A good reflector between £100-500

[Goldenmole]

Good day fellow gazers at the sky! I recently joined and i would just like to say how wonderful everyone is (a special shout out to George Gearless)!

 Can anyone suggest a good reflector within my budget shown in the title? While i'm here i'd just like to say about the app, Nightshift. It is proffesional, clear and tellls you when to observe, and what you can see, for the next year! It also pinpoints your location exactly, so it is really accurate.https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.waddensky.nightshift. Anyway, that's me done! Thank you all so much for your time

Edited February 11, 2021 by Goldenmole

[wookie1965]

Are you sure you were looking in the right place "Orion's Nebula is not in the belt stars it is further down I had my Tal 100rs (100mm)  so only 20mm bigger and I could clearly see it. take a look at this if I am wrong and you where in the right place I apologise but from your post it does look like it.

https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/celestial-objects-to-watch/observing-the-great-orion-nebula/

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

As Wookie pointed out, you're probably looking in the wrong place. M42, The Orion Nebula can be seen easily through 10x50 binoculars from a city garden.

Before spending money on something you don't need, try again! 😉

[Goldenmole]

Oh, i can see what you guys were thinking, but this was while i wasn't actually looking AT the belt, more around it. Besides, as i said, i was considering it anyway.:-) 

[dweller25]

Hello @Goldenmole and welcome to SGL.

The Orion Nebula is straight down from the central star in the belt.

This scope may interest you ......

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bresser-telescopes/bresser-messier-8-dobsonian-telescope.html

Edited February 11, 2021 by dweller25

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

1 hour ago, Goldenmole said:

Oh, i can see what you guys were thinking, but this was while i wasn't actually looking AT the belt, more around it. Besides, as i said, i was considering it anyway.:-) 

Mate, M42 is a big smudge in the sky as described in the diagram Wookie linked. So, yes we are thinking correctly. Even from a light polluted city, if pointed at the correct location it's easy to see with an 80mm refractor. Spending more money on a larger aperture won't make finding what are considered brighter objects any easier. 

If you typed something like, 'I found M42, but it looked washed out and seemed to be missing a lot of structure compared to descriptions, so I think I need a bit more aperture', then it would be apt to encourage you to spend money to see more objects and extra detail.

Edited February 11, 2021 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[wulfrun]

I can (just) discern the Orion nebula with the naked-eye and from a light-polluted backyard. Obviously I can't see any detail at all, naked-eye but I can see it looks like a fuzzy smudge with a bright centre. I'd agree you may not have been in the right place.

For your bugdet, if you really want one, you could get an 8" or so Dob. It'll be a beast, size-wise though, don't forget - compared to your refractor anyway.

[wookie1965]

As said by SpaceCadet even if you buy a Reflector with more aperture if you are looking in the wrong place you won't see M42 at all. 

I have two refractors a 4"  and a 5" for the brighter galaxies and nebulas your 80mm would easily pick them up. 

I know you said you were considering anyway but IMHO I would try and find the objects with the refractor before getting the reflector otherwise you will come back and say I have 6" or 8" reflector and cannot see anything. 

Took me a while to find objects just need learn the sky and position of the objects may I suggest downloading Stellarium and using this to help you. 

[Goldenmole]

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Goldenmole

[Goldenmole]

 

[Louis D]

9 hours ago, Goldenmole said:

Can anyone suggest a good reflector within my budget shown in the title?

Alright, back to the title subject.

It depends on your observing conditions.  Can you just walk out your backdoor and start observing or do you need to haul it up or down many stairs?  Does it need to fit in a car, a backpack, or on public transit?

There's not much in stock anywhere, but the top contenders tend to be various 6" or 8" Dobs, the 130 or 150 SW Heritage scopes, or the 130P and 130P-DS scopes on various mounts.

[Goldenmole]

12 hours ago, Louis D said:

Alright, back to the title subject.

It depends on your observing conditions.  Can you just walk out your backdoor and start observing or do you need to haul it up or down many stairs?  Does it need to fit in a car, a backpack, or on public transit?

There's not much in stock anywhere, but the top contenders tend to be various 6" or 8" Dobs, the 130 or 150 SW Heritage scopes, or the 130P and 130P-DS scopes on various mounts.

 Luckily, I can very easily just walk out my door and observe

[Louis D]

3 hours ago, Goldenmole said:

 Luckily, I can very easily just walk out my door and observe

Then an 8" Dob, probably the Bresser 200p, would be your best bang for the buck.  You might never feel the need to go bigger for observing.

[BaldyMan]

On 11/02/2021 at 18:17, wulfrun said:

I can (just) discern the Orion nebula with the naked-eye and from a light-polluted backyard. Obviously I can't see any detail at all, naked-eye but I can see it looks like a fuzzy smudge with a bright centre. I'd agree you may not have been in the right place.

