Lets hear about your single favourite object and why

[Gem (Grant)]

Ok, I would love to hear what is everyone's favourite object to observe. Maybe in hearing what others like, we will be inspired to have a peak and see what they love!

For me, its NCG 6397 (Glob cluster in Ara). It never gets the credit it deserves, but WOW - what a sight!!! Delicate edges, condensed centre, this baby is everything that I love about glob clusters! Best of all, it doesn't matter how big or small your scope is.

[Lismore Bloke (Paul)]

It's hard to pick out one object when there are so many wonderful things to see. Omega Cen., Orion Nebula, etc. If I had to pick the most rewarding single object rather than region, it would be the beautiful PN NGC 5189 in Musca. Very complex object that is just stunning with an O-III. It deserves to be observed for quite some time, as it really is a case of the more you look the more you see.

Good thread, it will be interesting to see the results.
Cheers, Paul.

[kitsuna (Adam)]

Saturn. The first time I found it for myself in my own brand new first ever scope, I damn near burst into tears (but didn't, because I'm not a wuss ). So Saturn is very special to me.

The story goes that I set up my scope in my usual viewing spot on or around the night of Saturn's most recent opposition. I get a good West and north West view, everything else is hopeless because I live on the side of a hill (more like the bottom of a cliff). I knew Saturn was going to be close, and the sky was crisp, clear and wonderful. I fettled around a bit looking at the other things. I pulled out my phone to work out where Saturn was going to rise... disaster! My stupid house is in the way! I don't have a backyard per se, because of the aforementioned cliff, but I do have a side yard... full of wet clay mud (as only Adelaide has) because the house is new and the landscaping hasn't been done yet.

Moving to the side of the house would help, but I'd still have to wait for Saturn to rise above the tree line... at the top of the cliff...

It gets worse, because I have to try and get as far back from the cliff so I'll be able to catch Saturn as early as possible (because I had work the next day). that's fine, except for the fact that doing so puts my scope, and me, on the edge of an 8 foot drop... in slippery, awful clay mud.

So there I am, with my back to an 8 foot drop, trying to find Saturn as it (finally) gets over the tree line...

Totally worth it.

I have to admit that I've not had much chance to do any proper viewing in the last 3 months or so, but if something tops Saturn for emotional impact, I'll report back (I suspect when I get to check out my first ever galaxy under dark sky might do it).

A close second would probably be the full moon from about a month and a half back.

I was actually quite annoyed, because that night was the first night in quite a while that I'd had the means, motive and opportunity to go put the 10in light bucket to use, and the sky was full of Luna. So I initially cursed it for washing out all the things I WANTED to look at, and spent much of the night vainly trying to find other objects, with my back adamantly at the wretched satellite, and muttering eldritch curses under my breath.

eventually I gave up, and was about to pack up. But before I did, I thought I'd finally give a look to the wretched thing that ruined my deep sky ambitions. So I looked... and looked... and looked... and then when my eyeball started to dry out, I stepped back from the scope, and realised that the whole back yard was bathed in a brilliant silver moonglow. Loved Luna ever since.


I also just noticed that my favorites both came about when I started out having a bad time, which was turned into a good time.

Guess the valleys in life make the peaks extra high.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

I guess my fave, because it was the first serious object in my dob was 47 Tuc. Just blew me out of the water it was so intense and detailed. It is still always my first check object on a nights viewing depending on season of course.
I guess I'm developing seasonal favourites now as I get more familiar with the sky. We are so lucky down here in the Sthn Hemisphere with such a wealth of amazing objects all year round.

[Suzy]

That was a good read Adam.
If you do fall off the cliff, make sure the dob doesn't fall on top of you.

My reaction to Saturn was that might heart raced and I got the shakes, I couldn't believe it. Wonderful not having any expections- I only expected to see a pin point of light as my old Tasco had shown me. I wasn't prepared at all for what greeted me. I'm sure most people have the same experience.

My favourite object would have to be The Wishing Well Cluster NGC 3532 in Carina. It's impressive how it fills up the entire fov and really does look like pennies at the bottom of a wishing well.

I'm going to throw another one in and say M57 (The Ring) planetary nebula. It's just ridiculous how much shape this pn has got - looks like someone has blown a smoke ring out of their mouth from a cigarette.

Fabulous thread by the way.
I'm sure many of us will learn from it.

[Ric]

The Centaurus A galaxy is a special for me.

From the first time I viewed it through the 12" and was able to pick out the dust lane it has become a real favourite that I enjoy going back to time and time again.

I have seasonal favourites as well, mainly galaxies. Their delicate structures are always enticing and of course there's always that chance I'll be treated to a supernova as well.

[Robh (Rob)]

For me, perhaps the Sculptor Galaxy NGC 253.
On of the visually brightest galaxies in the sky, it can be seen with binoculars.
Appearing more or less side on, it looks expansive and stretched out to the width of a Full Moon.
As a telescope object, it appears impressively large and is a great "wow" target for visitors who have never looked through telescopes. Of course, even better under darker skies.

Regards, Rob

[astroron (Ron)]

I am with Rob ,I have always loved NGC 253 as it was the first galaxy that looked like one in a large scope 19.5" at the Allaway Observatory Bundabirg Qld
Eta Carinea Would have to run a close second
Cheers

[Stu Ward]

I guess my first wow moment was seeing the Orion Nebula through my 8" Dob.
That has stuck with me.
My last wow was how easy it was to find galaxies in a 12" Dob.
Visually i dont think i get such a kick out of them just yet, i need to train my eyes better and also get to a nice dark site. But its what they are and the possibilities that reside in them that make me go back for more

Stu

[Paddy (Patrick)]

I've been pondering this for a few days now and I just can't do it. Each time I think "... might be my single favourite object" others crowd my mind. I could perhaps go for a top ten in no particular order.

