Bill Barlow
sage
Reged: 12/03/07
Posts: 425
Loc: Overland Park KS
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I have been trying to find the ring nebula in Lyra now for about three nights, and haven't been able to locate it by star hopping. I have been using the S+T Pocket Sky Atlas while looking through 12x60 binoculars to find the four star rectangle below Vega to locate M57.
Today I printed off another set of star charts on Google and maybe now I will be able to find it. I don't think that I was looking far enough to the southwest of Vega to see this constellation as now it looks like the farthest star on the far side of the rectangle is about 8 degrees southwest from Vega.
I have a Meade 10" ACF SCT, so at mag 8.8, I should be able to see it after I locate the southernmost side of the rectangle. I also use a 10x60 finder scope with a FOV of about 5 degrees. Since this rectangle contains the four of the brightest stars outside of Vega, I should be able to find it.
Anymore help/suggestions? Thanks.
Bill
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A Meade 10" ACF OTA on a UA UniStar Deluxe Super 8 altaz mount on a Meade field tripod.
A SV 90TBV fluorite triplet refractor on a UA UniStar Light mount on a UA light surveyor tripod.
Garrett Optical 10x50, 12x60 and 30x100 binoculars.
Several TV Plossl and Nagler eyepieces.
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scopethis
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/30/08
Posts: 825
Loc: Kingman, Ks
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Use a wide field eyepiece if you have one and scan between Beta and Gamma and it should come into view. Don't be enticed as I was by photos of this object, thinking it to be large and would jump into view. The object is fairly small and pale. Once located it is really impressive with higher power.
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Javier
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/03/09
Posts: 578
Loc: 15 Minutes west of the Manhatt...
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Hi Bill,
It took me a wile as well. My mistake was that I live in a heavly light polutted area and I was looking in between the wrong stars.
It looks like a little fuzzy ring of smoke. Between SAO 67451 and SAO 67663. If you have a Telrad try and center the rectile circle so that these two stars are on the outside of the rings. Then scan a hair to the the North and South of these two stars and the Ring nebula should show up. I've atatched a map of Lyra but I'm sure you have seen it. I used a 32mm EP to spot the Ring Nebula and then used higher magnification EP's once I spotted it.
Javier
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Javier
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/03/09
Posts: 578
Loc: 15 Minutes west of the Manhatt...
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Bill... I hope my post helps a little bit. It's the first time I've described to anyone how to find a DSO or any other object in the sky so I apologize if I'm not 100% dean on.
Javier
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Bill Barlow
sage
Reged: 12/03/07
Posts: 425
Loc: Overland Park KS
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Ok, hopefully I can get the scope out Wednesday or Thursday evening. Will let you know how it turned out. Thanks.
Bill
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A Meade 10" ACF OTA on a UA UniStar Deluxe Super 8 altaz mount on a Meade field tripod.
A SV 90TBV fluorite triplet refractor on a UA UniStar Light mount on a UA light surveyor tripod.
Garrett Optical 10x50, 12x60 and 30x100 binoculars.
Several TV Plossl and Nagler eyepieces.
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Bill Barlow
sage
Reged: 12/03/07
Posts: 425
Loc: Overland Park KS
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Javier...
Thanks for the helpful suggestions. I think my mistake is underestimating how large the rectangle is that makes up part of the constellation Lyra. I don't think that I was looking far enough to the south of Vega to see it.
I hope to get out my 10" SCT Wednesday or Thursday night and give it another try. Will let you know how it turns out. Thanks again.
Bill
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A Meade 10" ACF OTA on a UA UniStar Deluxe Super 8 altaz mount on a Meade field tripod.
A SV 90TBV fluorite triplet refractor on a UA UniStar Light mount on a UA light surveyor tripod.
Garrett Optical 10x50, 12x60 and 30x100 binoculars.
Several TV Plossl and Nagler eyepieces.
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 2033
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Bill,
Make sure to look for a little donut! Using low power in your 10", it will look like a small green-blue circle that will stand out like a sore thumb in its field. After your find, pump up the power and watch that pup come to life. Let us know how it goes!
