Sunday, October 30, 2016
Issue #515: In the Dark with a 4-inch Refractor
In recent times, I've developed a new appreciation for what a small and inexpensive and simple telescope can do. That comes after spending plenty of years thinking you can't have fun without a big gun and a ton of electronics. One thing that's turned me aside from the big and complex is that after suffering last summer's back problems, I spent months where I didn't dare even haul a C8 into the backyard. That was coupled with my increasing turn to refractors, and, over the last couple of years, a desire to simplify, simplify, simplify.
During those past (almost) two years, I’ve come to want to not just reduce telescope headcount as described in the above piece, but to, yes, simplify as much as is practically possible the scopes I still own and use. While I will still haul quite a lot of astro-junk to a star party, it's not the ton of astro-junk of the last couple of decades, as you’ll find next week when you get a report on the 2016 DSSG. Honestly, I just don't have much patience for All That Stuff in this latter age.
There is a limit, though. While you can have tremendous fun with binoculars or a 60mm telescope once in a while, and while instruments in that class are all some of you ever use, I, like most of y’all, want to see a bit more than what the really humble instruments can deliver. I’ve long thought 4-inches of aperture is the practical lower limit for most of us most of the time. Even so, what the heck can you possibly see with, say, a fast 4-inch achromatic refractor on a cheap alt-azimuth mount? I found out at the Possum Swamp Astronomical Society’s (semi) dark site this past Saturday...
It looked like it was going to be a beautiful night, if a little cool as I judge such things lately, and I certainly wanted to get out there and observe. Frankly, however, the idea of loading up a tripod and a GEM mount and batteries and a big OTA and maybe a computer left me feeling slightly depressed. Still, I wanted to be at the site with my club buddies. So, what if...what if...I just packed the Explore Scientific AR102, a short 4-inch refractor, and my good old SkyWatcher AZ-4 alt-azimuth mount?
Sure, I probably wouldn't see much with that kind of rig—everybody knows you need at least 10-inches of aperture to see anything of the deep sky, right? —but I could bum looks through the scopes of my mates, and if I got tired of that I could just go home and watch TV.
One thing that encouraged me to head to the site even though I wasn’t in the mood for a pedal-to-the-metal observing run? I am now OK with going out there on iffy nights or nights when I might not want to spend more than two or three hours on the field (at most). Compared to the old days, when I lived at the legendary Chaos Manor South, the dark site is now just a hop, skip, and a jump away, a mere 30-minutes to the west.
Loading sure was sweet. 10-minutes—if that—to plop the 102 in the backseat and the AZ-4 in the cargo area of the 4-runner along with an eyepiece box. Out on the observing field setting up was similarly pleasant. No connecting anything, no alignments. The only concession I made to modern technology was that I brought along my Android tablet running SkySafari Pro for charts. I could actually have been just as happy with my current fave print star atlas, Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas Jumbo Edition. It was all simple and easy, yeah, but I was still skeptical I'd see much with such a minimalist rig.
Once it (finally) got dark, it was time to see what this somewhat silly little scope could do, starting with globular star clusters. Surprise! M13 was beautiful and nicely resolved at high power. So was M2. So was M92. After those three showpieces, I did a quick tour of the Sagittarius and Ophiuchus (Messier) globs, nailing each and every one. Some were just fuzzballs, sure, but some would have remained fuzzballs even in an 8-inch, and all nevertheless looked good.
What really looked good Saturday night? The Lagoon and Trifid nebulae in one low power field using my el cheapo Zhumell 16mm 100-degree eyepiece, the Happy Hand Grenade. After that, I just spent some time cruising up and down the "teapot steam," the Sagittarius Milky Way, bouncing from one open cluster to the next. I didn’t obsess with ticking objects off a list, just relaxed and looked. I observed many other objects over the course of the relatively short night, but the trip was more than worth it just for the opportunity to drink in the wonders of Sagittarius in a wide-field telescope.
How about the dreaded chromatic aberration? I'll be the first to admit my eyes are not as blue sensitive as they once were, and for that reason the color purple was not very evident. Well, except on Venus. But who spends much time on Venus? Even Vega was not bad. Sure, there was come chromatic aberration haze around the star, but it wasn't like a kaleidoscope. On normal deep sky fields, you wouldn't have known the scope was a fast achromat. The stars were nice and tiny and sharp. I did have a look at Saturn, and the view, given the short focal length of the telescope and the resulting need to use a very short focal length eyepiece to get a good look at the planet, was rather impressive. Despite the low altitude of Saturn, Cassini's Division was nice and sharp.
I am currently focused on revisiting the Messiers, but did do a few NGCs too. The Helix Nebula, for example, which was quite impressive with a UHC filter. As far as the more challenging Ms (for a 4-inch), M72 was just a smudge, but there. M56 was not blindingly bright, but actually showed a little resolution.
