Your Favourite Easy-To-See Object?

[cloudsweeper]

Yes, @Astro Imp and @Macavity - Open Clusters are indeed lovely objects to behold!  And the sky is full of 'em.  NGC 6940 in Vulpecula is another favourite, plus several from the Messier Catalogue of course. 

Doug.

[cloudsweeper]

@Bossen - you'll be able to find M31 easily - but depending on a number of factors you might not see much more than a smudge - just the core rather than the full extent.

But it's a fascinating smudge, and the nearest major smudge to the Milky Way.

And since it's on a collision course with the Milky Way, you'll get a better view if you wait a few billion years!

Doug.

[Victor Boesen]

13 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

And since it's on a collision course with the Milky Way, you'll get a better view if you wait a few billion years!

Good idea!??

[Timebandit]

1 hour ago, cloudsweeper said:

                

But it's a fascinating smudge, and the nearest major smudge to the Milky Way.

And since it's on a collision course with the Milky Way, you'll get a better view if you wait a few billion years!

Doug.

 

Thanks for the heads up, a few Billion years. The minds willing, but i don't think the body will hold up for that long ?

[glynnlondon]

Herschel's garnet star , I never get tired of seeing the colour in that.

[spaceboy]

Messier.... 3, 13, 13, 27, 31, 32, 36, 37, 38, 42, 44, 57

Bodes, double cluster, double double, Dragon fly cluster, coat hanger, Eskimo,

[Hadron]

For me, at the moment, it's a toss up between m13 and m57. I can't help but revisit them on every observation session and seem to glean a bit more from them every time 

[Major]

Pleiades - found it on my own while scanning the sky with binos.

Then Moon, for nice and sharp "edges", Cassiopeia - just returning to this one and find something new every time, Orion,  Perseus and since I am learning, everything else I can see  

[cloudsweeper]

Thanks everyone.  There are several mentioned that I too have seen and liked, and others that I shall now be looking out for!

Doug.

[alan potts]

In truth your choice is a very good one but I have a few rather than only one. M42 is a must see every night it's up also in the summer M22 is lovely to same extent M13 is. I also never tire of Albireo and Almach.

With a gun to my head and picking one, it would have to be M42.

Alan

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Sun during the day, a series of easy DSO during the night with bins or the APM 80mm F/6  (Pleiades, Double Cluster, M13, M31, M42, M81 & M82), and Jupiter and Saturn, and a similar series of DSOs in the SCT

[Mak the Night]

At the moment it's M42 for me. I saw it on the last day of August early in the morning with my Newtonian this year. It's the first time I'd seen it with my 130mm Explorer in a long time. Last year I spent quite a bit of time with the bino's and the 102mm Skymax on it. 

 

One of the reasons I like M42 is that it's easy to find with a dewed finder scope! lol

[boyfromlincs]

 the moon and jupiter.. m31 and m 42...and just putting a low power ep in the scope and looking around with a wide view...stunning..

[Size9Hex]

Great topic! 

I don't know if this one is allowed as it does need somewhat dark skies (but not super dark), but on the other hand no kit needed at all... the Milky Way through Cygnus. Just stunning to seeing the scale of it sweep across the sky and contemplate it carrying on unseen beyond both horizons.

If I'm not allowed that, then it's the Orion Nebula all the way!

[cloudsweeper]

5 hours ago, Size9Hex said:

Great topic! 

I don't know if this one is allowed as it does need somewhat dark skies (but not super dark), but on the other hand no kit needed at all... the Milky Way through Cygnus. Just stunning to seeing the scale of it sweep across the sky and contemplate it carrying on unseen beyond both horizons.

If I'm not allowed that, then it's the Orion Nebula all the way!

That's allowed, Paul!  And M42 is a great choice for back-up.

Doug.

[LukeSkywatcher]

M44 (Beehive Cluster). Best observed with bins.

[Corkeyno2]

Oh man for the one's I've seen so far it's got to be Jupiter. It's just the idea that it is a giant planet and is really deep and stormy. Mind blows me every time. Also, just looking into space in general is pretty cool, because you're seeing back in time.

[Moonshane]

For me it would be

Sun

Moon

Jupiter

Mars

Saturn

Plus dsos

Orion neb

Ring neb

Dumbbell

Veil (with the right filter)

M13

Swan neb

Double Cluster

Wild Duck Cluster

[cloudsweeper]

Kemble's Cascade (a remarkable linear perforation of the sky, punctuated half way with a brighter star, then ending with open cluster NGC 1502 at the end) is now "up there" for me - saw it last night (through a streaming cold - wife thinks I'm crazy).

The 8SE of course didn't show it all in one go, so I'll use the ST120 next time.  (When I'm over this cold.)

But the Double Cluster is still "the one".

Doug.

[Stu]

I could answer 'all of the above' quite legitimately, but will offer an alternative.

Mizar and Alcor. This was the first object I ever looked at through a scope, and it fascinated me after reading about it in a Patrick Moore book (something like 'observing the night sky with binoculars). The fact that it is a naked eye & binocular double, a telescopic double and that each of the components is apparently a spectroscopic double making six stars is something I find amazing. I rarely have a night observing without saying hello to it.

[cloudsweeper]

@Stu - interesting - that double was my very first object too - I'd given up on the Astromaster 130EQ, and was keen to put its replacement Meade Infinity 70 into action.  So, recognising The Plough, homed in on Mizar/Alcor.  M42 and M45 were next in succession.

Doug.

 

[wheresthetorch?]

NGC457 - can see it under any conditions (except cloud, obviously!), and looks like ET in the sky. 

[rockettsue]

I 'm still finding my eyes in the sky so theres loads of serendipity moments.  Reading these goodies I have loads to chose from at a glance. Thanks all

[Pete Presland]

The moon tops the list, no optical aid needed. Even on a partly cloudy night I love seeing the moon "peeping" between the clouds, always have from an early age. Just something about those clouds passing in front of it, it must be the sense of distance they create maybe?

[cloudsweeper]

5 minutes ago, bunnygod1 said:

The moon tops the list, no optical aid needed. Even on a partly cloudy night I love seeing the moon "peeping" between the clouds, always have from an early age. Just something about those clouds passing in front of it, it must be the sense of distance they create maybe?

Yeah, very atmospheric and haunting. Then all that finer detail through a 'scope, which changes in subtle ways with its phases.  Marvellous!

Doug.