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Anonymous
Unregistered
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The first time I tried to find the Crab I thought it an exercise in futility. I finally put a 50mm eyepiece in a 10" LX200 (about 50x and a real wide field). Then I started a few degrees to the north of where the Crab is located and did declination sweeps to the south until a noticed a fuzzy "star" . Then I verified that it was indeed the crab by boosting the power. It still wasn't a lot to look at but at least I found it. Let me know how it looks to you when you find it. 
Roger
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30044
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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I got it for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Yep, the average open cluster has a lot going for it... 
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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
Alcohol and calculus do not mix. Please don't drink and derive.
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Amalia
Reged: 10/16/04
Posts: 5165
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I saw M1 easily with 8", and with 12" it gets very interesting: Until 150x it seemed a uniform white cloud - with 170x it transformed itself into an object with an interesting form and a lot of structures.
You need: dark sky / aperture / patience, trying several magnifications
Good luck!
Amalia
P.S.
German author Karkoschka: difficult with 12x50 binos
Austrian Stoyan: with 10x50 to be seen as a small cloud
2" refractor at 55x shows a small folded flame
6" shows a diffuse cloud, if one is patient faint "little arms" and a central bright core is to be seen
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Starman1
Vendor - Scope City
Reged: 06/24/03
Posts: 10960
Loc: Los Angeles
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M1's contrast is easily damaged by light pollution. Where I normally observe, M1 is a 6x30 finder object and my 5" shows a "double hook" shape.
But, at my home, the 5" cannot see it at all except fleetingly with averted vision, and then only as a pale, ghostly, blob.
The difference is 3 magnitudes.
I'd reserve this object for the times you get away to someplace darker.
Instead, go for the Messier clusters--most are easier to see in moderately light polluted skies.
And right now, we have a bunch of them:
M34, M35, M36, M37, M41, M44, M45, M46, M47 are all well placed for observing over an evening.
Good luck.
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Don Pensack
12.5" Truss Dob, 5" Maksutov
Sustaining Lifetime IDA member, TeleVue junkie
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Thanks for the tips and encouragement. I've been trying from the City, not even the suburbs, so light pollution is killing me. If I make it out to the country again, I'll give it a shot from there. As far as observing fun, the best time I've had this fall was when I went to the country and just scanned the sky with my 8.5 x 42 binocs, and took a closer look at any interesting fuzzies. I stumbled on the double cluster and two beautiful open clusters in Auriga this way, I'm a novice, so I didn't even know what auriga was, or Coma B, for that matter. First time for open clusters, and I'm hooked! I might use this approach next time I go to the country.
I've been using an 8" dob with 32, 25 and 11 mm plossls plus barlow. The 32mm plossl gets most use. It was great for the moon last night in sub zero weather. Never saw santa though, but he did drop some nice astro books off when I wasn't looking!
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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On a decent night M1 is a fairly easy pick-up in my 120mm refractor.
However, it takes an exceptional night to see it in the 70mm refractor.
Bill in WI
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antyqjon
member
Reged: 12/24/04
Posts: 72
Loc: Tarnów, Poland
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Quote:
On a decent night M1 is a fairly easy pick-up in my 120mm refractor.
However, it takes an exceptional night to see it in the 70mm refractor.
Well, I can see it even from my backyard with about 5.0 - 5.3 NELM... And from a darker place (6.0 NELM) it is rather easy, I've seen it also in 12x60 and 20x60 binoculars. And in my Skylux @ 70x it shows kind of 'S' letter shape.
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binoculars: 8x30, 10x50, 12x60
scope: Skylux 70/700 refractor
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Derek W
super member
Reged: 05/24/04
Posts: 193
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Hit it for the first time last night around midnight. Moon was up, and it was from city skies, so nothing more than a very light grey blob. It was with a xt10 though.
I also hit m78 in Orion for the first time.(or is it 76?) Not too bright.
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antyqjon
member
Reged: 12/24/04
Posts: 72
Loc: Tarnów, Poland
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Quote:
I also hit m78 in Orion for the first time.(or is it 76?) Not too bright.
It's 78. There are two 10 mag. stars embedded in the nebula, you can also try NGC 2071 nearby.
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binoculars: 8x30, 10x50, 12x60
scope: Skylux 70/700 refractor
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