Favorite DSO

[Neil]

Whats your favorite DSO, Mine has to be M42, way back when I first started in this hobby with my 2" refractor, its was a captivating sight, still is , however the aperture is a little larger. So whats your favorite?:hi::D:):D

[malau]

sombrero

[big_dav_2001]

Hi Neil,

Mine would also be The Orion Nebula, or possibly 47 Tucanae.. They were the first two DSO's I ever saw through my two favourite scopes. M42 was the first DSO I ever saw through my little 4-inch reflector -my first scope, and 47 Tuc was the first DSO through my 12" Dob. Both are still staple viewing on any scope outing.

Davin

[cometcatcher]

47 Tuc closely followed by Omega Cent. Not so much in a small scope, but in a big one it's jaw dropping.

[Shano592]

I love the depth of 47 Tuc. It looks like a 3D image (Geoffro, can I steal your binos ... I have an idea..)

... The Great Orion Nebula, due to it's incredible detail, and sheer vastness. I can spend a long time looking at the details of this nebula.

I also like the Sombrero, and NGC253.

Then there is The Ghost of Jupiter Nebula, and the Eskimo.

Hard to pin down just one true favourite.

[Neil]

:D:rofl:Maybe I should have said a family of Favorites.:thanx:

[Neil]

:):DDoes anyone own or have knowledge of Orions Starshoot G3 camera ( monochrome) has a sony 1/2" chip and TEC fan,thanks:thanx:

[GrahamL]

For me the variety you can frame in the eyepiece in Corona Australis
is pretty special .

[sn1987a]

Homunculus Nebula Eta Carinae.

[GUS.K]

NCC 253 in Sculptor,couldn't find it from my childhood light polluted backyard in Sydney with my Tasco 60mm ,and when I finally saw it through a pair of 80 mm binoculars from a rural sky, its been my favorite DSO.

[astro_nutt]

NGC 5128. I found it by accident while looking for Omega Centauri many years ago.

[N1]

M57

[el_draco]

47 Tuc for an individual object...:party2:
The entire Tarantula area for unlimited joy... :bowdown:

[mental4astro]

Hi Neil,

I actually had to think about this one for a while...

I've got two objects, not because they are particularly spectacular - in fact, they are very unimpressive individually in a visual sense. BUT, their value comes from the hunt! These two objects depend on two conditions - perfect conditions and aperture (more on the second than the first).

The Horsehead Nebula (B33) and Polarissima Australis (NGC 2573).

It took me years to finally pin the Horsie. Two of those due totally to crappie conditions. Even now, as the dark pillar is so fickle, it can challenge the keenest eyes. Polarissima Australis is the closest catalogued object to the South Celestial Pole. It is a tiny magnitude 14 galaxy that requires not only aperture to make out, but conditions need to be good - such tiny galaxies are impossible to see if there is a lot of moisture in the sky, or transperency isn't great. There are also no significantly bright stars to assist with star hopping, sucking your eyeballs out to identify the correct asterisms to track Polarissima Australis.

These two I love for the sheer pleasure of the chase. Both can be real buggers to pin, even with big apertures. Hmmm, yum! :D

[phobos27]

My favourite DSO would have to be Centaurus A because it was the first object that I more or less so got some nice detail through in my image! I recently redid it because in that image my stars were trailing and now it looks even better!

It's great to see what everyone else likes as well! Thanks for the thread!

I'm sure you can guess which was my first image taken through my scope!

[el_draco]

Do you have an image of this galaxy by any chance?

[Neil]

WOW,what a collection of DSOs, I to have looked at these, although with mixed success. I've never looked for or at NGC2573, one for later, and the Horsehead has eluded me so far. Alex , what are you observing with? I've tried to see B33 with my LX90 12", without success. Anyway lets not stop now, please keep these Great DSO comming.

[MichaelSW]

Got asked this very question at Urban Observers last night by a visitor. Reading through the thread, I see that el-draco 'nailed it' with his suggestion of 47 Tuc and the Tarantula area. Couldn't show the visitors a good view of either, but NGC3293 (The Gem cluster) was next on my list.

[Suzy]

47Tuc- c'mon it's got way way more character & dazzle than Omega! :D
Sombrero Galaxy (M105).
Touring thru the LMC galaxy (how insane is it to be able to do that!).
And my most favourite would be comets. But they're in our solar system so I guess that doesn't count....

[stephenb]

Ngc 4755

[mental4astro]

Rom, no I don't have an image of it. I've been meaning to sketch it for a long time too, but stuff always happens... :mad2: Will have a go this July New Moon. Photos of it are also damned difficult to come across. I thought I had seen an image of it in the Deep Space forum, but I can't find it now.

Neil, most of my dark site observing is done with with my 17.5". I'll be taking both my 17.5" and my 12" scopes this July to Astrofest and I'll try 2573 with both then.

I've seen the Horsie with a 12" scope too - difficult bugger as you are looking for a 'blacker' spike that juts into a 'black' background. It is very understated and demands patience. I suggest you use a good finder chart to spot the Horsie as star hoping is necessary, even if you have a go-to system. Very easy to miss. A Hydrogen Beta filter, UHC type filter, or an OIII & H B hybrid filter will help - I've seen the Horsie with each of these three.

[Neil]

Thanks to Shane,Kevin,David,Davin,Graham,Barr y ,Gus, Astro-nutt,Mirko Rom,Nick,Micheal ,Alex and Suzy, hope I didn't miss anyone, If I have, I'm sorry, and consider yourself as being thanked. Well I've started a list of DSOs I haven't looked at , its not that long, yet, looking forward to add to it over time, so keep them coming, and thanks again.:P:thumbsup::thanx:

[el_draco]

Its a very curious object and you are correct, images are hard to come by. It'll be my first target once I get the obs up....

[Neil]

Come on everybody, we need to keep this going for the newbys to have a guide to know whats great and interesting to look at , and to learn that the brightest and easiest to find is not perhaps the only target they should have, so lets work on this list, we need more, much more, thanks.:D:D:D:thanx:

[Benjamin]

Love the Lagoon nebula (the first nebula I found), Swan/Omega nebula (especially coming from the Lagoon), the Ring Nebula (to see that odd grey circle is quite a surprise) and Eta Carina (all both with and without a UHC filter). The Sombrero Galaxy is one of the few galaxies I can get much detail on with an 8" Dob, although mostly it's the hunt for galaxies that is the real joy.

[Suzy]

The hunt- I couldn't agree more :D.

And I've just realised I forgot another favourite of mine- Markarian's Chain in Coma Berenices. It's wicked! :eyepop: So many galaxies of different shapes and sizes- *bump* *bump* *bump* it's galaxy sky candy overload within a couple of degrees:eyepop:.
"The Eyes" (interacting galaxies) in particular is an incredible sight, almost spooky as I think they do look like eyes as there aren't any stars around them- just black sky.... whoa! Bless you part of that sky...:prey2:
APOD- Markarian's Chain
(http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090609.html)

[Mountain_Wanderer]

So an 8" dob can provide decent views of these DSOs?

[glend]

I agree with Suzy, the Eyes Galaxies are one of my favorites, and the Markarian Chain provides hours of viewing pleasure.

[speach]

m83

[Suzy]

Were you referring to Markarian's Chain?

If so, I can see them fairly easily through light pollution using my 10" dob. And they sit fairly low on my north western horizon which has the worst pollution out of all my horizons (alas, that's my only gap). So I feel certain your 8" should stand a good chance, weather transparency permitting of course. Especially from a dark site I don't see it being a problem at all.