Your most memorable Visual Deep Sky Observations

[ausastronomer]

Hi all,

As some of you are aware Gary Kopff and I gave a talk and photographic odyssey of out trip to the 2007 Texas Star Party and other points of astronomical interest in the USA.

During that talk I mentioned that at 2007 TSP I was fortunate enough to observe M51 through Larry Mitchell's 36" Obsession. I also mentioned that it was probably my most memorable visual telescopic observation ever, of any target in the sky. Gary agreed with me on this.

As most members may not have been fortunate enough to observe more Northern Hemisphere targets, I will add a couple of my most memorable Southern Sky observations:-

1) NGC 3242 Ghost of Jupiter, planetary nebula in Hydra. VM 8.2. 18"/F4.5 Obsession at Coonabarabran 525X magnification with a 10mm Pentax XW and 2.5X TV Powermate, unfiltered. A night of excellent seeing and transparancy contributed to an absolutely stunning view of this wonderful PN. The Central Star and the inner shell were beautifully defined in a photograph like visual image. It looks just like an "eye" looking back at you.

2) Murrell 1, Planetary Nebula in ARA (on Norma border) VM 16.8. 25"/F5 Obsession at Coonabarabran 185X magnification with a 17mm Nagler and a DGM Optics NPB filter. Whilst this is an extremely UNIMPRESSIVE target visually, because of its dimness and difficulty to observe, even in a 25" telescope, it was a memorable observation because there is some significance in visually observing a target that has recently been discovered by one of your observing buddies. This target is almost beyond the reach of a 20" telescope. I think Andrew Murrell with his supercharged retinas, is one of the few people on the planet that could see this in a 20" telescope.

3) NGC 3372 Eta Carina Nebula Complex. Emission Nebula and other targets in Carina. VM 3.0. 18"/F4.5 Obsession at Coonabarabran 68X magnification with a 31mm Nagler and DGM Optics NPB filter. This view was the same night as my memorable observation of NGC 3242, under superb conditions. I have observed this target hundreds of times in just about every size and type of telescope known to man and this was my most memorable view of one of the most remarkable regions of our galaxy. I subsequently changed eyepieces and removed the filter. I cranked the power up to 750X with a 7mm Pentax XW in the 2.5X TV powermate, unfiltered, for one of my most memorable views of the Homunculus Nebula within the Eta Carina complex.

4) Observing the Eta Carina Nebula complex through Paul Shoppis 13"/F5 Binocular Telescope at Kulnurra. 127X magnification using a "pair" of 13mm Nagler T6's. The view of this target through a high quality binocular telescope is something etched in my mind forever. I will never forget it. A binoviewer just isn't the same. I truly thought I was Captain James T Kirk flying the USS Enterprise straight up the middle of the dust lanes.

I am curious what some of the most memorable VISUAL DEEP SKY OBSERVATIONS you have been fortunate enough to make, might be.

Cheers,
John B

[andrewk_82]

I'm only new to astronomy, so this won't be very exiting to most of you, but it was good for me.

I was bought a 60mm Tasco refractor a couple of years back. Couldn't see much through it, just M42 as a smudge on the sky, Jupiter, Mars and the moon and a few GC's :sadeyes:.

For my birthday in September wife got me a 10" Dob :D. To date, M42 is the most memorable thing I've observed and that was with a half moon and the nebula low on the horizon. Compared to the view in the Tasco there was no comparison. Seeing the faint detail in the nebula and having it fill the eyepiece was awsome :eyepop:. Can't wait till I get to a dark site on a new moon. I'm sure I'll have many more memorable nights of observing to come (especially when I get my UHC filter for Christmas).

Cheers

[hector]

My WOW observation was the impact of ShoemakerLevy 9 into Jupiter.
The G impact was reported that it may iluminate the moon Europa that was in shadow at the time. At the moment of Impact there was no Flash of Europa but a moment later a small bump could be seen on the edge of the planet. The mushroom cloud rising from the cloud layers of Jupiter was visible, looking like one of the moons comming from behind the planet. IT WAS AMAZING. Then about 40 minutes later the "crater" Material dredged up from the interior of the planet rotated around to the front and it reminded me of the scene in 2010. The impact point was HUGE considering the size of the comet piece and BLACK against the planet. That impact site could be seen for many months after and thinking of it now still brings a tingle to my spine.
The 2nd best was seing Saturn during the last ring plane crossing. On a night during the SPSP we had exceptional seeing and you could see the shepherding moons that keep order in the rings. The ASNSWI's Treasurer at the time Max was heard to say FU*& ME which attracted the people awake and observing at the time.he didnt surrender the eyepiece for a good 10 minutes.
For a DEEP DEEP DEEP sky junkie I have solar system observations as my best views.
Clear Skies
Andrew

[iceman]

A couple stand out:

1) NGC1365 (I think?) through Mike Kerr's 25" reflector at my first ever SPSP (3.5 years ago). It was my first WOW moment seeing a galaxy with its spiral arms like that.

