8" dob at first light - What to look at?

[maxwolfie (Greg)]

I've come from a cheap $200 refractor so anything is bound to wow me. What's a good list of targets to aim at first? I'm in the middle of Western Sydney.

A few ideas from these two guides:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-307-0-0-1-0.html
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-268-0-0-1-0.html

Galaxies:
LMC
SMC
Centaurus A
The Southern Pinwheel
The Sculptor Galaxy

Nebula:
Helix Nebula - Apparently difficult to view.
Eta Carina (getting a bit low for me)
Saturn Nebula - Apparently good?

Planets:
Saturn
Mars
Neptune (never seen it)


Any other ideas? Bonus points for "wow" factor and ease to find

[Suzy]

Hi Greg,
Hope this helps.

Highlights of the Winter Sky (Some objects may be a bit too low at the moment).

Suzy's Observing Targets July/August.
The objects in the easy and medium section should all be do-able in your scope (some may require a dark site but all the objects in the easy list should be fine with line pollution).

List of bright planetary nebulae

The 200 brightest galaxies

Top 200 most beautiful double stars

Top 10 very red stars (ruby crucis isn't on the list being a northern list, take a look at it- it's awesome. Sits within the same field of view as beta crucis so is easy to find).

BAM600-John Bambury's Southern Skies Observing List

150 Dunlop Deep Sky Objects, compiled by Glen Cozens. Apparently these are all do-able in a 6" scope if you have good eyes and the object is high enough.

Also, Australian Sky & Telescope magazine gives a list of observing objects along with a map of the sky.


That should keep you busy for a while!
Have fun!

[GeoffW1 (Geoff)]

Hi,

Yes, you will be impressed by Centaurus A (NGC5128), and 47 Tucana (NGC104), the very best globular clusters for city viewing.

The open cluster called the Jewel Box (NGC4755) is good viewing, as is the Wild Duck Cluster (M11) near Aquila.

Then Alpha Centaurus (Rigel Kent, a good double), Alpha Crux (Acrux, another good double), Beta Cygnus (Albireo, a lovely coloured double). Alpha Scorpio (Antares) is a red giant, worth a look.

There is a half moon up just now, and the city lights, so I'm not sure about nebula until later, but I think you should catch sight of the Ring Nebula in Lyra (M57) although it is lowish in the North.

You can star hop to all these with a low power EP, then use a higher power for a close look.

Cheers

[Screwdriverone (Chris)]

EVERYTHING!!!!!!!



Seriously though, Point to the north of Sagittarius (the teapot - STRAIGHT UP) for M22, M20 (trifid), M17 - Eagle etc etc etc
Cheers

Chris

[Paddy (Patrick)]

Plenty of target to keep you going so far, so I'll just wish you a good first light!

[Gem (Grant)]

Some good advice below. However, I would recommend that if you are observing from Sydney: skip the galaxies for a bit. Wait for a dark sky trip. Try some globular clusters for now: Omega Centauri, NGC 104, NGC 6397 in Ara, M22, etc... and some open clusters like the Jewel Box in Crux and M11 in Scutum. Most of all - enjoy yourself!

P.s. All of the above are relatively easy to find and then remember the location for.

[CosMos (Rich)]

check out a list that I made many years ago.
https://sites.google.com/site/cosmos...smos-catalogue

[MattT]

Point the thing straight up at the Scorpions tail and cruise around real slow with your biggest eyepiece...so many stars... also get up early and check out Jupiter, Venus and Orion.

[mental4astro (Alexander)]

Hi Greg,

You have been given some very sound tips on what to start chasing down. If you can, you may like to come up to Katoomba Airfield and join us for a session. There's nothing like other photon nuts to help out and point out different things out in the field. You may also be able to try out other EPs, filters and stuff, and view through other instruments. You'll also be able to find out how to get the very most out of your dobbie through collimation, and how to pimp its mount too.

Look up in the Star Parties forum for notices on when the Airfield is avialble to us. You might like to look up past sessions in the forum to start you off too.

The Pony Club at Mangrove Mountain is another place popular with IIS'ers. Again look in the Star Parties forum for details.

Mental.

[astroron (Ron)]

Originally Posted by GeoffW1

Hi,

Yes, you will be impressed by Centaurus A (NGC5128), and 47 Tucana (NGC104), the very best globular clusters for city viewing.

The open cluster called the Jewel Box (NGC4755) is good viewing, as is the Wild Duck Cluster (M11) near Aquila.

Then Alpha Centaurus (Rigel Kent, a good double), Alpha Crux (Acrux, another good double), Beta Cygnus (Albireo, a lovely coloured double). Alpha Scorpio (Antares) is a red giant, worth a look.

There is a half moon up just now, and the city lights, so I'm not sure about nebula until later, but I think you should catch sight of the Ring Nebula in Lyra (M57) although it is lowish in the North.

You can star hop to all these with a low power EP, then use a higher power for a close look.

Cheers

Geoff, Centaurus A (NGC5128) is a galaxy not a globular cluster,
Omega Centaurus (NGC5139) is the largest globular Cluster,and the Best
I know you knew that hey
Cheers

[Gem (Grant)]

Originally Posted by astroron

Geoff, Centaurus A (NGC5128) is a galaxy not a globular cluster,

Actually Ron, Centaurus A is the radio source... Not many people can have vision that covers that bandwidth!

[GeoffW1 (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by Gem

Actually Ron, Centaurus A is the radio source... Not many people can have vision that covers that bandwidth!

my typo

[Gem (Grant)]

All good - I just have a brother who is a radio astronomer... he would have corrected me, so I take it out on the world.