Bode's Nebulae

[G4YVM]

Well I have just had a proper "first light" from my home made 16" Dob.. I can only stand in awe at the images available...

I tracked down from The upper arm of The Plough and found first what looked like a globular, then further to an edge-on galaxy. I am only able to think that I have just seen the two Bode's nebulae, or at least two of them...heaven knows how many Bode's there are!

With the eye pieces I have I managed to get the edge-on nebula filling half the field. It was still a grey patch rather than anything distinct, but certainly easily discernible.

The mirros hadnt really cooled and my eyes had not aclimatised to dark vision, and the stray light was immense and annoying, but I think I saw Bodes's Nebulae.

I find being sure difficult as I have not yet got any measurement for altitude or asimuth, nor have I fitted a proper finder scope or laser (not that a laser would help with Bodes as they are invisible to my naked eye.).

I'm blown away by this scope. If it wasn't Bode's babes, I'm not sure what I saw.

Because of my conservatory I couldn't get to Orion, which would be a great test I think.

Wow.

David

[John]

Thats Messier 81 and 82 that you have seen I reckon, both galaxies. M81 is the one that looks like a fat oval patch of light (the one you describe as looking like a globular cluster) and also known as Bode's Nebula (although it's not a nebula of course). The edge on one is M82 which is sometimes called the Cigar Galaxy for obvious reasons. In a low power, widefield eyepiece it's possible to get them both in the same field of view at once - a lovely sight !.

Congratulations !.

[G4YVM]

John, Thanks,

Yes I have done more research this morning and was just about to post "M81 and 82 of course" when I saw your reply.

I did indeed have them in the same field with ,my 2" wide field...stunning, as you say. To think the light I saw left them 12M years ago when we were but monkeys (my wife says I havent actually moved far since).

David