2) The humunculus in Eta Carinae through Rod's 20" SDM at Kulnura on a night of exceptional seeing. It honestly looked just like the hubble pictures. It was amazing.

3) Comet McNaught at IISAC2007!

[PhilW]

My most memorable views have all been with the 10" bino:

1) Looking at M42 with twin Ethoi. The sense of immersion was unparalleled, as was the mottling and contrast within the nebulosity
2) Browsing around Eta Carinae with the binoscope and 11mm T6 Naglers. Not quite as immersive as the Ethoi, but the enhanced contrast makes the dark lanes really stand out
3) The major globulars are all remarkable sights (M22, 47 Tuc, Omega C). There is a moment when binocular fusion kicks in, and the objects take on a sudden illusion of depth & appear to spring out of the background sky. As you note it doesn't look this way with a binoviewer. I assume this is because in the latter case your brain is being presented with two identical images, so binocular summation does not take place in quite the same way.

[Octane]

John,

Great topic!

I haven't done much astronomical observing, being into imaging. I do miss peering through eyepieces.

My four wow moments:

1. Seeing the Moon for the first time through my (then) new telescope, an Meade 8" LX90 LNT. It was early evening in late December, and the Moon was directly overhead. I just couldn't believe that this level of detail was possible.

2. Seeing the dark lanes through the Keyhole Nebula through Zane Hammond's beautiful 25" Dobzilla. The Bok globules were tak sharp clear, even though Eta Carina was fairly low in the sky.

3. On the same night as 2. seeing COLOUR in the Great Orion Nebula, again through the same instrument. I was there with Louie, and another friend of mine. I remember exclaiming that it was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. The Running Man was as clear as day, too. A remarkable instrument that Dobzilla. *dribble*

4. Seeing M31, M33 and the Orionid meteor shower of 2006, up at Coonabarabran. WOW!

Regards,
Humayun

[erick]

It's been great so far, but, I think my most memorable observations are in my future! :)

Initially, everything is great - just picking out the Crab Nebula in 30x100 binos was a real thrill. And a few months after I first started observing - the first evening I was up late enough to see something I had only read about or seen photos of - Omega Centauri! Seeing The Jewel Box in my ancient old 7x50s - finally seeing myself something my Father had told me about years ago. The major moons of Jupiter in the same 7x50s - just resolved!

I've finally got the equipment together to settle back, relax and undertake systematic observation over the months and years ahead. So I'm really looking forward from here! :thumbsup:

[kinetic]

I would have to agree with you Andrew for wow factor, although
not really deep sky, it is definately also one of my most
memorable moments at the scope.

I was observing Jupiter on the night you say, through my 8" F7 homemade
Newt, and my mate was two suburbs away simultaneously looking
through his 10" Newt. He was inspired to build his after seeing mine :)

We were talking on those old huge chunky cordless phones while
looking through our respective eyepieces.
The most easily visible fragment impact that amateurs had a chance
of seeing was due that night , Adelaide time.
He had seen a few already but I couldn't see them easily in my slighly
smaller scope.
Then the biggest fragment impact rotated into view.
He called me and said, "surely Steve you can see that one?"
I took a look...and yes, I could see a cometary fragment impact on the
face of Jupiter!

Not sure if they lasted months tho Andrew, I thought they were
gone after a few rotations?

Steve

[ausastronomer]

For those that were fortunate enough to observe the Shoemaker/Levy 9 impact, it is without doubt the most memorable thing you will ever see. That is a once in a several milleniums event and a large % of the current astronomical community never had the opportunity to see it.

Comet McNaught was spectacular. Bennetts' Comet was spectacular. Haleys Comet was a non event. Observing the rings of Saturn is spectacular. Observing the Enke Division in the rings is spectacular. Observing the 9 craterlets in Plato visually is spectacular. Observing the full length of the Alpine Rille is spectacular. Observing the radiating ejecta rays of Copernicus is spectacular.

