Benefits of a Dark Sky

[Jordanpetch]

Hi all,

First post here, so would just like to say what a fantastic resource this site is.

Okay, so I have a Skywatcher 200 Dobsonian telescope. Very happy with it!

My question is this.. I originally wanted the scope for planetary viewing and however after looking at the Orion Nebula for the first time I was blown away at looking at a DSO. Ive since managed to see the Andromeda Galaxy, The Whirlpool Galaxy and M81 and M82. These are all from my back garden, which I would say is fairly light polluted (live in the centre of a medium size town).

Now the galaxys all look like red smudges to me, and with some averted vision I managed to make out a dark band on M81, but with M51 and M82 I could just see the central cores.

Im not expecting mind blowing images, but Id love to be able to see any hint of spiral structure or any bit of extra detail. Would a dark sky offer this, or is it just impossible with my scope?

I work full time so finding a clear night, when im free is fairly rare, and I wouldnt want to waste observing time travelling to a dark sky if the view was going to be basically the same!

I hope someone could clarify.

Thanks in advance,

Jordan

[Kevdan]

Hi,

I got a 150p and M31 is just a greyish blob untill I take pics and process them, the image is staggeringly different to what i can see with my eye,

You should see more detail in your scope comparing it to mine however I dont think it will be postcard quality.

Kev

[laser_jock99]

Not sure about how much extra detail you'll see but a dark sky will definately increase the number of objects visible. To see detail like in the photos, well, you have to take photos!

[Jordanpetch]

Thanks for the replies.

So a dark sky wouldn't really improve the image I see through the EP?

Id love to get into a AP, but after researching it with a Dobsonian it seems pretty much impossible

[John]

A dark sky would improve things a lot. I took a 6" scope to last years SGL star party and it performed on deep sky objects like my 10" does from my back garden.

I'm taking my 10" to this years star party (tomorrow as it happens) and hope to resolve the sprial structure of M51 there. I can't quite do this from my back garden.

[umadog]

A dark sky will make a vast, vast difference. It will improve the view enormously. You will see a lot more detail in those objects if you're somewhere dark. These are very representative sketches of what can be seen through an 8" in very dark skies by an experienced observer: Deep Sky Sketches - Deep Sky Watch Take a look at the M31. Have you seen the dust lanes from your back yard?