1st Night frustration with my new 200p Dob - the hunt for M31

[blackbird]

Hi All

Following my earlier post and the advice given and much research I finally received my Skywatcher Skyliner 200p Dob scope, WOW what a beast!

With the included eyepieces I also have a 2X deluxe barlow and a celestron 12 mm x-cel lx and a copy of turn left at orion

The skies had finally cleared enough for a try out this evening. Jupiter was great as was the moon......... both VERY VERY easy to find.

However then the frustration started. Using google sky map to get the initial direction (not that accurate) and using turn left at orion I found "The big W".

I was then struggling to match the other stars in the sky with the book to guide me to the M31. I think I managed to locate it with a old pair of Binos (very small faint smudge) just by general sky searching but I could not locate it with the finderscope. With the M31 being so high in the sky all I got was a rather stiff neck.

I ended up giving in and coming in cold and frustrated. Would a better finderscope help or a 32mm panaview eyepiece to help just by skysearching, or perhaps other aids or am I just being too impatient on my 1st outing with my new scope? i thought the M31 was easy to find so I dread to think what the other harder to find objects are like to locate. Any advice would be much appreciated

[Tom_m7117]

Haha this is basically the exact same as my evening and post a few mins ago. Was observing Jupiter in all its glory but struggling with m31

[Andrew-77]

You likely find that people recommend downloading Stellarium also. I have TLaO but as it's on my Kindle, it's difficult to leaf through and also unreadable in the dark. I also seem to have bought an out date version somehow. I've found Stellarium to be invaluable for star-hopping and learning the night sky in general.

I have the same finder scope as you and it's been more than adequate. I've added a Rigel Quikfinder (alternative to a Telrad) for finding objects; it doesn't magnify the sky when you look through it but when properly aligned, it makes aiming your scope a breeze. They're cheaper than an eyepiece or a new finder scope too.

[ronin]

An 8" dob collects light but you have to point at the right bit of the sky. It is fully manual and you are the manual bit. They also have apretty small field of view, so you have to point them fairly accurately

Suspect you were actually looking at it in the binoculars, just about straight up and a faint smudge, sounds just about right.

It will look much the same in the 8" and as the magnification is more in the 8" you will actually see less of it then in the binoculars.

Advice is unfortunately get use to finding things yourself, it will take a while and a 32mm panoptic may help, equally so may a telrad finder.

[brantuk]

Yup - "faint smudge" in binocs - sounds like you got it right. Next time try from a very dark site - you'll see more of it in bins and the finder - well done - your first galaxy

[Dude_with_the_tube]

M31 in 200p will be only a small fuzz ball,dont expect to see massive wheels of light.Even in my 250PX it was just a fuzz ball.(take LP into account too). as brntuk mentioned in his post,need to get out to dark sites.Also for the first time dont expect to see much ,specially if this is your first time with the scope.It will take time and practice and results will come sooner or later.i was in the same shoes as you are now a few weeks ago when i got my scope and was expecting to see everything i want,well that ended quick lol.But i managed to see Jupiter and Orion nebula in my first session so i used them to practice my spotting and scope movements.today was my 4th session with the scope and apart of Jupiter,Orion Nebula I managed to see Andromeda ,Double cluster but failed on another 2 nebulas.still a good result ,so now i am hoping for clear skies over the weekend where i can take my scope out of the city to some dark places and get touring the skies.

Good luck and have fun guys

[perrin6]

It helps to learn the relative scales of naked eye, finder & eyepiece views in degrees plus the relative brightnesses of stars as seen in each of the three.

[yesteryeargames]

Hi I ordered the 200p today . Hope it will be here for the weekend , can anyone recommend an iPhone app that I can learn the sky , and use it as a finder ? Thanks

[VigdisVZ]

Experience.

First time I couldnt even find pegasus.

Now I can pick it out M31 in mere seconds. Stick with it and it becomes comfortable. M31, M45, M42 and good old Double Cluster will become your best old pals quickly.

[VigdisVZ]

Hi I ordered the 200p today . Hope it will be here for the weekend , can anyone recommend an iPhone app that I can learn the sky , and use it as a finder ? Thanks

StarMap Pro is my most trusted iPhone app.

[Lee M]

Hey, me too. Finally got it this evening. Second evening trying and about 4th attempt.

Lee

[scuffer]

I'd recommend a planisphere as well, good for learning the constellations.

[paul schofield]

M31 is very easy to miss in a scope I find, so much easier in binoculars, especially with light pollution added to the mix. Congrats on the new scope.

[nicks90]

i cant see M31 at all through my scope at home - but i can JUST through some binos!

Light pollution just kills it, and when you add any sigificant magnification (eg telescope), it just disappears like willow-the-wisp!

there are many easier things to find than M31, personal faves are orion and M45 which are both easy to spot.

[blackbird]

thanks for all your advice.....i'll keep hunting the skies and maybe get a telrad and / or a right angled finder to help the search

[andyman]

i had the same problem but once you find it be a piece of cake next time

[mdstuart]

One way to try is to find the W of cassiopea...Then use the right or lower V of the W as a pointer. So think of that lower right hand V and an arrow and follow that line about three quarters of the way to the next bight star..and you should find a smudge in binoculars...Then use that to line up your scope.

As others have said once you find it then it becomes easier the next time.

Mark

[starman1969]

It took me ages to find M31, but now I can locate it in seconds. I first look for the W, then follow the pointer to Mirach then back up 2 stars, Bingo.

When I looked tonight, around 6.30, M31 was almost directly overhead so it would have been a backbreaker to locate with a scope. I find bins are better than a telescope for M31 in a light polluted area.

[Blazar]

Finding your way around is one of the first things I decided to do. Forget about scopes first off (someone mentioned earlier about finding the right bit of sky to point at). I have been using Binoculars for nearly a year now just so i can point and locate objects and generaly know how to 'get around' and star hop. I have a copy of TLaO, but I first used the philips guide to the night sky (by the late great Sir Patrick Moore) (only £4.99 ish) and a Planisphere to show what the sky should look like on a particular night.

Saying that I have just taken the plunge to buy a scope now I am more confident about where to point it

Good luck and clear skies.