leo trio

[wookie1965]

HI all Ive got a skywatcher 150p and ive been stunned by saturn and jupiter. I bought "turn left at orion" was looking through and thought i would look for the leo trio tried several times no luck, googled my scope and getting conflicting messages some say can only see up to magnitude 9 (leo trio are 9.2 i think) some say i can see upto magnitude 13.1. Can someone give me a difinitive answer as to what magnitude im likely to be able to see and will i be able to see the leo trio, thankyou in advance

[Episkey]

You will be able to see up to the 13th magnitude on perfect nights with dark skies. I recently just observed the Leo Trio with my 6 inch Dob and they're one of the easiest galaxies to see on the Messier catalog.

[Mike73]

I did this sketch with my 8" from a dark site. With dark enough skies you will see the trio aswell.

[John]

Extended objects (like galaxies) are harder to detect than pinpoint sources like stars. I could just about see the magnitude 13 supernova in the galaxy M95 with my 120mm refractor but the galaxy itself, which is around magnitude 9.7, was really not very distinct considering that it is much "brighter" than the supernova (a point source) was.

I have seen both the Leo tripets with a 4" scope under dark skies - dark is your ally with these objects !

[bish]

As said above the sky conditions are all important. The Leo triplet are easy with a 6" under dark skies but I struggle with the 10" under my light pollution if conditions are less than perfect.

[ollypenrice]

I saw it in a little Altair Astro 80mm refractor a few nights ago. The two Messiers were 'easy' and the Hamburger, so-called was faint but also quite easy. However, I live at a very dark site and that's the trick. You have more than enough aperture.

Olly

[Bart]

I first found them in my 6" Dob in my garden which is about a NELM of 5.6.

If you havent seen many galaxies before, its possible you had them in your FOV but didn't recognise them as galaxies. Take your time, align your scope with your telrad, RDF and scan slowly around the area. You're looking for smudges here, dont forget, much much more faint than your Saturn experience. You should find them. Good luck.

Bart

[wookie1965]

Thankyou all as im new to this telescope wise perhaps i have seen then just not recognised them im looking just down from chort this is the right place isnt it the bottom star making the rightangle. As you have said dark skies needed and as leo is higher in the sky now that should make a difference.