M51 Whirlpool Galaxy in mid July

[Red Dwarfer]

Hi all , 

Is anyone else having trouble finding or observing M51 Whirlpool Galaxy near Ursa Major ? I tried to find it for the first time last night but gave up after ten minutes ... then tonight I thought I'd give it another try , this time first with binoculars , and relatively quickly found what looked like a faint fuzz in that general area . When I located it with the 200P at x 75 magnification ( 32mm and x 2 Barlow ) l could just make out two faint but distinct blobs , the main light core of the Galaxy and the light core of the tail as well but both were quite faint in this lighter region of the N/W Summer sky , compared to M57 in Hercules for example . Is M51 best left as a Winter target or is it just better observed with a bigger scope ? 

[rockystar]

dark skies! I have a similar view as you described from home, but the first time i saw it in a dark sky I was blown away - this was with an 8" dob.

well done in finding it - it took me a few goes too

[Piero]

The sky is still to bright at the moment. Late August after the nautical twilight away from light pollution observing M51 will be feasible.

Ursa Major is getting low in the sky though. If you observe under dark skies you might be interested in M33 which is coming up in triangulum. It's a bit challenging

[Chefgage]

6 hours ago, Red Dwarfer said:

Hi all , 

Is anyone else having trouble finding or observing M51 Whirlpool Galaxy near Ursa Major ? I tried to find it for the first time last night but gave up after ten minutes ... then tonight I thought I'd give it another try , this time first with binoculars , and relatively quickly found what looked like a faint fuzz in that general area . When I located it with the 200P at x 75 magnification ( 32mm and x 2 Barlow ) l could just make out two faint but distinct blobs , the main light core of the Galaxy and the light core of the tail as well but both were quite faint in this lighter region of the N/W Summer sky , compared to M57 in Hercules for example . Is M51 best left as a Winter target or is it just better observed with a bigger scope ? 

That pretty much sums up what its like for me at the moment. Anything towards the north is very faint (along with east, south and west  !!!)

Still nice to see but this must be the first time i have ever looked forward to winter and the long darker skies

[Jim Smith]

I know "video astronomy" isn't everyone's cup of tea, but this is the view of M51 I got on my laptop screen, from my C6 and Lodestar camera, a couple of weeks ago. Being able to observe around the summer solstice, or if there is a full moon helps me get best use of Herefordshire's rare cloudless nights. 

[John]

Nice shot Jim !

Thats a bit like M51 viewed through my 12" dob under a really dark sky

This time of year though, from my back garden, it's a couple of faint fuzzy "eyes" staring back at me at best.

[Pondus]

Cant see any of the Ursa Major stars naked eye at the moment...

However, I`ve had very good views indeed of M51, using the 130mm Heritage from my own backyard, when its astronomical dark.

 

Rune

[Ben the Ignorant]

Yes, a dark sky helps, obviously, but waiting for spells of drier air helps, too. More transparency and less scatter.

[Littleguy80]

3 hours ago, John said:

Thats a bit like M51 viewed through my 12" dob under a really dark sky

I'm astounded that that level detail could be seen visually in a galaxy! Just goes to show the difference dark skies make

Great shot, Jim btw

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Dark skies are essential. I observed M51 with my 8" from a really dark site in southern France last year and I spotted more detail than with a 16" RC of our university from the suburbs of our city. Using Olly's 20" from his beautifully dark site is just completely gobsmackingly awesome!

[John]

1 hour ago, Littleguy80 said:

I'm astounded that that level detail could be seen visually in a galaxy! Just goes to show the difference dark skies make

Great shot, Jim btw

The problem that is presented, having seen M51 looking that good, is when your get home and it does not cut it so well from your back garden

 

[Littleguy80]

7 minutes ago, John said:

The problem that is presented, having seen M51 looking that good, is when your get home and it does not cut it so well from your back garden

I can imagine though I'd take that over not having an amazing view like that. It must make for great inspiration to make the effort to get out to a dark site

[triton1]

I remember looking at M51three years ago before new neighbours moved in above and next to me(maisonettes)and the sodium street light in the countryside behind me had been broken for about a year the views were staggering,talk about being spoilt.I now can see just two faint fuzzy blobs a big let down.I must admit when I see pictures posted on here of people's properties and where they view from(in the countryside) the green monster shows up,dark skies win hands down every time.??

[ronin]

What time did you try? The sun eventually disappears late but it also sets in what is near the North West where you mention the targe is/was located.

As it is BST at present that means the sun is "opposite" us at 1:00am so that is one time to try, not very sociable however. I would suspect that 2:00 and 3:00 may be even better as although the sun is coming round again it is coming round from the other side of the sky. So the M51 bit of the sky may be better.

The other option is wait 3 months, however I still suspect a time around midnight will be what you will have to consider.

[wookie1965]

I had been looking for M51 for 4 years only seen it once and that was from Buxton in Mapstars scope. From home I have never glimpsed it with my 8inch scope. 

[Red Dwarfer]

1 hour ago, ronin said:

What time did you try?

I set the scope up in the back garden at around 10pm and had a quick look at Jupiter and again about 11pm , but for DSO`s I need to wait until after midnight to get into the darkest the sky will get for this time of year ... M13 in Hercules and M57 in Lyra are almost overhead by this time and great , clear targets to see . 

[Red Dwarfer]

2 hours ago, triton1 said:

Sodium street light 

The Council / local authority replaced all the orange sodium lights here a couple of years ago with colourless lights that are much dimmer and covered at the top so there is much less light pollution now .

[Red Dwarfer]

4 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

Completely gobsmackingly awesome

Completely gobsmackingly awesome was the reaction to seeing M57 in Lyra properly for the first time and also M13 in Hercules as well a couple of nights ago ! I`m looking forward to dark Winter skies now ... 

[Red Dwarfer]

9 hours ago, Jim Smith said:

I know "video astronomy" isn't everyone's cup of tea

I need to google video astronomy to find out what it is , but from that attachment it looks like you are getting pretty phenomenal results !

[Jim Smith]

10 minutes ago, Red Dwarfer said:

I need to google video astronomy to find out what it is

It's really just replacing the eyepiece with a camera, and viewing the live output from the camera on a video monitor or computer screen.

Take a look here... https://stargazerslounge.com/forum/123-video-astronomy/