im just wondering

[HawkEyes]

im just wondering as to how you get to see deep space nebulae and if they look like the one paul has just photographed

[jleach29]

About the only DSO that will show any color is M42 and that is very limited. Most will look grey, maybe a hint of green if your under super dark sky. The human eye is not sensitive enough to pick up color at that distance, only in photos will you see those great colors.

[Bizibilder]

Welcome to SGL!!

[Pete Presland]

welcome to sgl

[Astorix]

welcome to SGL:)

[Moonshane]

I don't know a lot about this but as I understand it, whilst you can see nebulae and galaxies etc well enough, the cones in your eyes (which see colours) only 'switch on' with a reasonable amount of light. hence some of the brighter stars and planets show colours.

in dim light (and most nebulae and galaxies are very dim) only the rods 'turn on' and therefore you are using your monochrome night vision only. you do find that the longer you look at something, it allows your brain to make sense of the limited input it's getting and then details do emerge but nothing like the photos you will see. as jleach29 says, most things are faint wispy clouds no matter how large your scope. the exception to this in terms of DSOs is probably globular clusters which do resolve stars etc.

think about what you are looking at rather than what you are seeing. in the case of globulars, they are 10 billion years old and 30,000 light years away in some cases. the very fact we can see them at all is amazing :0)

[Robert Watson]

Welcome to SGL

[Rusty Strings]

Hi and welcome from me too.

[Brendan of Borg]

Hello there!

[Stephen Green]

Hi welcome to the SGL

Stephen

[Mr Spock]

Hi and welcome

[glowjet]

Hi HawkEyes,

A very warm welcome to SGL, hope you enjoy the forum.

John.

[Astro_Baby]

HI from me too