The 50th Messier

[dick_dangerous]

Hi All,

This week I have mainly be viewing star clusters - I took a quick trip around Cassiopeia and found NGC 129, 225 and 663, as well as M103. I had to stop there because my neck was hurting from pointing the telescope straight at the zenith. Then I took a look at M35, then through Auriga to M36, M37 and M38, all new objects for me and my little scope. Finally revisited M31 and of course had a good look at Jupiter which is looking like a pale yellow lentil with the two equatorial belts showing well. In fact on Monday I managed to pick out a couple of other bands too, and all four moons were lined up on either side. Not bad considering that, due to the important conservation work of gunning down deer in the park, I have been confined to the doorstep with a sodium light so bright that I no longer need to take a red torch out with me...

Anyway, I totted up the scores on the doors, and since my acquisition of the ST80 I have managed to rack up 49 Messier objects with it. That means I'm just one Messier away from 50! So now I'm trying to work out what my 50th Messier should be (Incidentally, I've actually found 51 Messiers during my lifetime - M42 & 43 were regular targets for the old telescope).

So given the time of year, and the fact that I'm generally back in the warm by 11pm, what should my next Messier be from under the light pollution? I've gone through Cassiopeia, Auriga, Perseus and the summer constellations, and have picked up the Pleiades and the autumn globulars like M15, M2 and M72. And I've seen the galaxies in Andromeda and Triangulum, M31, M32, M33 and M110.

My choices would be...

• M30 - I tried and failed to find it on Exmoor, so I'm not confident I'll see much from Bushy Park.
• M76 - I've heard this is the faintest Messier, but being a planetary, if I get a dark night, worth a punt?
• M73 - This feels a bit like cheating. Not sure it's even marked on Stellarium.
• M1 - I used to hunt in vain for this as a teen. I know it's faint, but it's small so the surface brightness factor might help. I've found M57 an easy target from the park, so is the Crab similarly simples?
• M42 - It would feel a bit like opening the Christmas presents early because it's not rising that high when I'm out with the telecope.

So any suggestions? Which would you go for?!

Thanks,

DD

[Andy_E]

Hmmm, M76 is indeed a tricky target. At mag 12 it's pretty dim, though I believe it has a higher surface brightness than some of the fainter galaxies (to my eyes anyhow... happy to be shot down on this one!). Certainly worth a go, but it will have no 'wow' factor in a frac like the stratravel (it's pretty dull in my 10" dob!).

M30 is much brighter, but I've always struggled with it from UK skies.

My thoughts would be concentrated on M1 or M42.

M1 will be tricky, but should be fine with your telescope (just go straight up from zeta tauri)

M42 however, now that's always worth a look! If your concerned about its altitude, it would still be a great target in your binoculars!

[acey]

Try all of them - if you're successful it'll take you up to 54.

If you've already viewed M101 then give yourself M102 (generally considered as a mistaken re-observation of M101) as a free pass.

[cotterless45]

Does this mean I've reached 100 ?

Nick.

[Beulah]

I've seen M1 in a 2" frac on a dark night . Nothing impressive, but it can be seen.

M42 glows intensely like a central star with nebulosity - not much detail but still magical. I normally leave M42 and treat myself to an early Christmas pressie but I'll have to see it with the new light bucket before the outdoor Christmas lights go up in stereo

(both sides this year -  I need a Ditto sign. )

I cannot remember if M76 can be seen - it's possible with an 8" newtonian but I know its bigger brother M27 can be seen through a small refractor.

[Superdavo]

Nicely done discovering the Auriga clusters! I've just recently found M36 & M37. I think it's be cool to see M1. I've tried, but not yet succeeded. 

David

[dick_dangerous]

Try all of them - if you're successful it'll take you up to 54.

If you've already viewed M101 then give yourself M102 (generally considered as a mistaken re-observation of M101) as a free pass.

Oh, in that case job done in pure list-ticking terms. I'd always heard that one of the galaxies in Draco is often substituted for M102. I read a long discussion thread on here about it!

Does this mean I've reached 100 ?

Nick.

Why not?! I'm wondering if I should keep tally of the NGC objects too. So far I've found about 5 out of 7,840. At least I won't be running out of potential targets any time soon...

