Tips for observing M33

[trevboyd]

Hi all,

I have tried several times over the past few nights ((which have been spectacularly clear) to find M33, but with no luck. I've followed the instructions in "Turn left @ Orion", but even that doesn't help. So far, this is the only object I've tried from TL@O that I haven't been able to find.

Any tips that might help me, or are my skies too bad / scope too small?

TIA

Trev

[cygnusx1]

Trev

It's probably my inexperience, but i've never even seen Andromeda!

Last night and the previous were the clearest in ages, i was dark adjusted for an hiur, still nothing

Stars aplenty yes, down to mag 4 or 5 i reckon, but no DSO's.

So don't feel too bad.

Of couse my LP doesnt help being 20 miles from London and next to Hemel!

[russ]

Trev,

Do you have any bins? This object responds better to bins rather than a scope due to the poor surface brightness. I can see it no probs in a pair of 10x50's from my light polluted sky. Although I've seen it through an Evostar 120 from a bad location, it was very faint and went unseen to start with. Remember to use the lowest possible power eyepiece you have. And make sure you are fully dark adapted. Look for something faint passing through the field as you move the scope around.

Worth noting that M33 is just as impressive in my 15x70 bins as it is in the 12" Newt. But the 12" Newt is the first scope i've owned where M33 has been an easy object to see.

Russ

[trevboyd]

Thanks cygnus and Russ

I've seen Andromeda no probs, but I understand it has much higher surface brightness. I don't have any binos, but will try and borrow some to have a look.

I've also seen M27, M57, M13, M2, M15 if that helps judge the quality of my sky.

Thanks

Trev

[russ]

Hi Trev,

Unfortunately those objects you've listed won't compare to M33 as they are all compact objects with high surface brightness. M31 has a very bright core which makes it easier to spot. M33 has no bright core, it literally is just a faint smudge. Even in the binos don't expect it to jump out, at least not from light polluted sky (it was a like a beacon from Kelling).

Handily, it almost lies midway between Mirach (bright star down from M31) in Andromeda and Mothallah (star making the point of the triangle) in Triangulum. Just point the scope roughly between these two stars and then with that low power eyepiece move it around slowly.

Russ

[Brass n glass]

M33 is always an awkward customer and even a small amount of light pollution can wash it away. When I lived near Oxford I could never see it with binoculars but here in Wilts I can see it with a £10 Lidl 10X50. Moonlight can wash it out, too, as can a powerful eyepiece. Last night I could see M33 clearly with a Poyser 37mm Plossl but when I switched to a 9mm Nagler the galaxy disappeared. It can be so faint that you can be looking straight at it with a powerful telescope and not see it - Hugh.

[Andrew*]

when you look for it, also look for faint patches in your peripheral vision. If something catches your eye but then disappears when you look directly at it, look away again and check it wasn't your imagination! Averted vision is the "tip" to see anything in these faint ones.

Maybe someone could advise you on a filter to assist??

Andrew

[trevboyd]

Thanks everyone

I'll try again this evening. I had thought of filters - would one of the light pollution ones maybe help?

Trev

[russ]

Maybe someone could advise you on a filter to assist??

I find the Baader Neodymium helps. Increases the contrast by presenting a darker background sky and the galaxy stands out a little better. Also, the Neodymium cuts very little light.

As Andrew says, averted vision is the key. Out the corner of your eye you should notice something odd move through the field.

Russ

[russ]

I'm sure you've used software to pinpoint it's location (a little lower than i thought). The two circled stars are very easy to spot in the sky. Here's a map:

[GazOC]

Also try 'jiggling' (technical term ) your scope when you think you have the right area of sky, the eye picks on the movement better than a stationary object sometimes. I use this 'trick' for Andromedas satellite galaxy M110 when seeing is not at its best.

[themos]

listens and learns...

There's just no excuse not to find it in my 12" Dob, then...

[blinky]

I found it quite easily but then I did know what I was looking for. My back garden faces south with very little light pollution. It is very very faint. In my 8" Newt with a Meade series 4000 EP (30mm) I only appears as a very very faint smudge, to be honest it's no very impressive thats why I tried to image it. I used Turn left to locate it but it is the faintest object I have found so far.

Keep trying, make sure you are as dark adjusted as you can be, the books instructions are pretty good but as I keep saying this is one faint galaxy!

Oh and let us know how you get on!

[PaulR]

I've tried it at 30x in my 6" Newtonian and with my 10x50s but I still can't see it. I know it's almost twice as far from Alpha Tri as the star HR485(mag +6) and along a line almost parallel to Beta and Gamma Tri but I still can't see it. I printed out a map with stars to mag 12 that also indicated the size of this most nebulous object but n o joy. I put it down to my East/South sky being my worst aspect but I'll keep looking!

[John]

M33 is one of those objects that is had to find the 1st time around but, when you have done it once, it is quite easy to find again, although it is very faint and diffused. The smallest instrument I have managed to see it with are my 7x35 wide field binoculars but that's only because I knew exactly where to look, having previously located it with my 10x50's.

Frankly it's not impressive even in my 10 inch dobsonian but it's nice to find these objects all the same

John

[asteria]

Hi there - I've only managed to find it from a very dark site, west Dartmoor, and in 10x50 binos. It's very faint, more a smudge than anything else. I think LP does for it pretty much. Never tried with a filter however.

Ed