viewing Centaurus A

[thersites]

Hi all

i'm just wondering if anyone has trouble seeing Centaurus A in 8 inch aperture or less. i'm pretty sure i saw it but don't want to have talked myself into seeing it. is it a difficult object for 200mm?

Thersites

[mick pinner]

it should be quite easily visable in an 8", l've seen the dust lane at a reasonably dark site with a 100mm ED.

[Blue Skies (Jacquie)]

Depends how much light pollution you have around you.

I've had friends tell me they've seen it naked eye under dark desert skies and I've certainly picked it up with binoculars. But in a city it tends to get washed out fairly easily.

My advice is to use the lowest mag eyepiece you have so the light from the galaxy is concentrated in a smaller area in the field of view - which is why binos can find it easily. If you manage to find it with the low mag then try a high mag eyepiece. But there is no substitute for a dark sky!

My most memorable view of NGC 5128 is through a 20" at the South Pacific Star Party. Mindblowing, that was. You could see the dark dust lanes extending out either side. But you wont get that in an 8"!

[dhumpie]

NGC 5128 should be visible in your 8 inch easily if you know where to look at what to look for. I have spotted it in my 10x50's from my suburban apartment (limiting magnitude 5.3-5.6).

Darren

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

My 12" shows it nicely, but I do live in Dark Skies.

Thersites, the longer you look at it the more you will see
Study it for about 10-15 minutes and you will see a bit of the dark band running across it with an 8".

[acropolite (Phil)]

Not at all hard in my LX90 8 inch, wait till it's reasonably high in the sky and you should have no trouble.

[rmcpb (Rob)]

I pick it up easily in my 8" from the mountains. As said before light pollution will play a large part in the visibility of this object.

Cheers

[DougAdams]

I always struggle with this one from suburban Melbourne - nothing more than a hazy glow that I have to tell myself I'm seeing. I always hope across from Omega and try to spot it. It just gets washed out way too easily in the light pollution.

[dhumpie]

I agree with Doug. In my binoculars it is easier to see as the light is spread over a smaller area. NGC 5128 is visible in all my scopes from my Orion ST80, my C6 (6' f/5 Vixen/Celestron) and my 10" GS from suburbia. All show a pale glow (hence the need to know where to look part) with hints of the dark band running through it (becomes more apparent with averted vision). For galaxies, there is no substitute for dark skies!

Darren

[mickoking]

200mm will show Cent A quite easily but scatted light pollution will degrade the image. I have seen the dark lane (just) thru my 80mm short tube, with a 300mm Dob it looks like a hamburger

[thersites]

Hi all

thankyou for each and every reply! this site is terrific. i nearly fell off my seat when i checked if anyone replied! i'm pretty sure i saw it, and if that's the case, it must look great under dark skies - i'm in ACT, suburbia. again, many thanks, and clear skies to you all
thersites

[DougAdams]

I actually saw this from my light polluted suburban Melbourne through my scope on Tuesday. Quite clear with the dust lane visible - using a 24mm Pan.

[dhumpie]

Was that in your 8" or 12"? The dust lane is definately apparent with averted vision in both my 6" and 10" scopes from my mag 5.3-5.6 suburban site.

Darren

[DougAdams]

12" - I was out a bit later than usual and 5128 was much higher in the sky, which really helps.

[ving (David)]

i have a 8" and it shows quite well from my home in outter sydney

[GrahamL]

The worst part of my horizen(back yard) in my 10" was easily visible but fairly dim last year ..smallish town and fairly dark.
looking to catching this one in some darker sky over near the hills hoist in the next few weeks

[Geoff45 (Geoff)]

I have no problems seeing it with a 4" refractor from a dark sky site.
Geoff