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The most impressive thing ?


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Depends on what you're specifically asking. Do you mean 'trophy sights' like faint objects, comets etc or just what your favourite objects to view regardless of ease?

While it may sound boring, either Saturn or M42 (Orion Neb) probably take it for me. The first time they were viewed, both of them made me make noises I don't usually make - out loud.

Also saw a large meteor cross straight through the Pleiades whilst I was viewing them through 15X70 binoculars, which was quite memorable for me!

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I was pretty excited to be able to see the supernova SN2011b from my back garden a few nights ago. It's only a tiny spark of light in a faint misty patch but it's astonishing to think of the cataclysmic event in another galaxy that you are looking at and even more astonishing to think it happened around 70 million years ago - towards the end of the dinosaurs reign on Earth :(

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Depends on what you're specifically asking. Do you mean 'trophy sights' like faint objects, comets etc or just what your favourite objects to view regardless of ease?

I guess both trophy sights and fav objects.

I was pretty excited to be able to see the supernova SN2011b from my back garden a few nights ago. It's only a tiny spark of light in a faint misty patch but it's astonishing to think of the cataclysmic event in another galaxy that you are looking at and even more astonishing to think it happened around 70 million years ago - towards the end of the dinosaurs reign on Earth :(

That is simply mind blowing

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Probably M31 with binos.

Before I got into astronomy, I thought a huge professional scope on top of a mountain was needed to see a galaxy. Then I read M31 was visible even naked eye, so I picked an old pair of binos and tracked it that night. When I came back in, the 1st thing I did was to google "telescope". :(

A few weeks later, when I had just received my scope, I pointed at M57 and M13. Those ware WOW moments. :)

Outside the "regulars" (M42, Saturn, Veil Neb., etc), I specially like the galaxy clusters in Virgo and Coma. It's strange to get a few galaxies in the same FoV, when you think each haves the potential to host countless planets like ours.

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That's easy, it would have to be the first ever time I

observed Saturn through my 200.

That was several years ago now. It was hugely impressive even though the rings were fairly edge on then.

I was that excited I woke my wife up to share the news, however, she didn't quite share my enthusiasm.

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Hi Ian,

Thanks for asking the question. Some great moments there for us newbies!

Looking forward to my first go when the scope arrives and the clouds clear. Now I have some ideas what to look for.

Regards

Chris

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As a newbie myself seeing the moon in such detail when it wasn't expected really blew me away.....but seeing Saturn for the first time only 2 days ago even with a relatively 'budget' scope such as mine blew my socks off.....it was so amazing i even dragged my expectant fiance out at 6am just to see.....(asked politely more than dragged i may add and she was already up outta bed) :(.... happy veiwing

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Saturn (naturally)

The first time I pointed my ETX 80 at a blank piece of light-polluted sky and saw M39 with a backdrop of hundreds of faint stars in a widefield eyepiece

The first time I saw the Ring Nebula (M57) through an OIII filter (compared to without a filter)

The first time I saw Pluto (nothing special really, but just to have seen it)

Ditto Mercury

The Venus transit in 2004 (just to think that no one living had ever seen that happen ... still wonder at school kids watching computer simulations of it as it was actually happening outside with totally clear skies)

I could go on ....

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Mine was the first thing we aimed at when we got the scope, which was the moon. :( Just how much you could see and how sharp it was. There we several 'thats amazing!' then looking at the moon without the scope then back in, then without scope again. Like a double take. Kinda didnt make sense how you could see so much haha

And the first time I accidentally found the pleides when i was turning the dials the wrong way to find the orion nebula (yes im that much of a noob) and it just filled the FOV with its beautiful blue stars. That was a definate 'wow'! :)

Actually, when I found M42 and jupiter I had much the same response! ;)

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I have many things I return to again and again (M42, M31, Moon, M35, Double Cluster, Pleiades, M81, M82, Dumbbell Nebula, Ring Nebula, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus). I think it's so difficult to pick one object but for me it has to be Saturn too. M11 the Wild Duck Cluster, M13 the Great Globular cluster are stunning and the Dumbbell Nebula and Veil Nebula from a dark site were truly amazing and all of these come a close second. I think when you find something new it's always going to give you a buzz.

Most impressive in terms or 'amazingness' but not visually that impressive was for me like John, the recent supernova SN2011b. I also love searching for comets when they are about too - oh, I can't choose.

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