SW Mak 127 - M42

[TransparentBadger]

Hello

I was out last night having a look around and I decided to take a peek at M42. Now, through my binos it looked really nice, almost 'popped' if that makes sense. In my scope however, what i saw was a very faint grey mist with some stars that didn't seem to 'pop' as much as with the binos. Is this due to the extra magnification making it appear dimmer? I was looking at it through the 25mm eyepiece, so that should have been 60x magnification, if I have my maths right. I really don't know what I should be expecting and I didn't really get the scope for DSO (unfortunately the moon isn't up until 5am at the mo) but I'd like an idea of what I should be expecting and if needs be, what I can do to make the most of the view.

Thanks in advance

James

[Steep]

Same as my 127SLT, it doesn't gather enough light to let you see DSOs well, I don't think there's much you can do about that either, except stick to the bins for nebulas etc.

[TransparentBadger]

Yeah, I wasn't expecting the DSO views to be mind blowing. By the same token though, the objective lens on the scope has aprox. 6 times more area and therefore should be able to bring in more light than the binos. Obviously the zoom is 6 times greater on the scope, so I'd imagine this would dim the image. Are the two directly proportional (ie. 6 times more light gathering at 6 times the magnification = the same brightness of image) or is the maths somewhat more complicated than that?

James

[Steep]

I reckon the eyepiece can only pass the light the scope brings in so there's a point where it just can't do any more.

[munro]

I used both my 150p and st120 last night on M42. With a 25mm eyepiece I could only make out the shape but goimg down to 5mm I could see the 4 stars of the trapezium clearly. I think you should try a greater magnification.

[Blazar]

A Nebula Filter might help....if you wanted to see it I would have thought. When I look at DSO I avert my gaze away from the object (look towards the edge of the EP) and I beleive our eyes can actually make out more of the nebulosity...(think it has to do with the way our eyes are 'built'..)

At least that works for me. give it a go before buying anything else....also I use 25mmEP to have a great view through the TAL's...

[BargeGazer]

I usually get a stunning view of M42 with my SkyMax 127. I use from 32mm to 12mm eyepieces depending on the detail I want in it.

Are you in poor LP area? This could be the cause of some difficulty.

I find the 127 Mak is pretty good for basic viewing of most objects, be they Planet or the better known DSOs. It does need good sky conditions and to have settled down to ambient temperature though.

Persevere and I am sure you will be very pleased.

David

[stem1989]

I also think a trained eye can see more detail, in my 6inch(150mm) newt I can clearly make out grey cotton wool type detail nebulosity, but I do think it has something to do with the fact that I know its there, and if I stare hard and long enough I can get a lot of dimension to it.

[TransparentBadger]

It could be a number of things. I'm obviously using the stock eye pieces at the moment. It thought it best to get a feel for the sky before I part with any more cash. I could just do with one really clear night to devote to having a look around. Even the supposedly clear night on Wednesday turned out to alternate between full cloud and mainly clear every half hour.

The scope is kept in my conservatory, which is freezing, so cooldown isn't really an issue. I'll just keep slewing back to it having a good look. Next month I'll look in to getting another eyepiece. I can't quite decide which way to go though, a lower power one to get a wider field or play to it's strengths and get a higher power eyepiece to push the mag closer to the scopes limits.

James

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Any 127mm scope at 60x will show essentially the same view, regardless of whether it is a Mak, frac, newt or SCT. Lowering the magnification using e.g. a 32mm EP can help, UHC filters can help in LP. I get a very good view of M42 in my 22mm (about the same exit pupil, so same image intensity), depending on conditions. The slightest haze in the sky can degrade the view a lot.