For your bugdet, if you really want one, you could get an 8" or so Dob. It'll be a beast, size-wise though, don't forget - compared to your refractor anyway.

I'm an utter newbie. I find the orion nebula with ease. If you look at Orion's belt currently in winter it is south facing and tilts diagonally down to the left. There are 3 small  stars just below it which make up "the sword". The centre of these 3 stars is the nebula and once you put any kind of scope on you should see it.

It took me a few seconds because you need your eyes to adjust but then it just pops out, a big grey smudge all around and you can usually see 2 or 3 stars in it actually. My 9yr old daughter insists she can see it in a pinky purple colour. I didn't believe her but she hasn't googled anything and apparently it's true that young kids can see it in colour

[wookie1965]

A 8" is ideal they show lots of objects deep sky as long as you have dark skies but all the brighter objects are easily seen once found M42 will look bigger. 

[wulfrun]

1 hour ago, BaldyMan said:

I'm an utter newbie. I find the orion nebula with ease. If you look at Orion's belt currently in winter it is south facing and tilts diagonally down to the left. There are 3 small  stars just below it which make up "the sword". The centre of these 3 stars is the nebula and once you put any kind of scope on you should see it.

It took me a few seconds because you need your eyes to adjust but then it just pops out, a big grey smudge all around and you can usually see 2 or 3 stars in it actually. My 9yr old daughter insists she can see it in a pinky purple colour. I didn't believe her but she hasn't googled anything and apparently it's true that young kids can see it in colour

Crossed wires? I too was pointing out just how easy it is to find. The OP has edited his post but he mentioned he could not see it, so myself and others suggested he's not looking in the right place.

[Goldenmole]

17 hours ago, BaldyMan said:

I'm an utter newbie. I find the orion nebula with ease. If you look at Orion's belt currently in winter it is south facing and tilts diagonally down to the left. There are 3 small  stars just below it which make up "the sword". The centre of these 3 stars is the nebula and once you put any kind of scope on you should see it.

It took me a few seconds because you need your eyes to adjust but then it just pops out, a big grey smudge all around and you can usually see 2 or 3 stars in it actually. My 9yr old daughter insists she can see it in a pinky purple colour. I didn't believe her but she hasn't googled anything and apparently it's true that young kids can see it in colour

Really? That's incredible! I wonder how young you have to be?

[BaldyMan]

3 minutes ago, Goldenmole said:

Really? That's incredible! I wonder how young you have to be?

There's a guy on YouTube called Astrobiscuit. He took his scope to a farm and the farmer's daughter claimed she could see it in purple too. I don't know how it works, I think it's something to do with the rods and cones in your eyes deteriorating with age.

My wife has glaucoma so astronomy is a no go for her, she got diagnosed at 27 which is really rare for her age at the time, but if/when I get a chance to speak to her eye specialist I'll ask the question.

[Goldenmole]

Edited February 13, 2021 by Goldenmole

[Second Time Around]

I've read that some have said the Orion Nebula has a greenish tinge.  To me it's always been off-white.

That is apart from one night with my 10 inch Dob when I saw a distinct bluish tinge.

Has anyone else seen any blue?

Edited February 13, 2021 by Second Time Around

[Goldenmole]

Just now, Second Time Around said:

I've read that some have said the Orion Nebula has a greenish tinge.  To me it's always been off-white.

That is apart from one night with my 10 inch Dob when I saw a distinct bluish tinge.

Has anyone seen any blue?

I'm afraid i haven't my friend. Wish i had!

[wookie1965]

I see blue/green tinge saw it better in the 8" I had but I do see it in my 5" Refractor but not as distinct. 

[John]

I've seen a greenish tinge around the "fishes mouth" part of the nebula fairly often with my 12 inch dob. Very occasionally, when I've used a UHC filter I felt that I might have detected traces of a pink tinge as well but that might be the effect of the filter.

 

Edited February 13, 2021 by John

[Goldenmole]

13 minutes ago, wookie1965 said:

I see blue/green tinge saw it better in the 8" I had but I do see it in my 5" Refractor but not as distinct. 

Ah so that would explain why i haven't seen it.

 

[Barry-W-Fenner]

1 hour ago, Second Time Around said:

I've read that some have said the Orion Nebula has a greenish tinge.  To me it's always been off-white.

That is apart from one night with my 10 inch Dob when I saw a distinct bluish tinge.

Has anyone else seen any blue?

I often see this nebula as grey & subtle green. Though my 12" dob. Also quite a large amount of detail.

Never seen blue though. For me the blue snowball nebula is exactly as it says on the tin. A tiny blue coloured ball. That's about the only target I have seen blue. Apart for Neptune of course.

👍