Object(s): NGC 6543, IC 4677 Observer: Mark Birkmann
Your skills: Intermediate (some years) Date/time of observation: 3-36-98, 3:30 am
CST Location of site: New Haven, Missouri (Lat N 38, Elev ~700') Site
classification: Rural Sky darkness: 6 <1-10 Scale (10 best)> Seeing: 6 <1-10
Seeing Scale (10 best)> Moon presence: None Instrument: 30" f4 dob
Magnification: 87, 175, 269, 390 Filter(s): none Category: Planetary nebula.
Constellation: Draco Position: RA 17:58 DEC +66:38

Description: NGC 6543 and IC 4677 (large and faint at mag. 15.7) My notes from March
1998 read as follows: NGC 6543 was bright blue green at lower powers, turning mostly
green at higher powers. The central star was easily visible. The oval shape was obvious
at all powers but at 390x the southern edge was seen to be irregular with a comma shaped
projection. Of interest was a dim, diffuse, hazy patch of nebulousity about 60 seconds
west of ngc 6543. The nebulousity was about twice the diameter of the planetary. It was
near the apex of a triangle of dim stars and about two thirds of the way to the nearest
bright field star to the west of ngc 6543.
7-10-99 This object turned out to be IC 4677. On this night I not only noticed the
comma shaped projection but also a cap on the opposite side of the central round area of
nebulousity of ngc 6543. E.E. Barnards original notes on NGC 6543 and IC 4677. (~750k)
The drawing you see here is from 7-10-99