Binocular Challenge

[Brycepj (Peter)]

The last few clear nights I have been trying to find NGC 253 the Sculptor Galaxy. I read in the latest Australian sky and telescopes that it is visible through binoculars so I grab my 10 x 50 but no matter what I try i can't see/find it (even looking through my 10" Goto dob. ) So can anyone else find it using there binoculars keeping in mind that I do live in suburban melb.
I can see the orion nebular and M7,M6 and Omega centauri (NGC 139) Jewel box cluster (NGC 4755) using binoculars.
please let me know if you found it.....
Thanks peter

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

I've seen it in my 6X30 finder from my home in Sydney a few years back. Today, I need 8X50 finder to see it from home. But that's a finder which has fewer elements to kill light transmission.

Be patient with it, and you need to use averted vision as it is not the brightest thing, despite its size. You will see it as a little faint streak. I don't know if you've tried other galaxies too with your binos. M31 is worth a shot, even from Victoria even though M31 grazes the horizon. Forget M33 - just too low in surface brightness for urban skies. While not the best time of year, there is also M83, Centaurus A & M104, all of which I have pinned with 10X50 binos from home.

Good luck with it.

Mental.

[Brycepj (Peter)]

Thanks will definitely try those and continue my search.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

I got it the other night in the 80mm f11, just a grey smudge with averted vision after a longsih period for dark adaptation. My 50 x 12 bins can't see it but my LP is pretty bad in the NE. May get better when it gets over into the NW sky away from the light dome.
Haven't been able to get any of Alex's list in bins.

[Brycepj (Peter)]

Originally Posted by ZeroID

I got it the other night in the 80mm f11, just a grey smudge with averted vision after a longsih period for dark adaptation. My 50 x 12 bins can't see it but my LP is pretty bad in the NE. May get better when it gets over into the NW sky away from the light dome.
Haven't been able to get any of Alex's list in bins.

Is the grey smudge similar to looking at omega centauri globular cluster

[doppler (Rick)]

Here is a pic of NGC 253 that I took a couple of weeks ago. I have cropped it to aprox 50mm bino/finder scope view. North is to the left. I use the 2 triangle shaped star asterisms to the left of the galaxy as a guide. It is the smudge to the center right of the image. Hope this helps.

Rick

[MichaelSW (Michael)]

Peter,

Thank you to Rick for his very useful photograph of NGC 253.

STARHOPPER taught me this star-hop for finding NGC 253 - Caroline's Galaxy. As per the attached chart and Ricks photo, head South from Beta Ceti ………………

I live 3 km from Brisbane CBD. Through my 6X50 finder-scope, the smudge of the galaxy is sometimes visible. With my 21mm eyepiece, I see the galaxy placed between the three stars circled in Rick's photo. It is not bright like M42, but I don't need averted imagination to see it at home.

At a dark sky site, it is quite obvious in the finder-scope and WOW through my telescope.

[zenith (Tim)]

Hi Peter,
I am in Melbourne (Burwood East), I just saw NGC 253 (10.30 pm) in my 10 x 50 binoculars. It is similar to Rick's photo but not as bright. I could only glimpse it when looking directly at it, and using averted vision helped. Using a Saxon ED80 and setting the magnification just right (about 45x) improved the view such that I managed to see a difference in brightness between the core and outer disc.
It helps greatly if you know what it looks like under a dark sky, but if you are trying to see it for the first time in the city it will be a bit of a challenge. It will look very good in your dob under a dark sky though, its pretty nice in my 12" dob.
Cheers Tim.

[N1 (Mirko)]

I must try the Silver Coin from a city location sometime. Beautiful object. Observing from semi rural skies, I just go low to mid power and aim 1/3 of the way from Beta Ceti and the Phoenix and find it easily that way. Works 9/10 of times.

I also really like those photos & sketches that show what is visually - not technically - possible

[michael_m]

I haven't been able to pick it with my 8x40 binoculars from home (in Heidelberg, so similar light pollution to you), but easily get it using the triangle asterisms as a guide in a 10" dob.

But light pollution makes a big difference. I can see it naked eye at my parent's place in Sth Gippy.

[speach (Simon)]

Originally Posted by Brycepj

Is the grey smudge similar to looking at omega centauri globular cluster

Grey smudge! It's a magnificent sight, in fact it's a naked eye object on the right night here.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Originally Posted by Brycepj

Is the grey smudge similar to looking at omega centauri globular cluster

No, the cluster is quite distinctive with individual stars visible. This looks more like someone wiped a dirty finger across the window and left a smear.
I just aligned the mount on Diphda, nearest brightish star I could locate in my LP'd sky and then went south. The two triangle asterisms confirmed it. then a bit of patience while my eyes adapted and it became visible,.. just.

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Originally Posted by N1

I also really like those photos & sketches that show what is visually - not technically - possible

Here's my sketch of NGC 253 & M83 from a dark site using my 17.5" scope.

