Seeing

[ghostdance]

That's why it's good to combine a RACI with a Telrad/Rigel. Best of both worlds. And a good starchart before during and after

[Sirius Starwatcher]

Has anyone suggested the book Turn Left at Orion ? For newbies trying to orientate themselves with what's up their and how they might look you really can't beat the book. Best money ever spent if you really want to find your objects, Happy hunting Pipnina and astromackem.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Has anyone suggested the book Turn Left at Orion ? For newbies trying to orientate themselves with what's up their and how they might look you really can't beat the book. Best money ever spent if you really want to find your objects, Happy hunting Pipnina and astromackem.

While i do tend to agree that Turn Left At Orion is a great book for beginners to have to enable them them to find their way around the night sky, the content within is only a guide on how to locate and what it might look like with small,medium and large scopes. It includes binocular views also. 

However it cant and doesnt include "seeing" and "transparency" conditions, which are very localised to you location on any given night and can change within minutes.. It gives the best case scenario under perfect conditions. 

[Night Hawk]

I think they may have been some high wispy cloud last night. I found viewing was much better without my LP last night. 

I have what I would call moderate light pollution in my back garden, also having a refractor on an EQ mount doesn't help looking for things overhead. I've narrowed down a few that I think might be easier to find such as M95 and M96 but no luck. I'm going to take the scope to the in-laws farm right out in the country to try again in the next couple of days

M96/97 have a high magnitudes of over 9 which with last nights poor viewing may have contributed to you not seeing this. I just stuck to some clusters  M38, M36, M37 in Auriga and some in Casseopia.