Pluto can be a bit tricky, because it is quite faint. I think the biggest help in finding it is a good star chart. I use Sky Safari and zoom right into the star field around Pluto, and match that to what I see in the eyepiece.
I can't find it in my 12" when the moon is around, but it stands out in dark skies. It's currently just over magnitude 14, so might need a 10" minimum to see it at a dark site.
Yeah, Pluto is over mag 14. Its also just a white speck in the eyepiece. Like any dim star. Its also right in the galaxy star field and unless your goto is 95%+ accurate the only practical way to spot it would be through astrophotography over a couple of nights. Making it more difficult would be the light pollution of Venus washing out that local area of the sky.
Is it impossible to pick it out at dark sky? Of course not. However, I think its miss leading to say it stands out in dark skies. It still looks like any other mag 14 star.
I wouldn't consider it a beginners target either. It's one of those "feather in the cap" type objects if you can correctly identify it.
Wow. mag 14? I didnt think it was that difficult. I was going to attempt it in my moderate LP backyard tommorow morning. i guess it didnt get the sack from being a planet for nuthn eh. i will try it anyway.
You should have a go at it Jas, but I probably didn't convey just how difficult it is unless you have a lot of things on your side. At the moment Pluto is in Cr394 which is an open cluster. All those background stars make it so much harder to sort Pluto from the stars. Also the horizon is going to start brightening tomorrow morning when Pluto is only 15 degrees above the horizon. I doubt you could see it through all the muck down that low.
The first time I saw Pluto there was a faint globular cluster in the field of view that made orientation and star hoping to it so much easier. Plus it was near zenith and at a dark spot. I had GoTo and tracking, and with all that going for me it was quite easy to spot. I followed it for a few months after that and it was usually pretty easy to find because I knew exactly where to look each time.
So maybe in a few months when it is higher in the morning sky and moved out of the cluster it will be easier to find. Let us know how you go
I've spotted it with my 8 SE when in Bortle 1 skies and using my Ethos 10mm, based on matching starfields from Sky Safari. But it's tough and it really helps to have a well-calibrated GOTO.
If you want to try for another 'little guy' that is fun from a quirky perspective, try Proxima Centauri, mag 11 (red dwarf - closest star to Sol).
Ok, I have no goto and no ethos 10, maybe I will leave this target until it is near azimuth. Sorry to fire up any beginners. I think AG is right, probably not a beginner target.
Yeah, Pluto is over mag 14. Its also just a white speck in the eyepiece. Like any dim star. Its also right in the galaxy star field and unless your goto is 95%+ accurate the only practical way to spot it would be through astrophotography over a couple of nights.
Mr Hubble
