Galaxies with binoculars ?

[DavidOfBanff]

With a pair of Helios 10*60 I've bagged Andromeda, but can't make out its little satellites.

Anything else I might have a chance of?

Cheers

D

(by the way, how do you people get the * symbol to look like it should?)

[Dr_Who_46]

(by the way, how do you people get the * symbol to look like it should?)

Hmm interesting, ive had a pc for years and never known that lol, will watch this

I spied clusters around cassiopia with mine and the double cluster, they are faintish but still viewed

[onesmallstep]

Hi

The '*' is just a lower case 'x', as in 10x60.

Check out the following website for other bino targets:

BinoSky: A guide to astronomy with binoculars.

HTH!

[swamp thing]

Try M33 just down below M31 in Triangulum. Bins show it well.

As long as you don't suffer from LP.

Regards Steve

[Dr_Who_46]

Try M33 just down below M31 in Triangulum. Bins show it well.

As long as you don't suffer from LP.

Regards Steve

I have tried for the Triangulam galaxy so many times and failed, must be due to the light pollution. Am gutted every time cus my back yard looks that way (apart from a big willow tree that will meet its maker one day and i could see north and west) and i know where it is via the stars, but FAIL

[DavidOfBanff]

Ah, thanks everyone.

I'll leave the * in my sig as tribute to lifelong ability to miss the blindingly obvious.

[imarcs]

Try M13 in Hercules. That was my first DSO with my Bins. Not a galaxy i know but still felt good to get it.

[swamp thing]

I have tried for the Triangulam galaxy so many times and failed, must be due to the light pollution. Am gutted every time cus my back yard looks that way (apart from a big willow tree that will meet its maker one day and i could see north and west) and i know where it is via the stars, but FAIL

It's one of those objects that really needs a dark sky the first time you see it.

Take your bins out into the countryside you'll be surprised how much easier it is.

Regards Steve

[onesmallstep]

Ah, thanks everyone.

I'll leave the * in my sig as tribute to lifelong ability to miss the blindingly obvious.

The first scar of experience.

The Binocular viewing sub-forum has a 'sticky' containing further links for bino observing.

[Cloudwatcher]

Philip's STARGAZING with BINOCULARS is a handy and helpful little book to have.

[DavidOfBanff]

Oh good grief - I never even noticed there WAS a binocular sub-forum.

A well, at least * looks a bit like star.

Further thanks folks.

[umadog]

M81 and M82 are bright.

[661-pete]

M51 is usually within reach of good bins in a dark sky - but looks disappointingly starlike. No good looking for it in the evenings at this time of year - wait till the small hours (or till the Spring).

I find M33 extremely difficult with binoculars in the LP skies of Sussex, although I did see it clearly once! I think the reason was that I had just walked home through fairly dark streets so my eyes were well night-adjusted, and immediately on reaching home I got the bins out to look for it. A good tip is to give yourself at least half an hour in the dark to get your night-vision.

In exceptionally dark skies (not in England) I can pick out M101 in the bins, but that's really borderline. Needless to say I had no luck trying to get the SN visually from England.

As for M31's two satellites M32 and M110, which I presume the OP means: well I've never seen either of those in bins. But I must admit I haven't really tried very hard. Possible M110 the fainter of the two is beyond binoculars anyway.

[Moonshane]

there are lots of things to see with binoculars but they really are often only just 'seen/detected' rather than showing well. I find that you really need a scope to see things well. for a wide field view, something like an 80mm Startravel scope would be good for this and not expensive either. I also find then much more comfortable than bins for prolonged periods.

exceptions would be very wide objects like some of the really wide clusters etc.

bins can be good at darker sites though as suggested.