M83 and a 10"

[ericc]

Hi all,
Just a quicky ----if anyone can offer advice?
Ive been trying real hard of late, to get some resolution of the spiral arms of M83 with my 10" dob-- and am getting mottling with just a hint of arms(could be my imagination)?

Should I expect to get more from this target at home (with moderate LP-in the burbs)?

Trying 100x---150x???

:thanx:

[pgc hunter]

Your main enemy when it comes to face on spirals is light pollution. You'll want to be in the darkest possible skies you can find to maximize your chances of seeing the spiral arms. Because these objects have lower surface brightness than edge on galaxies, any amount of LP will quickly kill it and all you'll see is the fuzzy blob of the core. Face on spirals from my suburban home are spectacularly unimpressive. A mag of around 80-100x seems ideal for M83.

[ericc]

Thanks alot Sab--thats just the info I was after--I will have to wait for a little darker skies!