Any hints for finding M33?

[Moox]

Been out for 3 hours tonight, found loads of my targets but M33 eluded me. I have read that it is quite effected by light pollution and I do have a fair amount of this in this direction, but I'd have thought I would see some trace of it. M31 I can find easily but search as I may M33 just can't be found. Is there a secret to it?

[NGC 1502]

An 8" scope from a light polluted place should just reveal M33 as a faint fuzzy patch, just marginally brighter than the background sky, with averted vision perhaps.

M33 is a lot harder to spot than M31.  M31 is an easy binocular target from town, M33 is not.

A transparent moonless night is best, and get out of town if you can.  With my 10" Dob from Kelling star party in Sept, I've definitely seen the 'backwards S" spiral arms. From home, a very faint blob.

Keep at it, you will succeed.

Regards, Ed.

[John]

M33 can be a real toughie even in a decent aperture scope. Its stated magnitude is rather misleading because its an integrated figure whereas the galaxy, being face on to us, is tenuously spread over quite a large area. 

It can actually be easier to see in large binoculars than with a scope as a vague patch of light within a sort of rhomboid formation of 4 stars. Needs a dark night with little or no light pollution.

Its one of those objects that you can be looking right at and not notice !

[davefrance]

M33

Latitude: 53.42 degrees

Longitude: -2.32 degrees

Postcode Town: Manchester

County:

Easting: 378533 degrees

Northing: 391517 degrees

Grid Ref: SJ785915

District: Trafford District (

Ward: Priory Ward

Sorry couldn't resist it

[Moox]

I scanned the area so many times I must have been all over it, but as you say John I was probably staring it right in the face and not seeing it. A trip out of town, well at least positioning myself so that the light of Didcot off in the distance isnt in the way, is called for.

[Paul73]

One word - binoculars!!

Found it for the first time with a pair of +40 year old binos.

Bin the scope for the initial finding of this one. I've been after this one for months. I can see M31, 44 etc with the naked eye fairly happily from my back garden. So, in theory, the sky is more than dark enough. Position wise, couldn't be easier. Point scope and peer expectantly - nothing.

I have a feeling that, once seen, it will be a relatively easy targets on dark nights.

Paul

PS. Even with the binos, Don't expect to see another M31. M33 is big and very very transparent.

[dick_dangerous]

It's incredibly easy to find if the night is dark. I've found it from Exmoor and the New Forest with very little bother in a 3'' refractor. However, from London it is completely invisible! I think it's getting very low to the horizon now; you're best off trying to find it from about September - December.

DD

[Astro Imp]

As already said many times a dark sky is required but bear in mind the transparency hasn't been good lately, for example I was out with bins last night and M44 was a struggle.

Keep at it and when conditions allow you'll get there.

Good luck.

[Moox]

Cheers everyone. M33 will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine!

[rory]

I found it tremendously difficult when hunting for it from my back garden . I got a hint of the central area with averted vision on a moonless night.

  I look forward to viewing it under dark skies in the future.

[LouisJB]

I've had that feeling I've been staring straight at it before, just a sense of 'darkness' rather than seeing it properly. It's very dim, dark skies must be key, as people have said. I used to think sky permitting it was visible with the naked eye but now I'm not convinced, certainly not from our area anyway.

I seem to recall there is some pattern of stars nearby, a spiral. I mistakenly thought that was it at first, now I realise that's not it at all!

Not such a good time of year for it now, maybe autumn would be better when it's to the East early in the evening.

[Peter Drew]

Can be seen under excellent conditions with .33" aperture at 1X.   

[Tonys]

It took me quite a few attempts and eventually, on a very transparent moonless night, a combination of averted vision while moving the scope's view back and forth a little worked. I was quite surprised how large it was in the field of view, but it was very faint, so much so that I had to repeat to convince myself I wasn't imagining it.