THAT'S NOT WHAT I AM ASKING

I am interested in Deep Sky Telescope Observations only

Cheers,
John B

[Jeff]

For me, some of the most memorable were quite modest ....

1. My first memorable DSO was Nov 2007 from Melb suburbs looking ... I stumbled across The Pleiades (M45, Seven Sisters) through a modest little scope (Meade ETX-60 refractor, FL=350mm), and remember gazing for ages. It was framed well at 14x and 23x using cheap super plossl eyepieces, but the crispness and blueish hue was like nothing I'd seen before. I dragged the Mrs out of bed to have a look, and although initially not impressed with the idea she was blown away by the view also.

2. Exploring the ETA Carina nebula / region in January 2008 after purchasing a 10" LightBridge Dob was great. Seeing bright nebulosity along crisply resolved stars had an impact, while I was just gaining an introductory appreciation of new star formation and the mechanisms of emission/reflection nebulae.

3. First viewing and resolving the magnificent Omega Centauri and 47 Tuc
globular clusters in January 2008 with my 10" LightBridge Dob at 100x and 50x was breathtaking. Although they look even better from dark skies and with bigger scopes, the awe of fist witnessing and appreciating these ancient beehives of stars lingers on!

4. First "really seeing" the Milky Way, LMC and SMC from a dark sky site ... naked eye (Heathcote Vic, March 2008 Messier Madness). Although retirement is still over 25 years away for me, I decided it will just have to be somewhere with Dark Skies.

5. Open clusters from Melbourne in May 2008 using my 10" LightBridge (M7 at ~70x with Panoptic 19mm, M24 Milky Way patch at ~50x with Panoptic 27mm). Beautiful!

6. Seeing 6 Virgo galaxies on one view from Heathcote in July 2008 with 10" LightBridge and Panoptic 27mm (~50x). Having hunted in vain for galaxies from suburban Melbourne skies, I'd formed the opinion that Galaxies were not worth the trouble ... but this changed my mind.

7. Sombrero Galaxy (M104), Centaurus A (NGC5128), Jewel Box, and the Ghost of Jupiter planetary nebula were also memorable for me when viewing for the fist tome ... some due to having them pointed out to me, others because I recall freezing my private parts off at the time!

Cheers,
Jeff

[Starkler]

Two of mine are the same as Johns, through my SDM 15"er.

Ghost of Jupiter in excellent seeing. The eye was looking back at me too.
Humunculus on the same night. This dso is in a class of its own and a jaw dropping sight when the seeing allows.
Splitting Sirius for the first time, again with the SDM.

Galaxy ngc1365 from Snake Valley last year in the SDM. First time i have seen the spiral arms right up to, and around the bend :)

Thor's Helmet in an 18" obsession. Saw as much detail as in any photo of this object posted on IIS.

[GrahamL]

M31 with a humble pair of 20x80 binos .. a dark sky with a hint of skyglow
from a small town 20 kms away drowning out just a few of the foreground stars..I'd looked at it plenty of times beore through my scope .. but never appreaciated how large it is .

[Astro78]

Hmm much to explore I see after reading some replies.

Will never forget and was fully wow'd by seeing a distinct green Orion nebula but also one particular fireball which broke into two and bright Red stands out.

That meteor hitting Jupiter would have been THE BEST!! Damn...

[dannat]

the pleiades through 7x35 binos - i still enjoy that object

47tuc through a 66mm scope

have seen thru bigger scopes but nothnig replaces those first few views

[Lester]

For me Omega Centaurus has no competition with the same scale and brightness. I have enjoyed viewing it with 16" Newtonian and 14" SCT.

Also scooting around within the LMC is a great experience, seeing many different and varied objects come into view.

[ausastronomer]

Lots to look at up there. Hard to cover it all in a couple of lifetimes unless you have a lot of idle time and very clear skies :) Keep at it.



That one is right up there. If you observe it at dusk before it gets fully dark you often see this green tinge, particularly in bigger scopes. I have seen the green tinge in an 8" scope, several times at dusk.

In a big scope (14" plus) under dark skies you actually see a lot of pink in M42 as well.



Unfortunately we can't turn back the clock and replay that one. That will never happen again in our lifetimes.

