Galaxy - Your Favourite

[Qualia]

Inspired by the idea that Dobson's favourite galaxy was NGC 4565, I was wondering if any of you had a favourite galaxy that you liked to return to every now and then?

My own at the moment are M 51 and M 104.

[nephilim]

M51 for me, where I live its visible with averted vision by eye & through the scope depending on the seeing, very feint spiral structure comes & goes so its never the same twice.

Steve

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Difficult choice. M51 certainly is nice, as is NGC 4565, but I more often revisit M81/M82 (especially with binoculars). NGC 2903 is wonderful as well, to add a left-field candidate. M31 also deserves a go at this title.

Maybe I should settle on our own

[Bluey]

M81/82 here for me as well, two fairly bright galaxies in the same view always brings bit of a 'wow' when I see them.

[swamp thing]

Hmmm this shouldn't take me longer than about a week of ruminating before I can decide

[ubertank]

M51 for me. it's stunning.

[rowan46]

With lp being what it is getting to see any galaxy is good

[ian_j_kirk]

another vote for m81/82. Seeing 2 galaxies in the same view puts a lot of things into perspective. The fact that one is almost face on and one is almost side on just adds to the overall appeal

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

another vote for m81/82. Seeing 2 galaxies in the same view puts a lot of things into perspective. The fact that one is almost face on and one is almost side on just adds to the overall appeal

For sheer numbers in one FOV M84/M86 and attendant galaxies is the best spot

[RikM]

M81/M82 are always good but I'm quite taken with the Leo triplet as well.

[foundaplanet]

NGC 4565 for me, the very first time I saw it was on the best seeing night I have ever had, it looked like two colliding meteors and simply blew me away, needle like and as sharp as a razor. I remember seeing many galaxies that evening for the first time along with a most incredible view of the Leo triplet. As with seeing the Lagoon Nebula for the first time in t-birds 12" dob last night at our mini star camp, some things just blat ya hard, creating those perfect moments you know you will never forget remaining as permanent portraits in the mind.....

[Moonshane]

I tend to prefer side on galaxies as they seem to give me more 'wow'. It's bordering on impossible at home but when I can get to a dark site I really like NGC891.

[estwing]

m33 is good for a find,quite like our own!

[Marki]

Good old M31. It'll only get better and bigger with time

[jabberwocky]

M51.

[faulksy]

still love m31, but have never seen it from a dark site, cant imagine what its like

[John]

M51 closely followed (not literally !) by M82.

There was a supernova in M51 in 2011 and observing that led me to appreciate the subtleties of it's host galaxy much better. I like M82 because it's another where some contrast details are visible in moderate aperture scopes on a good night.

[laser_jock99]

M104 Sombrero- I was really chuffed to capture the shape of it in just a little 200mm scope.

[faulksy]

M104 Sombrero- I was really chuffed to capture the shape of it in just a little 200mm scope.

very very nice laser jock

[Qualia]

That's a spectacular picture, Laser. I don't see M 104 with such clarity, nor with such detail or brightness and too often that dust lane isn't so pronounced but that's the kind of thing I see on a good night in the EP, and although sounding odd, it just seems to grow with averted vision. M 51 the other night reminded me of one of those spiral lolly-pops the children may suck on.

Thank you all for the great suggestions.

[Sam]

My favourite at the moment is NGC 6744. It's is a spiral galaxy in Pavo and about 30 million light years away. Visually it's quite hard to see any detail but with a little patience, dark skies and probably adapted eyes then the some of the spiral arm details can be seen. The reason I like this particular galaxy is because it is meant to be roughly what our own galaxy looks like.

[Scosmico]

Milkway! SMC LMC! naked eye in a dark sky of the south hemisphere. Universe in 3D.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Milkway! SMC LMC! naked eye in a dark sky of the south hemisphere. Universe in 3D.

I spotted the SMC and LMC from South Africa. Awesome objects. The LMC was stunning in cheap 15x70 bins I had at the time (but it did not really fit into the FOV). Not easy for me to go back and see regularly, however.

[Luke]

M51, it looks great in the eyepiece, and amazing in astro photos.

[Paul81]

M81/M82 get my vote, the 13mm Ethos frames them both superbly and it looks lovely amongst a setting of stars in the FoV. Tough one though, there are some many other lovely galaxies, or clusters of galaxies. In terms of images from the good folks on this forum, to be honest we are spoilt for choice, not sure I could pick a favourite!!