No matter how nice a telescope is, it won't perform well without a decent mount. The AZ-4 is not a fancy custom alt-azimuth mounting like the excellent (and expensive) Half-Hitch mounts, for example. It's not finely machined, and there are no slow motion controls. There are adjustable tensioners/locks for both axes, a Vixen compatible saddle, an OK (extruded aluminum) tripod, and a nice big pan-handle. It's motions are smooth, very smooth, like the motions of a well-made Dobsonian, and I had no problem tracking objects at higher powers. When using a relatively short refractor, I do unscrew that big pan-handle, as it just gets in the way with anything shorter than, say, a 4-inch f/10.
While the SkyWatcher AZ-4 doesn't appear to be currently available in the U.S., you can get the exact same mount badged as the Orion Versago II for a somewhat higher price. The SkyWatcher mount was not only slightly less expensive than the Orion version, the AZ-4 came with a rather nice 80mm f/11 refractor. I have used this mounting with a C8 and it's usable with that much scope for casual viewing, at least. With the AR102, it's pretty perfect. Recommended.
And so it went for a few hours. Remarkably, I never tired of the 4-inch, and had no need to cadge looks through my fellow observers' telescopes. The only scope I used other than my own, really, was a friend’s StarBlast, which, being a 4-inch f/4, was more like my instrument than different, even though it was a Newtonian reflector. The ‘Blast delivered outstanding images, and it was clear there would be a tremendous amount of things to be seen with the little green guy. Seems to me that in addition to being increasingly enamored of easy to manage telescopes, I am also increasingly fond of wide-field views. Maybe that’s a consequence of having spent several years concentrating on very small slices of the sky when I was doing the Herschel Project.
Finally, the true beauty of astronomy with an ultra-portable 4-inch rig? Packing for the journey home. Again, 10-minutes, perhaps, and I was ready to roll, and a goodly part of that 10-minutes was consumed just by putting the caps back on my eyepieces. Driving off the field, I was honestly bowled over by the knowledge that not only could I see something with an ultra-simple, ultra-cheap telescope, but that I could see so much.
Sunday, October 23, 2016
Issue #514: How Hard are the Messiers from the Backyard (Part II)?
 |
| M110 (lower right) |
M56
You would
think this sometimes-overlooked globular star cluster in Lyra would be easy. It’s
a Messier and it is often riding high in the sky for mid-northern observers.
Not so. It’s loose, and in a 4-inch is usually nothing more than a
dim smudge. It was actually totally invisible in a 4-inch from old Chaos Manor
South downtown. Even in the suburban-country transition zone, it needs a 10 –
12-inch to start looking good, though my 4-inch Explore Scientific AR102 will deliver at least a little resolution there.
M57
No problem. This is the northern sky’s most famous and maybe best planetary nebula. A
3-inch will show its basic shape (although the central hole is not always
easy).
M58
If you are
able to see this Virgo spiral from your backyard, count yourself lucky. I can’t
glimpse it with a 4-inch, and in an 8-inch SCT it is just a dim elongated something that
often requires averted vision.
M59
M59 is a lot
like M58: a small, off-round, dim
galaxy. The saving grace is that it is in the same field as another galaxy, the
more prominent M60, which makes for a pretty view.
 |
| M58 |
M60
This one is
a little more interesting than the previous two, being bright enough to be
doable with direct vision. A 10-inch scope will show some outer haze in addition the
bright, oval core. On a particularly good night a 10 – 12-inch may also show M60’s
companion galaxy, NGC 4647, which is a mere two and a half minutes away.
M61
From the
country, M61 can show spiral structure. From the city? You need an 8-inch to
make it easy to see at all, and what you will see is a round fuzzy that may need averted
vision.
M62
When the summer
sky conditions aren't too hazy, I can make out this Ophiuchus globular without
much difficulty in a 4-inch. An 8-inch on a similar night may resolve a few
stars, but that is not easy.
M63
Canes
Venatici’s Sunflower Galaxy is one of the gems of the Messier list. That said,
in the city don’t expect to see much more than a bright (for a galaxy), large,
elongated glow. The patchy spiral arms? For a good look I need my 10-inch,
Zelda, at the club dark site.
M64
Another
showpiece, the Blackeye Galaxy is easy enough in a 3 – 4-inch telescope. The
dust patch, the black eye? 8 – 10-inches and a darker observing site than my
backyard is needed to make it obvious to me.
M65
One of the
famous triplet of galaxies, the Leo Trio. While it’s not easy to make out these
galaxies’ features from my out-back, I can always tell M65 from M66 (M65 is
more edge-on looking).
M66
Quite a
sight together with M65. As above, it’s easy to tell the two apart (the third
member, NGC 3628, can be difficult to see at all from the backyard, even in the
10-inch, on poor nights).
M67
M67, Cancer’s
“other” open star cluster, is one of my favorites. While not overly bright at
magnitude 6.9, it’s rather compact and easy enough in the 80mm APO refractor.
M68
Hydra’s
seldom visited M68 is really not much of a globular cluster. I often need an 8-inch to see
it from the backyard, and there is not a trace of resolution.
M69
This is one
of the globular clusters located along the base of the Sagittarius teapot. It’s
low much of the time even for me, and is difficult in a 4 or 6-inch telescope. In an 8-inch it
is there, but is still utterly unresolved.
