Our first Galaxy

Nico13 (Ken) · #1 04-05-2011, 12:23 AM

Sorry if this goes on a bit here but I think it was all worth it.

Having been introduced to astronomy in the early seventies by a friend with a 12" I think f4 home made newt and that included the mirror grind as well in the home made I was fortunate to have many nights of observing in Horsham.
We, that is Carol and I, then having moved to Geelong were lucky enough to find a new friend with very similar talents when it came to building telescopes and again spent many hours viewing and photographing the stars but it seemed never a Galaxy, at least not that I recall anyway.

A gap of many years went by with little observing until a year or two back when my lovely wife expressed interest in the stars and I had set up with a second hand 8" Meade SCT on a Super Polaris mount with Autostar on a relocatable Pier I made and we have have enjoyed many nights just playing around with this and not getting too serious.

As a very keen photographer I just loved the images that some of the guys and girls produce here and I have managed a bit of video of Jupiter and the moon but I longed to see, I mean physically see my first Galaxy.

Well the other night over the Easter week the sky was not too bad but a bit heavy with dew, anyway with the aid of that magic program Stellarium and a bit of perseverance to locate star groups beyond visual magnitudes I managed to locate the Sombrero Galaxy and although I was a little underwhelmed by what I saw in my 8" 25 year old SCT I was so pleased to be able to say to my wife who is also my best mate, have a look at this.

She, as was I so amazed that we could point the telescope at what seemed to be a black bit of sky with nothing it and look at this elongated fuzzy blur in the eye piece and be able to say for sure that we were looking at the Sombrero Galaxy just makes it all worth the effort and makes me more determined to get my guiding system working better.

How much did you say that 16" mirror was? Only kidding

Ken.

ArcaneMagik (Craig) · #2 04-05-2011, 12:59 AM

Congratulations!

Still yet to see that one, maybe soon. Just have a nasty habit of ending up with a patch of cloud or completely lost in that dark corner of the sky. Telrad now might get me a little closer.

ZeroID (Brent) · #3 04-05-2011, 06:16 AM

Awesome when you find that first one !! Mine was late last year up in the Fornax group with the DOB, no guidance, just nudge and tweak. You just want to keep
looking at something you've never seen before. can't quite believe your own eyes.

Well done !

Paddy (Patrick) · #4 04-05-2011, 08:39 AM

Congratulations Ken. 'Tis a buzz indeed to see something 30 million light years away. Keep coming back to it and use averted vision and you will be amazed how much more detail you see over time. And there are plenty more to find with an 8" scope.

Jeeps (Sam) · #5 04-05-2011, 03:36 PM

I have clear skies forecast tonight and have never seen the sombrero. When i get home from work later, i have sombrero as my goal. It's near Saturn at the moment according to stellarium so wish me luck!

Nico13 (Ken) · #6 04-05-2011, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeeps

I have clear skies forecast tonight and have never seen the sombrero. When i get home from work later, i have sombrero as my goal. It's near Saturn at the moment according to stellarium so wish me luck!

Good luck with that Sam, I'm on afternoon shift for the next two weeks so weekends only viewing for me at the moment.

Ken.

Jeeps (Sam) · #7 04-05-2011, 10:25 PM

Well i found it fairly easily with my 25mm eyepiece though i thought it would be bigger. Stellarium is a great tool

I put my Pentax XW 10mm in and it popped right out. I'm in fairly dark skies and could easily see the nucleus and surrounding haze. What a great sight.

cheers

Nico13 (Ken) · #8 04-05-2011, 10:49 PM

Great stuff Sam,
and thanks Craig , Brent and Patrick for the boost, it just keeps pulling you out there to look again and again.

Ken.

astrospotter (Mark) · #9 08-05-2011, 02:50 PM

M104 is a fine one to be sure especially if you can make out the east-west dust lane and enough halo. There is an interesting arrow that points right towards M104 that is 1/3 degree (20min) to the west of M104 and for a bit of fun I like to look for that nice pattern that is about as long as M104 itself but of course is in our own galaxy as if to say 'Here it is, M104 is that way'. M104 I bet looks much better down from -30 degree locations than from up at 36 deg north where I am located.

Looking at distant galaxies never gets old it seems. Can't get enough. Thanks for the fun report.

ngcles · #10 11-05-2011, 10:48 AM

Hi Sam & All,

Congratulations Sam on that first galaxy and I hope it is the first of many more to come. M104 stands magnification pretty well and you'll probably get a better view at the x100-125 magnification range with the 8". Look for the absorbtion (dust) lane -- it is just visible in a 4" under a dark sky, certain with an 8".

Best,

Les D

ZeroID (Brent) · #11 11-05-2011, 11:08 AM

M104, haven't found that yet. If this rain ever lets up have to put it on the list. Haven't managed Saturn yet either this year and they are close together at present.

Cool, new stuff to see.

Go Away Clouds .. !!

jenchris (Jennifer) · #12 11-05-2011, 12:53 PM

I managed to find M104 for the first time at Easter while up on the scenic rim, camping.
The dew was horrific
When I got back home I managed to capture it on DSLR - posted elsewhere on this forum.
I was really pleased to be able to see it then photo it a few days later!