Cheers,
John B

[Paddy]

Too, too many wonderful things, but I've never recovered from my first glimpse of Omega Centauri through a 250mm Newtonian at a star night 10 years ago.

I still love cruising the Magellanic Clouds and the fields of galaxies around Fornax.

And then there's.....

[RB]

Like Mike said, the one that stands out the most to me is the Humunculus in Eta Carinae through Rod's 20" at Kulnura.
It looked like a neon sign and had a 3D look.
I almost fell off the ladder.

[allan gould]

M42 through a 24" dobsonian and my first view of NGC253 with a 10" SCT

[vash]

Mine would have to be one night my farther and I where out observing and I pushed over to Triffid nebulae, at first I thought my eye's had gone funny because I swear I could see the colours clearly, my dad had a look through and said wow it's red and blue, which confirmed what I had thought, It was amazing to see, this was through my 10 inch skywatcher.

[Quark]

It is so difficult to list just one deep sky object.

For me the Humunculus with my 16" is right up there but also The Dumbell in Vulpecula. The Swan in Sagittarius. With my OIII The Veil in Cygnus and Herschel's Ray or The Pencil in Vela.

However the most memorable things for me have been much closer to the Earth, The 2001 Leonids Storm is the most stunning thing I have witnessed in the night sky, there were two peaks, the first at 2000 per hr and the second 20 minutes later at 4 per second. I recorded data for Rob McNaught for this event in a spreadsheet using a talking countdown timer set to 5 mins. At it's best the whole sky was covered with meteor trails, a most memorable sight.

However a look at Saturn through current IIS member Steve Brownes hand built 8" Newt made a very great impression on me, but obviously does not rank as a deep sky object.

Probably another good thread title would be "Your most memorable astro observation".

Regards
Trevor

[Ziggy]

Some interesting observations in here. Would be amazing to have the opportunity to look through one of those big scopes! Most of my observing has been done under heavily light polluted skies, but in the last few months have found a place close by with mag 4 - 4.5 skies. Not great I know, but a big improvement over what I was used to.

About two months ago we had a nice clear night, and was without doubt my most memorable night of observing. And my favourite from that night was the Dumbbell Nebula (M27), an object I've seen lots of times, and never found that remarkable.

As I said, most viewing from light polluted skies, so normally only see the dumbbell shape, but this night could see the nebulosity down both sides & around it, making it look almost oval shaped. It was just so bright, and as I said, there was nebulosity there I'd never seen before. And this was without the use of any filters. This extra nebulosity is probably the norm for most people observing this object, but it was a sight to behold and a standout for me.

It was very striking, and I wish I'd spent more time on it, and tried my UHC & OIII filters, but when I saw how clear the night was, went over to NGC 253 & NGC 55.

The detail and size of these galaxies is fantastic, won't go into too much detail, but spent a lot of time on them. After that came NGC 1365 in Fornax. From the mag 4 skies I can always see the two arms, and they are quite clear with averted vision, but this night they stood out very clearly, and extended quite a long way. I really couldn't put those three galaxies in an order - I love observing them all - but I think NGC 1365 might have just taken the prize.

Looked at lots of other stuff that night too, but as someone who enjoys observing nebulae & has just discovered the beauty of galaxies, they were the standouts! Should also mention that 47 Tuc looked great as always, and though I was almost alseep on my feet, the Tarantula Nebula was amazing too, (it was still fairly low in the sky when I observed it though).

Unfortunately the northern wet season will be taking hold soon, so clear nights won't be so common. But can't wait to take my scope out to even darker skies in the new year.

By the way, my observations were in a 12" scope using a 13mm Ethos, mag 130x. Used a few different mags, but this is undoubtedly my favourite,

[Ric]

For me it was rediscovering all my old favourites and a lot of new ones through the 12" and a 18mm UWA Meade eyepiece, 82 degree FOV sure makes a difference. Just saving up now for a 12mm & 9.8mm for galaxy hunting.

Cheers

[wavelandscott]

Hard question...I reckon Eta Carina for the first time with a filter, Omega Centaurus, 47 Tuc and the lowly Jewel Box Cluster...still get a buzz from them all. Growing up in the Northern Hemisphere seems to make these southern views more special to me...

