What exactly will i see?

[cyroflame]

Hey guys, just wondering, the time when i get my telescope is fast approaching and i have a couple of questions i want to ask. I have just bought a book from my local shop (Skywatching, by David Levy) very good book! and read some really interesting things about galaxies and star clusters!

My question to everyone out there is this, with a SW explorer 130p, that can mag up to 130x, what star clusters,globular clusters, galaxies and nebulas will i able to see?

obviously i don't want an entire list (I want some surprises) but just some obvious ones that will clearly be visible through a scope of this spec? also how large will they appear? i know they will be no Hubble pictures but just want a rough idea muchly appreciated, Mike!

[iamjulian]

You will be able to see a good number of the Messier list, providing your skies are reasonably free from light pollution. Taking your telescope to a darker place will increase/improve what you can see.

You know you aren't going to get picture book quality images, which is good. You may find yourself thinking, "is that it!?" when you are squinting at a very faint grey smudge. However, think of it more like, "wow, that's really it!" and you will have plenty of fun at the eyepiece.

[Breakintheclouds]

Hi Mike,

I started with a 130P - and incidentally, you can go up to 260x magnification in theory.

Through my 130 I saw the Andromeda galaxy really quite well (mindblowing - I'll never forget that first sight), and have seen plenty of other galaxies quite well (e.g., Bode's nedulae). With 130mm aperture you can see pretty much any star cluster you care to name, and I saw quite a few planetary nebulae like the Ring nebula.

Perhaps the biggest limitation of a smaller scope, IMO, is globular clusters. With a 130 they tend to look like fuzzy patches, and you can't unless you're really lucky, see individual stars. Globs get much better with more aperture, and with my 200mm I can definitely see lots of stars in the ones I've looked at.

But overall, the 130 is a good performer and you shouldn't be disappointed. And don't forget, if you can get to a dark site this offers most of the same benefits as a larger aperture!

[cyroflame]

thankyou both for the really helpful comments! i really can't wait to start, and don't worry i will not go out there with the mind set of expecting clear colourful images that are in my book! i was amazed last night that i just managed to make out orion and see betelgeuse it was incredible!! so believe me, what ever i see will amaze me!

as for the andromeda galaxy. what exactly will it look like at 130x?

[Vega]

I started out with a skywatcher 120mm refractor which performs similar to the 130 reflector. I would agree on the bodes galaxies (M81/M82) and ring nebula. Both a nice sight in that sized scope. As for Andromeda, you'll have no problems seeing the core after all its the brightest and closest galaxy of the lot. However, that is all you will see... the core. It takes a much larger scope to start to see more of the outer structure. It was visually a bit of an anti-climax for me in the 120mm, more of a bright blob. Still fascinating knowing that what your looking at is 2 million light years away!

Once again I agree with the comment on globulars, but definately worth having a look at M31 - the hercules cluster in the summer.

One other DSO you just have to see is the great Orion Nebula, nice sight in most modest sized scopes (of course a little too late in the year now, so be sure to look it up next winter!).

Im guessing you havent mentioned moon and planets because its stating the obvious but the moon, saturn and jupiter are the best sights you'll see in your scope.... definate wow factor moments when you first see them!

Matt

[Rui]

With Andromeda's Galaxy, you should use your lowest magnification. Otherwise you only get to see it's nucleus.

Go also for the pair os galaxies M81 and M82. Maybe it's not easy to locate them, but it's worth all the time spent to search for them. You can easily see them both in your lowest magnification eyepiece.

In Leo, look also for Saturn. After locating it with your lowest magnification EP, increase the power and wou'll be able to see the oval globe with a thin line going out at each side (you're actually seing the rings edge-on.

The double star Alcor in the Great Bear is also easy.

The real fun of this hobby is finding the objects and realising what they are, how they formed, etc. You must adjust your expectations and feel happy just by finding a galaxy or a cluster.

Enjoy it!

[Cornelius Varley]

thankyou both for the really helpful comments! i really can't wait to start, and don't worry i will not go out there with the mind set of expecting clear colourful images that are in my book! i was amazed last night that i just managed to make out orion and see betelgeuse it was incredible!! so believe me, what ever i see will amaze me!

as for the andromeda galaxy. what exactly will it look like at 130x?

This is a really useful site to see what you will see through your telescope FOV calculator. Select your telescope and eyepiece combination from the dropdown lists and then select the object you wish to see, the object will then be displayed at the size it will appear in your eyepiece. Note, the images are photographic representations and are not how you will see them in the eyepiece.

Peter

[John]

You have had some good reponseses here. I guess you have realised by now that we cannot tell you "exactly" what you will see, especially with deep sky objects like galaxies and nebulae. What you will see will depend on a whole load of factors such as the observing conditions at the time (which is a really big factor), how well collimated and cooled your scope optics are, how practiced your eye is, etc, etc, etc.

