Re: ATM M-57 visibility

[Al Kelly <akelly@ghgcorp.com>]

>Since it may be a variable, has anyone seen it visually LATELY with ANY
>scope, at ANY site?

Hi Tom, Roger...:)..

        I looked at the CS in M57 last month with my 32" at Danciger (70
miles SSW of Houston).  It was winking in and out a bit, but that was due to
upper atmospheric seeing effects.  I remember when Roger and I could NOT see
the CS (at least not well) through my 32 at TSP in '89 (or '91?)....that was
entirely due to poor seeing conditions, which, unfortunately, are often the
rule under those tremendously dark, transparent skies at the Prude Ranch.  I
saw the CS through an 18" scope earlier this summer.  I have seen this
object many times over the years with my 17.5" Newtonian when it would just
sit there and glint like a tiny diamond.  It seems that people always want
to look at this object when M57 is up, so I often get to view it.
        As I mentioned in an earlier post, visibility of this object is VERY
dependent upon seeing and other optical variables.  Under a good 6th
magnitude sky, any decent scope 16" or larger ought to reveal it, if not to
averted vision, then at least to  averted imagination!  It is my opinion
that the variability of this star has been far overestimated by people who
are actually evaluating the variability of seeing, sky transparency, and
optics. 

Good Seeing....  Al K.