M13 & M81

[Kevdan]

Hi all,

Last night I found M13 and M81, and just cant understand how the images Im getting are so bad, M13 was just a smudge and M81 pretty much the same, I used a GSO 2x barlow with a GSO 9mm Super plossl whcih with my 750mm fl scope should give me 166x mag, I looked at the field of view calculator on 12dstring and the views on there are spectacular compared with what Im seeing, I know they are called faint fuzzy's for a reason but the view that Im getting isnt worth getting the scope out. Apart from Good old Saturn last night for me was a washout.

Has anyone got any pics of M13 and M81 taken through a similar scope to mine with similar optics.

Kev.

[RikM]

Kev, I have the same scope as you and you seem to be using way too much magnification for these objects. For M13 you should try just your 26mm Plossl or perhaps the 26mm + 2x Barlow, but you shouldn't need much more than that. Same for M81, although bright (by galaxy standards) it is quite a faint dim object. You will only see the bright core anyway. Use the lowest magnification for the brightest image.

The 12dstring (and most other EP comparison web sites) only show you the size of the object compared to the field of view of the eyepiece. They do not, in any way, represent what you will actually see. They show long exposure photographs, and nothing like the dim grey smudge you will actually see in the eyepiece.

A good dark sky, no light pollution, no haze, and good collimation are all necessary for the best views of deep sky objects.

Have a look at some of my photos if you like. These were taken with a DSLR on the 150P. Also compare them to some of my sketches to see what the objects actually look like with with your eye to the eyepiece.

Even if it isn't hubble, the 150P is still a cracking scope for the price though.

[Kevdan]

WOW,

Great pics, and the sketches are what im seeing, Is that all I can expect from this scope? So the next question is what looks good through my scope?

I too have the dual axis drive but havent tried photography proper yet.

Kev.

[John]

Photos just can't show what you see visually so are very misleading. I suspect your expectations are just too high. Galaxies start to look more interesting with 10" of aperture but even then most are still faint patches under our typical back yard observing conditions.

Personally I still find a "wow" factor from a faint patch when I know how far that light has travelled, the immense size of the object etc but I realise that others could be underwhelmed.

Edit: I just noticed that you mention M13. That should look a little more interesting than a galaxy. Your 6" scope should be able to resolve some of the stars around the globular cluster core. Again though more aperture brings globular cluster to life.

[Vicky]

I saw M13 last night through my dob with the standard 10mm lens in and it was pretty amazing I felt - well resolved. Admittedly its my first ever Messier and also perhaps due to the magnificent failure to find it the night before.

I think the other thing is that its very subjective- my partner wasn't over impressed- whereas to me it was the highlight of my week. But then, I'm easily pleased

The sky looks to be fairly clear now after a day of torrential rain but very windy so maybe no sky watching tonight- gives me time to plan my next target!

Clear skies to you Kevdan!

[Paulb3098]

Kev

I had the 150PL and the views of the M13 were great. Try a lower mag EP 25mm to start with. Also, did you have good viewing conditions, I went out last night and it was so poor I gave up at 11.30, could still see my watch without a tourch that's how light it was.

Paul

[Kevdan]

No No,

My Appologies for sounding a little underwheled , Iwas actually ecstatic to find them, Its took me months to get that far, As I said earlier I know most are considered to be "faint fuzzies" but I suppose I was spoiled a bit as my first nebula was M42 and I was blown away by that, and it is very easy to see and locate. What else i sas impressive as M42?

It is strange and not so easy to understand that If I can see something as far away as Saturn which is 750,000,000miles away then surely you should be able to see everything, yet Universaly speaking Saturn is right next door.

I am still very much a begginer to this hobby and am on a learning curve so steep I'm likely to fall off. However I can see why so many people give up after just a few months if they have bought (not wanting to sound big headed) less quality scopes that show images of saturn as big as a lorry wheel on the box.

[Kevdan]

Kev

I had the 150PL and the views of the M13 were great. Try a lower mag EP 25mm to start with. Also, did you have good viewing conditions, I went out last night and it was so poor I gave up at 11.30, could still see my watch without a tourch that's how light it was.

Paul

On a scale of 1-10 lp was probably about 7.5 - 8 untill well after midnight.

[John]

....What else is as impressive as M42?....

It terms of accessible visual observing impact, no deep sky object comes close really, in my opinion.

DSO's are so much further away from Saturn it's amazing that their long travelled photons make it through our polluted atmosphere, down our scopes and onto our retinas at all really !

If you take the time to study objects and observe them repeatedly more details do gradually show themselves. You eye sort of gets trained on how to make the very best of the seeing conditions and to tease out the subtle contrast and detail.

There is something to the saying "the more you look, the more you will see" whatever the size of your scope.

[RikM]

There is something to the saying "the more you look, the more you will see" whatever the size of your scope.

This is so true. Since I started sketching objects, it meant I had to take the time to really 'see' them to be able to transfer the view onto paper. It has totally transformed my observing. I can 'appreciate' so much more detail now compared to just a couple of years ago, even with the same equipment from the same site.

Two of my favourite objects are visible at the moment. On a dark night with good seeing even in a well collimated 6" scope M13 shimmers like a dusting of diamonds against the darkness. With 8" or 10" it is a great sight with tendrils of stars radiating from the brighter core.

M57, the Ring nebula is the single object that got me hooked into astronomy. I was fascinated by photos of it and to be able to see this ephemeral smoky ring with my own eyes is something so special.