Should I be able to see things like the Crab Nebula with my Celestron 8SE?

[cletrac1922]

On ‎13‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 13:02, ZiHao said:

Telescope is just like a time machine, it helps you to look back into time! How amazing it is! When I am looking a globular cluster first time thru my levenhuk telescope last year(traded in with a SW telescope), I feel so excited until the next day!

 

When doing school and scout/guide programme with my club

Have 30+ 5 - 7 yo's presenting to

From land down under, able to observe  Omega Centauri, global cluster, which consists of more than 1.5 million stars

When giving presentation, tell kids that when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, one of the things he had to do for NASA was see how far he could hit a golf ball on the moon

Who wants to see Neil Armstrong's golf ball is in space

Every hand goes up

Omega Centauri looks like the dimples on a golf ball, and knick name is the golf ball cluster and is located adjacent to CRUX or Southern Cross when viewed through a scope

Apparently it is visible low on the horizon june/july northern hemisphere

 

 

 

 

[John]

I think it was Alan Shepard who hit the golf ball on the moon. I don't think NASA were aware that he was going to do it.

It's a good way to "hook" the kids attention though and link through to observing a globular cluster. I'd love to observe Omega Centauri when I visit the southern hemisphere

Lately I've been using Messier 15 in Pegasus as my "show and tell" globular. It's age of 12 billion years old is quite jaw dropping for first time observers plus it nicely resolves in moderate scopes

On the topic of the thread, I could see M1, the Crab Nebula quite nicely last night with my 120mm refractor. It looked rather like the image I posted earlier in the thread so quite good for the small aperture scope. 

[Piero]

I've seen M1 a few times with my TV60 here in Cambridge. It is a bit easier to find it with the Tak-100. A filter helps, but it is not impossible to find it filterless under > 19 mag skies in my opinion. 

Once found, I generally use medium power eyepiece though.

[Mark at Beaufort]

I saw the Crab Neb (M1) last night using my 15x70 Apollo Binos. It was faint but I knew exactly where it was located. I did have a nice view of M1 recently with my Heritage 130P Newt so it is going to be visible in your 8SE if your sky is not too bad.

[YKSE]

There's this site for Messiers in binoculars:

https://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/binomess/binomesa.html

Here's their list of 76(!) doable Messiers with 7x or 10x binoculars:

M1 is challenging, but doable.

Those who have some experience with telescopes will notice directly that M57 (ring nebula) is not in the list, it's simply because 7x or 10x is just to low magnification to identify M57.

[Piero]

4 hours ago, YKSE said:

There's this site for Messiers in binoculars:

https://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/binomess/binomesa.html

Here's their list of 76(!) doable Messiers with 7x or 10x binoculars:

M1 is challenging, but doable.

Those who have some experience with telescopes will notice directly that M57 (ring nebula) is not in the list, it's simply because 7x or 10x is just to low magnification to identify M57.

 

The Phantom Galaxy (M74) in Pisces is the only Messier I haven't (yet!) been able to spot with my TV-60.  I'm sure I only need a bit darker skies for that. Still, very challenging target for a small aperture.

[Luna-tic]

23 hours ago, Rick King said:

This is the foto I took of the Orion neb. Good, bad, or wat? I’m using a Canon Rebel T6 to do my photography. I’ve found out my go-to scope doesn’t always go to the exact spot u want it to. 

What are the specifics on the picture? Shutter speed(exposure time), ISO? It's not a bad early effort, you can see the graininess and "noise" from what is maybe a high ISO (>6400). I made some shots of M42 as my first AP attempts, since it is such a bright DSO. I used ISO 3200 and about 21 seconds, as well as 6400 and 26 seconds, to see what the combinations of exposure times and ISO did to the image. This is what I got, very similar to yours. Keep playing with combinations of ISO and exposure time. On a single exposure, with good tracking, about 25 seconds is all you can hope for before the stars begin to move.

[Luna-tic]

On ‎12‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 21:04, Rick King said:

This is the foto I took of the Orion neb. Good, bad, or wat? I’m using a Canon Rebel T6 to do my photography. I’ve found out my go-to scope doesn’t always go to the exact spot u want it to. 

What are the specifics on the picture? Shutter speed(exposure time), ISO? It's not a bad early effort, you can see the graininess and "noise" from what is maybe a high ISO (>6400). I made some shots of M42 as my first AP attempts, since it is such a bright DSO. I used ISO 3200 and about 21 seconds, as well as 6400 and 26 seconds, to see what the combinations of exposure times and ISO did to the image. This is what I got, very similar to yours. Keep playing with combinations of ISO and exposure time. On a single exposure, with good tracking, about 25 seconds is all you can hope for before the stars begin to move.

 

Don't know how to eliminate a duplicate post, I hit the save button twice.

[PurpleFringe]

On 13/12/2017 at 08:16, Stu said:

I spent years (literally) failing to find M1...

Haha! Exactly this. Over the years I've tried a few times to see M1 from my back yard, but I have yet to succeed. I live in London and have a 6" Newt. Think I'm giving up till I get the scope out to a dark location.

[PurpleFringe]

On 14/12/2017 at 14:32, YKSE said:

There's this site for Messiers in binoculars:

https://www.astroleague.org/al/obsclubs/binomess/binomesa.html

...

M1 is challenging, but doable.

Those who have some experience with telescopes will notice directly that M57 (ring nebula) is not in the list, it's simply because 7x or 10x is just to low magnification to identify M57.

Thanks, nice list. Lists are great:)

[Stu]

1 hour ago, PurpleFringe said:

Haha! Exactly this. Over the years I've tried a few times to see M1 from my back yard, but I have yet to succeed. I live in London and have a 6" Newt. Think I'm giving up till I get the scope out to a dark location.

Tee hee!

I bet you the first time you get your scope somewhere darkish you will wonder what all the fuss was about  You will see it first time.

[mariosi]

Another Messier 1 through 10 inches at 40X but is little close up. 

Good luck and clear skies 

Marios 

 

[Cosmic Geoff]

I could not see the Crab nebula with my 203mm Helios, or (so far as I remember) with my C8, even thought I am sure I was looking in the right place. I was observing from an urban area.