Seeing Orion Trapezium stars E&F - tips

[JOC]

1 hour ago, Ricochet said:

You shouldn't need to know "where" to look, you should just be able to see them given the right magnification to separate the stars and darken the background

I am afraid I must agree to differ here.  Without some knowledge of relative size, distance, faintness etc.  all of which are explained in that nice photo it is very difficult as a learner to know what you are looking for, as I mentioned before, am I looking for something as clear cut as the castor double or something as faint as Sirius' pup.  The photo is hugely useful in knowing if I've seen the right thing.

[BGazing]

On 26/02/2016 at 15:42, Stu said:

Sorry to dig this thread up from the past, but I wanted to update my comments on this given recent experiences.

I've now convinced myself that, assuming well cooled and collimated optics of a good standard, seeing conditions are by far the most important factor in being able to see the E & F stars, over and above aperture.

I previously posted that I struggled to get F in my 8" mak. With experience since then, I would say this was largely due to my inability to cool and collimate it correctly, plus the local seeing conditions. I was just never getting tight enough star images.

Recent experience with my Tak FC-100D, a high quality 4" Fluorite doublet have shown that, if seeing conditions are good then E and F are actually relatively easy in this scope at around x130. During the last week, the Jetstream has moved south after being over the UK for quite some time, and I've been having the most wonderful views of Jupiter, showing incredible detail and above all being very steady in the eyepiece. At the same time, E & F have been regular viewings for me, E is always there, whilst F is no problem when the seeing is at its best. The main stars in the trap have been such tight disks that it has made life much easier.

I posted in another thread, but digging this one as well, just for posterity. @Stu nailed it, seeing is crucial, and superb optics bring down the aperture necessary. I was just shocked to see E and F at 105x in my FC 100 DF from LP hell in downtown Belgrade and it was not really dark, sort of astronomical twilight. Seeing was superb.

Visible at 150x. Shocker, innit.

 

[cletrac1922]

Have never gone looking for it, when observing Orion Nebula

Try tonight if no cloud, which depends on cyclone lurking off the coast

This morning when leaving for work, looked up, and observed conjunction of Venus and Saturn, about 10 degrees above eastern horizon

Both CRUX and Scorpio were also over head.

Crystal clear night, and mass of stars overhead

John 

[Cosmic Geoff]

I looked for E and F a few nights ago with my C8, but could not see them.  Tonight (21st Feb) I tried imaging the Trapezium with the C8 & ASI120MC to see what would happen. To my surprise I could easily make out E on the laptop screen, and F less easily.  Conditions: urban skies, stars twinkly.

[JOC]

I took out the baby Vixen last night the seeing was quite amazing.  It's only a tiny scope, but with the Pentax 5mm I pulled apart the first 4 main stars, I guess it was too much to expect the other two to show.

[Mr Spock]

I've found E and F quite easy in both a C9.25 with a 22mm eyepiece, and a 10" Newt with a 13mm eyepiece.

[JOC]

10 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

I've found E and F quite easy in both a C9.25 with a 22mm eyepiece, and a 10" Newt with a 13mm eyepiece.

Perhaps it's that thing you notice when you view planets like Jupiter sometimes the less magnified image is smaller, but always sharper, maybe that makes the E and F more easily viewable.  It might be that magnification is not everything when it comes to seeing them.