First Messier with my Mak

[username]

I've observed my first messier with my 4" Mak

Noticed that the clouds had gone so popped out on the balcony and after Saturn had gone out of view from my balcony I decided to try for M13 again. I've been trying for it the last two observing sessions but I've been thwarted by the transparency (I think that's the right word, what I suspect is maybe high level ice clouds dotted about?) and bad light pollution (there are som many street lights visible close to my balcony I haven't bothered counting them!) that it was even hard to see Hercules. Tonight though I looked across from Vega and see Hercules's body and the armpit region so started scanning down to the hip and this fuzzy darted across my view.

I couldn't really make out any individual stars in M13 but I wasn't really expecting too but I could make out it wasn't completely round. At the time I wasn't even sure it was M13 but I have a notebook so made a quick sketch of it and the 2 brightest stars relative position. I then put in a 15mm GSO superview eyepiece so that the 2 stars and m13 were framed a bit better. The sketch I made here I just confirmed in stellarium using the ocular plug in that it was m13. The oclar plug in in stellarium is really useful!!

I didn't really buy the mak for deep sky as I needed something really transportable plus my primary observing spot is so directly light polluted that solar system were my main targets. However, feel really happy that some deep sky isn't beyond it

(Unless someone tells me that it should have been a bit more than a fuzzy!!)

[rory]

congrats on m13. an amazing object.

[Double Kick Drum]

Nice one. There are a few other globs which are equally / almost as bright. Might be worth a try for M3, M5 and M92.

Happy hunting!

[username]

Nice one. There are a few other globs which are equally / almost as bright. Might be worth a try for M3, M5 and M92.

Happy hunting!

Thanks for the tips. I'll go for them tonight, it's forcast to be nice my way after 11/midnight

[Stu]

Maks are still great for smaller dso's, it's only the larger galaxies and open clusters that they struggle because of the limited fov. Mine (8") eats globs for breakfast, resolves M13 pretty much to the core on good nights.

Globs take high magnification well, you probably should be able to resolve stars around the edges, particularly with averted vision. Someone else who has a similar scope may be able to advise better.

Stu

[MadAlbert]

Have you got an LP filter? Might improve things...

[username]

Maks are still great for smaller dso's, it's only the larger galaxies and open clusters that they struggle because of the limited fov. Mine (8") eats globs for breakfast, resolves M13 pretty much to the core on good nights.

Globs take high magnification well, you probably should be able to resolve stars around the edges, particularly with averted vision. Someone else who has a similar scope may be able to advise better.

Stu

Yeah I have just got my head round same aperture and magnification equals same exit pupil and therefore same brightness so it doesn't matter that my mak is slow focal ratio. It's small size makes up for loss of fov in my circumstances. I'll get some practice in with averted vision.

Have you got an LP filter? Might improve things...

I'm waiting until I can afford the baader neodymium as although expensive it has ir cut for web camming and good for solar system to. The only thing that worries me is that the 2 nearest lights are not the same emission as the rest so may be unlucky.

My camping stool arrived today so I can venture on to the relatively darker park and of f the balcony and observe in comfort