Thank you all for replies - great to see other peoples favs so will check them out again eg Daves NGC 3132 in Vela.
Eric's Doodad has still got me intriuged .... how come it hadnt been discovered until very recently, when it is seemingly a great dark nebula??
"... a striking example of a dark nebula in the southern skies. The so-called “Dark Doodad” lies in the constellation Musca, just south of the Southern Cross. one of the more conspicuous dark nebulae in the sky. It stretches in a north-south direction for 3 degrees, and has unusually well-defined edges. This makes it relatively easy to see in dark skies." http://oneminuteastronomer.com/OMALi...rk-doodad.html
Ah, thanks Eric. It did cross my mind as to whether DDD was there somewhere.
I will have a look in the little Sky & Telscopes Pocket Atlas ...
Yes!! There it is
Hmmmm ... interesting Doodad .... where the heck did that name come from!!! Will have to check it out though
Ok, been having a look as thought Eric may have been stirring ..... and seems doodad is american slang for thingy, and watchamacallit!!!! named by an American Astronomer/writer 20 years ago, after he took some images of it at Alice Springs.
It was Dennis Di Cicco, an editor for Sky and Telescope -the american edition- from memory
