M1 and a 130mm 'scope

[george7378]

Hi everyone,

First off, I returned from London tonight after a trip there with school - even though the sky was clear, I could barely see any constellations - no hope of seeing the Andromeda Galaxy in those light polluted conditions. It was amazing to see the dark skies of Lincolnshire after only one day spent there...

Anyway, I was wondering what I can expect from M1 through a 130PM? I tried to locate it using my binoculars, and found the closest reference star in Taurus, but couldn't find any further pointers (or the nebula - maybe it's too dim). Will it be easy to find with a telescope? Are there any common location techniques if not? What will it look like through my setup?

Thanks.

[Rusty Strings]

I first saw M1 with my 80mm refactor, it was faint but you could make out the shape of the nebula. I've since had a look through my 8" newt and it is a fair bit brighter so I think you should have no problem with your 130PM.

John

[Doc]

M1 can be tricky but I would guess you should see the overall shape through your scope, give it a go and report back.

[Mark at Beaufort]

You should be able to see M1 with a 130mm scope. The other night I was able to detect M1 in my 15x70 Binos - I accept that it helps to know exactly where it is and I do have dark skies in that direction.

To find M1 start with Aldebaran and follow the line to Zeta. When looking at Zeta you will be 2 stars which form a triangle with Zeta. These stars are about 6/7 mag. If you draw a line from the bottom star through the other and follow this line about half the distance again you should see M1 in the FOV as a misty patch.

Good luck.

mark

[george7378]

Thanks everyone,

I'll try tomorrow if the clouds recede - they have brought quite a covering of snow. If I can see this, would you be able to recommend any other similar targets? I was hoping to find Uranus. Will I be able to see Ceres or Vesta?

Thanks.

[Mark at Beaufort]

At this time of the year there are many Messier objects that you could track down and enjoy with your scope. M36, M37, M38 clusters in Auriga. M35 lovely cluster in Gemini. M42, M43 and M78 in Orion. M79 Glob in Lepus. M41 in Canis Major. This would be a good start.

With regard to Uranus it is still visible in the early evening sky. Vesta will also be ok in your scope although only looking like a star. Currently in Leo so should be visible later in the evening. The idea is to view it over several nights and track its movement. The same goes for Ceres although it is an early morning project at the moment.

Mark

[george7378]

Thanks very much Mark! I have been wanting to get my first sight of a globular cluster for a long time.

As for M1, I think I saw it through binoculars late last night - I found the pointers, and stared for a long time until I eventually and briefly saw a small, glowing object. If the weather is good tonight, I'll take a look through the 'scope.

I have noticed the Moon is now out again - I'll use the high-magnification eyepiece I recently discovered to take a look at that too.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Well done George on finding M1 with your binos. Its a fact that once you have found an object with a smaller instrument you will have no problem seeing it in the future.

Mark