planetary nebula in Gemini): OIII/UHC *near tie* (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • PK164+31.1 "HEADPHONE NEBULA" (large planetary nebula in Lynx): UHC/OIII *near tie* (H-beta *not* recommended).
  • Sh2-13 (Diffuse nebula in Scorpius): UHC
  • Sh2-54 (Diffuse nebula in Serpens): UHC
  • Sh2-84 (Diffuse nebula in Sagitta): UHC.
  • Sh2-101 (Diffuse Nebula in Cygnus): UHC/H-BETA.
  • Sh2-112 (Diffuse Nebula in Cygnus N.W. of Deneb): OIII/UHC (H-beta not recommended).
  • Sh2-132 (Diffuse Nebula in Cepheus): OIII/UHC (near tie)
  • Sh2-142 (Diffuse Nebula in Cepheus around open cluster NGC 7380): OIII/UHC.
  • Sh2-155 (Diffuse nebula in Cepheus): DEEP-SKY (probable reflection nebula).
  • Sh2-157 ("fingers" diffuse nebula in Cassiopeia): UHC/OIII
  • Sh2-170 (faint diffuse nebula in Cepheus): UHC
  • Sh2-171 (very faint large diffuse nebula in Cepheus): UHC (Deep-Sky and OIII filters also useful).
  • Sh2-235 (diffuse nebula in Auriga): H-BETA/DEEP-SKY (UHC also helps.).
  • Sh2-261 (diffuse nebula in Orion): UHC/OIII (near tie).
  • Sh2-276 "BARNARD'S LOOP" (diffuse nebula in Orion): H-BETA/UHC. (OIII not recommended)
  • Sh2-254-5-6-7-8 (dim nebular complex in northern Orion: IC 2162): H-BETA/UHC (near tie).
  • Sh2-311 (nebulous open cluster NGC 2467 in Puppis): UHC/Deep-Sky (H-Beta not recommended)
  • vdB93 (Gum-1) (diffuse nebula in Monoceros near IC 2177): H-BETA/UHC (OIII not recommended).