M70
Also at the
teapot’s bottom is M70. It’s more condensed than M69 and looks brighter, but is
still unresolved in an 8-inch (I can see it with the 4-inch). Resolving
a few stars takes the 10, and it usually needs to be under a darker sky.
M71
Sagitta
holds this very loose globular. While it is indeed a globular, it looks more like an open
cluster, and in a 10-inch it resembles M11. In a smaller telescope, a 3 – 4-inch? Visible, but only
as a misty patch in a star-rich field.
M72
Compared to
M2, M72 is most assuredly Aquarius’ “also ran” globular. Quite faint and
unresolved in a 3 – 4-inch and sometimes impossible with small scopes from the
backyard. It’s easier with 8 – 10-inch instruments, but still unresolved in most suburban skies.
M73
This is
nothing more than a little group of four stars (it may actually be a galactic
cluster rather than just an asterism). They are on the dim side, and in a 3-inch can
look nebulous, which is likely why Chuck Messier included them in his list.
 |
| M74 |
M74
The famous
Pisces face-on galaxy, a.k.a. “the Phantom Galaxy.” There is a reason it’s
called that: it is incredibly difficult
from the light polluted suburbs. That said, I spotted it (barely)
with my 8-inch f/5 Newtonian when I was doing the observing for my book The Urban Astronomer’s Guide. “Spot it,”
mind you. Nothing more. On a superior night, it was a dim
round something in a medium power
wide-field eyepiece. Maybe the toughest M of them all.
M75
Somewhat
lost in space in the area between Sagittarius and Capricornus, M75 is usually
doable with a 3 – 4-inch, and on an outstanding night an 8-inch may begin to
resolve it.
M76
The Little Dumbbell
(planetary) Nebula has a reputation for being tough in small scopes. Nonsense. I
could usually pick it up with my old ETX60; especially with an OIII filter on the
eyepiece. A 10-inch begins to reveal some detail beyond the fact that this
peanut shaped cloud, the remains of a dead star, is composed of two lobes.
 |
| M76 |
This face-on
Seyfert galaxy in Cetus is easy thanks to its bright core. On the other hand, a
bright just-larger-than-a-star core and a relatively bright surrounding haze is
all you’ll see whether with a 4-inch or a 12-inch. Looks a lot like a small,
distant, unresolved globular.
M78
A reflection nebula not far from the belt of Orion, M78 gave me fits from my downtown backyard,
even with a 6-inch. Out in the suburbs, it’s easy with a 4-inch scope, being visible
as a strong haze surrounding a double star.
M79
Lepus’
globular star cluster, the only respectable globular star cluster of Winter, really isn’t much.
It’s a small dim spot with my 3-inch APO, and requires a 10-inch or 12-inch to
show a hint of resolution.
M80
This
Scorpius globular is easy to see. It’s small (so small it can resemble a star
at low power) and bright and is not a challenge for my William Optic 3-inch APO, Veronica
Lodge. Resolution is harder, requiring the 10-inch Dobsonian, Zelda, and a lot of
magnification.
M81
Another
Messier showpiece. Bode’s galaxy is frankly, however, only a showpiece for
backyard telescopes because M82 is in the same low power field. While M81 is
always visible from my backyard, it is only visible as an elongated bright
oval. Seeing the gossamer spiral arms takes a dark, dark site and 10-inches of aperture (at least) for me.
M82
M82 is a true
showpiece. The Cigar Galaxy is not just visible in a backyard 4-inch, it shows
off some of the dark detail in its disturbed disk.
M83
The Southern
Pinwheel Galaxy is relatively large and nearly face on, and that usually spells
“tough.” It is always at least detectable, though, as a misty, round patch with
a bright core with the 10-inch. To see it with a 4-inch was a definite
challenge requiring dry, clear skies and the galaxy being near culmination.
M84
M84 was
usually visible in a 4-inch on a good night, but I liked to use a 12-inch Dobsonian, my
now gone Big Bertha, to get a good look at the many other galaxies in the
field. This area is one of the ends of Markarian’s Chain (of galaxies). M84 is
paired with M86 in this field and is the brighter and rounder of the two.
M85
In a 3-inch,
this Coma galaxy can be a toughie, a dim, small, round spot. Much better in an
8-inch, where it shows off a bright, condensed core.
M86
I love M86, which,
together with M84, NGC 4387 and 4388, forms a little 1970s smiley face. As
noted above, M84 is the rounder and brighter of the two Messiers.
M87
Located in the
heart of downtown Virgo, M87 can be detectable in a 3 – 4-inch on a good night
and easy with a 10 – 12-inch. There is not much to be seen of this monster
elliptical galaxy, though; just a bright center and some surrounding haze.
M88
At the other
end of Markarian’s Chain from M84/86 we find M88. It is doable in a 3 – 4-inch
on a superior evening as a round fuzzball, and in an 8-inch begins to show off
elongation.
M89
I’ve seen this
Virgo galaxy with my 4-inch C102 refractor, but it is an easier task for a C8.
