Messier Objects

[Star Tracer]

Im going out to the country tonight with my scope and was looking to buy a catalog of the messier objects, anyone know the name of a good one that tells you where they are as well? Also ill be out in the real country so ill be able to see thousands of stars but will i be able to see any messier objects through my 70 mm scope with 900 focal length?

[brantuk]

Here's an online list for you

LIST OF MESSIER OBJECTS

With the moon out so full at the moment a lot of these will suffer from washout - M42 in the early hours ought to be a good one. Possibly (Andromeda) M31 though quite faint it's a big one. Pliades (M45) will be a pretty obvious open cluster - just to get you started

[Double Kick Drum]

Hi there Star Tracer.

Although I have some decent mapping, the one I use for quick reference is Gem Stars by Collins. It's cheap (£5) and will fit easily into a pocket.

70mm aperture should be plenty enough to see quite a few Messiers, especially in a dark-ish sky.

90-ish % phase Moon will spoil your dark conditions but not enough to stop you observing a few hidden wonders.

M31 - in Andromeda is a naked eye object in decent sky and a scope with low power will easily pick it up.

M15 - a globular cluster in Pegasus is not too difficult to find.

There's a couple to start with any way.

Happy hunting!

[paulhutch]

Wikipedia have an article on them, each one can be clicked on to give the exact location. Just jot them down and hey presto you now have made you own book.

List of Messier objects - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Star Tracer]

Thanks yall. I really look forward to observing Andromeda... if im not mistaken we have found a lot of planets in that galaxy... though i might be thinking of something else. Any way if thats the galaxy im thinking it is i cant wait to see it.

[brantuk]

On a dark night with good seeing it's a naked eye object - but you have to know where to look - it's a very nice object in binocs

[JamesM]

If you haven't downloaded it already, have you tired using a free planetarium bit of software called Stellarium, you can find out more here . Very useful in helping you to locate objects, to identify what you're looking at and you can advance the night sky to anticipate what will be in the sky and when.

James

[paulhutch]

If you haven't downloaded it already, have you tired using a free planetarium bit of software called Stellarium, you can find out more here . Very useful in helping you to locate objects, to identify what you're looking at and you can advance the night sky to anticipate what will be in the sky and when.

James

That's the best advice so far that I have received, it comes in real handy.

[stringbean]

Also, if you have a smart phone, you could download an app. On my iPhone, I have a Messier app. Apart from the objects in the list, it gives information such as RA/DEC, Magnitude and Distance. as well as a checklist. There is also a photograph for each object along with a full description and other 'Fun Facts' and a nice biography of the man himself,..Charles Messier. All in all, a very nice little app indeed.

[nicnac]

google sky map is pretty good too for android, switch your GPS on first and calibrate before use though