Longmore-Tritton 5 (LoTr5) -- Planetary Nebula in Coma Berenices
The Planetary Nebula Longmore-Tritton 5
The large Planetary Nebula, Longmore-Tritton 5, was new to me. It is well marked (as LoTr 5)
in the new Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas but completely absent in the Uranometria 2000 atlas.
Since it is located about a degree from the second brightest galaxy in Coma Berenices,
NGC 4725 (also known as the Tie Fighter), and I had already planned on visiting the Tie Fighter
in the early morning I thought I would check out this nearby planetary nebula. I was in for a
surprise. It was easy to find, it was big and shown without difficulty when using an Oxygen-3
nebula filter.
What looks like the central star shining at magnitude 8.7, is really a foreground star and not
associated with the planetary nebula proper. The real central star (it is a rare binary system)
is below the visual limits of my telescope. More of a mystery to me was the fainter star next to
the foreground star at the 10:00 o’clock position. I can find any record of a star at that location
in neither photographs or drawings of LoTr 5 – still I am sure it was there, not only did I draw it
but in my notes commented that the apparent central star looked double to me.
Adding a new celestial object to my life-long observing list and finding a mystery I cannot solve.
It just does not get any better.
in the new Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas but completely absent in the Uranometria 2000 atlas.
Since it is located about a degree from the second brightest galaxy in Coma Berenices,
NGC 4725 (also known as the Tie Fighter), and I had already planned on visiting the Tie Fighter
in the early morning I thought I would check out this nearby planetary nebula. I was in for a
surprise. It was easy to find, it was big and shown without difficulty when using an Oxygen-3
nebula filter.
What looks like the central star shining at magnitude 8.7, is really a foreground star and not
associated with the planetary nebula proper. The real central star (it is a rare binary system)
is below the visual limits of my telescope. More of a mystery to me was the fainter star next to
the foreground star at the 10:00 o’clock position. I can find any record of a star at that location
in neither photographs or drawings of LoTr 5 – still I am sure it was there, not only did I draw it
but in my notes commented that the apparent central star looked double to me.
Adding a new celestial object to my life-long observing list and finding a mystery I cannot solve.
It just does not get any better.