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M81 & M82?


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Yep, low power (even binocs) helps with M81 & M82.

I'd add averted vision (which has already been mentioned) helps.  Scan your eye slowly over the region where the faint nebula should be, and you'll possibly see the nebula appear when the eye moves. (It's because your eye is most sensitive to low light not at its centre, but a little to the sides.)

Under most conditions, you're looking for a light-grey object against a dark-grey sky.  This is why these things are a bit elusive on the bad days!

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I got the M81/M82 pair a few nights ago with a 114mm from suburban skies. I red dotted on 23 UMa then due N to 24UMa (I have an equatorial mount so it's easiest to star hop in one of the cardinal directions - I just look at the direction of field rotation for orientation and then only need to turn one of the axes to make the hop). Once at 24UMa it's a touch to the E and they popped into view - fuzzies just visible without averted vision, but could clearly tell that they were oriented at right angles and having them both in the eyepiece together was lovely. The first objects I've seen that are outside the Local Group!

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