a few weeks since I played out with my scope

[Sam Baker]

well I decided to get my scope out last night and while I was waiting for my beloved orion nebula to come out from above the menace houses across my street I decided to explore for a while so I looked directly up then slowly worked my way towards orion and alas I found the most amazing star field I've seen so far - my 32mm EP was filled with about 50 stars which appeared in formation - it was my most impressive sight yet and the excitement of finding this wonderful patch of night sky give me another kick as to why this hobby is amazing. I just need to know what it is. I think it was between ursa minor - or at least I tiny constellation with a similar shape to that and orion. has anyone got any idea as to what it could be. possibly around perseus and auriga? <br />

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[Bart]

SAm

You're talking about a bit patch of sky there. Was it in the W, NW, at what time, how high in the sky? We might be able to suggest a couple of things. Was it a loose bunch of stars or a tightly grouped bunch?

Barry

[Sam Baker]

it was a loosely grouped bunch. it was around 7pm ish. my house faces east with a slight south inclination. so north and west is virtually impossible to view from my place. so facing south west and the looking nearly directly up you will be in the right sort of region. does that help? I've only been doing this for less than two months so im not familiar with the skies yet. <br />

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[Sam Baker]

thinking about it. I would have be facing south with a slight east inclination and looking probably at an angle of around 75-80 degrees towards the sky if that makes any sense<br />

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[Bart]

Maybe M45 the Pleides (Seven Sisters), it would have been more southerly though at 7pm. Its called the Seven Sisters because there are seven prominent ones, but there are many more. They look like diamonds scattered on a bed of black velvet. Relatively large spaces between the stars. Its the only one nearish SW I can think of. Or possibly the Double cluster, but there would have been two of them

Barry

[IVAN TAPIA]

That sounds like Pleiades, to me it looks like a tiny ursa major without a telescope.

Call me Desdinova.

[Sam Baker]

south easy sorry. I got confused with direction while shopping haha. im going to have a gander at pictures and I'll let you know thanks alot guys<br />

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[Sam Baker]

I've just found some pictures on google so what im going to do is have a look at the next opportunity I get. the pictures do look similar to what I saw so now it's time to confirm it I need to get my scope out away from my house really in an open area on high ground where I can navigate the skies better and find more amazing sights. its impressive what can be randomly found up there and I know I'd have struggled finding it if I was looking for it. im slowly learning how to navigate but it's so unbelievably difficult and when I find new objects up there and all the SGL guys give me help in identifying whats what I'll soon be able to know my way around <br />

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[Sam Baker]

I've just orientated myself with google sky map and you guys are right it's more than likely the seven sisters. I need to find a few more targets so I can sort of get familiar with a part of the sky and look for objects between the ones I know about<br />

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[Sam Baker]

I had a look at pleiades with my parents bins. absolutely amazing!

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[Langy]

I found that last week for the first time, always seen it by eye (with my poor eye sight) as a small cluster of blurry stars.

However when I looked through the scope with a 20mm (x32.5) I was amazed, so clear and so bright.

I ended up getting out the DSLR and took the image below just sat on a tripod with 300mm lens. Stacked in DSS.

My image just doesn't do it justice.

[TractionMan]

A wonderful target indeed. Both through binos and scope using a low power EP.

[Paul73]

Must have made you jump. Just mooching around the sky and coming across that little lot.

Have a crack at the Beehive Cluster in Cancer when you are next out SE and about 50° at about 10pm (diagonally down and left from Jupiter). You can see it through binos easily or naked eye from a darkish site.

More telescope targets in that area at the 8 to 11 pm time are in SW quadrant of Auriga (the big circle/rectangle of 6 stars to the right of Jupiter). There are 3 or 4 open clusters which are telescope targets but lovely (and very obvious) when you find them.

Paul