HELP!!!! I cant see nowt!

[stargazer1980]

So last night was a clear night for me in wiltshire, the first in abut 5 days and i finished work at 2am and got home, got my telescope out allowed it to climatise and allowed 30 minutes for my eyes to adjust to the darkness!!

So i aligned my telescope with star align and success first time thanks to everyones advice in one of my posts!

So now i thought id try and find some messier objects so i decided to go for M40 and M106 as there near the big dipper which was so clear but with my 25mmm EP i didnt see anything at all! Do i need to use my new 32mmEP which i received today in my revelation eyepiece set (thanks steve there awesome) or should i be able to see something in the 25mm

Thanks

Darren

[geoff_k]

Darren

You don't say which scope you have.

Often these objects are difficult to see even under very dark skies.

I have a 250mm reflector and some of the fainter 'fuzzies' are not always easy to see in that. Only saw the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) which is in that area of the sky for the first time recently and I have been viewing for a good while.

Geoff

[stargazer1980]

sorry its a celestron SLT114 nexstar

[proflight2000]

Darren, basically you will not see more than what looks like a grey area, you will need to make sure you have dark adapted your eyes as well as these objects can take some time to see if your eyes have been around white light or you have white light still on somewhere which is bleeding through, like a kitchen light. As mentioned they are fuzzies you may see, the details that people post are basically astrophotography pictures generated by long exposures etc, this is an art in itself.

If you are unsure if your scope is playing correctly, tell it to go to Sirius, then tell it to go to the M41. The object is firstly to make sure the scope is playing and secondly to boost your morale, Sirius is unmistakable in the sky lying 3 fist widths left of Orions bottom left star Saiph, it is very bright and likes to flicker as well.. when I first got my 105 scope I thought id see it all, not the case, when you think how far some of these objects are in space you may need to fixate on something then just keep your eye on the eyepiece, you may then start to see what you are wanting to see bleed through. When I first did a search for the andromeda galaxy I went backwards and forwards for nearly an hour then i started up my starry night programme, used the setting circles thing in it and then used that info to slowley edge my way until i got a glimpse of it. I then just stayed there and the longer I looked the better i could see, it was still a fuzz but it was there.

Also, have a long look at the Plieades (the seven sisters) that looks great under any telescope and looks better for some reason in my binoculars. One other thing to remember is the size of the Apeture on your scope, I think it is 4 and a half inches, the principle of the bigger the apeture the more light comes in is a reason I moved from a 5 inch scope to an 8 inch scope.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Well M40 is just two stars which are close together, so you might have not even noticed them, and M106 is a dim fuzzy blob.

At that time of night, try M13. This is a clump of stars and therefore quite bright and easy to spot. Its visible in the finder on my Newt as a fuzzy blob, so you will easily be able to see it. M57 is a little donut in the sky, and there's M81 and M82 side by side if you want galaxies.

The Messier objects are often dim and awkward to find if you don't know what you are looking for, so there's nothing wrong with your 'scope. I can fail to see most of the Messiers with my 200mm Newt. so you're not alone.

Captain Chaos

[themos]

I have a 4.5" Newtonian and I am waiting for my Turn Left at Orion book before hunting the fuzzies. I'm also playing with my cheapo digital camera (not DSLR). I'd be happy just to map the constellations for now. I found out that my wife has not one but two stars named "after her". Can you guess her name?

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

I found out that my wife has not one but two stars named "after her". Can you guess her name?

Bet it starts HIP something or other.

Captain Chaos

[themos]

Naah, it's Tania Borealis and Tania Australis. There's an asteroid Tanya as well.