Hmmm, M76 is indeed a tricky target. At mag 12 it's pretty dim, though I believe it has a higher surface brightness than some of the fainter galaxies (to my eyes anyhow... happy to be shot down on this one!). Certainly worth a go, but it will have no 'wow' factor in a frac like the stratravel (it's pretty dull in my 10" dob!).

M30 is much brighter, but I've always struggled with it from UK skies.

My thoughts would be concentrated on M1 or M42.

M1 will be tricky, but should be fine with your telescope (just go straight up from zeta tauri)

M42 however, now that's always worth a look! If your concerned about its altitude, it would still be a great target in your binoculars!

I thought M76 might be pushing it rather. Maybe when I'm next under dark skies (i.e. Chrimbo time) I'll give it a go. I think M1 is a potential next target. It's a little frustrating because most of the objects I haven't attempted to locate yet don't get high in the sky until after Christmas. I remember seeing M42 with my reflector one Boxing Day and being quite blown away by it, which is why I want to save that special moment up! Plus it's a 2 for 1 because M43 is right on top of it.

Nicely done discovering the Auriga clusters! I've just recently found M36 & M37. I think it's be cool to see M1. I've tried, but not yet succeeded. 

David

I need to revisit them from somewhere without a sodium light next to me... M1 always eluded me, but my TAL was hard to aim and I'm convinced my Dad never collimated it.

I've seen M1 in a 2" frac on a dark night . Nothing impressive, but it can be seen.

M42 glows intensely like a central star with nebulosity - not much detail but still magical. I normally leave M42 and treat myself to an early Christmas pressie but I'll have to see it with the new light bucket before the outdoor Christmas lights go up in stereo

(both sides this year -  I need a Ditto sign. )

I cannot remember if M76 can be seen - it's possible with an 8" newtonian but I know its bigger brother M27 can be seen through a small refractor.

I liked the description of M1 in TLaO as being one not to show people who aren't interested in deep sky astronomy because it's the mother of all fuzzy blurs in the eyepiece. M42 on the other hand is breath-taking but I can only see it from the park which could involve my becoming collateral damage. M27 is now an old favourite - lovely object. I may have to wait until I've upgraded until I go looking for little bro'

Sadly my hunt for the next Messier will have to wait until there aren't any clouds because there's not a star to be seen down here! On the plus side, the cull doesn't happen on Friday or Saturday night so if the clouds clear I can have a try for M1 and M42. That's assuming the big shiny reflective rock in the sky doesn't foil my plans...

DD

[acey]

I'm wondering if I should keep tally of the NGC objects too. So far I've found about 5 out of 7,840. At least I won't be running out of potential targets any time soon...

Go for it. Remember that most of the Messiers also have NGC numbers, so there are some free passes to start with. M76 actually has 2 NGC numbers (because Herschel thought it was 2 separate objects).

I'm nearly up to 2,000.

[Rustysplit]

How did you get on with finding M1 in the st80? I can just see it from my fairly lp'ted back garden in mine.

[YKSE]

How did you get on with finding M1 in the st80? I can just see it from my fairly lp'ted back garden in mine.

I'd guess it's done under dark sky. I couldn't see M1 in my backyard in 130P last year (partly because of even less experienced eyes). But I saw M1 in 8x50 finderscope when I was under dark sky.

[dick_dangerous]

How did you get on with finding M1 in the st80? I can just see it from my fairly lp'ted back garden in mine.

Well M1 has been a long-term goal of mine and I actually managed to find time to get out last night under... challenging conditions, with clouds blowing in every moment. Objects that are usually a synch like M15 were impossible to locate because as soon as I'd lined up the scope on the nearest star for star-hopping, the cloud came over again. Still, I managed to get a last lingering look at Alberio, had a good spell of observing Jupiter with the Equatorial bands really clear and got to the Orion nebula when it finally rose high enough and the clouds parted. I'm eagerly anticipating that one to ride higher in the sky.

And... I did manage to find M1. It looked like a fuzzy grain of rice, and wasn't the most impressive thing I've ever seen but... supernova remnant? In Greater London? Get in! Brings my Messier count to 52 with the ST80.

DD

[Rustysplit]

Get in indeed! Well done. It is amazing what the humble st80 can show.