[Rob_K]

For me, two stand out. The best was the central regions of the Milky Way through 12x50 binoculars from the darkest, clearest skies I have ever experienced, deep in the mountains of Gippsland, Vic. 3-D, colourful, intricate dust lanes.... Second was before I was astro-obsessed, and was a naked eye view of the whole sky at an incredibly dark site, on the beach at the 'Big Island' of Savaii, Samoa. Sat there for hours, gazing at a wheeling sky jam-packed with stars from horizon to horizon.

Best object was probably first view ever of Omega Centauri, from a dark site through 4.5" reflector. Sparkling pin-cushion, awesome & awe-inspiring!

Cheers -

[Outbackmanyep]

Hi guys!
My first memorable moment would have to be seeing Halley's comet in April 1986, from a dark sky at Yarramundi, near Richmond, NSW. Awesome! I can still picture it in my mind!

Then..... i would have to say my first telescopic view of a waning moon on the morning of 25th December 1986, through a 40mm Tasco refractor with the push/pull focuser, it came with a Rand McNally Moon map!

That morning i was hooked! Unbelieveable experience.......... I was 6.

As for deep sky objects.....it was probably the Jewel Box cluster through the 8" Grubb Telescope at Tebbutt's Observatory in May 1990! A fellow by the name of Steve Williams did the tour that night, i even have the paper clipping of the ad in the paper, i wanted to see Comet Austin but for some reason we didn't get to see it, from memory.:thumbsup:

[Crusader]

For me there are three that really stand out. I only got my first scope the Orion XT10 in March this year so everything was pretty new to me. My first ever view of M42 just blew me away - that fuzzy patch suddenly looked like something and the detail was amazing. That's closely followed by Omega Centauri. Another jaw-drop object.

The last would be my first look at the Tarantula nebula using a O-III filter. You can get lost for hours trying to make out all the details, and I was able to see nebulosity where I couldn't before.

[§AB]

Eta Carina with the 12" + OIII filter. Bloody unreal from my backyard, cant begin to imagine how great it would look from a proper dark sky site. Lots of 'bays' and inlets, dark patches in the neb, texture, undulating brightness.

Seeing the Tarantula Neb with an 18" obsession from a dark site, that view is still burnt into my memory.

[Dave47tuc]

Many great moments viewing DSO.

More recently the Horse head nebula in a friends 18" with H beta filter.
I was supprised how easy it was to see the horse head shape, and it was bigger than I thought. Nice supprise at the eyepiece.:)

[mozzie]

the first time through my scoop and looking at saturn ;) went and grabed the misses showed her she lifted her head looked at the front of the telescope went back around looked in eyepiecs again lifted her head again said dont be stupid stop dangling that in front she couldnt get over what she was seeing that was a unforgetable

[tornado33]

I too like Andrew saw the plume from the Comet SL9 fragment G hitting Jupiter, it was as he described. We had an impromptu viewing night at my place, half dozen scopes shoehorned into my backyard. As the explosion plume grew, we could see it in progressively smaller scopes till finally it was visible in a 4 inch reflector. Later, as the impact site rotated into view it looked as if a huge chunk of the planet was missing. Totally amazing.

Another memorable one was seeing for the first time, Comet Mcnaught, at midday. I aligned the argo navis on the Sun, then moved my 10 inch scope to where it indicated the comet to be. Sky was so bright I used sunglasses, but tere it was a hazy spot with a slight elongation. Seeing it from Lostock was excellent too :)

Another was at one of the earlier SPSP,s where I saw the "bright" part of CG4 with my own eyes through Peter Brobroff's 20 inch scope .

Another was Comet Hyakutake, from the dark skies of Gloucester, at 3 am. Its tail was twice as long as Mcnaughts. but much thinner.


Finally, recovering Comet Halley after perihelion on the same morning as it was first officialy recovered. It looked just like venus, but with a hazy mist about it. I was using 8x56 Binocs

[strongmanmike]

Deep sky: Seeing the clear Horsehead shape and associated straight nebulous curtain through a clearly excellent (and recently refigured) 20" F4.5 using a Hb filter at SPSP in 2005, it was like a photograph, I couldn't believe it! :eyepop:I could still clearly see it without the Hb filter too.

All time observation: Comet McNaught from Lostock Jan 2007 was an almost religious experience and easily the most awinspiring thing I have ever seen in the sky, I could well understand how the ancients worshipped such things not knowing what they were.

