From a dark site, I’ve used a 6-inch telescope at about 100x to make this object blink. Looking at it directly, you’ll easily spot the 11th-magnitude central star, but the nebula fades from view. Look a bit to the side (averted vision), and the nebula pops back into sight, swamping the star’s light.
For our next treat, move slightly south into the constellation Vulpecula. There, you’ll find the Dumbbell Nebula (M27), one of the finest planetaries of all. It glows relatively brightly at magnitude 7.3 and spans a whopping 5.8'. The easiest way to find it is to head 3° north from Gamma Sagittae, the star at the tip of the Archer’s arrow. Small scopes show two bright regions and several stars superimposed on M27’s face. Crank up the power, and the Dumbbell’s high surface brightness will reward you.
Our next two targets lie in Aquarius. First is the Saturn Nebula (NGC 7009), which glows at magnitude 8.3. You’ll find it slightly more than 1° west of Nu (ν) Aquarii.
Through an 8-inch or larger telescope, view NGC 7009 with magnifications above 200x. Its oval disk measures 25" through its long axis. The ringlike extensions that give the nebula its name protrude on each side another 15". At the ends of those protrusions are fainter bulbs, but you’ll need at least a 12-inch scope to pick them out. What color do you see in the Saturn Nebula? Whether you see it as mostly blue or mostly green depends only on your color perception.
The second treat the Water-bearer offers is the Helix Nebula (NGC 7293). You’ll find this great object 1.2° west of Upsilon (υ) Aquarii. The Helix is one of the brightest hard-to-see objects in the sky. Although its total light output nearly reaches 7th magnitude, its diameter is 13', so its surface brightness is disappointingly low. For best results, use binoculars that provide 7x to 15x magnification and have front lenses larger than 50 millimeters.
Through 12-inch and larger scopes with an OIII filter, you’ll see bright and dark regions in the ring. The northern and southern edges seem slightly brighter.
Our final target — one of my favorites — is the Blue Snowball (NGC 7662) in Andromeda. It glows at magnitude 8.3 and spans 12". Through an 8-inch scope, the Snowball is a small, evenly illuminated disk. Crank up the power and you’ll see the nebula’s rich inner structure. Look for a bright ring around NGC 7662’s hollow center. Then try to spot the fainter shell that surrounds that ring. The ring is brightest to the northeast and southwest.
As you’ll quickly see by going through this list, planetary nebulae each have unique features. Pick your favorites and share them with your friends at the next star party. Good luck!