M51

[glennbech]

I saw M51 in my William Optics Megrez 90 for the first time three weeks ago at 3000ft above sea level, no cities nearby and no moon. I could easily make out two bright cores and a some spiral structure around M51A.

I just have to ask how it looks through a 12 or 16" from a dark location. Anyone seen it? I just have to go back the site with a huge dob next year :-)

[kniclander]

I think it wd be amazing - I saw it in a 6" dob under very dark skies when it was almost at zenith - couldn't swear to any spiral structure but defo two bright cores and a bridge between them. It was and is one of my favourite sights in astronomy ...

hopefully will have 10" scope at that location soon.

[brendant]

It must be amazing, when I go back to Ireland yearly at Easter time to see the folks I usually take the ED80, it is truly dark there, so dark that I can easily identify the structure of M51 in the finder scope, so it only gets better in the main scope, the biggest problem is finding your way around the sky because it is grey with stars, oh boy what to have dark skies like that on a regular basis. So through a large dob in a really dark location the sights must be breathtaking.

Brendan

[James]

I've seen it from a dark site (only a few miles from Greg's dark sky heaven as it happens), it was nearly overhead and I hadn't yet looked at it in my then new 10" scope. Once I'd got it in view and focused I couldn't quite believe just how much detail could be seen, definitely one of those moments I'll remember for a long time.

James

[acey]

Through my 8-inch from a dark site I can detect a bright outer ring around a very bright centre (in the main galaxy) and a lot of speckling across it. Since getting a 12" a month ago I've been waiting for a clear moonless night when I can see how much more detail I'll be able to observe. If it ever happens I'll let you know!

[johnh]

I too have been waiting for this one with my SPX350 which I bought during Summer and will give it a go in Spring. The Whirlpool looks good in most scopes but I am told in big scopes it is a spectacular sight? JohnH.

[stefski]

Looked at M51 the other night with my Nx11GPS using an 0.33FR and a watec video camera....I almost fell off my chair! All I've seen before, in my orange skies, are the two bright cores....This time I could see the spiral structure & mottling in A, the joining 'loop' to B and some 'nebulosity' around B....It was AWESOME:headbang:.

Will come back to this one again when the 'light bulb' has gone!

Stef

[acey]

I had my first look with the 12" the other night - very nice. The main spiral arms were quite distinct. The connecting arm between A and B is interesting - I thought I was able to see this in my old 8" but in the 12" I realised I couldn't, though I could see each end of it and my mind filled in the rest. Even so, there are reports of it being seen in as little as a 4".

[athornett]

Even with a 16" in light polluted West Midlands area of UK, I still haven't yet found M51...is it there or am I simply not looking in the right place?

Andy

[stefski]

It's definitely there, Andy!

If your light polution is bad then you won't see much from your location I'm afraid....Probably what I used to see, which is two faint smudges. One smaller than the other.

If your LP isn't too bad (say you can stars to Mag 4.5ish) then, when you find these two smudges, take your time and look very carefully. Use averted vision too. Your 16" should pick up some spirals, all be it very faint ones, even in light polluted skies!

Stef

[acey]

Andy - make sure you've got a good finder chart, you'll only see it if you're looking in the right place.

Light pollution can make it very hard to see galaxies, even with a large aperture, because of lack of sky contrast and poor dark adaptation of the eye. Covering your head with a hood to block all stray light can help.

If all else fails, take a pair of 10x50 binoculars to a dark site, you'll be able to see M51 with them.

[Talitha]

My largest scope (8" SCT) can pull in the Whirlpool's brighter spiral arms, but not the bridge between the two galaxies.. would love to see it some day.