ED. Yes the Jupiter impacts in 94 were incredible too. I watched the first of them happen live from the Canberra Observatory - I was rostered on that night as the public explainer and I was hogging the 7" Starfire...just blown away by the realisation of what I was seeing, although some were a bit excited...most of the public were fairly unphased though :doh::screwy:

Mike

[ausastronomer]

Hi Mike,

The view that Saturday night from the very inappropriately named "Mount Disappointment", is something I will remember forever. The mountain that night surely didn't disappoint. It rates right up there for me as one of my all time great lifetime experiences. "Religious" is an appropriate description.

Andrew Murrell, Gary Kopff, Lachlan McDonald, Tony Buckley and I were the last to leave the top of Mount Disappointment. Murrell kept taking pictures of it. I couldn't stop lookin' at it.

The sad thing is, I reckon over 70% of people that bothered to go to the top of the mountain, left and drove back to IISAC 2007 before full dark and the Comet Tail reached maximum brightness and visibility. Those that stayed to full dark were appropriately rewarded. An unforgettable experience.

Cheers,
John B

[bones]

I'd have to say it was just after I bought the CPC11 and I didn't know how the functions worked yet. I spent quite a bit of time out in the backyard and found myself slowly slewing around the sky - totally blown away by three objects which I didn't have a clue what they were so I jotted down the coordinates. Later found out two of them were Eta Carinae and Tarantula nebula. I thought 'what a find'. I was stoked the first time I saw the Crab nebula thinking "yeah it does exist!" The star gate cluster spun me out with its simpicity and symmetry.

[pgc hunter]

old thread, but an interesting one.

Saturn Nebula at 953x in the 12"...the ansae were not thin extentions, they were aircraft runways, M17 at high power with an OIII, absolutely spectacular. One of my all time favourite nebulae. M8 doesn't have a leg to stand on compared to M17.

Observing from Renmark, spectacular skies....seeing the 3D multi-layered Magellanics glistening through the trees was amazing.

[stephenb]

My two most memorable DSO's (one was technically not a DSO) were:

Supernova 1987a. I observed it frequently for months until it faded. Like my signature suggests, there is not too many amateur astronomers who can say they have witnessed a naked eye supernova in their lifetime. I am very satisfied I was one of them.

The second was of course Comet Halley. Again I spent many early mornings in late 1985 observing and sketching it, and then equally as many evenings in the first few months of 1986 applying the same observing skills.

With both events I feel extremely priveliged to have witnessed them. Events which many younger members here on IIS, in the hobby at large, may never get the chance to see in their lifetime.

[Varangian]

Probably the Whirlpool Galaxy through the 20" Obssession at ASV's dark site. Talk about making one feel small in the universe!

The first time I see most things I'm blown away. Omega Centauri was like 'what the hell?' when I first saw it through a 200mm reflector.

Not a DSO but the first time I saw Saturn was also unforgettable.

[mbaddah]

Few that come to mind...

M42 through Takahashi Mewlon 210: The outer nebulosity against the inky black background using a 14mm ES100 deg eyepiece is one image i'll never forget. It was like looking at a Ha image of it.

Eta Carina nebulae through a 16" dob: With a UHC filter in place and 31mm nagler, the eta carinae nebula looked like a giant leaf in the eyepiece! Visual nirvana.

[MattT]

Probably my first view of Saturn as a 10 year old in my 60mm Tasco refractor, still remember the rings...all one of them! Also M33 through the 9" Oddie refractor on Mt Stromolo in also a while ago and my first galaxy....filled the eyepiece. Finally the moon in binoviewers low on the horizon with all the turbulence etc just brilliant.
Matt

[LewisM]

1. Seeing M42 for the first time, through a 60mm Tasco cherry red refractor.
2. Seeing M31 through the same scope

Those 2 were about 30 years ago now!

More recent thrills:

1. Observing and photographing NGC 1365 just prior to the SN appearance, and being able to compare before and during SN shots. I literally had started a run on it just a few days before the SN was visible. My first SN!
2. Not only only observing but photographing M27, a few days after first buying and using an equatorial mount. Wish it was high enough now to redo it all again...patience Grasshopper!


BUT one o my biggest thrills ever was watching The Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33) appear on my monitor after taking a 10 minute sub of it (still counts as viual, kinda :) ) It has been a dream target of mine for years, and I never could see it visually (and I have had some perfect seeing places/conditions). I still get a thrill looking at it, and it STILL needs about 3 hours more subs into it :)

Sorry to digress into photography, but I do VERY VERY little visual, so not much to compare.