In my 10-inch Dobbie, it shows a brighter center.
 |
| M84 and M86 |
M90
Near to M89,
M90 is similar as far as visibility. In an 8-inch SCT or my 5-inch APO refractor it is
clearly elongated.
M91
M91 in Coma
can be seen with a 4-inch using averted vision. Frankly, it’s not much better
in a 10-inch. Even if you have a 20-inch under dark skies, you shouldn’t expect
to see the galaxy’s spiral detail.
M92
While this
Hercules glob can’t hold a candle to M13, it is still great. Easy with my C102, Betty, where it even shows some resolution.
M93
This is a
rich Puppis open cluster, and on a good night a 4-inch will show upwards of 50
stars here with a medium power eyepiece. Looked superb even from my old downtown
site with my Edmund Scientific Palomar Junior 4-inch.
M94
On those
punk nights when the haze is bad and the light pollution at its worst, but you still want to see a galaxy, M94 is where you go. Even in
a 3-inch, it’s visible under remarkably poor conditions as a bloated "star" surrounded by faint haze.
M95
While not as
easy as nearby M105, I was often able to see Leo’s M95 with a 4-inch using averted
vision. Of course, all it was was a dim, round spot.
M96
I couldn’t
see any details in M96 with a 3 – 4-inch, but it was at least easier to make out than its companion galaxy, M95. The C8 would show a little elongation at times.
M97
Even moreso
than M76, this one, the Owl nebula, has a reputation for toughness. Uh-uh. I
could, as with the Li’l Dumbbell, see the Owl with my old and now gone 60mm ETX refractor (with
an OIII filter). The dark patches? The eyes? That takes 10 or 12-inches of glass and a
darker sky than what my backyard usually offers.
M98
This Coma
galaxy was often not easy. Not even with the 8-inch, where it sometimes
required averted vision to show up at all. Obviously strongly elongated in
8-inch and larger scopes.
 |
| M92 |
M99
M99 was
easily as tough as M98. It’s a low surface brightness, near face-on galaxy.
Think “at least 8-inches.” In a C8, it is somewhat elongated on good nights.
M100
Another Coma
galaxy that frequently demanded the 8-inch. Even then, it was most often just a
dim, round smudge.
M101
Let’s go
even tougher. The Catherine Wheel Galaxy in Ursa Major, another face-on, a
large face-on, is nearly as difficult as M74. Nevertheless, I could sometimes
see it with my 8-inch f/5 Newt, and could just about always snag it with my C11 as a
large, faint glow.
M102
Don’t worry
about it. There ain’t no “M102.” It
is most likely a re-observation of M101. If that makes you feel uneasy, look at
NGC 5866, which has sometimes been claimed to be M102. NGC 5866 is doable in a
4-inch and obviously elongated in an 8.
M103
This small,
loose open cluster is visible in my C102, but occasionally melts into the
background star field.
M104
The famous
Sombrero Galaxy. I could make out its equatorial dust lane (maybe with a little averted imagination) with my Palomar
Junior 4-inch Newtonian on the very best nights in the city. The first time you see it,
your reaction will probably be “Darn, smaller than I thought it would be,” so don't be afraid to pump up the power.
M105
Was always
cool in my Short Tube 80 and my Palomar Junior. It’s a bright, round Leo elliptical
that really stands out. The small scopes would also sometimes turn up at least
one of the two nearby NGC companion galaxies.
M106
This Canes
Venatici galaxy is nice in a 4-inch, but do yourself a favor and view it with a
10 or 12 (at least) where it will begin to show spiral detail in addition to a
bright nucleus and a strongly elongated disk.
 |
| M103 |
M107
A seldom-visited
Ophiuchus globular, M107 was routinely visible in my 6-inch home-built
Newtonian 25 years ago. But only as a dim, round fuzzy. A 10-inch instrument is really
mandatory to show a little resolution around its edges.
M108
This galaxy,
near M97, is not overly difficult and not overly easy. It can be seen in a 4-inch on better evenings,
but an 8-inch makes it easier (and e’en then it may need averted vision). In a
10-inch on a transparent night, it will begin to show mottled detail.
M109
Located near
Phad in Ursa Major, M109 is a little easier than M108, but still just a dim
oval in smaller scopes. 10-inch and larger instruments may show some details,
mottling and dark lanes, in the disk on especially good spring nights.
M110
And so we
come to the end with M110, M31’s second most prominent satellite galaxy (after
M32, natch). While it can be extremely easy in binoculars at dark sites, it can be
quite tough with 3 – 4-inch telescopes from the backyard. Relatively large, it’s
just a dim something until you get to
10-inches, where it begins to show elongation and a brighter center. Sometimes it even hints at subtle dark detail.
Whew! And
there they are! Now, get out and see some of them while the good weather lasts.
Down here, I’m pretty sure we are just getting a short reprieve and those
cursed equinoctical gales are sure to be on their way!
