Sketching Nebulae

Abstract

Few things attract newcomers to visual astronomy and set them up for frustration like the crisp, vivid photographs of galactic and planetary nebulae that amaze us and fuel our imagination. The actual views through a telescope are, of course, far more subtle, requiring patience and persistence to observe and appreciate. Although the details in these views can often rest on the edge of detection, with practice they can be very rewarding subjects, since you are perceiving those gargantuan swirls, streamers, and plumes of interstellar matter with your own eyes.