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Starting out - just reached 1370 galaxy observations..

mdstuart

By mdstuart
in Observing - Deep Sky

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cloudsweeper

cloudsweeper

Posted
Posted
19 hours ago, mdstuart said:

I am a beginner.

My total of 1370 galaxies observed is not even in the premier league..

You have just got to look at this thread.

http://www.deepskyforum.com/showthread.php?580-Your-Deep-Sky-Scorecard/page2

Mark

1370 sounds pretty advanced to me, since my galaxy count is a humble *whispers* five.

Doug.

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Guest

Guest

Posted
Posted

Part of the challenge playing a numbers game there is always some one with a better sky and bigger scope. It is easy being a big fish in a little pond but harder in the outside world. I would say enjoy what you can get and try and see all you can see and don't worry about what other people do.

 

Owen

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Guest

Guest

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Posted

No I don't keep track of numbers just enjoy what I am looking at, however with the 22" if you are looking at an Abell cluster you may find 10-20 galaxies in the field at a time.

 

Owen

 

 

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YKSE

YKSE

Posted
Posted
On 2016-10-01 at 21:16, mdstuart said:

I am a beginner.

My total of 1370 galaxies observed is not even in the premier league..

You have just got to look at this thread.

http://www.deepskyforum.com/showthread.php?580-Your-Deep-Sky-Scorecard/page2

Mark

I've bagged less than 1/3 of yours, so an even bigger BIGINNER:grin:

Keep logbook of observations is still a good way, IMHO, we are challenging oursselves, a logbook is a way to see our own progress.:smiley:

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Paul73

Paul73

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Good effort Mark! Are the targets drying up yet? I'm guessing that it isn't a case of, big scope, Point and hoover any more..... where are you focusing on to get you to the big 1500?

re. our friends across the pond. Can't blame them for getting excited about pristine sky's! 

Paul

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Linda

Linda

Posted
Posted

I have in one year seen 96 galaxies and other forum members have declared me not to be a beginner anymore. I log what I find in www.deepskylog.be and the tool gives me a nice overview of what different objects I have found. It also gives me a ranking among other users. That is a bit useless, because like people say, it is depending on so many things whether you can observe. Not in the least place the weather. But I like to keep track for myself.

A whole different issue is how you see stuff. Do you just register it and go on to the next one? Or do you observe for a long time and maybe make a sketch. There is a balance between quality and quantity. So far I have mostly logged quantity. But some objects are so worthwhile that you can just as well spend a lot of time with them, seeing more as time goes by. I have decided that next time I am in a dark place, I will go for quality and try sketching as well.

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mdstuart

mdstuart

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Paul - Yes that 383 line is pretty stunning isn't it. Might pop up to Hereford....not sure yet..

Linda - I do like to sketch the view..I must be honest though, most of the fuzzies I look at now are so faint I struggle to see them at times even with averted vision. So in those cases I sketch the star field and the location of the galaxy and try to see if it is an oval or a circle etc but that is about all I can discern.. On the brighter ones its certainly worth spending a longer time on them to see if a nucleus is visible or a dark lane etc....

Mark

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Stu1976j

Stu1976j

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I have to say that I have a very low count as in maybe a dozen, over a couple years, A) because of weather and time home away from work to observe and B) once I have located a Galaxy I like to study them in detail and learn about that Galaxy then move on to next target so for me its detail detail detail then quantity 

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DavidR100

DavidR100

Posted
Posted

That post is a real eye opener into the "premier league" of deep sky observations!

Well, I've been counting the counters' counts...

3 folk make it into the real stellar league having seen over 10,000 objects - Steve Gottleib, Don Pensack and the almost mythical "Il Galassiere" (The Galaxyman of Northern Italy) who has a staggering total of over 17,000!

Another 7 observers have counted over 5,000, with Mark coming in a very creditable 18th.  Well, you did suggest a league table, Mark! The post was concerned with all types of DSOs; if it were narrowed down to just galaxies I think Mark's position could rise a couple of places. 

While I wish in no way to devalue any of these fantastic achievements, several observers have benefited not only from very favourable viewing conditions (even mentioned by the OP), but also many decades of viewing opportunities. I even read the word "goto" once...  Having said that, keeping the enthusiasm going for so long demands a lot of respect and admiration.

I am also primarily a galaxy hunter and in the 4 years that I have been observing I have seen all 40 Messier galaxies (plus all the other Messiers) and I have logged observations of another 298 galaxies, making 338 galaxies in all. Adding in other types of DSOs the total will be a very rough 450.

Thanks again to Mark for providing this remarkable insight into "premier league" DSO observing and for making a very respectable UK representation on the thread.

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cloudsweeper

cloudsweeper

Posted
Posted

Interesting to see this thread revived.  When I posted about a year ago, my galaxy count was just 5.  With more time on the 8 inch, it has now risen to 22, and with darker nights approaching - plus more experience acquired - I look forward to further advances in this area.

Looking and enjoying are paramount, of course.  But logging one's activities and progress is a rewarding feature too!

Doug.

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