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Issue #513: How Hard are the Messiers from the Backyard?
 |
| M3 |
M1
The Crab Nebula is at least detectable in a 4-inch telescope as a dim oval on good evenings. However, you will need a 12-inch range scope to begin to see much beyond that. In my 12-inch Dobsonian, Old Betsy, it
would show its basic zig-zag shape without much fuss on a nice night. More than that visually, like the tendrils of gas that give it its name? That demands at least 12-inches of aperture, an OIII filter, and a dark site.
M2
A 3-inch will show it, a 4-inch will deliver a little
resolution, and an 8-inch will make this big thing begin to look nice indeed.
M3
Similar to M2, if a little more difficult to resolve. Looks
nice if mostly unresolved in my 80mm APO.
M4
M4, the Cat’s Eye Cluster, is loose and a little dim.
You can pick it up with a 4-inch, but don’t expect it to look like much.
M5
My 80mm APO, Veronica Lodge, will show some stars at high
power, and a C8 makes it into a semi-spectacle from less than perfect
backyards.
M6
At 25’ across, this cluster is big, but not too big and was
just perfect for my old 4-inch StarBlast reflector, Yoda.
 |
| M13 |
M7
If the StarBlast richest-field-telescope did a nice job on
M6, its wide field was required for
M7, which is 80’ across. As a matter of fact, I much preferred my 70mm
Burgess binoculars.
M8
I can always see
the Lagoon Nebula from out-back with a 4-inch, but it does not look like much.
Just a little fuzz around a star. 8-inches of aperture and a UHC filter definitely help.
M9
M9 is difficult, sometimes to the point of impossibility,
with the 3 or 4-inch scopes. Mainly because of its low altitude. An 8 or 10-inch is
a really good idea for this one.
M10
Visible if unresolved in a 4 or 6-inch scope. My10-inch Dobsonian, Zelda, does a fine job on this rich and pretty globular star
cluster.
M11
The beautiful Wild Duck Cluster, one of the very best galactic clusters in the sky. Great in all instruments large and small. In binoculars or an RFT at low power, it resembles a loose globular. In telescopes of larger aperture and longer focal length it is an amazing flight of fowl.
M11
The beautiful Wild Duck Cluster, one of the very best galactic clusters in the sky. Great in all instruments large and small. In binoculars or an RFT at low power, it resembles a loose globular. In telescopes of larger aperture and longer focal length it is an amazing flight of fowl.
M12
Really needs a 6-inch even just to easily see this looser
glob. A 10-inch can make something of it even on hazy backyard evenings.
M13
My 80mm APO will show a few stars at high power, but just
like the old observing guides say, a 6-inch is needed for much resolution. From
the more light polluted suburbs anyhow.
M14
Like M9, this glob is rather low for many of us and an 8 or
10-inch telescope is the way to fly if possible.
M15
The Horse’s Nose Cluster was very pretty in a 3-inch
refractor or 4-inch reflector, but this globular is unresolved in the small instruments.
Better in a C8 or my 6-inch refractor, Big Ethel, but doesn’t begin to be great
till you get to 10-12-inches.
M16
If you just want the open cluster, a 3 or 4-inch will do it.
Heck, 50mm binoculars will do it. If you want the Eagle Nebula you need an OIII
filter, a 10 or 12-inch scope, and a dark hood to block ambient light from your
eyes.
M17
The Swan is easier than the Eagle, but from the backyard
8-inches of aperture is a help, and a UHC filter is a Good Thing.
M18
 |
| M15 |
This smallish open cluster is quite nice in my 80mm APO.
M19
Somewhat tough southern glob. Low and large. Save yourself
some frustration and apply 8-inches of aperture.
M20
I can usually pick up the Trifid with the 80mm (equipped
with a UHC filter), but it doesn’t look very good from compromised skies even
with 12-inches.
M21
Large and bright, this open cluster is not a challenge for a small telescope
or binoculars.
M22
I used to enjoy looking at this big globular with my old
Short Tube 80 refractor, Woodstock, who didn’t have much trouble resolving a few stars in
it.
M23
Another bright open cluster that is nice in binoculars large
and small.
M24
This open cluster is small, about 5’ across, but rather dim
with a given magnitude around 11. Nevertheless, I can sometimes see it with a 4-inch—if
with difficulty. Nice in the 10-inch.
M25
At almost half a degree in diameter, this open cluster is
good in binoculars and excellent in an RFT like the StarBlast.
M26
A magnitude 9 open cluster, M26 can be difficult in a 4-inch,
looking much like a distant, unresolved globular. It’s not that much better in a 10-inch, which
at best resolves a handful of stars.
 |
| M27 |
The Dumbbell was sweet in my Short Tube 80, and really,
really sweet in the filtered 10-inch, which shows the apple core shape most convincingly
from suburbia.
M28
This glob near the Sagittarius Teapot’s lid is visible in a
4-inch with fair ease, but difficult to resolve even with a C11 in the suburbs.
M29
A small, dipper-shaped open cluster in Cygnus, M29 is good
with a 3-inch, and a 10-inch or larger scope really doesn’t show much more.
M30
A 6-inch is required to make M30 even look grainy, and a 10-inch is a
must for appreciable resolution. I can usually spot it with a 3 – 4-inch, however.