[el_draco]

I also remember seeing Saturn through a 60mm refractor for the first time. Amazing event but my top views came with a 29" reflector. incredible detailed views of Halley's comet, unbelievable detail on Jupiter but top of the pops was the Tarantula region in a period of iextraordinary atmospheric clarity. Spent more than an hour using a 4mm orthoscopic and didn't move the scope more than an inch... :thumbsup:

[GrampianStars]

4 me the BIG (2deg) Comet Hyakutake naked eye in the Nullabour plain end of March 1996. :thumbsup:

also the GREAT Janurary comet Mcnaught 2007 on the Western Horizon :eyepop:

& who can forget the great Xmas 2011 comet, Comet Lovejoy ...... :thumbsup:

[madbadgalaxyman]

Some very memorable visual observing experiences:

- tracing the full extent of the two-degree-scale HII region called RCW 108 (the 15 arcminute core of which is NGC 6188) in binoculars and in the telescope. It resembles a ghostly version of the Eta Carinae Nebula!

- seeing the brightest part of Barnard's Loop in 10x50 binoculars.

- under perfect conditions, with a high quality 10 inch Newt., when I saw, for the first time, the Large Sagittarius Star Cloud looking a lot like it does in photographs....seeing numerous extremely-closely-spaced and extremely-tiny stars all across the face of it.

- seeing the two primary spiral arms of M33 in 80mm binoculars

- seeing the semi-chaotic distribution of star clouds & HII regions all over the face of the SBd-type galaxy NGC 1313

- tracing the spiral arms, the bar structure, and the bar-encircling ring structure, in the giant low-surface-brightness galaxy NGC 6744

- observing dark nebulae at really high contrast, with Mark Suchting's 8 inch binoculars.

- first time I saw the arm asymmetry in the barred spirals NGC 2442 and NGC 1097

cheers,
madbadgalaxyman

[doppler]

My first would have to be comet Ikeya–Seki 1965 a sungrazer, it was glowing so brightly, I remember that it was freezing cold but my mum had to drag me back into the house. I was only about 8 then but after that night I was hooked on astronomy. A close second would be Comet Hyakutake 1996 and the third would have to be in 1986 when I travelled 80kms in search of clear skys (it was pouring rain) to get a look at the total eclipse of the moon. We eventually got past the rain and saw the eclipse and there right near the moon was Comet Halley sporting a long bright tail. My only regret was not having any imaging equipment with me. I have never come across a photo of Comet Halley taken that night.

Here is a photo of Comet Hyakutake 50mm f1.7 5min exposure and one of Comet Halley

[SteveInNZ]

The one thing that sticks in my mind clearly is watching through my 10" newt as Jupiter rotated to show the impact scar from Shoemaker-Levy for the first time. Any time I see a picture of it, it's almost like a "we were there" moment.

[madbadgalaxyman]

Absolutely, it was an outstanding event "in real time", unlike a lot of things in astronomy that take a million years to happen.

Before the first of the large comet fragments hit, a lot of us thought that we would see very little, or even nothing at all.

The enormous dark splotch that rotated into view as a result of the impact, because all of the fragments were hitting Jupiter just barely on the hidden side of the planet, was awe inspiring, and unexpected.

Relatively small comet fragments impacting and being easily visible from Earth! Food for thought!
An comet nucleus or asteroid impact can "really spoil your whole day" if it happens on your own planet.......

[rustigsmed]

For me, looking at Eta Carina neb and M42 in my old 6" reflector. I had never looked through an astronomical telescope before - it was a big WOW! and was obviously hooked.

More recently, the Saturn Nebula with my 12" SW, seeing colour-vision 'kick in' at the eyepiece was awesome, the green / blue hues were fantastic. And also more recently, Tarantula Neb through the 12" so many things to explore in the LMC.

[pmrid]

My first look through a big dob - thanks Ron!! It was his 16" with a Nagler and the target was the Tarantula.
Peter

[astroron]

Thanks Peter, without being too big headed,:rolleyes: I am proud to say I have had this info passed onto me by quite a few people over the years I have been doing the Cambroon nights.

It's been either Jupiter,Saturn,Omega Cent, 47 Tuc,or The Tarantula at High mag that people have said was their greatest WOW moment in astronomy .:eyepop:
Cheers:thumbsup:

[tonybarry]

I live in the western suburbs of Sydney, and night skies are pretty poor for DSOs.

