What's the best thing you've seen?

[Mr Moff]

I was just wondering really,what's the best thing you've seen,or the best night viewing you've ever had? And if you've got pictures please share them.

I've only been at it for a few weeks and my first view of Jupiter and its moons is my most memorable moment so far.

It's time to break out the big guns and show us newbies what splendours we've got to look forward to.

Danny.

[dtr42]

seeing saturn was lovely but my favourite so far was orion's nebula as having seen orion for more year's than i care to remember seeing the neb in black and grey was wonderful .

[Katen]

The first thing I ever saw through a telescope was Saturn in all it's glory, through the fantastic historic Norman Lockyer telescope - most definately a WOW moment. Followed closely by Jupoter and it's four moons aligned on one side of the planet. But the moon has to be my favourite - so much to see.

[Beulah]

M42 (Orion Nebula) + large dob + dark sky = mind blowing.

Does it have to be just one item - can I name others?

Whirlpool nebula - just being able to see the spiral arms is amazing. On good nights, with averted vision, I can just about see the interconnecting spiral arm to the smaller galaxy.

Flame Nebula - Even though this nebula is faint compared to M42, the flame-like shape is clearly discernible.

M13 (Great Cluster in Hercules) - Need I say more?

Swan Nebula - the swan-like shape is discernible without an 0III filter, but with one, the surrounding nebulaic cloud just jumps out at you. I am so looking forward to when Saggitarius swings around the skies again. Nothing like gazing towards the centre of our Galaxy.

Albireo - the orange-and-blue in these double stars shows up best in a smaller scope - with a larger dob the colour seems a little washed out.

[richbyers]

saturn never fails

m81/2 was great after the amount of time i spent looking

andromeda because of its size and fame

every time i see meteor- they never get old

shadows on plato's floor

[Slim]

I was lucky enough to be in the back garden at the scope at the beginning of March this year when the large meteor streaked across the sky. Most amazing thing I have seen and don't expect to see anything better.

[kiffy]

great theme for a new thread...

as a newbie ive not seen tha tmuch yet, i think the best thing ive seen is the first that i saw that i knew what it was... jupitar... as soon as i powered up my scope for the first time i wanted to see something... i couldnt wait until id got the goto set so i just pointed it at the brightest thing i could see and it was jupitar.. WOW!

second has to be the moon, i only managed a quick look of a day or two old moon so there wasnt hardly anything there but it was brilliant

[MrTreyLynch]

Yep meteor through field of view

[RobH]

The 1999 total solar eclipse from Romania.....you don't just see a total eclipse...you experience it.

Although your rational brain knows what's happening, the 90% of your subconscious that remains very much animal goes....'the sun has just gone out', and you look upon the universe and tremble

Fantastic experience

[Carl83]

Saturn so far for me!

[Quatermass]

Saturn was the wow factor first then m51 M81 and m82 and many others but for me the Sombrero Galaxy was incredible.

[Mr Moff]

I've so far only seen mars,Saturn,Jupiter and the moon.And M45 and another cluster that I wasn't sure what it was.

I can't wait to see the whirlpool nebula. My number 1 target at the moment,if I ever find it.

Danny.

[nightfisher]

seeing the barge`s on the equitorial belts of jupiter through my 180 pro mak

[Daniel-K]

spiral structure in m51 always gives me goosebumps and is the best thing i have seen yet!

[Mike73]

Light travels millions of light years to my scope, down to the primary up to the secondary and then into my eye. When you stop and think about what happens when you point your scope upwards it is simply incredible!!!

That is why I like galaxies and all DSO's

:-)

[foundaplanet]

I agree with QM, the sombrero comes in with a bigger thump than you probably expect.

M42 is a jewel of course...Saturn and Jupiter always do a good job to.

My treat of the year for this year though has to be NGC4565...its a bit like two colliding meteors and I love it...

[Mr Moff]

Ngc4565 I'll look that one up.

[Marki]

I have four stand out moments in my brief time since I started this hobby.

First time I looked at the Pleiades with my bins... a real "my god, its full of stars" moment

First time I looked at Saturn and saw the rings with my own eyes! (with my 8SE)

First time I saw the surface of the moon in any sort of detail (this in my TAL on a night of clear air - sharp shadows around the craters and very little turbulance to spoil the view - awsome)

Seeing phases in Venus - for some reason I had never realised Venus even had phases (what a noob ).

And the best thing is...there is so much more yet to see

[David Smith]

Northern lights from my home in Oxfordshire back in 1991. Was walking my then girlfriend home (now Mrs Bears Fan) when we noticed some odd colour in the sky. Soon realised what it was and went back for my camera!

Never seen it since, spent 21 years waiting for a repeat!

Picking one is really hard, so many great sights over the years.

[Double Kick Drum]

Light travels millions of light years to my scope, down to the primary up to the secondary and then into my eye. When you stop and think about what happens when you point your scope upwards it is simply incredible!!!

That is why I like galaxies and all DSO's

:-)

+1 for that.

My first big galaxy session blew me away and doubled my count in one foul swoop.

http://stargazerslounge.com/observing-reports/168152-leo-com-cvn-vir-galaxies-everywhere.html

Visually, galaxies are not as impressive as say planets but they are far more of a challenge to find and the is a limitless supply of them.

Awe inspiring!

[3ggman]

There is so many, seeing Saturn for the first time was truly amazing and the funny thing is that it always feels like the first time when I view Saturn.

I brought my scope home two weeks ago when we had the really good weather, my father had never looked through a telescope before and watching him giggle like a child when I showed him the moon is probably the best thing I have ever seen and a memory I never want to forget.

[gurneyfan67]

A total lunar eclipse, pretty fantastic.

[JamesM]

Saturn, because it was the first that thing that I had every observed through a scope, followed by the great red spot on Jupiter. Further a field, I would say actually seeing colour for the first time in M42 and structural detail in M51 (the Whirlpool Galaxy) through a very large dobsonian!

James

[rowan46]

hale bopp back in 1997. I didn't have a scope then but I remember staring at it every night it was clear and wondering why everybody wasn't walking around staring at the sky. I never got a pic as I didn't even have a camera. I wish now that I had, something like that doesn't come around often. Here's one I lifted from the web for those who were too young or never looked up.

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

hale bopp back in 1997. I didn't have a scope then but I remember staring at it every night it was clear and wondering why everybody wasn't walking around staring at the sky. I never got a pic as I didn't even have a camera. I wish now that I had, something like that doesn't come around often. Here's one I lifted from the web for those who were too young or never looked up.

Same for me.

Other greats include M42 from a dark site, and actually seeing nebulosity and twisting knots of gas rather than a well shaped light patch with a dark bit in it.

Jupiter, after months of looking at it and being amazed, treated me to a crystal clear view of particularly good seeing one morning, it was the first and only time i have experienced good seeing, and it blew my mind.

Of course saturn is up there too. I was surprised, it didn't look real, almost like looking at a sticker or something, it was still amazing though, and i intend to spend a lot more time looking at it this year.