If you are keen on exploring more of the objects James Dunlop discovered, glenc has a thread going on the man and his work, along with many charts and observation notes:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=68087
Observing tips with the Horsehead Nebula:
Jeeps, the Horsey is a notoriously difficult object to observe. Yes, a damn dark sky is mandatory, but knowing where to look and what to look for also helps, and the quality of your eyes and your observation experience adds to the mix of factors.
The following link to an IIS thread deals with this topic very well. It covers observation techniques & tips, plus a chart or two:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=59562
Just one other thing to keep in mind with the Horsey - you will be looking for a dark 'finger' superimposed upon a very, very, very faint nebula. Almost like looking for a shadow on top of another shadow. This is one of the most difficult objects to see with amateur sized scopes!
Observing Galaxies
Saddly those pretty pictures we see of beautiful, graceful spiral floating star islands are not what we see through the eyepiece. Galaxies are also known as "faint fuzzies" as that is how we best see them. The key to see them is very much dependent on your observation technique. A larger telescope helps, but if your obs. technique isn't up to it, you just won't see many of them.
When scanning the area in question that you've narrowed the field to, the trick is to keep your eye open to a soft little blob that when your eye goes back to and the damn thing 'disappears', you've found it!!!
Averted vision is the technique where you look to one side of the object in question to see it better. It works because the most light sensitive area of our eyes surrounds the central focus of our human eyes.
If you still struggle to spot the faint little bugger when the scope is perfectly still, give your scope a little flick to generate a vibration through it. Our eyes are made to 'see' movement, and their sensitivity is reduced if the field we are looking at is still for too long. Ever think about why a rabbit sitting in a field is invisible, but once it moves, even a small amount, it stands out so obviously! Same thing.
I've been aware of this last 'trick' of causing movement in the field of view to 'see' better for more than 20 years. But it was only explained to me in terms of our physiology earlier this year about how and why it works! Thanks Wavytone!
Good luck.