lymorkiew45
sage
Reged: 12/30/07
Posts: 323
Loc: Anaheim
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Hello, I have observed many objects, and I find that globular clusters, and planetary nebulas are my favorite, of course if I got out to a dark sight galaxies would also be my favorite, well they are my favorite, I just can't see 16th mag fuzzies from my observing sight, I would love to do that, and I will soon be getting a much bigger dobsonian and I would definitely have to put galaxies on my list...clear skies 
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Control Yourself, let others do as they will, this does not mean you are weak, control your heart, obey the principles of life, this does not mean others are stronger. *Lung Ying Mor Kiew motto*
Starfinder 16 EQ, and dob
DS-10
Orion XT 12i
Z12
All the Lanthanum superwides!
Orion ultrablock filter
9mm Nagler type 6
15mm, 25mm, 35mm Ultrascopics
Orion Shorty Plus barlow
Orion Lazer Colimator
30" dob planned out in far future!
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alienux
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/17/08
Posts: 673
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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I like them all, but nebula are probably my favorite.
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Brian
Orion SkyView Pro 127mm EQ Mak
Meade 60mm Push-To TeleStar
Phillips SPC900NC
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starbux
sage
Reged: 02/08/06
Posts: 216
Loc: Silicon Valley, CA
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Under light-polluted skies, I am becoming partial to open clusters.
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Starman1
Vendor - Scope City
Reged: 06/24/03
Posts: 10955
Loc: Los Angeles
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It's changed through the years. Now, it's galaxies. Good thing, because there are so many of them.
In terms of numbers of objects visible in amateur scopes, there are:
150+/- globulars
1000 planetary nebulae
5000 open star clusters
1000+/- visual nebulae
untold thousands of galaxies (probably over 20,000 in a 12.5")
So it's possible to see all of the first 3, but it's simply not possible to see all the last.
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Don Pensack
12.5" Truss Dob, 5" Maksutov
Sustaining Lifetime IDA member, TeleVue junkie
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galaxyman
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/04/05
Posts: 1171
Loc: Limerick, Pa
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Guess 
Karl
E.O.H.
Chesmont Astronomical Society
Telekit (Swayze optics) 22" F/4.5 Dob
Homemade (Parks Optics) 12.5" F/4.8 Dob
TMB 8" F/9 Refractor(The Beast)
Astrozap 6" f/8 Refractor
Orion 4" f/6 Refractor
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So many galaxies, so little time!
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AlanK
super member
Reged: 01/26/07
Posts: 130
Loc: Auckland, New Zealand
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Galaxies due to the vast number and varieties. Globulars and planetries come next.
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Clear skies!
12.5 inch f5.4 reflector
18 inch f4.5 Obsession #1637
Auckland NZ
6,116 deep sky objects incl 4,268 ngcs
If it's up there, I'll look for it!
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Josh U
member
Reged: 07/10/07
Posts: 41
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I like galaxies because they're remote. And possibly because I always drooled over them when I was using binoculars. Now I can see a few with the dob!
Globular Clusters are super nice, too.
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"How you do anything is how you do everything."
Zhumell 10" dob
80mm Refractor
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Achernar
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3720
Loc: Alabama, USA
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Galaxies and galaxy clusters are my favorite DSO's hands down.
Taras
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10-inch F/4.5 Discovery Dob
6-inch F/8 Homebuilt Dob
4 1/4-inch F/4 Homebuilt reflector
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VanJan
super member
Reged: 07/09/08
Posts: 115
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I think you'll find for most observers under light-polluted skies (as I am), open and globular clusters will be the favorites (as they are mine). But lest not forget. If one defines deep-sky as anything beyond the solar system, one must include double stars as a potential favorite (again, as they are mine). If forced to choose only one favorite, it would be open clusters.
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mtngoat62
super member
Reged: 12/04/06
Posts: 198
Loc: Northglenn, Colorado
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Nebulae! 