As an example, M42, the Orion Nebula, viewed with the same scope, can vary between being barely visible to overflowing the eyepiece with swirls of nebulosity, and that variation is just caused by the amount of moonlight in the the sky !.

One thing that is for sure is that the more you use the scope, the more you observe the same objects, the more you will see. Many objects will look rather bland and unimpressive to start with, but with practice, observing under varying conditions, and more practice the subtle details will start to emerge.

[Lowstar]

The moon is a bit of a jaw dropper when viewed through a telescope. At least it was for me!:)

[Astro_Baby]

Ohhh where to start. The moon will be amazing, you'll be able to see Jupiter and the four Galilean moons and on a good night two of the cloud belts. The rings of Saturn (its not well placed right now for seeing the rings) but I saw the rings fine with a 130 and could just about make out the Cassini division.

Deep sky - M42 Nebula in Orion, M31 Galaxy in Andromeda, M45 Pleiades will be quite a sight, M13 cluster in Hercules, Double cluster in Cassieopea - those are the tourists 'musts' I think.

Before I really got going with the 130 I developed a curious case of 'aperture fever' and upgraded. I bet most 130s never get used to their max capability for the same reason.

Good luck with your scope and your viewing and may your skies always be clear.

[ottUp]

as for the andromeda galaxy. what exactly will it look like at 130x?

For deep space objects (as opposed to planets) you will generally use the lowest magnification your scope can achieve - as you will quickly come to realize, your scope's main job is not to make these things bigger, it is to make them brighter. For deep space use, most of my scopes seldom go above 100x, usually less.

Galaxies are often the source of disappointment to beginners because what you see will be nothing like what photos in books have lead you to expect. You won't see shape or structure (e.g. spiral arms) or colour - you will see a dim, diffuse patch of light that we affectionately call a "faint fuzzy". Once you think about what you are seeing, you'll learn to be amazed that you can see even that.

Star clusters, on the other hand (globular clusters and open clusters), and many nebulae, appear more like what you may expect, except for the lack of colour. So they are generally better beginner targets.

To answer your question, from really dark skies, M31 will be a roundish fuzzy patch looking something like the simulation below. All you are seeing is the dense "core" of the galaxy, and the lower the power you can use, and the darker the site you can get to, the more you will see. I have managed to see hints of spiral structure and dust lanes in a 100mm scope a couple of times, from an ultra-dark site at a magnification of 20x.

Here is a list of good beginner targets, with notes on how to find them and what to expect them to look like in a variety of scopes. Use the 100mm scope in the list to get an idea for your 130.

Regards

Richard

[sn00p]

For deep space objects (as opposed to planets) you will generally use the lowest magnification your scope can achieve - as you will quickly come to realize, your scope's main job is not to make these things bigger, it is to make them brighter. For deep space use, most of my scopes seldom go above 100x, usually less.

Galaxies are often the source of disappointment to beginners because what you see will be nothing like what photos in books have lead you to expect. You won't see shape or structure (e.g. spiral arms) or colour - you will see a dim, diffuse patch of light that we affectionately call a "faint fuzzy". Once you think about what you are seeing, you'll learn to be amazed that you can see even that.

Star clusters, on the other hand (globular clusters and open clusters), and many nebulae, appear more like what you may expect, except for the lack of colour. So they are generally better beginner targets.

To answer your question, from really dark skies, M31 will be a roundish fuzzy patch looking something like the simulation below. All you are seeing is the dense "core" of the galaxy, and the lower the power you can use, and the darker the site you can get to, the more you will see. I have managed to see hints of spiral structure and dust lanes in a 100mm scope a couple of times, from an ultra-dark site at a magnification of 20x.

Here is a list of good beginner targets, with notes on how to find them and what to expect them to look like in a variety of scopes. Use the 100mm scope in the list to get an idea for your 130.

Regards

Richard

"That"^ has to be the best link ive seen for a begginer or someone wishing to buy their 1st scope.... Very helpful and informative. Its a shame the catalogue is so short :-(

[sn00p]

OttUp I think ive put 2 and 2 together and worked out your the author??? If so Richard are you still working on it? i bet its a real labour of love type scenario but i think this could be an excellent guide to anyone seeking an interest in atsronomy so keep up the good work.

[ottUp]

OttUp I think ive put 2 and 2 together and worked out your the author??? If so Richard are you still working on it? i bet its a real labour of love type scenario but i think this could be an excellent guide to anyone seeking an interest in atsronomy so keep up the good work.

Yes, but it's a slow process. Entries wait until I have log entries for having observed them with several scopes and from several locations - which takes a while. A couple more are in the works but the list probably won't get too much longer because it was intended to be a beginners list, just to get people started.

Regards

Richard