Thread: Galaxies
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Old 20-03-2012, 03:21 PM
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psyche101
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Gold Coast QLD
Posts: 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by alistairsam View Post
Hi Psyche,
I've been on the hunt for galaxies as well, but since most are mag 9 or fainter, you need reasonably dark skies to view them. How dark are skies at your observing location?
M83 is my favourite as its bright and easy to spot. I've been able to view faint spiral arms from 20km's from the city. Sombrero was a lot fainter.
should be easy to spot with your 10".
Do you have setting scales on your Dob mount? that will help locating objects.
there are a few threads here on how to make them.
Which scope are you using and what is its focal length/ratio, which eyepieces do you use?

Hi alistairsam

Thanks for the reply! I am on the Gold Coast in Queensland, in the Hinterland. I am just behind the peak of Mt Nathan, and that seems to help with light, but the skies to the east are just washed out. Anything NW or SW I find is quite reasonable I think. I have some friends with a large farm outside of Toowoomba, very dark skies out that way, I need to organise a camping trip there with the scope. I paid them a visit a short while back, and had to stop on the side of the road to reduce my fluid levels and looked up, and was astounded by the night skies out Boonah way.
No, I do not believe I have setting scales on the mount, it is just a standard mount. I use Stellarium quite a lot to help me find my way around the skies. I will look up the threads, thanks for the tip.
My setup is a 10" Dobsonian on a standard mount, and I have a range of eyepieces from 5mm through to 32 mm, some filters and a barlow. I tend to go with the method Alexander mentioned, I use something like a 20 or 25,mm even a 32mm and then drop down through the eyepieces until I get the view I am satisfied with. Then I yell out to the kids, you have gotta see this!

Cheers.
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