Seeing Makemake through backyard telescope

[Sedna]

According to Wikipedia, the dwarf planet Makemake is magnitude 17.0 at opposition. This should be visible with a 16 inch telescope, as you can determine with this limiting magnitude calculator. Which begs the question ... has anyone here actually tried seeing this dwarf planet with a big telescope and a really dark sky? It's incredible to think that a world that went undiscovered until 2005 is theoretically within reach of amateurs! (But then again, Uranus is a naked eye object and was visible yet undetected as a planet for most of human history ... I do also realize there are Makemake precovery images dating back to 1955).

I think this would make a great challenge for this forum--find and photograph Makemake with your backyard telescope! Who's up for it? Sadly I lack the equipment

Also--Haumea is magnitude 17.3 at opposition, should also be visible to someone with a really good telescope who's up for the challenge.

[MarsG76]

Hmmm, perhaps...

 

[Sunshine]

I wonder, considering average seeing conditions would you actually need a 20'' telescope? i wonder what conditions must be met when Mag charts are drawn up.

[Sedna]

7 hours ago, Sunshine said:

I wonder, considering average seeing conditions would you actually need a 20'' telescope? i wonder what conditions must be met when Mag charts are drawn up.

Here are the parameters I used to calculate it:

aperture = 16"

power = 250

type = refractor

mirror coating (the calculator forces you to specify this even for refractor where it's not relevant) = enhanced 95% reflectivity

optics cleanliness = clean

observer age = 28 yr (6.7 mm fully dilated pupil diameter)

observer experience = expert

naked eye limiting magnitude near zenith = 7.0 (SQM = 22 mag/sec^2)

These parameters give a telescope limiting magnitude of 17.2. The sky conditions for the naked eye limiting magnitude of 7 correspond to Bortle class 2 "average dark sky." If I change this to suburban sky (Bortle class 5), you would then a 32" telescope to give the same limiting magnitude!

P.S. Assuming a Bortle class 1 "excellent sky," one could see dwarf planet Eris (apparent magnitude 18.7) at opposition using a 30" telescope, but obviously that's out of reach for most amateurs.