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How many "M" objects can you find without no help?

Doc

By Doc
in The Astro Lounge

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Doc

Doc

Posted
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just wondering how many Messier objects do you know exactly where to find, straight away without the aid of charts or software.

Only about 6 months ago I struggled to find any. So I'm glad I'm learning the sky.

Some of you guys have been doing this for years so how well do you know the sky.

I can find the following.

M1, M42, M43, M81, M82, M36, M37, M38, M31, M32, M110, M45,M33, M57, M13, M15

About 16.

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Sam

Sam

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off the top of my head I can find the following without reference:

M45, M43, M42, M76, M35, M36, M37, M101, M102, M108, M109, M74, M33, M77, M1, M13, M15, M3, M5, M31, M32, M110, M51, M44, M106, M81, M82, M98, M100, M99, M27, M57, M48, M67.

I can't think of anymore which probably means I wouldn't be able to find anymore without reference.

Sam

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scotastro

scotastro

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Good work there Doc, that's a good number in only a few months.

My list includes all those plus M2, M3, M5, M8, M10, M11, M16, M17, M27, M33, M34, M35, M39, M44, M51, M56, M65, M66, M71, M74, M77, M84, M86, M92, M94, M95, M96, M97, M108. Probably missed a few more.

But then I should as it's my job these days.

Mike

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661-pete

661-pete

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I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'find'. Find with binoculars? That would limit you to some of the brighter Messiers, unless you're blessed with very good skies! Find with a telescope, by starhopping? I assume you don't mean 'find' with a GOTO mount! :D

I suppose I have from France a somewhat more southerly aspect so I can easily home in with naked-eye or bins on some of the more important Sagittarius and Scorpius objects e.g. M4 M8 M22. Also M7 near the 'sting' which is I think the most southerly of all the Messiers and very difficult from UK!

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Doc

Doc

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Pete by find I mean, without having to first look it up in a chart.

You know exactly where in the sky it is and can go there straight away with either bins or scope.

Wow guys looks like I have some catching up to do :D

Thanks for your input.

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acey

acey

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Pete by find I mean, without having to first look it up in a chart.

You know exactly where in the sky it is and can go there straight away with either bins or scope.

The two things aren't quite the same - if you know roughly where it is then you can soon sweep it with bins or finder. I know, for example, that M57 is roughly half-way between the two bottom stars of Lyra - that's near enough to get there without a map. If you sweep down the Scutum/Sagittarius region of the summer Milky Way then you soon pick up a lot of M's; Virgo Cluster is a similar story. I don't think I could point to the exact location of M81/82 on a map but I find them in no time with bins. So in answer to your question - I don't know.

Andrew

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kniclander

kniclander

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hmmmm - I would say I know pretty well where about three dozen are. Under my regular skies, I could probably find about half of them; under dark skies I could find them all and probably a couple more (ie I know roughly where they are eg Virgo cluster galaxies - if you go to Vindeimatrix (?spelling) and slew to the right you see a few but I could never "find" these (nor the Leo trio etc) under my regular skies :D )

a long answer to a simple question :hello2:

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mdstuart

mdstuart

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Let me think M1,M2,M11,M15,M27,M32,M33,M34,M35,M36,M37,M39,M40,M42,M43,M52,M57,M81,M82,M92,M104,M110

So about 22 and then about 10 more in Virgo but I would not know which is which!

Seeing is looking good as forecast tonight, in most places..

Mark

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supernova

supernova

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Pete by find I mean, without having to first look it up in a chart.

You know exactly where in the sky it is and can go there straight away with either bins or scope.

Wow guys looks like I have some catching up to do :D

Thanks for your input.

Because I don't do goto,

After a recount 9.

You cant beat starhopping.

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Talitha

Talitha

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just wondering how many Messier objects do you know exactly where to find, straight away without the aid of charts or software.

