A Messier problem than i had imagined..

[Andy 5312]

I am very much a newb but can navigate around the sky the sky pretty well (i think lol) . But never been able to hunt down these darn galaxies and clusters. After reading a few posts about Telrad view finders i decided this would be a step in the right direction in my search for above mentioned targets. So upon my visit to the IAS i decided to take the plunge and purchased one. I downloaded a few Telrad sky finder charts . First chance i had to try it out was last night. (Very clear skies not perticularly dark and a full moon) . Anyway tried for M57 ring nubula, M13 Hercules Cluster and M101 Pinwheel Galaxy. And nothing. Not a glimpse......I was lined up bang on to the charts and nothing. Apart from a very small smudge when pointed at M13. And it was small....I know im not going to get full on spectacular views but did expect to see something.....My scope is a Skywatcher 130 EQ2 focal length 900mm . And i was using a 25mm wide view ep and tried a 20mm too. Am i expecting too much from the scope, is it just simply out of its capabilities ? But i do know i was on the targets ? Any thoughts or comments very much appreciated....ps.....not quite sure how to reply as i am not a regular to posting lol ...but any advice would be good.

[Joves]

Hi Andy and welcome to the forum,

Your biggest issue is definitely the bright sky conditions you were viewing under. Not sure what your skies are like from a light pollution point of view, but the moon is one of the greatest light polluters of all (in the greatest possible sense, that is). My advice would be to stick to observing planets and the moon itself (plus perhaps some double stars if these take your fancy) until the moon has waned and then try again. You'll be amazed at the difference in view.

All the best in the meantime.

Aaron

[kerrylewis]

Hello Andy

I agree with Aaron - we have a bit of a double whammy at the moment: while we have enjoyed some clear skies it doesn't get so dark in June and we have an almost full moon. You might be lucky still with some of the brighter M's but if you wait a while the moon will be rising a bit later which will give you a chance under darkish skies.

You might find M13 now for example, but it's going to look much better later in the month

Kerry

[Andy 5312]

Thanks for the reply Joves. Do you think that under darker skies my scope is capable of viewing those type of targets?

[D4N]

The scope itself is certainly capable of showing you a lot of DSO's. I have a SW 130P newt and in the winter I can see plenty of galaxies but very little detail, I'm afraid basic shape is all that can be expected visually at that aperture.

The dimmer ones are barely visible though so off centre viewing helps there.

Filters can help if you have light pollution but as the other posters already stated full moon plus summer makes it much more difficult.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AlexB67]

What Joves said, you can see M81/M82 even with he moon  and quite heavy LP. If you want to practice finding galaxies that pair is bright.  I also own a 130 scope and I don't think there is ever been  a night they don't show in some form even with the moon.  M57 you should be able to see also in your scope when it is high up enough with moon, unless your LP I really bad I imagine, but even with a 20mm eyepiece the magnification is quite low for this object,  it is very easy to miss since it is so small, but  once you have found it you will know. Look for a faint non staller looking object, meaning it will not be point like, like the surrounding stars but more like a rather faint little dot.  In any case when the moon is gone all of that will be much easier to see. As you practice you'll find seeing fainter objects becomes easier. 

[kev100]

Hi Andy,

I agree with D4N, the scope (I've got one too) is definitely capable of showing the whirlpool galaxy, plus M81 and M82, for example. I've had great views of M13 through mine (though it's not capable of resolving the stars in the centre).

It's definitely too bright at the moment (try again where there's no moon).

Kev.

[Joves]

You're welcome, Andy. Sure, as stated by a couple of the other kind folk in here, your scope is plenty capable of seeing lots of DSO's. My first scope was exactly the same size and allowed me to see a whole heap. Keep with it, the more you look, the more you will see. Once you've trained your eye a little on what to expect to see on particular objects, you'll be surprised by how much easier it gets to establish whether you have them in your field of view or not. But you do have to see them first, to know what to expect, so getting your first glimpses under darker conditions will help a lot.

[Andy 5312]

Thanks for the replies guys. Sorry dont know how to post to u all individualy

[kev100]

Hiya, one thing I would say, on the subject of Joves' comment: 'once you've trained your eye a little,' is that getting a pair of binoculars really helped me. I've got a pair of 20x80 Celestrons (they're a bit big and unwieldy) and I started finding DSOs with them first, then, once I knew what I was looking for, got the scope onto them. I'd definitely recommend a pair of bins!

Kev.

[Joves]

Great advice, Kev.