What Next

[jaspa]

So far i have seen the moon, just seen saturn tonight that was great. came in when the temp hit zero (need to get warm)

What should i look for next, which nebula's are easy to find ?

Still trying to work out this telescope and how to keep warm

Thanks for any help

[Caz]

Hi Jaspa,

The easiest nebula to start off with is the M42 found in the constellation of Orion. When viewing something like Orions Nebula, detail may not automatically spring out at you, so make sure your eyes are dark adapted, as much as possible, plus the more you look through the ep, the more detail you will discern. As I live under light polluted skies, I find the Badder Light Pollution Filter very helpful, for bringing more of that important detail to the fore.

Click on image to enlarge

If your looking for clusters, M35, 36, 37 and M38, are always a delightful bunch, and close together, the moon may hinder the viewing experience though, so perhaps a few to save when lunar isn't so bright.

As for keeping warm, you may find this thread of some use..

http://stargazerslounge.co.uk/index.php?topic=8060.0

HTH

Caz

[The Warthog]

There's a lot of good stuff in Orion. You can find the Running Man just above (if I remember) M42. It's an asterism that looks like a running stick figure. There's a nice cluster just above the leftmost star in Orion's belt. You can find it by looking at the rightmost star and cranking the RA over about 15 minutes. Several nice clusters in Canis Major, too. The Pleiades (M45) above Orion is a favorite of just about everybody, and even the Hyades (surrounding Aldebaran) are worth a look. If Orion is fairly high to the west, you can see M44 in cancer, which is another easy target, not too far from Saturn.

[jaspa]

Thanks for that, will have a look now i think i have the equatorial mount sorted, can now find things using R.A / DEC