M31
I could often see the Andromeda Nebula (galaxy) naked eye even
from my downtown backyard. Needs mucho field. The StarBlast was super fine for
this monster.
M32
M32, M31’s brightest satellite galaxy, is visible in the
4-inch, but sometimes dubious in binoculars.
 |
| M33 |
Dimmer than M31 and still quite large. I've found the Triangulum
Galaxy a pain with the StarBlast. The C8 reduced to f/6.3 and equipped with a
27mm Panoptic can always turn the galaxy up when it is riding high, however.
M34
Bright but large. Perfect for the StarBlast or a similarly
wide-field scope.
M35
Nice in a 3-inch and just gets better with every increase in
aperture.
M36
Easy in the 3-inch Short Tube, and beautiful in a 10-inch.
M37
Visible in the 4-inch, but needs the 10-inch Dobsonian to begin to
show its incredible richness and its red central star well.
M38
Very similar to M36. Very nice in the Short Tube 80 and in my
80mm f/11 SkyWatcher achromat.
M39
This triangular open cluster is, like M29, good in an 80mm,
and doesn’t get much better with larger telescopes.
M40
A magnitude 10 range double star, it is very attractive in the
80mm f/11 refractor.
M41
Another win for the StarBlast RFT. It’s bright and big and perfect
for the little guy.
M42
Looks great in any aperture, even from badly compromised
backyards.
M43
In the suburbs, it takes about 10-inches of aperture to show
M43’s comma shape, but it is easy to at least detect in a 3-inch or a 4-inch as
haze around the bright star Nu Orionis.
M44
The Beehive. This huge open cluster in Cancer requires the StarBlast or a pair of
binocs. Easy, natch.
M45
The Pleiades are scrumptious in my 66mm APO, but I’ve never
seen their Merope Nebula with that or any telescope from the suburbs—up to and
including a 24-inch Dobsonian.
M46
The open cluster is easy in a 3-inch, but the involved
planetary nebula, NGC 2438, is invisible. Seeing that takes my 10-inch
Dobsonian, Zelda, and an OIII filter.
M47
Sparser but brighter than M46, M47 was rewarding enough in
the Short Tube 80, but didn’t look truly nice till I applied the 6-inch
refractor or an 8-inch reflector.
M48
Like many Messier opens “bright and large.” An RFT is practically
mandatory for good framing.
M49
I could pick up this elliptical (S0) galaxy from the
backyard with my 4-inch f/10 refractor or the 5-inch MCT without much hassle.
Not a whole lot to see, of course.
M50
This Monoceros open cluster is easy enough to see in a 3 –
4-inch. The main problem is finding it without goto.
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| M51 |
The Whirlpool Galaxy is visible in suburban 4-6-inch
telescopes as two dim fuzzballs, a larger one and a smaller one, from even under
very poor skies. I've detected the pair from a spot less than a mile from a major shopping mall. To see more than that requires 10 - 12-inches and an especially
good night.
M52
This medium-sized, medium-bright open cluster is pretty in a
4-inch, and the entire area is impressive on a good night in an RFT.
M53
To make spotting this glob easy, use at least 4-inches of aperture.
6 is better. And 8 is better still. It will take the 8-incher to achieve much resolution
of the cluster’s stars.
M54
To barely detect this less than impressive Sagittarius glob sometimes requires my 6-inch refractor. The 10-inch is mandatory if I
want to see it at least look “grainy.”
M55
This is an easier globular than M54 to resolve—if more
difficult to find. I can achieve fairly impressive resolution with the
10-inch, and can often at least at least see it easily with the 4-inchers.
So…next time we wrap up this executive summary of the
Messiers, and after that it’ll be time for me to get ready for my next big star
party, the 2016 Deep South Regional Star Gaze. Fingers crossed, but for once it looks
like the weather gods might be on my
side!
Sunday, October 09, 2016
Issue #512: More Messier Madness!
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| M87 shows off its jet to my Stellacam... |
What better
time is there for chasing Ms? The nights are cooler now and their skies are
clearer (you hope). Down here, I may only have to douse myself with one gallon of Deep Woods Off instead of two.
And, oh! the Messier beauties you’ll find lurking now. The mid-late summer
objects are still on display and lookin’ good. A glance to the east, though, will show
the Autumn wonders are on the rise—look how high M15 has gotten—and
if you’re up late you’ll begin to witness glories of Winter climbing as well.
Yes, fall’s
a great time for a Messier hunt, for crossing them off your Life List. For this
week’s edition, however, we’re taking the WABAC machine back to spring as we
navigate through the countless faint fuzzies that comprise the great Coma-Virgo
cloud of galaxies.
M85
Yes, Coma –
Virgo is wonderful, but what makes it
wonderful? The sheer number of galaxies on display here and their pairings and
groupings. When you stop to think about it, many, many are ellipticals without
much detail to offer. Tons of ‘em are certainly easy enough to see with a
medium size telescope in the backyard, however, including Messier 85, a
magnitude 10.0, 7.6’ x 5.9 S0 elliptical galaxy. And you get a bonus galaxy to up the interest level;
M85 is in the field with a dimmer companion, magnitude 11.6. 3.6’ x 3.5’ NGC
4394.