Details:
Object: Silver Dollar galaxy, NGC 253
Scope: 17.5" push-pull Karee dob
Gear: 16mm Konig eyepiece, 125X
Location: Wiruna property of ASNSW, Ilford, Oz.
Date: 3rd July, 2011
Media: Soft pastel, white ink and charcoal on A4 size black paper
Duration: approx. 45min

Object: Southern Pinwheel, M83
Scope: 17.5" push-pull Karee dob
Gear: 13mm LVW, 154X
Location: Wiruna, Ilford, Oz.
Date: 24th May, 2014
Media: Soft pastel and white ink on A4 size black paper
Duration: approx. 45min

Both of these galaxies are visible from my home in Sydney. But, seeing them, and any other galaxies, both from urban and dark skies, very much depends on atmospheric conditions. If transparency is not good, then it can be very difficult, and impossible with smaller galaxies. Often on consequtive nights, both clear, but one very transparent and the other less so, the differences in seeing the same galaxies is like chalk and cheese.

So, if you are chasing galaxies, from home or dark site, be patient. Should you chance upon a night of poor transparency, then you have a poor chance. But, chance a very transparent night, and you will be amazed.

M83 in 10X50 binos from my home shows up as a nice round blob, even though faint, but very distinct from the foreground stars. NGC as a soft streak. Be patient, and shield your eyes from as much extraneous light as you can. Binos are great on extended objects as they are rich field scopes.

And no, the amount of detail in the sketches below are impossible to see from home.

Mental.

PS, I might look into doing a sketch of M83 with my binos. The field is actually very pretty, and M83 is quite stark. Roll around Autumn...

[N1 (Mirko)]

Always great to see your sketches Alex. One day I'll have a crack at it myself. The amount of time I spend on a good object just looking corresponds well with the numbers given in your "EXIF" notes.

[Brycepj (Peter)]

All you guys are absolutely amazing. I hope eventually to be as good as you all are at finding these beauties. Have spent the last few nights outside for 2-3hours looking for it but still a struggle , me thinks light pollution is making it difficult. I do like using my 10x50's as I tend to learn more about the sky. funny how you stumble on other beauties. Last night while looking for NGC 253 I stumbled across the Orion nebula only because I was getting my eyes accustomed to the night and it looked interesting to pear at.
One thing I love about this hobby when you find things you seem to remember where they are. eventually I will find NGC 253 just need the right conditions. Will get the dob out which may be easier. Patients I have loads of. I will let you all know when I find it.
Thanks again your response has been incredible, didn't think I would attract any interest

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by Brycepj

All you guys are absolutely amazing. I hope eventually to be as good as you all are at finding these beauties. Have spent the last few nights outside for 2-3hours looking for it but still a struggle , me thinks light pollution is making it difficult. I do like using my 10x50's as I tend to learn more about the sky. funny how you stumble on other beauties. Last night while looking for NGC 253 I stumbled across the Orion nebula only because I was getting my eyes accustomed to the night and it looked interesting to pear at.
One thing I love about this hobby when you find things you seem to remember where they are. eventually I will find NGC 253 just need the right conditions. Will get the dob out which may be easier. Patients I have loads of. I will let you all know when I find it.
Thanks again your response has been incredible, didn't think I would attract any interest

With 10X50s if you buy the old book "Astronomy with Binoculars" by James Muirden off Ebay (it often goes for very cheap), and use it's fifth magnitude star atlas at the back of the book - containing all objects that can be seen with 7X50s - you will be pleasantly occupied hunting them down.

Next best is Bright Star Atlas by Tirion, though you would miss out on seeing many of the objects it plots, as they are more suited for say 20X80 binoculars.

Or check out the beginner stickies and download the smallest star maps.

Coupled with a little red torch to view the maps with, as you initially hold them overhead to orient with the sky, you'll soon knock most of them over.
Regards,
Renato

[N1 (Mirko)]

Just a quick report on finding NGC 253 from light polluted suburban skies. My binos are being serviced right now so I used the telescope to "simulate" them.

Town Belt of Dunedin (park that separates inner city from hill suburbs)
60mm f/5.9 Refractor
Seeing 5/10
Transparency 4/10
Light pollution: you bet - probably similar to Sydney suburban

Aimed 1/3 of the way between Beta Cet. and Phoenix (which was at Zenith at the time). NGC 253 was found after about 45 seconds of searching. It was the only DSO in the FOV.

9x60 (40mm Plossl): visible if you knew where to look, very low contrast. Odd looking asterism at first glance.
11x60 (32mm Plossl): readily seen, object was found at this setting
40x60 (9mm Ortho): best setting, easily seen, nicely framed

None of these combinations revealed any structure within the object. Still, it shape and presence were very distinct.

The tripod was a big help. Not sure if I would have found it hand-held.
Conditions were average at best. I wouldn't normally bother under a sky like that. So it should work on any night that's halfway decent.