April Challenge Objects?

[AstroBug]

Will the IIS Monthly Observing Challenge feature be returning in the near future? Now that I have a scope I would be keen try my eye at locating and studying the challenge objects. I know I can use a star atlas to find my own but it would be good to have a pre-determined list to get out and get viewing.

[iceman]

Yes, it's my fault.. I organised a few new people to help with submissions but I haven't done anything about kicking it off again yet. Just been flatout with work and non-IIS stuff lately.

I've been giving it some thought again lately and will attempt to kick it off again very shortly.

I guess in the meantime, what might be a good idea is for some people to just start posting a list of a few easy targets that are up in the sky right now, to help those newer to the hobby to start looking at some of the ever-favourites.

[vespine]

I'd love to see a challenge object list too but having seen the previous posts it looks like they take a LOT of time! I mean that's wonderful, it's a great idea but jeez, I couldn't ask someone to spend so much time putting together such a post! Looks like it would take someone a whole DAY to work that out...

I just use this as my 'challenge objects list': http://skymaps.com/downloads.html I'm going through them one by one :)
There are lots of very easy ones and a few bit more challenging ones, for a complete begginer in light poluted skies anyway ;)

[MattyD]

Personally I think an awesome sight in general and a relatively easy find for beginners is the Eta Carinae Nebula. This Nebula encouraged me in my interest at an early stage more than anything in the sky. It's hours of viewing really...just throw in a higher FL EP a wide angle one if you have one, and just scan around the area. For fun I stick in my 32mm Televue ploss and scan the area around the nebula, and then look to see if I can find it on the sky map. You know, rather than doing it the other way around :P There are a multitude of open clusters and interesting star fields. Add the area around the Crux and scan right from the crux (west) to Eta Carinae and it's a astronomical smorgasboard. :)

Oh a question if I may! Can another find with any ease NGC 2070 (I think it's the tarantula Neb) in the Large Magellanic Cloud. I know where it is, but even my skies about 20km SW of Sydney are often too light polluted, and ive had probs making out the MC's through the scope. The irony is that some nights i can see them with the naked eye (esp early morning). When I look at them through my 32mm I can't make out the detail.

I have a 10' Bintel (GSO) Dob BTW. That's probably important! :P
Cheers folks.

[davidpretorius]

Hey astrobug,

give me 3 types of things you want to see, ie planetary nebula, planet, double star, open cluster etc and I will put one together.

[ving]

are you looking when its a new moon? i live 50km sw of sydney... what a difference that makes, naked eye most of the time! :D you should be able to see the lmc in your finder tho but it'd be way too big to fit in any EP you have i'd say... on a clear night with no moon i love scanning the 2 MC, nebulosity everywhere :D

[davidpretorius]

I have great southern skys ie dark, but seeing will also affect it. Sometimes I lose eta carina because there are so many stars. Other times it stands out.

Thru the scope, sometimes the mag clouds are not visible, other times they fill the 30mm 80 degree ultrawide with nebs and stars.

When I first started, I was shocking at finding stuff. Don't underestimate reptitive viewing on the brain. If you spent the next 2 viewing sessions around a certain area, it is amazing what your brain remembers. You may not have purposely looked at a certain group of stars, but next time you venture near that area, you recognise it and finding things like ngc2070 is easy.

Keep at it.

[AstroBug]

Thanks for the tips everyone.

I have been pretty active since getting my scope. In the last month I've checked out quite a few open and globular clusters, including Omega Centauri and 47 Tuc (both fantastic!). Also the Orion Nebula earlier on. And Saturn and Jupiter look great. I have also scanned Eta Carina. Can't wait to do that in dark skies.



David, I haven't observed a planetary nebula. Do you know of any observable from the suburbs? I also haven't viewed any double stars apart from A. Centauri. I like your tip regarding repetative viewing. I took about 90 minutes to find M65 and M66 galaxies from my backyard. These were barely visible, but each session I have gone back and can now find them quite quickly. Then went to a dark sky site and found them clearly in the same field of view along with NGC3628 (since looked it up:D ). That was a most impressive trio.



Mike, that will be great when it happens but I appreciate that it is a lot of work. In the meantime I'll take on all the above tips. I don't think I'll run out of objects to observe,.. once the skies clear up..:rain: ;)

[ving]

planetary: ghost of jupiter in hydra. doubles: alpha crux, beta orionis, sigma orionis. there ya go :)

[davidpretorius]

Here you go, ghost of jupiter, a very easy planetary nebula to view.

looking east at 6.30pm and then over head looking north 9.30

[AstroBug]

Thanks guys. :thumbsup:

[cjmarsh81]

DP. What is the name of that program? Thanks

[davidpretorius]

starry night pro CJ, it is awesome!

[EzyStyles]

Ghost of Jupiter was one of the hardest object to find for me. Bare in mind somehow I managed to find Eskimo, He2-111 even harder ones. It took me more than 6 days each day 3 hours just to find it. Looks like a star in the eyepeice . :P

[lost_in_space]

If you have a computer it's easy to put your own "challenge" together using RTGUI. Just enter your latitude and longitude and time, and use the "Best of Sky" or the Search Wizard to set your desired object types, brightness, elevation etc. Save your matches to a text file and print it out to take out with you.