What to show tourists?

[Crusader]

I might be having some tourists from the Netherlands over for a viewing session tomorrow (weather permitting). Since they are from the Northern Hemisphere they will want to view all the "wow" objects we have to offer.

I need to compile a list of things to view in my 10" Dobsonion telescope. Obviously they need to be relatively easy to star hop to since I don't want them to get bored while waiting for me to track things down and they need to have the :eyepop: factor.

My favourites are:
Jewel Box (NGC 4755)
Eta Carinae Nebula
Omega Centauri
47 Tucanae
LMC & SMC
Tarantula Nebula
Jupiter

Any other suggestions for must see objects?

[erick]

Are they astronomers themselves? Some things excite astronomers that don't excite the general public - eg. dark nebulae and really faint galaxies.


I think some of your targets are pretty low (maybe even below the horizon for you?) this time of year - or are you going to get them up well before dawn!

[§AB]

Take them on a sweeping tour of the Sagittarius Starclouds - absolutely mind blowing even from suburban locations. There's also alot of big, bright open and globular clusters (e.g. M6, M7, M22) and bright Nebulae (m8, m20 and m17 are great). Shame about the FULL MOON though. :doh:

[Crusader]

I'm not sure whether they are astronomers themselves. I only get to meet them tomorrow afternoon.

Some of the targets are pretty low (LMC, Tarantula Neb. & Eta Carinae Neb.) but they might still be visible, even if it's not the ideal location as far as seeing is concerned. I'm planning on using the hour or so before the moon rises (around 7:30pm - 8:30pm GMT+2) so hopefully that will work.



Good suggestions there. I only focused on Southern Hemisphere objects. If they aren't astronomers themselves then those should also be quite a treat. It is a pity about the moon, but hey got to live with that... I might even blind them with the moon itself if I can't find anything else. :rofl:

[NQLD_Newby]

You'll probably have to wing it a little depending on whether they are astronomers themselves, because that will depend on what gives them the wow factor. Depending on the outcome of the above question I find double stars can sometimes give that wow factor. Especially stars like alpha cent. and albireo. There are several lists even on this forum of beautiful double stars. I'm not sure where I saw it but there is one floating around on the net which lists Doubles with large colour differences between the A & B component, and above all have fun.

[hlokk]

Depending on the views at your location, you might be able to show them the planets. Most non-astronomical people are still interested when I point to the west just as it gets dark and mention that you can see three planets, then jupiter overhead. Dont even need binoculars or a telecope (but binocs would be good). Just as a bit of a primer, rather than the main focus.

[OneOfOne]

It may not sound very exciting, but at public viewings my favourite target is Alpha Centauri! Almost everyone has heard of it (thanks to Lost In Space) and knows it is the nearest star system to ours, but they are absolutely blown away when they see that there are two of them. The first thing they try to do is to pick them out with the naked eye :lol: As your visitors are from the northern hemisphere, they can never see this star anyway.

Of course the planets and all of your other suggested objects would be on my list.

[gary]

Greetings to you there in South Africa,

Having helped host northern hemisphere observers visiting Australia for a few
years now, I often ask them at the end of their visit, "What was the best
thing you saw?"

I use to anticipate they would say something like "47 Tuc" or "The Tarantula
Nebula". However, the overwhelming number of them respond with simply
"the Milky Way overhead at the zenith".

We take this for granted in the southern hemisphere and so my best
advice is to get them away from city lights and just have them look up.

About 15 years ago we were working with a large Japanese company and
now and then one or more of their engineers would come down to Sydney for a few
days. During the weekends, I would often taken them sightseeing around the
greater Sydney area. On one occasion, after having spent a nice day
showing off some of the beautiful beaches on the Central Coast north
of Sydney, I was driving back to Sydney on the freeway at night and was
suddenly alarmed by loud moaning "ahhh" noises from my passenger. Thinking there
was something wrong, like some medical condition, I quickly turned
on the interior light. My passenger had his faced pushed against the window
and was looking up. His face looked absolutely startled as he was
crying out. "The stars!", he gasped, "the stars!". I then realized he was witnessing
the full splendor of the Milky Way for the first time in his life.

Best Regards

Gary

[Starkler]

That still gives me a buzz every time I see it, and I wonder why anyone would want to be stuck under an artificial dome.

[§AB]

Unfortunately with the moon, they'll be missing out completely.

I've cruised the Sag Milkyway with my 10" from my suburban yard on a moonless night.....was left bloody speechless.

Another thing you could do is find some strongly coloured stars, seeing the diversity in colour amongstthe stars might interest your visitors.

[Ian Robinson]

Doesn't it depend on who they are ?
If they are boneheads who've never looked through a telescope before, the crescent moon will simply blow them away viewed through a telescope at 100x - 200x.
So will Saturn and Jupiter and Mars (if it is close and big).
Then comes the old favs of bright star clusters and globulars and bright nebulae.

If they are people who know something about astronomy , northern hemisphere amateur astronomers say , best to ask them what they want to see or simply let them loose with the telescope.

[§AB]

well we weren't exactly told "who" they are so we don't know what will/will not impress them.

[CoombellKid]

Show them the "Dark Doodad" thats always a good one to send them back
north.

regards,CS

[erick]

:thumbsup: Binoculars and a nice dark sky!

[CoombellKid]

Aaaargh! the bush! a bottle of Yalumba Galway Pipe! (yup I tried it John)
a trampoline in the yard, to lay on :thumbsup: and the parra setup with the 20x80's
on it just in case there is something ya want to take a closer look at ;)

regards,CS

[Crusader]

Sorry for the very late reply. All your suggestions where excellent, especially since I didn't know who they were before meeting them, the suggestions covered all the important things.

Sadly the clouds didn't cooperate at all. Just as it grew dark a cold front moved in (after a gloriously sunny and cloudless day) and the sky clouded over completely. :(

At least now I'll know what to show them or other NH visitors when they come around.

BTW: Only one of them had looked through a telescope before so I reckon most anything would have wowed them.

[§AB]

^^ the coldfront thing.....That's actually called the "Melbourne Factor"

Here is the offcial SAB dictionary of Astronomy definition:
Melbourne Factor ~ n
When typical Melbourne cloud and rain moves in on a Friday night after a day of full sunshine and warm.

[roccop]

what about zooming up on the next door neighbours mrs getting changed into her nighty?


They are european and should be open to that


lol



dunno

[Crusader]

:lol:

[§AB]

I think my seeing is too crap to magnify more than 1x :(