Not really an observer as such, but on those odd occasions when I have, omega centauri would have to take the prize, it's one object that actually looks better through your own eyes.
For sheer interest value alone, I might have to go with the LMC. A land of superlatives both visually and in terms of the objects it harbors.
But, to be honest I agree with Paddy. The choice is too hard. However, the answer to the question may be somewhat easier if we lived in the northern hemisphere
Guess I'll throw my pick in for scrutiny, gone for the LMC, though it's probably not one object really. A dwarf disrupted galaxy that's a fantastic wide field subject for big binoculars and then up the aperture and zoom in on 2070 and all the other knots of clusters and nebulae. enough for a lifetime of observing.
I did the ETA Carina thing. I just love the whole ETA Carina complex. ETA Carina (the supernova I will see ); The homunculus which has changed noticeably over the past few years; wonderful nebulosity; Wolf Rayet stars and bubbles; open clusters; many different coloured stars in the vicinity. A wonderful target. Then again all the targets listed have plenty of appeal as "eye candy".
Ron, Having been fortunate enough to see M51 in Larry Mitchell's 36" scope in Texas, I can assure it is something pretty special. I almost fell off the ladder from 15 feet in the air when I first saw it. 36 big inches does help too
Ron, Having been fortunate enough to see M51 in Larry Mitchell's 36" scope in Texas, I can assure it is something pretty special. I almost fell off the ladder from 15 feet in the air when I first saw it. 36 big inches does help too http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/....es/happy19.gif
I understand John,but I was being a bit pedantic in thinking of this as an Aussie poll and possibly most of the observers on this site have never seen it
Its good in a 16"but would looooove to see it in a 36"
Cheers
I had to choose 47 Tuc. I love the shape and punch it gives even in 10x50s, but the best ever I've seen it was in Dave Moorhouse's 16" Retina Wrecker binos. It was like being suspended in space above a great spherical metropolis of stars. Really quite incredible, and not a sight I'll forget.
Tempting to also pic Eta Carina of course. It's complex, beautiful, bold yet with many subtleties. The first time I ever saw the homunculus in (very rare) perfect seeing is another memory I won't forget. I was running the 16" Ruth Crisp classical Cassegrain at Carter Observatory for the public and I stopped talking mid-stream I was so gobsmacked! Details in the polar lobes were visible, as were the equatorial jets, just like the Hubble image! Couldn't believe what I was seeing.
For me it's M7 because with it you get 7 for the price of 1. Within its border there also lie a globular cluster, 2 open clusters and 3 planetary nebulae.
When M7 is up I often use it to gauge the quality of seeing. If I can see the faint GC things are good.
M7 is quite an amazing cluster. It gives so much at every level of aperture, from naked eye, binos, to small & large scopes. Plenty, plenty, plenty.
Tomorrow, however, another DSO WILL be my favourite...
Last edited by mental4astro; 28-10-2011 at 04:28 PM.
Almost impossible question to answer. M42 is certainly the wow object I show others when it is up, but 47 Tuc is pretty flash too.
I need to develop a bit more of an observing list though. I have tended to concentrate on the more spectacular sights (No reason why not I suppose, it is good in that it gives you really absorbing obs time every time you get the scope out! I will look for faint fuzzies later)
As much as they are all great sights to see, I had to choose 'Other Galaxy' as it is the only title that comes close to my favourite sight: Abell 539
I have never seen this object visually with an Eyepiece, but it looks great seeing it 'Live' with my Mallincam.
Abell 539 is a Galaxy Cluster in Orion containing 50 Galaxies all beyond Mag 14.
The part that takes my breath away is that it is like looking at the Ultra Deep Sky South image taken by Hubble and yet I can see it 'Live' on my Computer monitor!
I have shown this object 'live' on my broadcast a few times and the viewers all go 'wow, look at them all'
Here is an excellent photo of part of Abell 539 taken by Rolf Wahl Olsen, so you can see why I love this object (Galaxy cluster) so much:
); The homunculus which has changed noticeably over the past few years; wonderful nebulosity; Wolf Rayet stars and bubbles; open clusters; many different coloured stars in the vicinity. A wonderful target. Then again all the targets listed have plenty of appeal as "eye candy".
