First light for my friends, what to show them

[Cartman]

Next weekend, I'll be having a BBQ with four of my friends. Three of them have a healthy interest in science and space-related stuff. One thing lead to another, and we decided that I'd bring my telescope for some stargazing.

None of them ever looked through a scope before, so I want to make sure they get to see some good stuff. Q: what should I show them, keeping following in mind:

- session will last about two hours

- I'm having my scope for about a year now, so I still have to spend some time searching for most of the objects that are currently on display

- I want to amaze them, just showing some binaries won't do the trick

- Scope is a 8" Newtonian

- Saturn is on top of the list off course

Any tips and hints are welcome!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[knobby]

Get yourself a smartphone app, it will help find stuff.

I use Sky safari (Android)

next weekend at around 10:30 as its starting to get dark, as you've already mentioned Saturn... Use the image attached, up a bit... Left a bit... You'll come across M5 , really pretty in a 8" scope.

good luck

Edit -- just seen iPad in your SIG. --

Goskywatch is free on iPad and does the same thing as skysafari

[Ganymede12]

What about the Ring Nebula? I'd also throw in some star clusters because they're nice and bright.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The Ring is great, and so is M13 (also a very easy star hop). If the southern horizon is reasonably clear, just trawl through Sagttarius/Scorpius/Ophiuchus, lots of stuff shows up.

M11 (the wild duck cluster) in Scutum is easy, and brilliant in an 8"

M27, higher up is nice as well

[Steve Ward]

And there's always the Sun if you have a suitable filter , doesn't set til late ... and then Venus just after sunset .

It's then a nice jump to Saturn in the South followed with loads of lovely clusters working Eastwards .

[cotterless45]

Luckily the Moon will not be up and you should be able to pick out the choicest of deep sky targets mentioned. The Milky Way runs through Cygnus and up into Cassiopeia, there are loads of clusters along this area. I'd include M27, M57 , Albireo and Cygni 61. You should be able to spot NGC6826, the "Blinking Planetary" , which will blink in and out of view.

The double double in Lyra is quite dramatic and easy to find , being the top star in the triangle of Vega.

Hercules will be overhead with M13 a nice find. You can also try for Bode's M81 and M82, two bright galaxies out from Ursa Major.

To save getting lost and muddled, I'd make a list with a few notes about distances, sizes and what they're looking at. Bargain of the night will be Saturn, always a wow !

Hoping you enjoy and get

clear skies,

Nick.

[AndyWB]

I'd agree - Ring Nebula would be good, and what about Delta-Lyrae? It's nearby and nicely coloured, and set in the Stephson-1 cluster (which is a bit loose, to be honest, but still, an open cluster!) M13 would be an easy Glob, M11 has wow factor though I don't find it so easy to find. Albireo isn't to be missed. Depending on your southerly views, M4 is easy to find, and interesting to look at. And I've not trawled around M25, but there's a lot in that part of the sky.

[skfboiler]

If Saturn doesn't get them fired up, I don't know what else will. Also, they may like the "Coat Hanger" asterism, Collinder 300 or Brocchi's Cluster in the constellation of Vulpecula. It will be right side up in your Newtonian scope. Use low power.

[skfboiler]

Correction, the Coat Hanger is Collinder 399.

[cotterless45]

This might be helpful, we get a print out at our meets,

http://www.skymaps.com/skymaps/tesmn1307.pdf

[stevepeverall]

- I want to amaze them, just showing some binaries won't do the trick

I did the same thing with a couple mates after Xmas down in Dorset on a great viewing night. I showed them Andromeda Galaxy, Almaak (double star), a couple of clusters in Auriga (M36 and M38) and some star fields in Persius among other things. I asked them afterwards what they liked the most, one liked Almaak best but the other was simply amazed at looking at Beleguese just because it was orange and he didn't realise that stars had colours.

[Cartman]

Ok, thank you guys for the suggestions. I made a shortlist, although the weather forecast isn't as promising as it looked earlier this week :-(

I do have Star Walk on the iPad, but I find it a bit more disturbing for the eyes (even with screen dimmed and in night mode), especially compared to the Sky Atlas I got recently. It has white stars on black background, perfect to maintain night vision.

I have my scope for a year now, so I'm not completely familiar with the summer sky yet. Last summer, I've been wrestling a lot trying to get used to using a EQ mount :-)

Again, thank you for the help. And needless to say that I've really grewn fond on astronomy. Before, it was a deep intrest, now it has become the best hobby ever :-)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Daniel-K]

Globs are always good to show and big open star clusters with a nice low powered EP which normally gets the " i didnt know there were that many stars" m27 is a good one to show nice and bright

[Superdavo]

If ever it's up, I'd always suggest the Moon, but if not

1. Saturn

2. M15

3. Dumbbell

4. Ring

5. Andromeda

6. Double cluster

7. Anything else that's fairly bright

[umadog]

On public nights, I have noticed that people are utterly transfixed by Albireo. It's often the first thing I show to newcomers: I explain that most stars in the sky are doubles and show them this. Pity that Albireo may be an optical double, but it fires people's imagination.

[Cartman]

A bit late, but here's what hapenned that night.

It got dark (well, more or less) around 23h00 LT. Seeing and transparency were far from perfect and the garden was foggy. A nearby creek and near-dewpoint temperatures created a Stephen King-like atmosphere. On top of that, there was more light pollution than I expected in that place :-(

The result: I showed Saturn, the Ring Nebula and Albireo. After that, transparency was horrible and the fog and nearby abundant streetlights (on a rural road with no traffic nota bene) blocked vision on most of the skies.

So it was a bit of a disappointment, but luckily Saturn seemed to be quiet impressive. My colleaugues were still talking about it today :-)

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD