Ring Nebula - My new favourite DSO. What's yours?

[NoSiriusly]

I got back from a family BBQ on Saturday night a decided to set scope up. It was such a warm night I still had my flip flops on!

I was feeling lazy so I selected Deep Sky Tour and the Ring Nebula came up. It really does look like a "smoke ring" floating there in space. I was fascinated and will definitely return to it.

What is your favourite DSO and why?

[tibbz2]

The Ring Nebula is one of my favourites so far, awesome sight... Other than that M13 is always a great one to view, such a nice cluster

[Pig]

I like the Double cluster, Orions nebula, and the Dragonfly and my favourite is the Moon

[Moonshane]

orion nebula for me. wild duck cluster is lovely too and the veil is superb when skies are on form.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The most recent find, I find

[John]

Nebulae: The Veil and Orion. The Ring and the Dumbell are great too though

Galaxies: M81 and M82 plus M51.

Clusters: M13 and M92 plus the Sword Handle double cluster in Perseus.

As Michael says, anything newly found goes on the favorites list for some time too

[Scott]

So many to chose from but I'll give it a go... Definately M42 and m45, then there's m81/82. If I had to spend the rest of my life in sco/sag I wouldn't be too worried. Ask me tomorrow and I'll give you a different list

[NoSiriusly]

I found the Orion Nebula last winter and couldn't take my eyes of it. I'm basically going to use all of your posts as a list of thing to find. Chances are, I'll have a new favourite very soon.

[cotterless45]

Too many, depends on what's up there month by month. Keep returning to M11, M31, M27 and M57.

Probably the most fascinating are " Caroline's Rose" NGC6678 and NGC2419 "the Intergalactic Wanderer",

Nick.

[SwampStar]

It'd be like picking your favourite child!

Andromeda gets me every time, and I do love the ring. Out of the clusters, I really like M35. It seems to sparkle differently than the others. I also like the quirky little things, too. Looked straight out of my back door tonight for a quick scan with the 15x70s and landed straight on the coathanger.

[chiltonstar]

I come back to M31 every time, just because it's so huge and visible sometimes with the naked eye. Bodes and the Double Cluster would be next. Even after 35 years looking, they all have the power to thrill.

Chris

[Matt Scunthorpe]

I think it would have to be M11 for me.

[K3ny0n]

Got to be the Orion neb for me too, I remember the first time I had seen it, not looking through the eye peice mind. I barely had my scope and attached my SLR and laptop to it, spun round to the neb and started capturing subs. When they came loading on the screen I was like .. soon after the camera was out and the eye peices in.

Rob.

[LukeSkywatcher]

The Rosette is my favourite.

[dick_dangerous]

The first time I saw the Orion Nebula in a telescope was something of a special moment - I was captivated not only by the idea of new stars being born in the tenuous grey light shimmering in my telescope but also of memories of the Starship Enterprise rising out of the nebula in "The Wrath of Khan," the only bit of Star Trek I liked until JJ Abrams. Maybe I shouldn't admit that. Er...

Khaaaaaaaan!!!!

DD

[jason.p]

The Ring was my first DSO too, and as such will always be special. Having spent quite a while trying to find it, that "wow" moment kick started my enthusiasm to find more. I'm really looking forward to it being the first with my new set up

[knobby]

I got back from a family BBQ on Saturday night a decided to set scope up. It was such a warm night I still had my flip flops on!

I was feeling lazy so I selected Deep Sky Tour and the Ring Nebula came up. It really does look like a "smoke ring" floating there in space. I was fascinated and will definitely return to it.

What is your favourite DSO and why?

I was purely a planet freak until I found M13, Hercules... Jaw dropping in a 10" dob at a dark site .

Next fave is the ring... Almost surreal.

I can beat the flip flops though, I dragged the mount out last night to practice polar alignment after aligning my polar scope at the weekend... Only intending to align and grab a quick view of Saturn as it disappears for the foreseeable future.

after being out for about 90 minutes viewing the above objects, the wife came out to make me a coffee only to be greeted by the site of me sitting there just in my boxers

...polar align went well though

[AndyWB]

I agree - it depends on the time of year. I mean, the Orion nebula looks rubbish at the moment. That said, of the things I've seen so far, I'd have to say the

- Ring Nebula

- Wild Ducks cluster

- Orion Nebula (& Trapezium - is that cheating?)

- Double Cluster

- M13

would be particular favourites. But I still have Autumn to discover new stuff, and to find somewhere high to have a gander around Sagittarius yet.

Oh, and a little short on Galaxies - that's probably an aperture thing. Looking forward to a chance to see Andromeda in the dark.

[AlexB67]

I saw the wild duck cluster last night for the first time, as Michael says, often perhaps it the last, but what a sight it that was, I couldn't stop looking at it in various magnifications, low and high, my new favourite, There is so much structure to see once dark adapted, as much as that is possible in my garden, but it was around 2:15 when I called it quits. Not a bad session, the first one in ages were skies were at least somewhat half decent, I saw M71 too for the first time, but it did not compare to M11. should be even better tonight I hope Sky has now changed enough with the views I have from my garden to start adding to the Messier list if the weather holds up. I Can see now well below Cassiopeia as well if I wait long enough, before I packed up think I saw M31 as well, though not sure, I doubt it could have been anything else, but will confirm tonight.

Now Time to do some planning for later ....

[NoSiriusly]

the wife came out to make me a coffee only to be greeted by the site of me sitting there just in my boxers

Now that is hardcore astronomy. I'm not going to try to beat that. Hats off to you, sir.

[NoSiriusly]

Oh, and a little short on Galaxies - that's probably an aperture thing. Looking forward to a chance to see Andromeda in the dark.

Those sound like a great starting point for me. I've only seen Andromeda from my light polluted garden with my telescope. I remember being able to see it with the naked eye when I was camping on Dartmoor years ago. So I'll also be looking for a dark spot to see Andromeda.

[Astro Imp]

Sooo difficult but the ring has to be high up the list I also like M44 and M31 on a good transparent night is a true wonder.

[AndyWB]

I'd seen Andromeda in twilight while tracking down comet PANSTARRS with binoculars - the two were in the same FOV, which was quite something.

Finally got a good dark look at it last night! Fantastic! So bright and huge, and M32 and M110 were also visible. Full description here:

[Meissa]

So far the Cat's Eye nebula is my favourite.

[AlexB67]

Hard call, often the latest objects are among the favourites, like listening to music . I've found M11 hard to beat. I guess M24 or others would compete but they've been too low in the sky for me with LP to get good views. I guess when I get a UHC filter and go to a dark site some nebulae may well take over instead.

No real single clear favourite for me so far, probably it will keep changing as I observe more, I've yet to experience a deep sky in winter on a dark site, so the best is still to come I feel