What am I doing wrong ?

[jeremy1]

It will give me something to look fwd to once the sky's have cleared.

[Scooot]

That must be the greatest way to find it with my 25x80s easily seen just panning that area you should see it even with 15x60 my daughter can flip straight to it

I had a 300p it took nearly 2 weeks on my own but once found never lost.

Good luck

Pat

Hi Pat,

It's partly cloudy here at the moment so I've just been out with my not very good 8x42s. Found Mirach then just tilted my head upwards to the next bright star, then to the next one and it's just there on the right.

[jeremy1]

I must admit that sometimes the easy constellations are not that bright where I live and light pollution might be my biggest enemy. Looks like I might have to take a little drive to get some better sky's whenever they are supposed to be.

[todd8137]

Hi Pat,

It's partly cloudy here at the moment so I've just been out with my not very good 8x42s. Found Mirach then just tilted my head upwards to the next bright star, then to the next one and it's just there on the right.

I often use binos whilst imaging,there great it's a challenge at times but when you find things it's brill

Pat

[jeremy1]

Just been out with my Bino's and had another go and I think I've got it. It just looked like a grey smudge in the Bino's but I expect the scope will pick it out quite well. I looked away and then went straight back to it about three or four times.

[todd8137]

Brill my night is not so great set up started a image run it's clear, and raining at the same time

Pat

[Scooot]

I often use binos whilst imaging,there great it's a challenge at times but when you find things it's brill

Pat

I'm going to upgrade to a good pair of 10x50s at Christmas for my holiday in January.

[todd8137]

Bigger the better I say

Pat

[old dave]

Jeremy,

What can I say after such good advice and so many tips? Stop drinking before you do it.

Dave

[frugal]

I have never managed to find M31 either. Occasionally I have managed to find it with the naked eye, but never with a scope. Given that the weather was clear and there was no moon up, after I kicked the kids off to bed ("yes, I know it is your telescope, but daddy needs to learn how to use it"), I went out and spent the evening just looking at things.

I tried to find M31 a couple of times by star hopping and after fiddling with the RA and DEC knobs I got some stars that looked like the right kind of dog leg shape to be the galaxies, but they looked nothing special, and when I went back to look through the finder I was off course.

I gave it one last go before I went off to look at something more obvious; lined it up in the finder; looked through the scope and saw a big bright thing off to one side. When I brought it fully into the view finder I had one of those "wow" moments. I just kept coming back and looking at it for a good 10 minutes...

[madsarmy]

Jeremy

You could go round & smash every street light in Yate. That would make M31 easier to see & you would be doing me a big favour. Yate is my nemesis for light pollution. Spoiling my low SW view.

[Scooot]

Lol,

I think M31 is one object that you can see in areas of poor light pollution. The problem is perhaps being able to see the guide stars and knowing which way to go when you you find them.