Suggestions around Scorpio constellation?

[Zendrix]

Hello all!

I've been one of those who wanted to explore more of the sky since an early age, but only at 29 after they gave me a telescope for birthday this passion was triggered... I think it comes to stay!

One of the reasons was, as i guess it is for most, the astonishing first of Saturn early this week. Speechless!!!

My telescope is a Sky-watcher 130mm f:900m, for which i still only have the 25mm and 10mm eyepieces.

I guess it will take some time to get another astounding view like saturn, but i have the will to suffer!

I was wondering if you could give me some insight of what can i see around scorpio constellation... unfortunatelly i can't be going further away than my balcony for this days, so although i can clearly see Antares and Scorpio constellation, i wonder if with the set up i have is it possible to see something interesting in these conditions... I know M4 is just close by to Antares, but is there a remote possibility of seeing it? Some other suggestions?

Thanks a lot in advance! Enjoy!

[JamesF]

There are so many possible targets around that area, especially if you expand it a little to include the constellations around Scorpio, say Scutum, Ophiucus and Hydra. Just the Messier objects would give you M48, M68, M83, M9, M10, M12, M14, M19, M62, M107, M4, M6, M7, M80, M11 and M26. Add in Virgo and you have probably a dozen more.

All of them should be visible with your telescope I think, depending on your location.

James

[Zendrix]

Thanks a lot!

The sky got a bit cloudy, but i could spot M7 and M4! Quite a thrill!!! Also the "butterfly group" (at least that's the translation to Portuguese)... The other areas of the sky had... building in front of them! :/

I want to get into astrophotography, definitely!

Thanks again mate!

Take care

[Double Kick Drum]

Congrats on M4 and M7. Very difficult from this far North (51 degrees).

[JamesF]

I'm near enough 51N and found M4 by accident a week or so ago. It's quite bright comparatively speaking (around mag 6?) and in the sky later at night at the moment, when the sky is about as dark as it's going to get. I think I'd describe it as "awkward" more than difficult. If you don't have a reasonably clear horizon then you're probably stuck.

I'd love to get decent view of it from further south though. It looked like it could be quite impressive under darker skies with a larger scope.

James

[acey]

Astrologers call it Scorpio, astronomers call it Scorpius.

What you see in it depends on your latitude - the further south you are, and the higher it rises in your sky, the more there is to see. From Portugal you can see right down to the tail so there's a lot on offer (4 Messiers and 3 Caldwells for starters).

http://www.ngc891.com/constellation.php?constellation=Sco

[Zendrix]

I am in Nicosia, Cyprus, although I'm Portuguese. Scorpius! here rises so high that i can see the tail (35North here) and it was fairly easy to get a glimpse of M4 and M7 in the center of the city, with all these lights. i wonder how it gets under a dark sky! M7 is beautiful... its a motivating step to find your next step after saturn!

I wonder if i can get a DSLR and do something with a sky-watcher 130mm, f=900mm with a cheap motor attached and a fairly good polar alignment... or if i'll have to upgrade to a good mount and align with something more than just my eyes!

[JamesF]

I'm not sure all the Skywatcher 130 newts can reach focus with a DSLR. Be sensible to check that first

James

[Zendrix]

ok! thanks for your advice! Pardon my ignorance...Isn't focusing the camera something adjustable with adapters that provide the proper distance for the camera to focus? or you say that 130mm is a low diameter to get enough light information to zoom and get it to focus?

i got a cloudy night tonight... bummer!

[JamesF]

The problem with some of the 130mm telescopes, as I recall, is that the focuser doesn't travel inwards far enough for the camera sensor to reach the focal plane. It may be possible to fix that by adding a barlow, but then you reduce your field of view.

James

[Zendrix]

I guess i read somewhere that you can attach an extensor to your eyepiece in order to get that extra-distance that you need for it to focus properly...

[Zendrix]

sorry.. disregard my comment... its the total opposite of what i said! some 130mm with 2'' eyepiece holders have a removable part that shortens the distance... what i said is just.. stupid!

[JamesF]

If you don't have enough outwards travel, yes. If you don't have enough inwards travel, shortening your focuser is more tricky...

James