M3 in 8x40 binoculars

[Nick P]

Can anyone help with this? i have been trying to find M3 for the last three sessions and spectacularly failed each time with my 8" newtonian, so I have been scanning the area around Arcturus and cor coroli (as indicated by Starry Night) with my binoculars but still can't find it!

Is it because M3 is too dim for my 8x40 bins to pick up? or am i just looking in the wrong place?

Thanks in advance for your help

Nick

[Peter Drew]

It's more likely that M3 is too small to show up as a globular at 8X, your 8" should give a well resolved image once you find it!

[enigma]

M3 has an apparent magnitude of around 6 and is easy in 15x70 binoculars. I think that it should be also visible in 8x40 binoculars under good conditions.

[GazOC]

M3 is a very clearly seen even in very average conditions in my 8x40s.

[Nick P]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, looks like its me looking in the wrong place then!

Gaz you've motivated me to more persistence - if you can see it in your bins I must be able to find it in mine as well.

Best

Nick

[george7378]

I found M3 to be a quite hard too - the problem for me is the lack of pointer stars. Despite this, it was the first globular I ever saw, and I found that the main thing is to persist and try to track it down using detailed charts on a clear night where fainter stars are visible. Either that or randomly search at low magnification where you think it is (I did a bit of this too).

[Nick P]

Lack of guide stars is definitely a problem! hence using binoculars

it should be on a line between Arcturus and Cor Coroli, which is what's frustrating me, it should be relatively easy.................. but its not!

And as the clouds have returned, will have to use my imagination !!

[Nick P]

Skies cleared and got him!

very faint in the bins (suffer light pollution) and needed averted vision but definately M3, a spidery smudge with a slightly brighter center.

I used the following route, starting at Arcturus, up and across to the right to 'Boo d' across again and down a bit to 'Boo 9' and across and down a bit to M3, about 2 FoV's of my binocular view across from Arcturus.

Stellarium succeeded where Starry night failed! - can get some aperture on it tomorrow night now.

Thanks to everyone for the motivation.

Nick

[GazOC]

Well done Nick.

[scogyrd]

I'd been thinking about getting some 8x40 bin's but wasn't sure if they'd be good enough till I read this thread. I'll have to start saving now.

[george7378]

It's great that you found it - it took me a night or two using the same star-hopping technique as you under dark skies at 36X magnification, but it was well worth it, especially because I didn't even know what a globular would look like until I saw it. Another object which I struggled to find but was glad when I did was M104. It is rather low down for me and it is often hard to see the faint guide stars, but getting it with some help from Sellatium was fantastic.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

It's great that you found it - it took me a night or two using the same star-hopping technique as you under dark skies at 36X magnification, but it was well worth it, especially because I didn't even know what a globular would look like until I saw it. Another object which I struggled to find but was glad when I did was M104. It is rather low down for me and it is often hard to see the faint guide stars, but getting it with some help from Sellatium was fantastic.

M104 is great once you find it, but it really needs a bigger scope to appreciate it fully.