m78 nebula

[rory]

is it even worth looking for or at with the moon up, and with no filters ?

just going out in a while and wondered if its worth the hunt ?

[Moonshane]

worth trying but the moon may well kill it. I find it easy in 15x70 bins when the sky is dark and OK in the scope but not that much better. look for the nebulosity around the car headlamps.

[rory]

righto moonshane, i'll have a scout around. fingers crossed the cloud stays away . i'll report back with any result.

[Moonshane]

use your lowest power, always best I find for this target.

[rory]

star hopped to the location, but could see nothing. even the star patterns around it were very faint , clouds rolling in now ....doh !

[Moonshane]

darn it! I cannot even see the moon! total cover here, blowing a rainy gale too.

[Double Kick Drum]

star hopped to the location, but could see nothing. even the star patterns around it were very faint , clouds rolling in now ....doh !

You should see it in a couple of weeks (clear skies permitting).

Have a crack at M79, the globular in Lepus (below Orion) while you are in that area. At just better than magnitude eight , it should be within reach so long as you don't have too much Southern sky glow!

[rory]

cheers dkd, i'll do so nxt time a clear sky allows.

[rory]

well i bagged m78 tonight, got it before the moon got up high. kept scouting back and forth ,tapping the scope and with averted vision only could make out a tiny bit of cotton wool at x31. i shall go back on a darker night to try and get a better view. forgot to look for m79 !

also grabbed m35, nice open cluster.

and as for the telrad,what can i say, what a great bit of kit that thing is.