Finding the objects is the easy part.. it's remembering the designations that's a struggle for me. Here's my list of 47, but please forgive the fact that I had to refer to the Messier Card to get the numbers. :D

103, 52, 29, 57, 15, 71, 11, 26, 16, 17, 18, 22, 28, 54, 70, 69, 92, 13, 101, 51, 109, 97/108, 5, 80, 4, 6, 7, 104, 68, 95/96/105, 65/66, 35, 46/47, 41, 42/43, 36, 37, 38, 31/32/110

I can also pick out some of them in the VIR/COM cluster and always bump into more in SGR than what's included in my list, but those environs are very congested and I don't feel confident in identifying the objects without referring to the MSA (Millennium Star Atlas).

Just a final note.. it may sound as though I know the sky like the back of my hand but trust me, I really don't. I'm blessed with dark skies and have a lot more clear nights than most of you.. being an Amateur for 10 years helps, too. :hello2:

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Andrew*

Andrew*

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Off the top of my head:

1, 13, 15, 27, 29, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38, 39, 42, 43, 45, 51, 52, 56, 57, 65, 66, 74, 81, 82, 92, 101, 103, 110.

28 in all - wow! I didn't imagine I would get so many. Some of those are a little rusty as it's been a while, but I'm fairly confident I could find them once I see the constellation again.

Andrew

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Doc

Doc

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just wondering how many Messier objects do you know exactly where to find, straight away without the aid of charts or software.

Finding the objects is the easy part.. it's remembering the designations that's a struggle for me. Here's my list of 47, but please forgive the fact that I had to refer to the Messier Card to get the numbers. :D

103, 52, 29, 57, 15, 71, 11, 26, 16, 17, 18, 22, 28, 54, 70, 69, 92, 13, 101, 51, 109, 97/108, 5, 80, 4, 6, 7, 104, 68, 95/96/105, 65/66, 35, 46/47, 41, 42/43, 36, 37, 38, 31/32/110

I can also pick out some of them in the VIR/COM cluster and always bump into more in SGR than what's included in my list, but those environs are very congested and I don't feel confident in identifying the objects without referring to the MSA (Millennium Star Atlas).

Just a final note.. it may sound as though I know the sky like the back of my hand but trust me, I really don't. I'm blessed with dark skies and have a lot more clear nights than most of you.. being an Amateur for 10 years helps, too. :hello2:

Wow 47 thats loads.

But as you say you do have very dark skies. It must help so much.

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Tim

Tim

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Wait a minute....... you said "Without NO help" Does that mean SOME help allowed ??? :D

Here's a funny thing, I struggle (and I know im not the only one after last Kelling - you know who you are guys :hello2: ) when the skies are darker. When there is a multitude of stars, the landmark ones become lost in the mass to my eyes.

Lets see. M1. M57. M45. M27. M76. M31, M101, M56, M42, M43, M33. And maybe 10 - 15 NGC/IC objects. Thats about all my little brain can cope with, I hate numbers!

TJ

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thing

thing

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Wait a minute....... you said "Without NO help" Does that mean SOME help allowed ??? :D

Here's a funny thing, I struggle (and I know im not the only one after last Kelling - you know who you are guys :hello2: ) when the skies are darker. When there is a multitude of stars, the landmark ones become lost in the mass to my eyes.

Lets see. M1. M57. M45. M27. M76. M31, M101, M56, M42, M43, M33. And maybe 10 - 15 NGC/IC objects. Thats about all my little brain can cope with, I hate numbers!

TJ

I struggle with dark skies too, I was having a gander tonight from my city viewpoint with the moon blaring away and the constellations were ever so easy to pick out. Give me a dark site and a clear moonless night and I get lost. I reckon I could do 20 or so M's without a chart.

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Whippy

Whippy

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Off the top of my head...

3, 13, 27, 29, 31, 32, 36, 37, 38 42, 43, 44, 45, 57, 81, 82, 110 and the Virgo cluster but to be honest, I get a little confused with the sheer number of fuzzies around there so let's say 17 or so. Most of the relatively easy ones then!

I know roughly where a fair few are just going by the major stars and taking it from there, I just haven't got round to tracking them down yet.

I do love going to Star parties like Kelling though as it makes things so much easier. Back at the spring one this year, SteveL asked me where M44 was and I just pointed up to it. Easy. Back at home, I have to star hop. Not so easy.

All together now: Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above, Don't fence me in..................

Tony..

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