Nebulae

[Ally8446]

Top 5 attainable nebulae/ dso in an 8" dob for this time of year in the northern hemisphere. Your suggestions please. Easy through to hard targets.

Ally

[John]

The Dumbell (Vulpecula)

The Ring (Lyra)

Lagoon (Sagittarius need low horizon to the SE)

The Veil (Cygnus - needs UHC or O-III filter)

The Owl (Ursa Major - benefits strongly from UHC / O-III filter)

All the above are "do able" with an 80mm (plus filter as needed) so strong candidates for 200mm.

[badgerchap]

M31 in Andromeda is huge and circumpolar, so depending on your location you can get it all year. M42 isn't far around the corner and is very easy to find. M13 in Hercules is a nice easy spot and a great view, then there's M51, the Whirlpool just below the 'handle' of the Plough asterisk which is a stunner, then for my last choice it has to be M81&82 in the same FOV to give you 6 for the price of five!

Typed inexpertly from my phone

[badgerchap]

Asterism* darned autocorrect!

Typed inexpertly from my phone

[swamp thing]

I'd agree with John accept I'd replace the owl nebula with the Omega nebula (M17) This is down near the lagoon, big and bright too.

[AndyWB]

FWIW, I "saw" the Lagoon, Trifid, Omega and I think Eagle nebula in 10x50 bins last week, but I was further south. They weren't, well, detailed - but they were there.

I'd suggest the same as John, but I'd maybe put the Omega nebula in instead of the Owl.

Edit: - beaten to it by swamp thing!

[Ally8446]

The Dumbell (Vulpecula)

The Ring (Lyra)

Lagoon (Sagittarius need low horizon to the SE)

The Veil (Cygnus - needs UHC or O-III filter)

The Owl (Ursa Major - benefits strongly from UHC / O-III filter)

All the above are "do able" with an 80mm (plus filter as needed) so strong candidates for 200mm.

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately the only filters I have at present are nd filters. Got a new bst in my sights first then it'll be a uhc or OIII, just not sure which one yet.

[AndyWB]

Weellll .... the UHC isn't necessary if you've dark enough skies. I've seen the Eastern veil without a filter in my 130p; I'm sure a 200 could manage it. But that was under dark sky.

The others - well, they'd benefit from darkness, and probably from a filter, but I've seen them from Reading, so it is possible in light pollution, on a good night. (Can't comment on the Owl though.) The Omega nebula still shows it's Swan shape even through Reading's haze!

[acey]

You say nebulae/dso so I'd start with Pleiades and Double Cluster. Include Hyades if you like - it's in the Caldwell list. Even the Ursa Major Moving Group. And of course the Milky Way - the most beautiful "dso" in the sky.

All the above are naked-eye objects as long as the sky is dark enough (and you'll need to stay up late to get good views of Pleiades and Hyades). Five telescope targets:

M31, M81, M13, M57, M27.

If you want a hard but attainable 8" target try Stephan's Quintet in Pegasus. I was able to see 3 of them with an 8" at a dark site.