The faint reflection nebulae IC 63 (left) and IC 59 (right). Just north of Gamma Cassiopeiae, these nebulae present an interesting challenge for amateurs with moderate aperture scopes. POSS/DSS photos.

Ready for a bit of a challenge? This month's offering is a pair of faint nebulae reflecting the light of nearby Gamma Cassiopeiae. They are more challenging than some of the other objects reviewed in this feature, but not out of the range of modest amateur scopes. As these are reflection nebulae, filters will not give you any help; your best ally will be dark, transparent skies. Another must is keeping brilliant Gamma out of the field of view as it will overwhelm the dim glow of the nebulae.

IC 63, the easternmost of the nebulae, is definitely the brighter of the two. In a 12.5" reflector, it appears as a fan-shaped glow with the head pointing roughly toward Gamma. The glow is slightly brighter toward the head; the glow also brightens toward the south edge of the fan. I found this object surprisingly easy, hinting that it should be visible in smaller scopes under good conditions.

IC 59 is considerably more difficult than IC 63, appearing as a faint, ragged oval about 13 arc-minutes across. Both objects lie in a fairly rich area; the ghostly glows of the nebulae and the starry background are an especially beautiful combination.

How to get there:

IC 63 and IC 59 are located just under half a degree northeast and north, respectively, of Gamma Cassiopeiae.

Finder chart for IC 59 and IC 63