Hi,
I got my scope for using once in a while on nice nights, to view planets and a few other objects, and to take on camping trips. Unfortunately the bug has bitten me badly (and the mozzies too) and I'm out every other night it seems.
What I'm really looking for is a book, guide or web site for beginners that lists easy to view objects with average scopes in light polluted suburbs (Southern hemisphere obviously), preferably with some images that roughly correspond with what you can see through the scope (not fancy astro-photography images)
The problem I have at the moment is that I sometimes don't know if I've got the object in my EP and that I just can't see it, or if I'm in completely the wrong area. I don't know if this is limited by my aperture (127mm/5"), the bad light pollution or both. I'm not interested in the GoTo route as that's spoiling it a bit for me.
Let me give you an example. In the ebook "
The Herschel Objects and How to Observe them" the Sombrero Galaxy was described as:
"H I-43 (M104) is one of the brightest galaxies in the heavens, being visible in the smallest of telescopes even under bright-sky conditions."
Smallish scope under bright skies describes my set up. Will I be able to resolve it as a galaxy, or will it just appear as a blob once I've found it? I've only tried once quickly but found nothing.
Another is planetary nebula. Should I be able to find the Blue Planetary Nebula with my scope? What should I be looking for? I've seen the great astro-photography shots of this PN but what do I need to be looking for in my little monochrome view of the sky? I'd love a book that would tell me if there is even a point trying to find objects with my set up in a light polluted area.
So are there any books like this that anyone could recommend?