lunar mike
member
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 91
Loc: North Adams MA
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I dont know if it's me or the scope svp 8" on svp mount or the fact where I live there is alot of lights from houses around. I can only just see the the larger stars. By my eyes I can never see stuff like nebula no matter what I try. please help me !!
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mercurial
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 34
Loc: Cape Town, South Africa
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You need to get some "nebula" filters to be able to really get a good look at them. The problem is that there is so much light pollution in cities/urban areas, which reduces your viewing pleasures and abilities. The 2 types that you should look to get are the Ultra High Contrast and Oxygen III filters.
Go to www.lumicon.com and have a look around for some filters. Their filters are the best you will get and you can also learn a bit more about these filters and how they work.
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desertstars
Say What?
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 28624
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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My bet would be problems with the lights around you. I have the same scope and find it does a fine job with a variety of objects, nebulae included.
When you say "larger stars" are you talking about through the telescope? Or when you look up at the sky with eyes alone?
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Tom W.
SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ
Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor
Under the Desert Stars
It is a plain road from the earth to the stars though mortal feet can not tread it. Garret P. Serviss 1888
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mercurial
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 34
Loc: Cape Town, South Africa
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What magnification are you using btw?
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Achernar
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 3447
Loc: Alabama, USA
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If you live in a built up area, light pollution is a big part of your problem. The fix is driving to a dark site, using nebula filters or both. You can see small, bright nebulae as well as the likes of the Orion, Omega or Lagoon from your house with nebula filters, but they too look much better from a dark site. There are lots of nebulae you can see with an 8-inch from a dark site, but they are impossible to see from a city, even with a nebula filter. If you have a good star atlas, or software package that created star charts for you, a good finder scope and or digital setting circles, nebulae should start showing themselves. Also, if the air is full of haze, smoke or lit up by a bright moon, it's not a good time to look for nebulae.
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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Silicon Owl
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/25/05
Posts: 809
Loc: Waimea, Hawaii
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What the other have said about dark skies is right on the mark.
You might also meet up with your local astronomy club, most have star parties where everyone takes their telescopes out to a dark site away from the lights. A few hours with experienced observers would give you a good start on what you can see and how to find it. Most clubs do not require you to join just to check them out. Maybe leave your telescope at home the first time out, just talk to the others and check out the views through their telescopes.
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/organizations
http://www.mos.org/nessie/astronomy_orgs.php
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Andrew Cooper
Personal Website and CN Gallery
Handmade 18" Dob / NS11GPS / 6" RFT / 90mm APO / TV-76 ...and a twin 10m
"I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night." --Sarah Williams
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 1778
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
I dont know if it's me or the scope svp 8" on svp mount or the fact where I live there is alot of lights from houses around. I can only just see the the larger stars. By my eyes I can never see stuff like nebula no matter what I try. please help me !!
It's the lights around you. You live in North Adams, surrounded on three sides by near-wilderness. A 10-minute drive out of town will do more for your observing than all the equipment in the world!
Barrring that, you'll simply have to find a way to block off those ambient lights. Deep-sky astronomy is nearly impossible when you have lights staring you in the face. But even if you block all the direct lights, you'll still have to cope with diffuse skyglow.
Again -- get out of town! And count your blessings that you live in a place where that's so easy to do.
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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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mercurial
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 34
Loc: Cape Town, South Africa
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Regarding light pollution - do the filters not block out all other light, add contrast to the sky and only accept the light from nebulae? I ask because I am in the process of buying some Lumicon filters for my 12" Dob.
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David Knisely
Postmaster
Reged: 04/19/04
Posts: 6475
Loc: Beatrice, Nebraska
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Quote:
Regarding light pollution - do the filters not block out all other light, add contrast to the sky and only accept the light from nebulae? I ask because I am in the process of buying some Lumicon filters for my 12" Dob.
While they do not completely eliminate the effects of light pollution, narrow-band and line filters can really help emission nebulae, as they pass only the nebular emission lines. One problem with observing under moderate light pollution is that it can be difficult to get and stay properly dark adapted. Dark adaptation and the use of averted vision are essential if you are to see the full benefit of the filters, so you may need to use some local light shielding and/or and eyepatch to get the best results. Clear skies to you.
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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
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Tony Flanders
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 1778
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
Narrow-band and line filters can really help emission nebulae, as they pass only the nebular emission lines.
What he said!
Quote:
One problem with observing under moderate light pollution is that it can be difficult to get and stay properly dark adapted.
Precisely. That's why it's so destructive to have bright lights in direct view. At the very least, make sure that you never look at them! One glance at a bright light wastes 20 minutes while you wait to get re-adapted.
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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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mercurial
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 34
Loc: Cape Town, South Africa
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Great stuff, thanks.
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mercurial
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 34
Loc: Cape Town, South Africa
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Ok, so I have the filters. Now I need to get my hands on specific resources that will allow me to find these messiers in the night sky. Any specific skychart or software that I can use that will show me this?
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 5538
Loc: Pennsylvania, USA
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The Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas and the Bright Star Atlas 2000.0 are excellent starting star atlases. Wil Tirion's The Sky Atlas 2000.0 would be a good choice as a more detailed atlas.
I also recommend that you consider getting a copy of Nightwatch. Star Watch and Turn Left at Orion are also very good observing guides for the novice.
Free monthly star charts can be found at http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html
Astronomy and Sky & Telescope have monthly charts along with calendars of astronomical events and articles on objects to observe.
There are many worthwhile freeware planetarium programs available at http://freeware.intrastar.net/planetarium.htm and http://www.stargazing.net/astroTips/english/
The following sites discuss urban astronomy:
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=ss&id=152
http://www.mdnights.com/html/article2.html
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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tigerroach
member
Reged: 08/13/08
Posts: 95
Loc: Houston, TX
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Quote:
I also recommend that you consider getting a copy of Nightwatch.
Lots of good suggestions in this post, but that one is my favorite. Nightwatch was a huge help to me when I was getting started in astronomy.
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Brian
TeleVue TV-102, Gibralter alt-az mount
Canon 10x30 IS binocs
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mercurial
member
Reged: 07/22/08
Posts: 34
Loc: Cape Town, South Africa
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Many thanks. I'll have a look later 
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