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Laurie
Orion 10XTi f/4.7
Pentax XWs
5mm,7mm,10mm,14mm,20mm,30mm
DGM NPB filter
Orion O-III filter
Baader Moon & Skyglow Filter
Telrad Finder
Astro Chair
Howie Glatter Collimator w/Barlow
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Steven Aggas
sage
Reged: 04/15/08
Posts: 289
Loc: Arizona
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Abell Galaxy Clusters. There's just something about seeing faint fuzzies, whether it was in my 8", 20", or the 36", and knowing they are interacting on a grand scale.
Steven
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Mr. Wizard
Elements in Harmony I, an 8"f6 German Equatorial - Stellafane Winner,
II a 20"f4.2 Newt-Dob - Astrofest Winner,
III a 6"f3.5 Finder/Newt-Dob, and
IV a 36"f4.5 Newt-Dob - "If it's up there, it's in here."
www.DarkSkyObserving.com
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RAKing
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 818
Loc: Clouds-ville, Virginia
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Galaxies have long been my faves. But with the LP here in the D.C. area, I get better views of the globular clusters, so they have become my new faves. 
Ron
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Time spent looking at the stars is added to your life.
Orion XT10i / Moonlite CR2 -- The New "Time Machine"
"Hi Def" TV-102
C925-CF SCT
Ethos and Naglers
GM-8 GEM / A-P Portable Pier
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John Kocijanski
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/22/03
Posts: 1487
Loc: Monticello, NY
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Another vote for galaxies.
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John
Deep Space Observer 10 * SPC-8 * C102 HD f/10 * XT 4.5 * AT1010N * PST *
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Thomas_N
member
Reged: 07/07/08
Posts: 25
Loc: Germany, Bavarian Forest
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Since I use binoculars most of the time - mainly because I *have* dark, non-light-polluted skies , I prefer milky-way-objects. Meaning: stars, asterisms, open/globular clusters or bright/dark nebulae.
Thomas
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stevecoe
Reged: 04/24/04
Posts: 2129
Loc: Arizona, USA
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I will go with planetary nebulae...I love that they are the material from the end of the star's life and our Sun will do that same thing one of these days also. But, I love it all to be honest.
Clear skies to us all;
Steve Coe
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150mm 6" f/8 Celestron Refractor on Sirius Mount
80mmED 3" f/7.5 Orion Refractor
Author "Deep Sky Observing" Springer-Verlag
Author "Nebulae and How to Observe Them" Springer
New Canon Xt astrocamera with Hutech modification
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Ptarmigan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/23/04
Posts: 1874
Loc: Arctic
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Star clusters because you can see them anywhere and they all look different. Galaxies are cool, but you need a dark sky location.
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Ptarmigans=Cute and Cuddly
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scopethis
sage
Reged: 05/30/08
Posts: 239
Loc: Kingman, Ks
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Open star clusters--diamonds in the sky.
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Fireball
sage
Reged: 03/24/06
Posts: 270
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Everything, but I very much like hunting galaxies under dark skies 
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20x90 Bino
12" Lightbridge
Meade UWAs, TV Ethoi, Pentax XW, Hyperion, AT Titan.
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 6272
Loc: Pennsylvania, USA
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I think that globular clusters are the most attractive type of DSO in terms of visual impact.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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xfile101
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/08/07
Posts: 739
Loc: Ocean Gate, NJ
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For some 20+ years globular clusters have always been a favorite of mine but for some strange reason I'm getting a bit bored with them. Having toured Sagittarius, Ophucius (I can never spell that correctly) and Scorpious for the unteenth time I guess is why I'm a little bored with them. Anyway, Planetary Nebula has since taken over the favs category (with NGC6826, the Blinking Nebula, at the top) and Open Clusters are creeping in quite a bit lately too (M-6 and M-7 are stunning!) 
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Orion XT8I
Celestron 114EQ Firstscope
Meade 70mm
Astroscan
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Bill Weir
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 892
Loc: Metchosin (Victoria), Canada
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Dude, that's like asking which is your favorite child.
