first ever glimpse of M42

[Tohrazer]

decided to wrap up warm and find out the big binoculars (70 mm) it took me awhile but i managed to get a look at the orion nebula, it wasnt exactly the same view you see in photos, but it was my first direct viewing, i was confident i was definitley looking at the right thing, and i was very pleased with myself! , i also noted betelgeuse red-ness and saw something i couldnt work out what it was (something hovering in place, flashing blue and red) my first thoughts were police helicopter (after id dismissed the possibility it was a plane), but it stayed there for hours.. was still there when i went to bed, i guess they carry more fuel than i realised.

id imagine the lower magnification, the easier it is to find something?

anyhows, i did find it got rather spooky after awhile, id turned off every light possible to make sure my pupils were as wide as they could be, and i have to say, i never realised just how many stars were visible from my back yard, DESPITE the light pollution (the undersides of clouds that roll over look brown..) im guessing with a bigger aperature, you can see even more, again - despite the pollution?

any tips for relieving the spookyness? im more sure now than ever that i definitley want to invest in a decent telescope though..

anyhows, that was my night, lol.

[themos]

Nice to hear of a first session! Those big binoculars need to be held steady, do you use a tripod or some device?

The red-blue flasher, was it to the left of Orion and further down? Could it have been Sirius? It's the brightest star in the sky and seems to flash colours when it's low.

[Talitha]

Thanks for sharing this with us.. first sighting reports always bring back great memories.

Larger aperture will definitely allow you to see more, but objects still won't look like they do in images.. our eyes can't store incoming photons the way a camera does. But you're absolutely right about the feeling of satisfaction in seeing these things for yourself, there's nothing like it.

Lower magnification (62x_49' fov_f/10 8" SCT) helped tremendously when I worked the two Herschel 400 lists. Some of the lower magnitude DSOs were a bit more difficult but I'd have bypassed them with higher power. A good atlas helps, too.

The spooky feeling will pass. I live way out in the country and the nightsounds during my first few sessions created some apprehension, but very soon I found the dark solitude to be quite peaceful.. made me feel at one with nature and the universe if you know what I mean.

Btw, are you sure the flashing object actually stayed in the same spot for hours? If it did, it couldn't be celestial.

[Tohrazer]

it didnt look celestial to be honest, has me very perplexed. im pretty sure it wasnt sirius (however i suppose i could be wrong), but i will double check tonight, cheers!

i dont have a tripod for the binos sadly, however with lowest magnification i can hold it steady-ish - going to give it a go with 15x50's tonight. (the others are 20x70)

[themos]

Well, I remember thinking that Jupiter was a police helicopter when it was very low down and I changed my mind after an hour of it hovering about.

[Doc]

Congratulations onn your first sighting of Orion.

I think it's awesome.

[vemarstar]

Yes talking of M42, i saw it last night eyes adapted to the dark i put in 25m eyepiece into my 8 inch reflector it was "awesome".

[stefski]

M42 - always fantastic! Just wait until you see it through the 'scope you now 'just have to buy' !

....... i definitley want to invest in a decent telescope though..

...and so the journey down the slippery slope begins!!!

Stef

[Tohrazer]

yeah just called up my local retailer.. looking at a 12" dob.

now if only the clouds would fly off somewhere else

[Steve922]

I had a similar experience with a helicopter. It was flying very low, just over the treetops and directly at me. Its headlight was very bright but it must have been a long way away because it hardly seemed to move for about an hour. Then I realised, it was Sirius!

However, the harder I looked the more I found it difficult to believe. How bright can a star get? It was blinding, maybe ten times as bright as any other star I have seen. It also seemed to have a diameter and I'd swear it was intermittently flashing a bright blue light to the side.

I have identified it positively as Sirius but am still amazed at this beautiful sight. Must be the best single star in the sky. As a guide, for other newcomers, draw a long line through Orion's Belt. About an Orion's length along the line to the left sits Sirius. About an Orion's length along the line to the right sits Alderberan and the Hyades (a lovely, lovely formation). About half as far again along the same line (going past the Hyades) and you bump into the Pleiades, which takes some beating for a low-magnifictaion staring target.

So, do you think t may have been Sirius? Or a UFO?

Steve

[Taff]

M42 is a nice sight to look at either with binoculars or a telescope.I can remember the first time was with a 10x50's binoculars.Taff

[surfindogg]

I was looking at M42 on Saturday and looked at Sirius because I remembered where it was! And yes it was twinkling blue and red and bright as a button. It was low down for me and I guess the twinkle is from the thicker slice of atmosphere its light has to travel through. Some great sights Saturday. M45 was amazing as always and I managed to spot M31 in my new Celestron LPR binoculars [thanks Stefski] with and with out the filters. Not bad from the edge of the Bournemouth light pollution bubble!