VisualBod

I was hoping to progress beyond the Messier list, but I've often thought that many of the other lists only really work if you have a 16" dob and are observing from the middle of the Arizona desert But, only one way to find out I suppose ... Has anybody seen NGC 253 (the Sculptor Galaxy) from the UK with a small refractor? If so, what aperture? I'm curently thinking that 253 might be a good test of a small refractor's performance. I am of course lusting for a 100mm rather than an 80mm. Small aperture fever already!

Thanks for the advice chaps. I'm still inclining towards a spotting 'scope as I like the idea of "right way up" - it makes it easier to compare the view with bins, especially when planning starhops. And I can use a spotter during the day for a bit of light birding Any thoughts as to whether a 100mm will buy me much in the way of light-gathering capacity, in real life terms, over an 80mm refractor? I found one site that suggests the gain might be just 0.1 magnitudes (10% gain, roughly) rather than the half a mag or more that one might expect from the increase in surface area. Oh to have both to experiment with!

After many years of digital "observing" I'm now yearning for a simpler life. I have a pair of 50mm bins and I'll certainly be using those to see how much of the Messier list I can see (I imagine most of the Virgo galaxies will be invisible), btu I also fancy a "big" spotting scope to give me a bit more light-gathering power, and also some magnification for the Moon and planets. I'm thinking spotting 'scope rather than small astronomical refractor just for the sheer ease of use - pop it on a tripod and walk out of the door and start observing (while waiting for full dark adaptation of course). I'm currently pondering a Celestrong Regal M2 100ED spotting 'scope. I've never looked through one, but I read good things about them. Hopefully I could do most of the Messier list, and more, with something like this, from a reasonable site. Anybody had experience of this 'scope (or its smaller brothers)? VB