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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Javier
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/03/09
Posts: 578
Loc: 15 Minutes west of the Manhatt...
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Hi Bill,
My mistake was thinking that Lyra was bigger than it really was.  Good luck, I think you're going to see it the next time your out there.
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Bill Barlow
sage
Reged: 12/03/07
Posts: 425
Loc: Overland Park KS
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Dain...
Thanks for the help. I hope to get out tonight or tomorrow weather/clouds permitting. I took out my 10x50 binoculars last night after I got home from work and found the rectangle in Lyra. It had larger dimensions that what I was expecting. But now no problem to find the spot where M57 is located.
Bill
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A Meade 10" ACF OTA on a UA UniStar Deluxe Super 8 altaz mount on a Meade field tripod.
A SV 90TBV fluorite triplet refractor on a UA UniStar Light mount on a UA light surveyor tripod.
Garrett Optical 10x50, 12x60 and 30x100 binoculars.
Several TV Plossl and Nagler eyepieces.
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 2033
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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No problem, Bill! Looking forward to hearing about your observation.
Clear Skies.
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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Bill Barlow
sage
Reged: 12/03/07
Posts: 425
Loc: Overland Park KS
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Dain...
I was able to get out my 10" Meade SCT last night as the skies were mostly clear with a few passing clouds from time to time. With the new finder chart for Lyra, it was very easy to find to southern most side of the rectangle and locate the ring nebula. Wow, what a beautiful object to view! I was able to go from a 30mm/83x wide angle eyepiece all the way up to a TV 11m/230x Plossl. It also looked great in my 16mm and 12mm Naglers. I got my wife to come out to see it as well and she was really impressed.
So thanks all for the help. I usually am pretty good at star hoping and finding the right place to find an object, but for some reason with Lyra nearly at the zenith, I underestimated the distance between the sides of the rectangle that you need to find M57. Clear skies.
Bill
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A Meade 10" ACF OTA on a UA UniStar Deluxe Super 8 altaz mount on a Meade field tripod.
A SV 90TBV fluorite triplet refractor on a UA UniStar Light mount on a UA light surveyor tripod.
Garrett Optical 10x50, 12x60 and 30x100 binoculars.
Several TV Plossl and Nagler eyepieces.
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scopethis
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 05/30/08
Posts: 825
Loc: Kingman, Ks
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Here's some more enticing advice--you can really put the power to this object with a 10" SCT; going to 300-500x. And if you view the Ring with a nebula filter (Narrowband or OIII) the object is greatly enhanced.
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Bill Barlow
sage
Reged: 12/03/07
Posts: 425
Loc: Overland Park KS
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Ok, the next time I get the SCT out, I'll try some shorter focal length eyepieces and see how it looks. Thanks.
Bill
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A Meade 10" ACF OTA on a UA UniStar Deluxe Super 8 altaz mount on a Meade field tripod.
A SV 90TBV fluorite triplet refractor on a UA UniStar Light mount on a UA light surveyor tripod.
Garrett Optical 10x50, 12x60 and 30x100 binoculars.
Several TV Plossl and Nagler eyepieces.
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mypontiac
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/06/07
Posts: 1110
Loc: Austin, Tx.
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I have a 11" SCT and NP 101.
Plan on searching for it with the 101 tonight.
You guys got me psyched up! 
Sean
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akemag
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/26/07
Posts: 548
Loc: Sweden
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M57 was the first DSO i found with my first 70mm refractor. I was just scanning the above, when i found this strange small object. I was very limited in epīs (and aperture  ) then. But i did crank the power up with my 10 and 6.5mm. It wasnt until next day i knew what i had found.
Itīs a great target that i dont miss when possible.
Actually i stumbled on M42 in the same way. But that was a much more jaw dropping experience for sure...
