Quote:
Originally Posted by ManOnTheMoon
Is that a galaxey or am i just seeing a passing cloud infront of them?
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You were looking at a tiny, tiny area of the Milky Way galaxy. The 'saucepan' is a part of the constellation Orion. It lies within the milky way. Actually, one of the two major arms of the Milky way is called the Orion Arm, of which our solar system lies in.
Orion also contains one of the brightest gas nebula in the sky, The Orion Nebula, also called M42. This IIS link also contains a picture of the Horsehead Nebula. Unfortunately you need more than binos to see it:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=57886
If you would like to see two galaxies, try to find the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds towards the south. If the local light pollution is not too bad where you are, they look like two small puffy 'clouds' that don't move. Set your binos onto them. These are actually satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, orbiting our giant galaxy. They contain clusters and nebulae of their own where new stars are being born.
Near the Small Magellanic Cloud is 47 Tucana. It is a huge globular cluster that also orbits the Milky Way. Infact, scientists now believe it is the remant core of a long gone galaxy that was swallowed up by our own Milky Way! It will look like a brightish round patch of light, fading at the edges. In a telescope, 4" or bigger, it is an astonishing mass of pin point stars. Truely spectacular. There is only one brighter and larger globular cluster, Omega Centuri in the constellation Centurus, which surrounds the southern cross. This is one challenge for you to find with a star chart!
Your library would contain astro books, which would also have some type of star charts in them. Seek them out.
I can compile a short list of other objects for you to find if you like. All of which are observable in binos. Including other galaxies.