Clearer observing of DSO

[drumsolo]

Hi everyone,

I found my first nebula the other night M57 ring nebula. I was really pleased and amazed to see something so far away. I now want to be able to improve the clarity if this is possible with my f5 8inch Newt. Would better quality eyepieces and barlows make a huge difference and which ones should I buy?

Thanks

Stuart

[acey]

The thing that will make the biggest difference is if you can take your scope to a darker site. Sky darkness is the one factor more important than anything else with regard to DSOs. And there's always a darker sky, somewhere, if only you can get to it...

Eyepieces do make a difference, but not as dramatically as on planets, IMHO, because colour and contrast aren't so crucial in the case of DSOs, where much of the viewing is with averted vision (and colour is virtually non-existent, other than some shades of green and blue). More significant, I find is hitting the right magnification. So that's still an excuse for you to buy more eyepieces.

Also consider a filter if you don't already have one (OIII or UHC). It will certainly make a difference on planetaries such as M57.

[swamp thing]

The thing that will make the biggest difference is if you can take your scope to a darker site. Sky darkness is the one factor more important than anything else with regard to DSOs.

This is true a dark sky is THE most important factor when observing faint objects.

Your scope is pretty fast at f/5 so good quality eyepieces will definitely help ( I have no idea what kind of quality eyepieces you have ), but as Acey stated they will not make the drastic difference that a dark sky will.

Regards Steve

[John]

I've nicked this from the "Cloudynights" forum:

Question: What is the best thing I can buy for $100 to improve my views of galaxies and nebulae ?.

Answer: A tank full of gas to get you and your scope to a dark site.

I've found a dark sky site is like adding 50% or more to your aperture.

[acey]

I've found a dark sky site is like adding 50% or more to your aperture.

A 50% aperture increase gives an improvement of just under one magnitude in terms of faintest visible objects. My back garden is mag 4.5, my dark site is mag 6. That difference of 1.5 mag is equivalent to a theoretical aperture increase of 100%. Yes, spend that money on petrol!

[Staypuft]

Thanks for some great advice!

[simo1222]

thats all good but its not always that easy or convienient to just pop out 30 miles at night to find a good sky just for it to cloud over, not that thats ever happened to me . alternatives are to buy a gun and start a national culling of all street lighting.

[acey]

I do all my deep-sky observing from a site that' s a 25 mile drive from my light-polluted home. It's not easy, it's not convenient, and yes, I do get clouded out. But when I don't it sure is worth it.

[todd8137]

HI there the light nights of the summer can be a pain and the combined with lp can not be good not every one can jump in there cars and goto dark sites and most make do with the back garden ect 0III are agressive but they do work i prefer m57 with out it

do you no any one that would let you have the use of some filters one night to try them ?

clear skies

pat

[swamp thing]

I do all my deep-sky observing from a site that' s a 25 mile drive from my light-polluted home. It's not easy, it's not convenient, and yes, I do get clouded out. But when I don't it sure is worth it.

You sound exactly like me.

I know they say that a convenient scope gets the most use, but I guess I just aint someone who only wants convenience.

I have observed this way for years and Love it.

I love being in the middle of nowhere. Thats why I go on overland expeditions. Next one I go on i"ll be taking a big scope.

Regards Steve

[acey]

I love being in the middle of nowhere.

Yup, we're like-minded souls!