My best "first"s were seeing 47 Tuc through an 8" LX90 (whereupon I bought the scope).

And just last month using an amazing f4.5 30" dob to see the Tarantula nebula, M1, and NGC263 at a dark site west of Sydney. It is a real treat to be able to see these things with the eye (i.e. visually). Previously I needed camera support to see them.

While I use (and will continue to use) cameras, there is no doubt the visual experience is something special that we would do well not to forget.

Regards,
Tony Barry

[Greenswale]

Lots of grouse experiences precede!

A simple little thing keeps me returning - the Blue Planetary in Centaurus. First seen in a Celestron 6" SCT, and wondered at ever since! The blueish colour, symmetry and 'can't quite touch it' sensation have me entranced.

Pity that dark time is some hours away......

[ourkind]

I have three that stick to mind the most and in no particular order:

1. Halley's Comet 1986 when I was 11yrs old.
2. Impact marks of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 at a viewing session at the Sydney Observatory 1994.
3. Saturn 2011 with my very first telescope at first light using a 6" Saxon reflector.

[Screwdriverone]

Mine were with my first two scopes and no scope at all.

1) M104 - Sombrero Galaxy through my little 130mm Skywatcher reflector from Linden Observatory....found using star hopping, it was awesome to see another galaxy in that tiny scope, so clearly.

2) Seeing M42 through my 12" dob at Linden and seeing GREEN clour in it, due to the large mirror and the dark sky combo. Even the Flame Nebula was yellowish.

3) Comet Lovejoy from Dee Why beach, visually and through my camera. I initially couldnt see it as I was near a south east blocking cliff face. Walking 10 metres north, I literally stopped, gasped and tilted my head back to see this MASSIVE tail stretching from the horizon, past Centaurus and Crux and almost all the way to Sirius. it was HUGE and very humbling. I remember being sooo nervous and excited trying to capture images with my camera, I completely forgot I was out on the edge of a cliff at 4:30am and all by myself.

Cheers

Chris

[erick]

:thumbsup: My Dad got me up before dawn to see it.

[taminga16]

Comet McNaught and ngc 5128.

Greg.

[doppler]

I have seen a lot of comets since that, but Ikeya–Seki was one comet that if you were outside it was that bright you could not miss it.

[ew]

1986 Halleys Comet with a (from memory) 1400mm f15 Meade Refractor with clock work made from gears I purchased to track for my 35mm Canon 50mm lens camera piggybacked on it. I took the photos approximately 5am 16th March, developed the negs printed 10x8's by 7am. I never saw the satellite while taking the photos I was so excited I thought I had captured Giotto going through Halleys Comet I called the Perth Observatory but was told no...not Giotto but still it was a highlight for me I'll never know what the satellite was but I'll never forget the moment seeing the image appear in the developer tray :)

[skysurfer]

Comet Halley during total lunar eclipse of 24 April 1986 in SE Queensland near NSW border where it is (was?) very dark. Very humid air I had a newspaper as a lens hood for the objective of my 80mm scope.

It was somewhere here:

http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=-29.1666141&lon=152.5330985&z=9&l=0&m=b

Jan 2011 sky from Teneguia La Palma Canary Islands.

Jul 2012 Epsilon Lyrae (Double Double) with a 25cm Dob during daylight.
Jun 2012 Jupiter only 10 degrees from the Sun with a 10cm on midday.

[doppler]

[QUOTE=skysurfer;931498]Comet Halley during total lunar eclipse of 24 April 1986 in SE Queensland near NSW border where it is (was?) very dark. Very humid air I had a newspaper as a lens hood for the objective of my 80mm scope.

That was also a memorable night for me in 1986 when I travelled 80kms in search of clear skys (it was pouring rain) to get a look at the total eclipse of the moon. We eventually got past the rain and saw the eclipse and there right near the moon was Comet Halley sporting a long bright tail. My only regret was not having any imaging equipment with me. I have never come across a photo of Comet Halley taken that night.

[StarVoyager]

M31 - Andromeda. It was a very cold June/July morning at about 5am. My fingers were nearly frozen and after scanning with my sky masters at a very low altitude in the north for about an hour, between the scattered could, suddenly there it was! A distinct bulge surrounded by a hazy milky disc. Looking at this, between the clouds in the early morning as the sky was turning from back to blue, was just incredible, its always stuck in my mind.