Found M31 with Binos but not scope

[Stovetop]

I was out tonight looking for some easy targets. I found M31 with a pair of 10 x 50 binoculars but was unable to find it with the scope. I'm hoping that it's just my inexperience using a telescope and not the equipment. I was using a 25mm EP that came with the telescope, an inexpensive 70mm refractor. I have a couple of other EP's, but I did not use them tonight. I'm still getting familiar with my equipment and I was guessing that a more powerful EP would allow less light so they stayed in the box tonight.

[Capricorn]

There is a large chance that if you git M31 in the scope you would at first not realise it.

M31 is big and will in most instances fill the eyepiece, this makes it difficult to pick out as there is no backround to mark it out.

Binoculars are good for M31 owing to the field of view, a scope will generally have a field of view that only presents part of the galaxy to the observer. As M31 is about 3 degres you really want a field of view of about 5 degrees to frame M31. That means about 10x on a plossl which is difficult to get down to in many instances.

It is not aided by the simple case that M31 does not have the obvious structure that the images display. It really is a faint fuzzy blob.

[Tom2012]

I live just outside the centre of Liverpool and tbh, there's not that much detail difference between 15x70 binos and my 200p. Andromeda does fill my 10mm EP so the 25mm is better but there's not that much too it. It's like someone has drawn a extended oval on a white piece of paper, rubbed the middle out and just lightly rubbed around the outside of the centre. It's a small, fuzzy oval with a bright centre.

It took me a while to find it in the scope!! Hah

Tom.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

What type of 70mm frac do you have? I have one with 350mm focal length (F/5 scope), giving 14x with a 25mm EP (if a Plossl about 3.7 deg FOV) which should be fine. If it is an F/10, you have 28x and your field of view is still 1.85 deg and it should show up quite nicely. It does become trickier to aim it at the right spot.

[Eastridge]

Took me ages to find in our scope, even though I could find it easy with bins, had read up exactly how to 'star hop' to it and what to look for. I think it's a good one for us 'learners' to teach us the patience this hobby requires.

[Tom2012]

I look for the square of Pegasus, go up two stars and then go right 2 haha

Mirach had a slightly orange tint to it above that you'll see a much fainter star and just above that is andromeda. This all depends on what time and area you are in.

Sorry for my bad explanation.

Tom.

[Stovetop]

Thanks for the replies. I'll be out again tonight, weather permitting.

One of the "problems" that I'm having is looking at the sky with the naked eye and transferring that to the scope. I see so many more stars and I'm not sure I've located the one I'm looking for as a guide.

Jeff

[ollypenrice]

Thanks for the replies. I'll be out again tonight, weather permitting.

One of the "problems" that I'm having is looking at the sky with the naked eye and transferring that to the scope. I see so many more stars and I'm not sure I've located the one I'm looking for as a guide.

Jeff

Used responsibly a green laser pointer can be a Godsend. You can buy brackets to attach them to the scope properly aligned but I wouldn't do that. They don't like the cold and much prefer the warmth of your pocket. The beautiful simple trick, which I use literally every working night, is to fire the laser through the finderscope. The finder aligns it for you and the beam shows where the scope is pointing. Neck strain and frustration go out of the window.

The problem you describe is very much one that beginners experience, just as I did. It just goes away in the end as you get your eye in, but I still use my laser.

Olly