Crab Nebula with a 3" Telescope?

[M Astronomy]

Hey, I am wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to observe the crab nebula (m1) with a 3 inch telescope. I live in a rural area, so light pollution isn't an issue. I would really appreciate it if someone replied before tonight, as it's looking really clear and I am hoping to get my telescope out. Thanks!

[mdstuart]

Yes you will be able to see it as a faint smudge in a rural area.

Good luck..

Mark

[John]

As above but it is really faint - any sort of light pollution makes it very difficult to see with a small scope.

 

[mdstuart]

http://binocularsky.com/binoc_object_file.php?object_id=M1&aperture=100

 

[todd8137]

Should be real easy i see this in small binos from the back garden 

pat 

[M Astronomy]

Thanks for the replies! Wish me luck tonight, really hope I can see it!

[todd8137]

If like me when i first tried to find this i must have passed it loads times good luck full report on finding i hope 

????✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ 

[andrew63]

Best of luck with M1.  It took me ages before i saw it, and the first view i had was with a 3" - a 90 Mak.  As said, although it's just a smudge, it's still amazing !  Try a lowish magnification, perhaps around 30x  as too high and it might blend into the background, and wait until it's higher up in the sky.  

 

andrew

[estwing]

M1 can be a bit of a let down tbh but with good dark skies which you have and very little moon .....happy hunting!

[jabeoo1]

Of course its not what the eyes are seeing its what you know you are looking at is more important.  M1 is one of those objects, giving nothing of its grandeur away visually. 

[cotterless45]

It's still a thrill to catch it in a small scope. However from dark skies and a bit of aperture . You get what all the fuss is about ! Nick.

[M Astronomy]

Sadly didn't manage to see it. It was covered by cloud. Got a lovely view of the Andromeda galaxy though. Will try again soon! 

[alan potts]

I have seen it with my top mounted 70mm which rides on the SC. However if i had not have known I was on the target I feel I would not have seen it, it is faint in a small scope.

Alan

[Cjg]

Easily seen and enjoyed with my 3 inch from a rural location, as I've come to appreciate; it gets better the more times you observe it and become familiar with it..(think that applies to many targets).

Good hunting.

Chris

[John]

On 24/10/2016 at 18:00, todd8137 said:

Should be real easy i see this in small binos from the back garden 

pat 

Wow ! - you must have a really dark back garden Pat

What size small binoculars are we taking about ?

 

 

[Dave In Vermont]

Old Messier himself wasn't using a great big scope when he cataloged what we now know as the Messier Objects. Of course he wasn't contending with sodium-vapor streetlights and massive city-glow polluting our skies. So aperture-wise, your fine - light is your (our) bane.

Dave

ps - The Messier Objects were a list of things to avoid, as they could be mistaken for comets - as comets were what he was actually looking to find!

 

[VisualBod]

22 hours ago, John said:

Wow ! - you must have a really dark back garden Pat

What size small binoculars are we taking about ?

 

 

FWIW I've seen it in 8x50s one very dark and clear night, when it was high overhead.

[ronin]

You will need a dark sky. Last I looked at it was in a 6" and I said I could see something the other person said she couldn't and doubted my honesty. There was a fair amount of light pollution, but would still be more a borderline object I think.

When first seen the shape observed did not match the one we are familiar with today, simply the scope was poor. Crab relates to the initial shape, which from the distant memory of it it seemed more lobster like. So yes Messiers scope was not big, but it was also not good.

[Dave In Vermont]

Here's a very nice, graphic software-program to help you find & view the Messier Objects. It's Free as well:

http://www.davidpaulgreen.com/download.html

If you like it (I have a copy on my desktop), here's some others from David Paul Green, who put these together for you:

http://www.davidpaulgreen.com/software.html

I like the pictures in this. Hope you enjoy!

Dave

[John]

On 30/10/2016 at 18:13, VisualBod said:

FWIW I've seen it in 8x50s one very dark and clear night, when it was high overhead.

I had a reasonably good dark night tonight (mag 5.5 visual) and struggled to see any more than a suggestion of M1 with my Opticron 11x70 binoculars. 

[VisualBod]

On 02/11/2016 at 01:18, John said:

I had a reasonably good dark night tonight (mag 5.5 visual) and struggled to see any more than a suggestion of M1 with my Opticron 11x70 binoculars. 

It was just the once! And I was twenty younger than I am now. I'll keep a watch this coming winter and see if I can repeat the feat.

[Stu]

On 30/10/2016 at 18:13, VisualBod said:

FWIW I've seen it in 8x50s one very dark and clear night, when it was high overhead.

If memory serves me right, I've seen it in 15x50 Canon binoculars from a dark site on the Purbeck peninsula in Dorset. I think dark skies are as important as anything else with this one.

[Moonshane]

visually I'd say it's about the same brightness as M110 but is a little more compact. Would be a good one to compare with.

[Size9Hex]

Interested to know how you're getting on? As above in a rural area you should catch M1 with a 3" scope. I found it as a small faint blotch in 10x50 binos on a dark night, visible in averted vision much of the time (but blinking in and out to be honest). M101 by contrast was harder for me and only fleetingly visible although when it did pop out I could see the orientation. I should add that from exactly the same spot I've missed M1 in a 10" scope even on what seemed to be a good night - transparency and darkness as important as ever. Good luck!

[M Astronomy]

Hey! Thanks for all the support. Its been horrible weather recently and I have been unable to observe much (though I did manage to see the taurid meteor shower a few days ago). I will keep trying until I find it. 

Right now I am saving up to buy a Skywatcher 200p on an EQ5 mount, which should give me some great views. Does anyone know what I should expect to see of the crab nebula with an 8 inch scope?