Planetary nebula in Lyra
Because it has a high surface
brightness, the famouns Ring Nebula can withstand high magnification well, and the ring shape can be
seen with even small telescopes. However, the blue central star, which is so obvious in the photograph,
is much harder to observe visually. On a few very clear nights I have been able to glimpse the star with my
18-inch Dobsonian, but only with difficulty and with
high magnification. Also dimly
visible, in the upper right corner
of the frame, is the distant spiral galaxy IC 1296.