Cosmic Challenge?

[catburglar]

Has anyone seen the book: "Cosmic Challenge: The Ultimate Observing List for Amateurs"? Cosmic Challenge: The Ultimate Observing List for Amateurs: Amazon.co.uk: Philip S. Harrington: Books

Looking inside seems to suggest that Pluto is a challenge object for 3-5 inch scopes:eek:

The book seems interesting, but if this is the level of challenge, then I suspect it's a bit much for my 3 inch scope

[Ad Astra]

Unless they are talking about imaging on a really good CCD camera, they are dead wrong. At about mag 15, Pluto isn't a visual object in anything less than a 10" scope, and then only just.

I have a really great refractor for planetary work (133mm f/12), and I routinely pick off faint objects like the moons Mimas and Enceladus around Saturn (both at around mag 12 or so) - but little Hyperion at mag 14 is totally beyond me, and I've never gotten Pluto visually in that scope, either.

FWIW,

Dan