Should I have been able to see M51?

[ianm2k4]

As title but for last night (21st) from Shropshire. Skies were clear and I couldn't see it (maybe couldn't find it). I could see M81 and M82 (just) so based on their relative magnitude I would have thought I should have seen it. Anyways try again tonight..

Oh and using an Edge HD 8" with Baader eyepieces.

[Tinker1947]

You may be looking in the wrong place, do you have any sky maps or Stellarium......

[ianm2k4]

You may be looking in the wrong place, do you have any sky maps or Stellarium......

I use Stellarium, but I also have a Goto mount which found M82,81 though they were off centre. My inability to accurately polar align the mount.

[Nillchill]

i am able to see it in a 6 inch skywatcher reflector , so I think you weren't in the right place 

cheers

[Peter Drew]

I find M51 harder to see than M81/82 but you should be able to view it with an 8".     

[John]

Yes you should be able to see it. On a dark night it appears as two hazy patches of light, one larger than the other, with my 4" refractor. It's not as obvious as M81 and M82 though and light pollution / haze makes it much harder to see.

[ianm2k4]

Thanks I will try again tonight... Now if that doesn't bring on the clouds I don't know what will

[John]

Start off with your lowest power eyepiece. You can add some more magnification once you have located M51 but low power initially helps to get it in the frame.

[damnut]

Should have been a relatively easy target in your great scope.  I usually use Alkaid as my star hop, approx half way between M101 and M51. Perhaps this will aid you.

[chrisdg1968]

I have never found M51 easy to observe even in my old 8" Dob.  Now using a 130P, no problems seeing M81 and M82 but M51 is just a disappointing faint smudge!!

[Lowjiber]

In a 1.57^o TFOV, it will be in the same eyepiece view as HIP 65768.

I usually start hop to it from Alkaid, but know I'm close when I see 65768.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

M51 is visible as a smudge in binoculars under decent skies. My C8 can show it quite readily, but M81 and M82 are much easier because their surface brightness is much higher.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

I struggled to hell with M51 initially, until I actually found it and thought 'how in the heck did I not see that'. So just gotta keep going at it, and eventually you'll bag it.

Matt.