help finding deep space objects

[lesbehrens (Les)]

hi. i am interested in looking for some nebula and Galaxy's but i find it hard to find them is there a easy way to find them?
thanks

[prova]

few options:

you can download Stellarium or similar software for free and find objects
that way - http://www.stellarium.org/

download a free star map - http://www.skymaps.com/

more expensive option is to install a GoTo system on your scope and this will more or less take you to the object your looking for

all of this also depends on what your scope and what you will be able to see through it

hope that gives you a start though ..

[renormalised (Carl)]

I would also suggest that you buy yourself a good book on astronomy, like "Atlas of the Southern Night Sky", by Steve Massey and Steve Quirk, and use that to get to know the constellations and where they are in the sky. Just go out in the evening and look for the patterns of the easiest to see constellations and get to know them. That way you'll get an idea of what you can find, and then go onto the harder to find constellations.

You'll be surprised to find that you can see some nebulae and a few galaxies with your unaided eyes...like the Orion Nebula and the LMC, etc.

You can then apply what you know to using your scope, if you have one.

[Jeff]

Below are some of my favourites, which are fairly large and bright compared to many of the other DSOs (such as galaxies and planetary nebulas):

1. NGC 5139 (Omega Centauri) - best globular star cluster, 0.6deg, mag 3
2. NGC 104 (47 Tucane) - great globular star cluster, 0.5deg, mag 4
3. M42 (Orion Nebula) - large emission/reflection nebula, 1.1deg, mag 4
4. NGC 3372 (Eta Carina Nebula) - best nebula, 2deg, mag 3
5. M45 (Pleiades) - open star cluster, 1.6 deg, mag 2
6. M44 (Beehive) - open star cluster, 1.6 deg, mag 3.1
7. M47 - open star cluster, 0.5 deg, mag 4.4
8. M41 - open star cluster, 0.6 deg, mag 4.5
9. Jewel Box - small colourful open star cluster, 0.2deg, near B-Crux

See pics attached below .. for an idea of what shapes to look for.

Hope this helps.

[GrahamL]

Do you have a red dot finder or telrad les ?

not to worry if you don't ..they are pretty handy though

galaxys ..theres a couple here face to the north tonight around 9.00pm
were looking for the constellation leo .. its quite large and partly resembles basic outline a boat to me .. I think saturns in the back of the boat somewhere..anyway we want the bow ..marked by a single star to east.whats conspicuous about this piece of sky in front of the point of the bow is there appears to be nothing there..start at this star and slowly pan to east ..return to the star and lift your alt a touch and go again ..theres so many galaxies in the virgo cluster your sure to stumble onto a few.


An easy planetary is in corvus (see below)around the same time tonight
face east and look up you should spot this shape fairly easily
I have to agree with whoever said this constellation looks like a shopping trolley it really does ...the blue mark is were you'll find the planetary.. the red is the sombrero galaxy (m104) which is worth a look for .

books and star charts are a great tool as is spending a little time getting to know a few constellations and were they
sit in the night sky relative to each other ..makes knowing where to look just that little easier
best thing when things start to fall into place everthing gets a little easier to find
good luck .



graham

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

A few of us IceInSpace people get together every new moon at Cambroon Observatory at Kenilworth.
The next one is this coming weekend, Saturday the 3rd of May.
It really would be worth your while to come along. We could help you sort out your barlow problem as well as give you some pointers on finder some nice deep sky objects. I'm pretty sure that there will be a few other new members turning up this weekend.
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ead.php?t=8808

[Kokatha man]

Originally Posted by nightstalker

were looking for the constellation leo .. its quite large and partly resembles basic outline a boat to me .. I think saturns in the back of the boat somewhere..anyway we want the bow ..marked by a single star to east.whats conspicuous about this piece of sky in front of the point of the bow is there appears to be nothing there..
An easy planetary is in corvus I have to agree with whoever said this constellation looks like a shopping trolley it really does
graham

Well, I guess that's why there are so many seemingly far-fetched associations with star patterns and imagery, be it mythological or otherwise. I'd never heard of Leo as a boat before, but on my evening walk I could see some sort of resemblance: I suppose that single star in the east you refer to is Denebola? From the Northern Hemisphere though, this constellation really is quite sphinx-like, or resembling a crouching lion.

As for the supermarket trolley, aka Corvus the Crow, one can only ask why the ancients never saw that likeness themselves....!

Cheers, Darryl.

[AstralTraveller (David)]

Originally Posted by Kokatha man

As for the supermarket trolley, aka Corvus the Crow, one can only ask why the ancients never saw that likeness themselves....!

Cheers, Darryl.

Darryl,

That is so obvious I'm amazed you can't see the reason. These were wealthy upper-class ancients. Do you think they did their own shopping?

Dave

[AstralTraveller (David)]

lesbehrens

You could look at the threat 'Distance help'

[GrahamL]

Yes denebola it is Darryl.. some of this constellation is obscured from me
when it rises in the sky and isn't that bright so boat is all I see.

Shopping trolley came from here
http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/blog/?p=769
and has sort of grown on me a little ..the dam things
are everywhere you go these days

[Kokatha man]

Originally Posted by nightstalker

Yes denebola it is Darryl.. some of this constellation is obscured from me
when it rises in the sky and isn't that bright that so boat is all I see.

Shopping trolley came from here
http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/blog/?p=769
and has sort of grown on me a little ..the dam things
are everywhere you go these days

Thanks for that Graham, the Sydney Ob blog was quite a good read: I'll have to access that from now on. All we get over here is a monthly night sky article in the daily paper, by one of the ASSA members; which pedantic old #@&*% fellas like me pick faults in (eg, "Arcturus is the 3rd brightest star in the night sky....")

Regards, Darryl.

[IanT]

Hi Lesbehrens

The best advice I can give is to look for Galaxies and Nebulae with the aid of books and maps mentioned with the proviso that you do it under very dark skies with dark adapted eyes. Often, a pair of 7 or 10 x 50 binoculars will help you find brighter objects before you orient your telescope. I should think that you have access to some outstanding dark sites near Kilcoy. Get in touch with that mob at Kilkiven. Nothing beats talking to people who have already been there and done that.

Good luck
Ian