To find M85?
While goto or DSCs are the way I’d go in these latter days, M85 is not too hard
to pin down. It lies about 1.5-degrees outside to the northeast of a line drawn
between two prominent stars, Diadem, Alpha Comae, and Leo’s Denebola. A
magnitude 5 range double star, 11 Comae, is just a smidge over a degree to the
west of the galaxy.
In the
backyard, you’ll want at least an 8-incher to make this object easy on the less
good nights. M85 is a galaxy that can be bright in small apertures on good
evenings, but dim to the point of toughness on poorer ones. Above all, despite
the fact that this is a lenticular with an oval, elongated shape, expect to see
nothing more than the good old “round galaxy with a brighter center.” In other
words, much like an unresolved globular star cluster. In order to see
elongation in M85, I normally require 12-inches of aperture and a halfway
decent dark(er) site.
How about
the companion, NGC 4394? While it is small, it’s not tiny and is approaching
magnitude 12. The 10-inch Dobsonian, Zelda, will show it on a nice night,
albeit sometimes with difficulty. It is about 8.0’ northeast of the main
galaxy. Medium high magnification can be a help here. In the backyard, what you
can expect to see if you can see NGC 4394 is a relatively faint, round glow.
From dark sites with larger apertures, this barred spiral galaxy begins to
reveal its arms.
M86
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| The Face lookin' atcha... |
M86, an
elliptical galaxy in nearby Virgo, as I mentioned in the last installment,
together with its companion galaxy, M84, never fails to elicit a chuckle from
me. This grouping is “The Face.” M84 and M86 form the eyes, a little elliptical
galaxy, NGC 4387, is the nose, and a near edge-on galaxy, NGC 4406, is the
mouth. At magnitude 9.8 and with a size of 10.0’ x 7.4’, M86 is quite prominent
in 8-inch and larger scopes even from a relatively compromised backyard.
As I said in
the last M-edition concerning M84, “There are so many bright galaxies within
the arms of Virgo that it’s hard to know which one you are on. Luckily, the
field here is pretty distinctive. If you simply must find 84 the old fashioned
way, it lies halfway along a line drawn between Epsilon Virginis, Vendemiatrix,
and Denebola, Beta Leonis. Positoned there, look for two bright fuzzballs about
17.0’ apart.” Which one is M86? It is the northeastern-most of the two
brightest objects in the field. It is also more elongated than M84, being a Hubble
Type E3.
As above,
the cartoonish Face is the attraction here, that and the fact that this is the western
terminus of Markarian’s chain, the mind-blowing line of galaxies stretching off
to the east. But M86 itself? Sorry, pards; it is just another bright
elliptical. Very noticeable but very featureless.
M87
And so on to
Virgo’s monstrous old fat-daddy spider of a galaxy, M87, for more of the same. This is one of those “been there”
objects: there’s not much to see; all
you can say is you’ve been there.
Actually, there’s a little more to
it than that. The knowledge that this is an awesome giant of a galaxy, a titantic
elliptical with a mass of a trillion Sols, makes its sight thought provoking and
even moving though there is no detail to be found.
The best way
to get M87 in your eyepiece is to get on the distinctive M84/M86 pair first.
Then, slew your scope a degree and a half southeast. Go slowly and examine the
field carefully, but despite the galaxy crowded nature of this part of Virgo,
M87 stands out well. In an 8-inch in the backyard it will be fairly hard to
miss, and should be duck soup for 10s and 12s.
No, there’s
not much to see of M87 other than a bright fuzzy ball. The field? Not too much
here either for a small scope from the suburbs. There are two magnitude 12
range galaxies, NGCs 4476 and 4478, about 10.0’ to the northeast, but while
they are small, they really need a 10-inch to bring them out of a bright sky
background. In my C11 from the OK but not perfect skies of the old Georgia Sky
View Star Party at Indian Springs State Park, M87 was…
Basically a diffuse
round glow like a bright, unresolved globular cluster in a 3-inch
telescope. With TeleVue Nagler Type 2
12mm, 233x I occasionally see hints of a condensed core, but it's mostly a
featureless ball.
So that’s
it? How about THE JET? M87 is possessed of a supermassive black hole at its
core, and this is the source of an incredible jet of matter spewing out of the
center of the galaxy. This jet is so huge and luminous that it can even be seen
with amateur telescopes. Alas, those amateur telescopes need to be at least in
the 20-inch range and stationed under dark skies. Ironically, my humble
Stellacam II deep sky video camera in my C8 had no problem showing the jet with
a 10-second exposure under suburban conditions.
M88
M88…M88…which
one is that? Oh, yeah, back over in Coma
Berenices. It’s a bright enough Sb with an intermediate inclination to us that
reminds me a lot of M63 (in photographs) with patchy spiral arms similar to
those of the Sunflower Galaxy. At magnitude 10.1 and with a size of 6’54” x 3’42,
it is not terribly challenging for a 4-inch when your backyard conditions are anything
better than putrid.
