(Below Left) Discovery Image by Michael Howell 2/4 & 2/11/2006, TMB80/480 w/.8xFR Ha=Red, SII=Green, OIII=Blue. It was not until November of 2006 that I began working with Richard Crisp to identify this interesting object. Look for a small pink blot 1/4 way from left near the top 10th of image. (Below Right) Closer view of area in H-alpha. ST-10XME w/NP-127, 11/17/2006.

(Below) Two High Resolution Images of HoCr 1 - Courtesy of Dr. George Jacoby, Director of the WIYN Observatory 3.5 meter Telescope at Kitt Peak, Tucson, AZ. See: Jacoby et al 2008, in "Asymmetrical Planetary Nebulae IV". The WIYN Observatory (pronounced "win") is owned and operated by the WIYN Consortium, which consists of the University of Wisconsin, Indiana University, Yale University, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). http://www.noao.edu/wiyn/ - The left image is 300sec and the right 600sec respectively. Both are H-alpha RAW images with no reduction/processing. Seeing was typically 0.8” and occasionally 0.45”. Scroll down for an inverted view.

NOTE: At this time, HoCr 1 has been classified as "not likely" to be a planetary nebula (PN). While not conclusively rejected, it may be unlikely that HoCr 1 will receive any further imaging time on such large instruments as the WIYN. HoCr1 was one of the 4 candidates in the top 25 of 50 submitted that did not make the final cut. I do have to say that it was quite exciting to just have my little discovery considered! So just what is HoCr 1? Brian Skiff, a research assistant at Lowell Observatory, suggests that,

"...this is not a planetary nebula, but a compact emission object, possibly related to the larger diffuse emission in the field that's visible in the linked photos. A somewhat better position for the 'center star' is: 6 21 40.92 +23 35 16.7 (J2000, 2MASS). The IRAS source IRAS 06185+2336 is about 54" due west, slightly outside the position error-ellipse, but right along the major axis, so identification is at least possible. The bright nebular background probably does not help the IRAS position accuracy in this case. Much more certain is the radio-continuum source NVSS J062141+233510 only a few arcseconds away (with typical position errors of ~10"). Many faint planetary nebulae, other nebulae, and galaxies show up in this survey. There seems to be no professional literature on the object as a separate entity beyond inclusion in the NVSS and (possibly) IRAS surveys."

(Below Left) HoCr 1 Confirmation Image - by Richard Crisp - 6 x 20 minutes of H-alpha and [OIII] binned 2x2 using ST-10XME on RDC18" Classical Cassegrain, @ 0.84 arc.sec./pixel, 11/9/2006. (Below Right) Digital Sky Survey Image courtesy of Aladin.

(Below Left) Howell-Crisp 1 (HoCr 1) Imaged by Michael Howell - Synthetic tricolor image (15)15min H-alpha (35)15min OXYIII, R = Ha, G = OXYIII, B = Ha+OxyIII, bin 1x1 ST-10XME on NP-127 at 2.12 arc.sec./pixel, 11/20/2006. 12.5 hours total exposure. (Below Right) Close up view.

(Below Left) Howell-Crisp 1 (HoCr- ) Imaged by Michael Howell - (15)15min H-alpha 1x1 ST-10XME on NP-127 at 2.12 arc.sec./pixel, 11/17/2006. (Below Right) (35)15min of OIII data only. 11/20/2006.

(Below Left) RGB (5)4min each. (Right) H-alpha (26)6min.