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I've seen some kind of spiral structure with a 4.7" telescope in:

M33
M51 (also with 3")
M74
M101
IC 342

With an 8" telescope there tens more. Easiest is probably M51 as so many people have seen the beautiful pictures out there and know what to expect.

/Jake

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M33 a couple of weeks ago showed at least hints of one of the arms in my 100mm f/6 refractor using the Orion Skyglow filter from my front yard. It wasn't obvious, but it was clear that something other than a somewhat uniform fuzzy blob was visible. On M74 however, I have yet to see much in the way of clear spiral structure in scopes much under 10 inches of aperture. Oh, I can easily tell it's a spiral from the brighter center and mottled patchyness in the outer haze, but the arms tend to be very difficult to discern with any certainty. Even in my 10 inch, its spiral form remains vague at best. M101 is a similar but larger object that shows a lot of diffuse mottling with difficult spiral arm structure. On a few really clear dark nights, I can sometimes get the "grand design" of the arms in my 10 inch, but usually, it is just more of a vague diffuse patchyness. IC342 tends to show the arms vaguely in my 10 inch, but the object is so faint that it requires a good dark night just to get to the threshold of spiral arm visibility. Clear skies to you.

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David W. Knisely
Hyde Memorial Observatory
http://www.hydeobservatory.info
Prairie Astronomy Club
http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org

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I've also seen the spiral arms of M51 in my 8" Newt. That was right beside my house in the middle of a red zone. It wasn't a matter of fulfilling expectations or averted imagination. The spiral arms were definitely there. M51 looked like one of those sweet pecan rolls. (I don't know why some DSOs look like food to me. M11, the Wild Duck, looks like a plate of hominey. ) I could also see the bridge to M51's companion. So it can be done. It is a matter of technique, practice, making sure your eyes are dark-adapted, and getting lucky with a transparent sky.

Clear Skies,
Mike

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Dang Mike, now I'm getting hungry! LOL


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Gordon

Celestron Nexstar 8SE with XLT coating - Baader Planetarium Hyperion 8mm-24mm Clickstop Zoom eyepiece
Celestron Skymaster 20x80 Binoculars
Smart Seat II Observing Chair
all in the hands of a total neophite
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Register at ScopeBuddies.com to find local astronomy buddies!

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