M51 trouble

[Spoon]

A had an hour of stargazing tonight. Just come in because of clouds. I tried looking for M51 but could not find it. never seen it so would love to see it.followed directions from several books but still couldnt find it. I know you have to find the star at the end of the ploughs handle and then move across but can't find it. can anyone help please. Thanks

[Caelus]

I had a surprising amount of trouble finding M51 too, even with Turn Left at Orion and a Telrad. Imagine a line between Alkaid (the last star on the Plough) and Cor Caroli. You want to be looking about 2-3 finger widths at (arm's length) along that line from Alkaid and slightly "above" it. Best thing to do is just aim your scope at this area and gently pan around very slightly until you see the fuzzies. Personal experience is that moonlight or light pollution really affects visibility of M51, however.

[swamp thing]

Hi

I notice your details say you are in Coventry?

For any sort of Galaxy observing you really need to get away from urban areas. Face on spiral Galaxies are never easy targets and can prove really difficult from any sort of LP sky

Regards Steve

[Spoon]

I'm going to barr beacon where there is an observatory on friday do should be ok weather permitting

[swamp thing]

I'm going to barr beacon where there is an observatory on friday do should be ok weather permitting

If the sky there is dark you stand a much better chance.

Good luck and clear skies

Regards Steve

[stevetynant]

Saw it for the first time on Sunday night - but was at a dark site North of the Brecon Beacons with a few friends - used the setting circles I have attached to my Dob - not sure if this is cheating or not but pleased to observe none the less.

[JamesM]

Agree with Swamp, that with light pollution using a 5" aperture, there is little chance of seeing it. My very first scope was a Meade equivalent of your scope and living in Bristol, where we experience what I would call an extended sunset which lasts throughout the night, found it impossible to find and thought it was down to my star hopping. Got myself a NEQ6, using the the same scope it pointed in exactly the same area and could not see anything - of course later on under dark skies I could. That scope still didn't show me much, there was no evidence of any 'bridge' joining the two but at least I felt an achievement in process of searching for objects. A real dilemma when you are starting out under light polluted skies to know whether its you or the scope that can't reveal the object. Keep going with it and especially under dark skies, the rewards are there if you do.

Clear skies

James

[Tinker1947]

I use a Telrad and Stellarium plus the Telrad maps, M51 last years was a real pain to find, many months of practice with the Telrad ect made M51 on my last try show in the EP FOV (Hyperion 36mm) and the next DSO M101 also in the FOV now some of this is luck, some is due to experience, once you start to find DSO's there like buses they all come along at once, recognizing a small grey smudge as a DSO need a bit of practice so keep at it you will win in the end..

[swamp thing]

I use a Telrad and Stellarium plus the Telrad maps, M51 last years was a real pain to find, many months of practice with the Telrad ect made M51 on my last try show in the EP FOV (Hyperion 36mm) and the next DSO M101 also in the FOV now some of this is luck, some is due to experience, once you start to find DSO's there like buses they all come along at once, recognizing a small grey smudge as a DSO need a bit of practice so keep at it you will win in the end..

TBH To get M51 and M101 in the same field of view is pretty much impossible as they are a long way apart, far to far for any eyepiece. TBH you most certainly saw It's companion NGC5195

Or maybe I read your post wrong, if so ignore me, had a couple tonight.

Regards Steve

[RikM]

I always find M51 by starting from Alkaid and moving across towards there is wide triangle formed by Alkaid, 24UMa and then a 'box' shape of fainter stars with one corner missing. M51 is the smudge in the 'missing' corner of the box. It is pretty small and faint but once seen you will find it again quite easily.

[Bizibilder]

I think you'll find its too faint for seing it visually with a small scope from a LP site.

[Nosivad]

After a showery day with sunny spells I managed a good, if not long lasting, view of M51 tonight. There was a distinct but faint spiral structure and the companion galaxy at the end of the spiral arm was clearly visible.

[todd8137]

hi and welcome

[Spoon]

finally bagged it tonight, come in now as i am going to bed, very tired, thanks for all your help guys

[Quatermass]

finally bagged it tonight, come in now as i am going to bed, very tired, thanks for all your help guys

Well done its great when you find those ones that like to hide up, I like to use a pair of binoculars and a star chart first to get my bearings then start looking through my finder scope its a bit easier that way.

[spaceboy]

You did well to pick out M51 Spoon . Most Galaxies are hard to find if you don't know what you are looking for and almost impossible to distinguish under light polluted skies. M51 is at zenith during the early hours you have half a chance to pick it out at the moment even in a modestly sized scope. Below is my representation of what I see in my 8" newt under the LP skies of B'ham and for comparison is an image of what it looks like when imaged (not my image I add). I can with some effort just pick out 2 spiral arms in a glancing moment of averted vision but for the most time the cores of the galaxies are clear as fuzzy blobs on an otherwise washed out sky. Again this depends on M51 being at zenith, seeing conditions and transparency. It is as others have said a far easier and pleasurable target to be viewed under dark skies.

[Spoon]

did alot of starhopping. found the square nearest to alkaid then moved across to find another triangle which is actually a square with M51 added in

[Tinker1947]

TBH To get M51 and M101 in the same field of view is pretty much impossible as they are a long way apart, far to far for any eyepiece. TBH you most certainly saw It's companion NGC5195

Or maybe I read your post wrong, if so ignore me, had a couple tonight.

Regards Steve

The drink does that, or it could be the way i typed it, but yes certainly not in the same field of view.....

[rory]

i was chuffed to find this messier too. plenty of searching and averted vision if youve small appeture and light pollution. nice going spoon.