Eta Carinae nebula
47 Tuc
NGC 2070
the whole LMC
M104
M83
NGC 6231
NGC 3293
Omega Centauri
Jupiter
The Sun

Sorry, that's 11. Can't get it any smaller

[Saturnine (Jeff)]

Love these types of threads, has taken some thought to figure out that my favourite object is also the first object, other than the moon , that I saw through my 50mm refractor back in the mid sixties. In a scenario that harkens back to Galileo, Jupiter is the one, being able to see the 4 Galilean moons and the Temperate Zone cloud bands and being able to see change in real time while observing for a few hours has always stuck with me through the years.

Jeff

[Satchmo]

The Milky Way Galaxy

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Regular objects: NGC4755 - Jewel box, Sombrero, M31. Too hard to choose.

Originally Posted by Satchmo

The Milky Way Galaxy

- also agree

Favorite of all time? 50/50 split between Supernova 1987A and Comet Halley! I them both with the naked eye for months until they faded. Every chance I'll never see Halley again in my lifetime, and who knows if we'll see another naked-eye supernova again anytime soon?

[OneOfOne (Trevor)]

As I probably use my scope to show the night skies to other people these days more than for myself, I would have to say the number one object I enjoy showing other people is Alpha Centauri, for a number of reasons:

• It is always there
• You don't need particularly clear skies
• Everyone has heard of it
• They are all amazed that it is double
• It is perhaps the easiest to find
• It's the closest
• Almost everyone can understand the explanation of what it is

• And, finally, who doesn't mind spying on the neighbour now and then

[Blue Skies (Jacquie)]

The Veil Nebula in Cygnus, particularly the section known as NGC 6960. A delicate sweep of nebulosity next to 50 Cygni. It never fails to please.

[rmcconachy]

I would also short list many of the objects mentioned above but if I had to pick just one it would be Saturn. It was one of the first things (after the Moon) that I ever viewed through a telescope and those rings are just so darn pretty. Throw in the Cassini Division, some moons, some banding and even a storm like we've had recently and I can (and have) stared at it for many hours.

[The_bluester (Paul)]

I will have to line up with Adam and rmcconachy on Saturn and for similar reasons as Adam at least.

When I was about 14, because I showed an interest, the secondary school I went to allowed me to borrow the schools telescope over some weekends (To my knowledge, no other student before or since (1984!) has been allowed to take it away from the school, poor underutilised thing that it was)

The scope was a 4.5" Meade Newt on a GEM, naturally I had very little idea how to set that up but I managed to get it lined up well enough that it just needed the occasional tweak on the dec axis to keep things in the FOV. I basically spent several weekends pointing the scope more or less at random objects just to see what I could see, stars mostly of course although some doubles would hold my interest.

One night under a beautiful sky (We lived halfway between Echuca and Rochester (Vic) at the time and the place had inky black skies that I still miss) at about 3AM on a Sunday morning, standing in the middle of a cow paddock with a borrowed scope, I pointed at a salmon coloured star in the finder, moved to the EP and to be honest I still get a little bit misty eyed about totally unexpectedly finding Saturn in the eyepiece. The passion has simmered for years due to work commitments and I will never be really serious about it, but that chance view hooked me forever on the spot. About a month ago, actually seeing the Cassini division for myself through my own scope for the first time did it to me all over again. I sat there for ages with my bum freezing to the chair, just hoping for another glimpse as the seeing changed.

Someone on another forum yesterday, on a completely different topic (Climate change) posted a link to a page of quotes in response to me quoting Carl Sagan, talking of the "Pale Blue Dot" and one of those quotes made me remember that night in 1984 all over again..

When you make the finding yourself—even if you're the last person on Earth to see the light—you'll never forget it

Carl

[M54 (Molly)]

Jupiter was my first love.

I've since fallen in love with Saturn, 47 Tuc, Omega Centauri, M83, NGC 253 and any other deep space object that I can find in my 5 inch.

And for showing other people, a gibbous moon always knocks their socks off.

Fantastic thread Gem, thanks for starting it.
There's some great reads here and I think we all share similar experiences the first time we found something.

This thread will be a good list to work from.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

[QUOTE=M54;727938
Fantastic thread Gem, thanks for starting it.
There's some great reads here and I think we all share similar experiences the first time we found something.

This thread will be a good list to work from. [/QUOTE]

Couldn't agree more, Molly. Great thread, and so hard to choose just one object or memory.

Like many others I have to add Saturn onto my list also. Seeing Saturn for the first time in my home-built 6" Newt was a memorable event. I can still to to the exact spot in my parent's backyard where I was standing! Funny how you remember things.

Also Halley allowed me to show my Great Grandmother the famous comet for the second time in her life! Not too many people get to to reach that achievement!

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

For me, it would have to be the big and bright open cluster M7.

It was the first DSO I was able to identify with the naked eye straight after identifying the constellation Scorpio (I didn't have a telescope then either!). The thing with M7 is not just this cluster, but there are 3 other clusters that lie in the same line of view, all within the boundary of M7! Two other open clusters and a challenging, little globular.

It is always a challenge to spot the smaller "Three Amigos" through the glare and rampage of the stars of M7. The challenge also doubles up as a test for seeing conditions - if the GC is invisible, transperancy is poor.

The "Three Amigos" do require a bit of grunt aperture wise, especially with the GC, but the open clusters a keen eye may be enough to overcome the glare.

Tip: Rush it and you'll miss them. The Three Amigos will teach you patience, Grasshopper, .