June Challenge Object - M83 (Southern Pinwheel)

iceman (Mike) · #1 01-06-2005, 08:03 AM

Hi all.

We'd love you to take part in the June Observing Challenge. Please post your observing reports and sketches for M83 in this thread. Discussions about the object can also be in this thread.

Please ensure scanned sketches obey the image posting guidelines when you attach them.

For deep-space images of the object, see the "Deep Space" astrophotography forum.

dhumpie · #2 03-06-2005, 05:45 PM

Quite a bright galaxy this one. Easily visible even from my mag 5.5 suburban sky (no spiral structure seen of course just the core surrounded by a faint fuzz that is the spiral arms) in my 15x70 binoculars (handheld), my Orion 80ST and of course in my C6. In the C6, I usually like to use about 75x to about 100x to get the background dark enough to bring out the faint fuzz around the core (from suburbia). I can detect two spiral arms radiating from the core from mag 7 skies (Leyburn). Its interesting to note that I can still see the core when the moon is up. Anyway see my sketch at :

http://www.geocities.com/dhumpie/dastro/m83.jpg

Darren

atalas · #3 03-06-2005, 06:54 PM

Nice sketching Darren! I wish I could see the spiral structure that well in M83.

Louie

gaa_ian (Ian) · #4 05-06-2005, 01:14 AM

Had a look tonite at our club night
Nice bright stellar like core .... Some hint of structure in the spiral arms
LX-90 scope with 26mm Meade Possol.

dhumpie · #5 06-06-2005, 03:57 PM

Hey Louie,

The sketch is exaggerated to bring out the spiral. You have to work a lot harder to see it in real life. But if you have at least a 6" scope and mag 7++ skies I think you should be able to make out two of its spiral arms. Try using at least 50X and above.

Darren

atalas · #6 06-06-2005, 04:17 PM

Hey Darren ,didn't have to work hard through big Hector ! what a buzz M83 was through Andrews 20" dob ,much like your sketch Darren.

Louie

dhumpie · #7 06-06-2005, 05:37 PM

The larger you go, the easier the spiral arms are. I remember looking at M33 through my 6" and then looking through a friends 10" scope at the same magnification. The spiral arms were visible in the 6", but much more prominent in the 10"! Good way to confirm that what i was seeing was for real

Darren