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| M88 |
The best way
to land on M88 is to follow Markarian’s Chain, that great river of galaxies,
from its beginning at M84 and M86 for about two degrees to the northeast to its
conclusion. Luckily for us, M88 lies right at its northeastern end and is the most
prominent galaxy in the immediate area. Take your time and move slowly; this is
indeed the Realm of the Galaxies, and in a 10-inch or 12-inch, even from the suburbs,
there are island universes all over the place. This is a rather star poor area,
but there is a 7th magnitude sun half a degree to the northwest of
the galaxy, which provides a good guide to M88.
When you are
convinced you have M88, give it a nice long look, sure, but don’t expect too
terribly much. Even larger apertures from good site only reveal that it is
strongly elongated with a brighter center. The dusty spiral arms are really for
the eye of a camera.
M89
So you want
to see M89, do you? Well, I salute you for charging through the fuzzy laden
waters of Virgo. And this is not a bad one. It’s another round elliptical like
many of the galaxies here, but is bright enough at magnitude 9.75 and small
enough at 5’06” x 4’42” that it is a reasonably easy catch for your backyard
4-inch. If you can find it. Or, more properly, figure out exactly which
fuzzball in the eyepiece is it.
Not sure
exactly what to tell you if you have to star-hop. This object is just outside
the heart of the Virgo cloud, and there are really no guide stars to help you
on your way. If you’re star-hopping with a finder, the best way to go is to
move your scope 1-degree northwest of M58, which is substantially easier to
locate.
The best way
to position the telescope on M89, though? The way I used to navigate Virgo-Coma
in the days before computers: I’d galaxy
hop. Using a 12mm Nagler eyepiece in my 12-inch telescope, I found it
remarkably easy to move around the area by hopping from galaxy to galaxy with
the widefield eyepiece and a (very) detailed computer chart. Back then, I used
Megastar. Today, you’ll probably want to use SkyTools 3’s Interactive Atlas.
When you’ve
arrived, you’ll find that while it is almost featureless, M89 is not entirely
so. According to its specs, M89 is slightly oval, but in the eyepiece it looks
entirely round. Otherwise it has a fainter halo and a brighter center. However,
on an OK night with at least an 8-inch, you may see that it has an intensely
bright, star-like nucleus, and that brings M89 into the realm of “very
attractive.”
M90
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| M90 |
In images,
M90, a magnitude 10.10, 9.5’ x 4.5’ spiral, is very pretty indeed, with a bright,
oval central region and prominent dust lanes outlining tightly wrapped spiral
arms. Unfortunately, once you get outside the central part of the galaxy, its
surface brightness is low, and the arms are mostly for imagers, though they can
be glimpsed with 10 – 12-inch telescopes on outstanding nights at outstanding sites.
Locating M90
is quite easy if you are already on M89. Just eyepiece hop, following a chain
of 10th magnitude stars north for 40’ and you are there. An 8th
magnitude star is 14.0’ southeast of the galaxy if you need more help, or just
want to be sure you are on the correct galaxy.
When you are
on M90, most of the time all you will find is the object’s strongly elongated middle
part. And it may not be quite as bright looking as you expect given the galaxy’s
fairly generous size. This is a galaxy to keep coming back to on superior
evenings, however, since under the best conditions it can begin to give up
respectable detail to medium sized instruments.
M91
Oh, how
wonderful M91 looks--in pictures. Even in fairly short exposures, this magnitude
10.9, 5.4’ x 4.6’ shows off a classically beautiful barred spiral shape with
far-flung, open arms. In the eyepiece the story, as it often is, is somewhat
different, but this is still a Messier, after all, and worthy of your attention
for sure.
If you wanna
get to M91, my advice (for the computer deprived) is to continue your eyepiece
hopping, moving 1-degree 22’ west – northwest from M90. Take it easy, since
this one definitely looks a little on the dim side. There is a magnitude 8.8
star just 17.0’ west of the galaxy.
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| Stellacam's M91... |
I hate to be
a bring-down, but even with fairly large telescopes under quite dark skies,
about all you will see of M91 is an elongated something, and you may need averted vision to see even that much. On particulalry nice evenings, you may pick up a stellar nucleus. On the other hand,
the camera loves M91, and even a 10-second exposure with my Stellacam 2 showed
its basic shape:
As befits its status as M91, this is a marvelous galaxy, big,
with a bright round core, a long bar, and easy to see, graceful arms that give
it a classic barred spiral "S" shape.
And that, as
they say, is that. Fun is fun, but done
is done.
But we are
not quite done with the Messiers here, though we are in the homestretch now, no
denying it. How about your own observing program? If you haven’t caught ‘em
all, resolve to do that over the coming year. I am hearing from quite a few of
you who intend to do that very thing, and some who even say (my blushes) they
are going to print out this series of blog entries and use them as their guide.
That’s flattering, certainly, and though I don’t doubt there may be better
guides to the M-objects than these articles, one thing is sure: the price is right!
