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CESDewar
GorillAstronomer
Reged: 01/16/05
Posts: 1679
Loc: Morganton, GA, USA
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M101 is another good, but often challenging, binocular target in Ursa Major. It's a relatively large (46'), diffuse object that will sink into the background unless you have reasonably dark skies. Again, it helps a lot to know precisely where this object is located to confirm its capture.
As a rough guide, you can form a triangle that is a bit flatter than an equilateral triangle with Alkaid and Mizar, but I've often found myself scanning the region in vain to find M101 when the skies are lighter than normal (for this viewing location), so a more accurate star hop is helpful.
Start at Mizar and a line through Mizar and Alcor points to the first of four stars in an irregular line, each about a degree apart. After you hit the first star, angle back a bit, more towards Alkaid, and count 1,2,3,4 - they're pretty bright stars and quite obvious.
At the fourth star, take a right-angle turn away from Alkaid and start counting 1..2 with a pair of close stars that form the upper corner of what looks like a miniature Hercules Keystone. Counting in the same direction 3..4..5, M101 is just to the right of stars 4 & 5, about 15' away.
I have no trouble seeing M101 with my 10x42mm binoculars under dark skies (5.5-6 mag), but if the background gets much brighter than that, it rapidly disappears and requires larger binoculars to find it.
A good source of background information on M101 can be found at this web page.
Again, good luck hunting for m101!
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OpalescentNebula
member
Reged: 01/11/07
Posts: 42
Loc: Calgary, Alberta
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Your charts and incite are, as always much appreciated.
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Bill
"Good friends are like stars...you don't always see them, but you know that they are always there"
BINOS: Zeiss 10x42 FL,Garrett Optical 20x110 TRIPODS: Monfrotto #055, Manfrotto 3246/503 HDV, Millenium P-mount / Meade Giant Field Tripod
Microscope: Zeiss Stemi 2000-C Tri-optical,
Mag 6.5 to 75x, 2 Fiber Optical lights
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mttafire
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/02/06
Posts: 1114
Loc: midwest
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Thanks much, Looking forward to a clear night!
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God Bless America
Binocular astronomy
for me ONLY.
8x45 Garretts
15x70 Skymasters
2 eyes!
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LM321
super member
Reged: 09/12/07
Posts: 165
Loc: Oregon
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Thanks for another great post (I saw your post on M51 too)
I was wondering if you've made other posts like this that I've missed?  I just did a quick search and only found the two (M51 and M101)
Hope to see more. Your descriptions and charts are great  .
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Larry
Orion SkyQuest XT8 8" Dob
Orion 127mm Mak
Celestron C4-R
SkyView Pro Mount
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jmcdonald
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/01/05
Posts: 1439
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Thanks from me too.
That's the starhop I use for the scope -- now you've inspired me to try it in the binoculars.
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Jerel
Discovery 12.5" modified truss DOB
Orion 100mm f/6 achromat
Garret 15x70 LW Binoculars
22-T4,13-T6
IDA Membership
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mosdc61
sage
Reged: 11/04/06
Posts: 471
Loc: Republic, MO
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Thanks for this and the M51, is clearing up here so I'll try them out tonight. Hope to see more like this.
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Steve
For whosoever shall do the will of my father which is in heaven,
the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Matt 12:50
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CESDewar
GorillAstronomer
Reged: 01/16/05
Posts: 1679
Loc: Morganton, GA, USA
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Quote:
I was wondering if you've made other posts like this that I've missed?
I've posted at least a dozen of these charts over the past couple of years. I know that I've done maps for M104, m102, m52, Omega Centauri, NGC6826, m76, Leo's Triplet, Helix Nebula, ghost of Jupiter, Hinds Crimson Star, M1, and that's only half of what I see in my locator folder (I'm pretty sure most of the one's I've done so far have been posted).
Anyway, my plan is to do all the Messier objects and popular NGC objects in time - all in this similar format - which focusses on what you actually see through binoculars or a small scope. I find most star maps that are (and of course this is just my own personal opinion FWIW) too cluttered with faint stars that I don't really notice that much at the eyepiece. I like looking for asterisms as I can remember them when I'm back at the binoculars, so I know to look for the "fish" when hunting for m76, or the "hat" for m74.
And thanks for the kind words of encouragement  - it definitely inspires me to keep going on this project!
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KennyJ
Reged: 04/27/03
Posts: 9950
Loc: Lancashire UK
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I must say that I really like your coloured charts , too , Stu , even though I rarely actually look at the night skies compared with most folks here .
Kenny
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Two eyes and a preference to use both
Zeiss 7 x 42 BGAT
Captain's Helmsman 7 x 50
Nikon 10 x 42 Superior E
Swift Audubon Kestrel 10 x 50
Helios 15 x 70 Observation
Strathspey 20 x 90
Televue 76 APO
Zeiss 85 Diascope
Helios 102 f5 refractor
Various eyepieces barlows tripods mounts etc.
Panasonic Lumix DMC - TZ5 digital camera
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Rich N
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/22/04
Posts: 5176
Loc: San Francisco Bay Area, Calif...
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Yes, very nice charts.
M101 is often easier to find with binoculars than a telescope.
I think of M101 as a part of a triangle along with Alkaid and Mizar.
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EdZ
Professor EdZ
Reged: 02/15/02
Posts: 12102
Loc: Cumberland, R I , USA42N71.4W
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Quote:
M101 is often easier to find with binoculars than a telescope.
I agree.
edz
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Teach a kid something today. The feeling you'll get is one of life's greatest rewards.
member#21
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mttafire
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/02/06
Posts: 1114
Loc: midwest
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I find that the sombrero galaxy is easier to spot with binos than the pinwheel..  Is this a normal occurance?.. or me just not "seeing it" as easy? I HAVE found 101 but for me its not the easiest galaxy to find for some reason. Only a few times have i got it.
Shawn
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God Bless America
Binocular astronomy
for me ONLY.
8x45 Garretts
15x70 Skymasters
2 eyes!
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EdZ
Professor EdZ
Reged: 02/15/02
Posts: 12102
Loc: Cumberland, R I , USA42N71.4W
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I've looked at the spot for M101 countless times, have NOT seen it a lot more times than I have seen it.
edz
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Teach a kid something today. The feeling you'll get is one of life's greatest rewards.
member#21
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 1778
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
I find that the sombrero galaxy is easier to spot with binos than the pinwheel.. Is this a normal occurence?
I'd say that it all depends on light pollution. Under reasonably dark skies (say, mag 20.5 per square arcsecond or darker), M101 is easier to see because its integrated brightness is considerably higher. Also, its large size makes it easier to spot through low-power binoculars.
But when there's significant light pollution, the situation is reversed. Then M101's low surface brightness makes it really challenging, while M104's concentrated brilliance pierces through pretty heavy skyglow.
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Tony Flanders
eyeglasses
6x15 and 8x32 monoculars
8x25, 7x35, 10x30 IS, 10x50, and 15x70 binoculars
70mm and 100mm achromatic refractors
4.5", 7", and 12.5" Dobs
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