Going with that thought, I'll vote for multiple objects within one FOV like, NGC 6939 with NGC 6946, NGC 6712 with IC 1295, Galaxy clusters, conjunctions of planets with DSOs or comets with DSOs, multiple stars, etc....
Bill
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6'' Orion SkyQuest
12.5'' f/5 Custom Truss Dob
William Optics 80mm ZenithStar II ED Doublet
f/5 25" newtonian on a giant GEM, any time I want
Observing sessions grand total for 2007, 171.
So far in 2008, 115
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stevek
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/16/06
Posts: 1229
Loc: west michigan
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biggest thrill from galaxies -> gal clusters -> planetary nebs... but in truth... its all good.
Steve
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DSO 8" f6 DOB w/ 8x50 RACI & 2"Crayford
1958 Sears Discoverer 76mm Refractor
GSO SV 30mm 2",21mm Hyp,13mm Strat,BO/TMB ver2-6mm & 4mm
1.25"Filters: DGM-NPB, 25%ND
1.25" plossls: 25mm,20mm,15mm,9mm
Orion 2X Shorty Barlow
Garrett Gemini LW 11x56mm binocs
BTG-10 4.0mW green laser pointer
"What is that burning in the sky? Tell me y'all..." Jeff Beck/Jan Hammer
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RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1608
Loc: Cayce, SC
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I guess because my skies are so polluted, I'm looking for things that "look like something." So, other than the moon and planets, I'm into open clusters and bright double stars right now. But just wait until I get to a dark site, then anything's possible.
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--Russell
"Akita mani yo." Observe everything as you walk. (--Lakota)
Celestron Celestar 8 Standard SCT, f10
Celestron 80mm Wide View ref., f5
Criterion RV-6 Dynascope, Newt., f8, (c. 1962)
Sears Discoverer 60mm ref., f7, (c. 1973)
Celestron Ultima DX 10x50, 6.5 TFOV
Tasco 7x35 wide
Several mediocre eyepieces
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GlennLeDrew
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/18/08
Posts: 620
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Space dust. Meaning dark and reflection nebulae, particularly the former.
From the dark skies easily accessible just a short drive outside Ottawa, the milky way is riven with seemingly countless dark rifts and clouds. In fact, I navigate the milky way not by star-hopping, but by cloud-hopping! I don't need to look away from my binocular eyepieces to know where I'm looking, and can scan all night without getting lost.
Reflection nebulae require darker skies than as for emission types, both because of generally lower surface brightness and the fact that you can't employ nebula filters. So they present more of a challenge, observationally. But more importantly for me, there's something intriguing about starlight being scattered by gauzy agglomerations of smoke-sized particles which aeons ago spewed out of bloated, dying stars much like what our Sun will become in a few billion years.
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Home-made 11X50 right angle bino, 8.1 deg. FOV
Modified 26X100 bino, 3.5 deg. FOV
Mediocre minds discuss people. Good minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas.
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calan
sage
Reged: 06/16/07
Posts: 245
Loc: Oklahoma City, OK
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Anything I can actually see detail in... which in my skies is usually the 4-5 nice nebula with a UHC or O-III filter.
Globs are ok, but after a while I find myself in that "just another dim round ball/been here done this" mindset. Galaxies are about the same, because it usually takes a lot of averted imagination to actually see anything (although I'm starting to actually find an interesting one every now and then; see my recent "Bright Galaxies" post about NGC7331  ).
And then of course last night was the first time I've observed the Blue Snowball PN, and it pretty much jumped out of the EP and smacked me in the face when I first rolled over it
My actual favorites list contains a bit of all the eye candy, but I enjoy the hunt somewhat also.
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Orion XT10 (completely rebuilt, DOB or GEM mountable)
Meade LXD75 6" Newt w/mods
Nikon 10x50 AE Extreme
Hyperion 21mm and 8-24mm Zoom
Astrotech 38mm Titan II
BO/TMB 6mm
Various Plossls
Time flies like an arrow, but fruit flies like a bannana.
