Trouble finding Pinwheel Galaxy

[acharris77]

Hey all, hope this is the right forum to ask the question and if not I apologise and ask a Mod to move it.

I have been trying to image the Pinwheel Galaxy using my 130P-DS on EQ5 Pro mount. I set my goto up and it goes to other objects OK, but when I select the scope moves to it, but when I image I can not find it on the image. I was wondering if the object is not visible with the 130P-DS or if my back garden is not a suitable location? 

It is really frustrating as I don't know if it is me or the conditions lol. Thanks for any advice. 

[BGazing]

how dark is your sky?

[almcl]

I think the Pinwheel (we are speaking of M101, here aren't we?) is very faint.  

Here's a 3 minute sub taken with my 8" this time last year and as you can see it really just looks like a fuzzy star.  From my light polluted, urban back garden it's not visible in an eyepiece.

Can you post an image of the  area you found and we can try and plate solve to confirm the goto?

 

[BGazing]

as for visual, it is rather faint under mag 21 sky. so that is why i asked how dark your site is...

[acharris77]

Thanks all for the advice. The sky is not really dark thanks to the lights, but also not as bad due to a field opposite me. Just checking earlier and I think I found the M101 in the image.

This is a few images stacked with 90 sec exposure. I think I can just make it out and that night I think the atmosphere has some wet which was causing the light pollution to reflect with the nearly full moon also present.

The image was only a quick process to see if I could make out a faint M101 as Amcl said it was very faint. So I think the GOTO is working OK. Thanks again for the help.

[ollypenrice]

22 hours ago, acharris77 said:

Thanks all for the advice. The sky is not really dark thanks to the lights, but also not as bad due to a field opposite me. Just checking earlier and I think I found the M101 in the image.

This is a few images stacked with 90 sec exposure. I think I can just make it out and that night I think the atmosphere has some wet which was causing the light pollution to reflect with the nearly full moon also present.

The image was only a quick process to see if I could make out a faint M101 as Amcl said it was very faint. So I think the GOTO is working OK. Thanks again for the help.

Yes, you have it without doubt.

Olly

[acharris77]

Thanks for confirming. Saldy the 10 x 90 sec subs I have stacked and ready for editing are not usable. I have tried this evening to pull some detail out, but sadly I can not get any. Think these might be resigned to the the category of 'can't do anything them' lol