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Celestron Omni XLT 120
Celestron Powerseeker 80EQ
Bresser Skylux 70mm
10" GSO DOB
5mm Ortho
6.5mm, 25mm, 32mm Plossl
3.6mm, 10mm, 25mm MA
20mm Erfle
4mm, 10mm, 12mm, 18mm RK20mm Kellner
8mm, 20mm Huygens
1.5-2x Barlow
Orange, Green, Variable Polarizing Moon filter
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jack45
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/07/03
Posts: 2575
Loc: Lacey WA
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Here's the one I use a lot, very helpful web site. Don't forget to go to the Home page for more DSO's to view.
http://www.astrosurf.com/jwisn/constellations.htm
Just click the constellation you want to view.
Click on the object's name to access its image or click on the name of adjacent constellation to see its map.
Clear Skies!
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16"f/4.5 Discovery Split Tube/TV Paracorr
12.5"f/5 Discovery PDHQ/TV 2x Barlow/Filters
Orion f/4.9 XT12"Intelliscope
BV's/Bugress Model 24/Stellarvue Model BV3A
TV Smooth Side Plossls,7.4mm,10.5mm,13mm,17mm,21mm,26mm,all NJs
Nagler EPs 9mm T/2,13mm T/1,16mm T/2,20mm T/2,26mm T/5,24mm,28mm Meade SWA,40mm 5000s Plossl
Axiom EPs 23mm,31mm LX
Zhumell Planetary 9mm,12.5mm,14.5mm,18mm
UO EPs 5MM,6MM,7MM,12.5MM
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Bill Barlow
sage
Reged: 12/03/07
Posts: 425
Loc: Overland Park KS
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Wow..nice page to bookmark. Thanks, Jack.
Bill
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A Meade 10" ACF OTA on a UA UniStar Deluxe Super 8 altaz mount on a Meade field tripod.
A SV 90TBV fluorite triplet refractor on a UA UniStar Light mount on a UA light surveyor tripod.
Garrett Optical 10x50, 12x60 and 30x100 binoculars.
Several TV Plossl and Nagler eyepieces.
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 2033
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Hey Bill!
Sorry so late coming back to this thread but have been away this past weekend. I'm so glad to come back and read your observation of M57! It sounds like you had a great viewing experience..and one to share with your wife. Thats some great news. M57 is just one of those targets that you just have to keep on visiting because its such a beautiful sight once entering the field of view.
Any other objects your looking forward to observing? I would most certainly be interested in hearing and sharing. Clear Skies to All!
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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Bill Barlow
sage
Reged: 12/03/07
Posts: 425
Loc: Overland Park KS
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Hi Dain...
Well, I pretty much enjoy observing whatever objects present themselves on any given night. But I especially like to look at globular clusters..how they appear 3 dimensional when using moderate to high powers. I also like galaxy groups where more than one can be observed..like M51/NGC 5195..M81 and 82..and some in the Virgo cluster as well as M31/32 and 110.
But I have no one "favorite", but enjoy everything in the night sky. Tonight I'm putting away the Meade 10" ACF SCT after four great sessions this week and getting out the SV 102ED for some Milky Way star sweeping while the skies in south KC are clear and transparent for one more night. Take care and clear skies.
Bill
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A Meade 10" ACF OTA on a UA UniStar Deluxe Super 8 altaz mount on a Meade field tripod.
A SV 90TBV fluorite triplet refractor on a UA UniStar Light mount on a UA light surveyor tripod.
Garrett Optical 10x50, 12x60 and 30x100 binoculars.
Several TV Plossl and Nagler eyepieces.
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Rick Woods
Postmaster
Reged: 01/27/05
Posts: 6267
Loc: Inner Solar System
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Quote:
M57 was the first DSO i found with my first 70mm refractor. I was just scanning the above, when i found this strange small object. I was very limited in epīs (and aperture ) then. But i did crank the power up with my 10 and 6.5mm. It wasnt until next day i knew what i had found.
Itīs a great target that i dont miss when possible.
Actually i stumbled on M42 in the same way. But that was a much more jaw dropping experience for sure...
There's something special about the Ring Nebula, that's for sure. I think it was my first DSO, too.
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- Rick
14" LX200GPS
Dyslexics Untie!
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