The trouble with most jobs is the job holder's resemblence to being one of a sled dog team. No one gets a change of scenery except the lead dog.
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Mr. Bill
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/09/05
Posts: 2759
Loc: Just passing through.....
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Dark nebulae....
I like the contrast of the dark nebulae against the background starfields in the MW galactic arms.
This requires the darkest skies and the best contrast optics to fully appreciate.
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10x50 Fujinon FMT-SX binos
15x70 AP binos + Paragon p-mount
Oberwerk 100BT 45 degree + Hercules fork mount
120mm f/5 Orion achromat + Moonlite focuser
140mm f/5.7 Vixen NeoAchro Petzvel refractor
150mm f/6.5 Antares achromat
150mm f/8 homemade achromat....EE Barnard MW Sweeper
8 inch newt with f/5 Swayze mirror
10 inch f/4.7 Orion newt + Paracorr
15 inch f/5 Discovery split tube
35mm Pan, 26mm Nagler, 17mm Nagler, 13mm Ethos, 8mm Ethos
Member IDA
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diggy
sage
Reged: 05/09/04
Posts: 288
Loc: Vancouver Island, Canada
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The ones I can find 
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WO 110mm Megrez doublet on an HEQ-5 mount
Nikon 10x50 binocs
"Beyond here be there"
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 6272
Loc: Pennsylvania, USA
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Quote:
Dark nebulae....
I like the contrast of the dark nebulae against the background starfields in the MW galactic arms.
This requires the darkest skies and the best contrast optics to fully appreciate.
I also particularly enjoy looking at the dark side. The Ink Spot, Barnard's E, the Pipe Nebula, and the Coal Sack are among my favorites.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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Luis.E
sage
Reged: 01/30/04
Posts: 218
Loc: Portugal
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Planetary nebulas, no discussion for me.
Regards
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Lightbridge 10"
Skywatcher 80ED Pro
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moron392
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/20/07
Posts: 808
Loc: Charlotte, NC
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open and globular clusters. i also like some nebulae.......
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"If you've done something right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all."
http://www.freewebs.com/moron392/index.htm
60mm meade ngc60 refractor.
Meade 70AZ-TR (short one)
50mm homemade refractor (occasionally with a solar filter)
starblast4.5EQ
6mm,15mm expanse eyepieces
9mm meade Mh eyepiece,17.5mm Meade MA
nikon 7x35's
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Mta472
member
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 83
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If you're hoping that buying a big light bucket will enable you to see many more galaxies under your light polluted skies, save your money or move first. Light bucket size scopes do not discriminate in the light they gather, whteher its from a distant galaxy or light pollution. I live in CT and learned this the expensive way. Mike 
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pdfermat
super member
Reged: 11/12/07
Posts: 147
Loc: Wisconsin
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Quote:
If you're hoping that buying a big light bucket will enable you to see many more galaxies under your light polluted skies, save your money or move first. Light bucket size scopes do not discriminate in the light they gather, whteher its from a distant galaxy or light pollution. I live in CT and learned this the expensive way. Mike
I must be right on the lucky side of the suburban LP (on a good clear night, I think my skies are about mag 4), because I'm getting a lot of enjoyment out of some of the "easier" galaxy targets. I can see a dark lane splitting M82 in half, a little whisping around M51, M81 and M63, and a hint of the black eye in M64. (However, the detail that I do see in galaxies all comes from averted vision).
On a second note, the math geek in me is tracking the results of this thread on an Excel spreadsheet (yeah, I know). Depending upon how each post is interpreted, the numbers can vary a bit, but here are the results so far (and I'm including my favorites - galaxies and planetary nebula):
In first place, we have nebulae at 31% (with 15 of those percentage points specifically planetary).
A close second, galaxies at 27%.
Globs are next, at 19%.
Open clusters are closely trailing globs at 17%.
Doubles weigh in at 6%.
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Pat
Orion XT8i
TV 32mm, 25mm, 20mm, 15mm Plossls
Orion Shorty-Plus Barlow
DGM NPB Filter
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter
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