What dso list should i start with?

[Coffecup25]

I will get my telescope soon and i wonder about which dso list i should start with. Any ideas are appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[Coffecup25]

I forgot to say that its a 10" dobson

[JamesF]

Many people start with the Messier list.  I doubt you'll be able to find them all from Sweden because some of the summer ones are just too far south, but it's an excellent list for learning your way around the sky and learning to star-hop.

For those nights when the Moon is bright, there's also the Lunar 100 list.  The Moon looks stunning through a 10" scope and is well worth exploring even if your preference is mainly for DSOs.

James

[Coffecup25]

Damn but will it be possible to see all 100 moons?

Thanks for your time

[brantuk]

If you can see the moon then everything on it will be available to you. As well as the Messier 110 you can also try the Caldwell catalogue which is 109 objects compiled by Sir Patrick Moore. And there's millions of NGC objects in the deep sky that you'll have no trouble finding at your lattitude.

A good book I'd recommend is the Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders. It gives you a large list of objects ordered by season and constellation complete with finding instructions and an illustration to show how each object appears in the eyepiece. It'll keep you going for two or three years for sure.

[andyman]

The 100 lunar objects doesnt mean 100 moons it means objects on the moon to study when the moon is in view making dsos are hard to see 

Loving your choice of scope it will give you some superb views

[Coffecup25]

Thanks brantuk for the help

Now i understand

thanks andyman

[andyman]

As for dso i started with m31 m81 m82 when you view 81 82 if you use a 25mm eyepiece and above you will get both galaxies in the same field of view.Its a spectacular sight well worth viewing.....good luck 

[ronin]

Any particular types of DSO you have in mind.

I ask as 10 globular clusters are fairly easy, there is a fair number of them, but the first and second will look similar to the nineth and tenth.

Personally I would avoid M31, too big to really see it, you need to get to a 3 degree FoV and that means 20x or less, which is not all the easy in a 10" newtonian. So all you get is the fuzzy central core that is a bit of a disappointment.

The Messier Object list is the classic, there is also the Caldwell Objects, both are 110, or 109 objects. M102 is the one that causes the problem concerning how many. Check out The Astro League, they have observing programs and one may give ideas and a shorter list then 110.

[Kirscovitch]

I'm starting slowly with the Messier list. 

As far as M31 goes, I have yet to see it through a scope but have had good views through a pair of 10x50 binoculars. I also get the best view of M45 with the bins. Great FoV.

[Coffecup25]

Thanks for the help

I will check out The Astro Leauge

[bomberbaz]

M31 is in my opinion a lovely view, ifvyou are in a dark area then crank up the mahnification up and you will start to see sttucture in the dust lanes of the galaxy.

also if you have not alreafy, dl stellarium and use this to identify targets for your scope. Lots of messiers available this time of the year, they are designated in stelkarium as M(number): ie M31 Same as NGC objects, letters andcthen numbers

lovely cluster to look for the owl cluster NGC 457, one of my favourites atm but looks more like a bat to me, hehe.

Few others that are great viewing and easy to find, M42,45,52,35,36,37,39. Also Jupiter looks amazing just now. Read through this forum at other members past posts for ideas, thats where I get a lot of my own! That and stellarium mainly.

hth

Steve

[rory]

sometimes you can miss some good objects by going through a list , although I do understand the temptations . Ive been advised that going by constellation  at a time would get you a lot more objects in a shorter period. obviously youd want some sort of idea of the magnitude  you can handle with your set up  ,then get a list of possible objects for that particular area of the sky.

 however popular list wise, the messier list is the most popular list as the majority of the objects are accessible to small telescopes.

 however you go about observing though ,its all good .

[Coffecup25]

I think i will do like rory said, going by constellation at a time.

Thanks for the help everybody

[ChrisSJ]

Hi,

I have to agree with Rory. I started out this way; oh so many decades ago, and believe it helped me map the night sky so its now second nature.

Keeping a good observing log is also important, the more you record the more learn, and the easier it becomes next time.

Happy seeing

Chris

[bomberbaz]

Think I need to start doing this myself. It does actually make very good sense. My main problem being obstructions to viewing combined with lp.

A good point though for the OP is it might be an idea to try to hit targets that are seasonal first, eg: orion. Some constellations are available year round so to me it would make sense to do the ones with a limited viewing window.

anyone anything extra to add to this idea, I would be very interested to know if so!

[ChrisSJ]

Hi Steve,

I've never thought of astronomy as being target driven. The constellations aren't going anywhere soon, so sit back and enjoy them when you can. To observe one constellation correctly takes a lifetime.

Enjoy.

Chris

[bomberbaz]

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/204132-keeping-a-log-why-and-how/

Thanks for that Chris and I appreciate what you are sayimg but we all have our different ways of doing the same thing. I aim to try and hit new "targets" most times out, but I always go back to viewing some of the things I have previously viewed and find interesting. I think we all do this.

There are literally 1000's of objects out there and I want to hit as many as possible and grade them. Some I may revist often, some might nog get a second look.

if you check out the link above it might give u an idea where I am coming from.

like I say, each to thier own eh :-)

Steve

[Kirscovitch]

I try to have a list of possible targets but most of the time I just end up winging it.

As of late on a clear night I might be able to get a 2 hour session in due to cold and since the yard is filled with 2 feet of snow, I'm limited to where I can set the scope up. I get a good view of the southern sky so mostly I poke around Orion and end the night with great views of Jupiter. 

As it warms up and I can spend more time out, I plan on getting more time at my dark sky site that I have picked out so I may move to a more structured viewing plan.

For now I stick to my favorites of M42, 45 and Jupiter. I think that if you have a long list you feel that you need to hop around the sky and try to get as many in a possible. With a shorter list or no list at all, you can spend more time on targets and in my opinion the more time you spend looking at an object the more detail you can pull out of it.

[Naemeth]

The Messier, Caldwell and Herschel catalogues are a good place to start .

[Tinker1947]

Your need a finder scope to find your DSO's, a Telrad will do the job, then download the free Telrad maps, these show all the Messier Objects with the Telrad circles around them, makes it so much easier....

[Paul73]

Hope that you enjoy your new scope.

Here is yet another vote for the Messier list.

However. For a rewarding and ever changing list. Have a look at the observing reports that members post on this forum. They are current, often entertaining and you can see what kit they are using to set your expectations (if they have a similar scope to you - then you have a reasonable chance of spotting it)!

Happy hunting.

Paul

[Ben Smith]

I decided to go for the messier list and found this very helpful PDF online. You might find it useful

http://www.davidpaulgreen.com/TUMOL/tumol32.pdf

[Moonshane]

I think i will do like rory said, going by constellation at a time.

Thanks for the help everybody

+1

[Ben Smith]

Does anyone know how many Messier objects are visible through an 8" scope in a light polluted city? Most of the ones I've seen are really faint so can imagine some of the other galaxy's and nebula are too faint to see. I guess I'll end up with a dark sky messier list next