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Tim L
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/17/08
Posts: 565
Loc: Austin, TX
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I finally got it!!     It is my nemesis no more!
The sky was great tonight, with high transparency. After the moon set and the scope was cooled, I went to work.
I warmed up (and let my eyes adapt) with long observations of the Little Dumbbell and the Blue Snowball (got some more detail out of both), then went to M110 as my final preparation.
After all my previous failed attempts, I made a post-it note map with asterisms around where M74 should be. I found these in my 30mm eyepiece, but could not locate the galaxy--the background glow was just too much (I'm observing from a red zone).
But when I bumped the power up to 100x, I could faintly detect through averted vision a smudge right where it was supposed to be! I observed it at 150x and 200x also, trying to be sure I was really seeing it, and not just imagining. I made note of a couple other stars next to it, and double-checked the position of the smudge on Google Sky when I came in.
For anyone wanting to try for this one, it is fainter than M110, so I would recommend you start with that one or M33. If you can't see M110 from your location, M74 will also probably be invisible.
For me, the key was knowing EXACTLY where to look. I used asterisms on three sides of the galaxy in the eyepiece to pin down its precise location. If you are hunting for this one and can't find it, at least look around and become familiar with some of the star patterns. They will help you find it later. Use something like Google Sky that will show all the stars in the area to help you out.
I wanted to yell out when I found it, but had to restrain myself because of all the sleeping neighbors around! 
Now I'm looking forward to when I can take a look at this under a darker sky than the suburbs provide.
Ended up the night with M15, M2, the Saturn Nebula, and capped it all with the Orion Nebula. I can go to sleep happy now.
Happy hunting to everyone! 
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Tim
Zhumell Z10 dob
Meade 60mm refractor
Zhumell 1.25" eyepiece and filter kit
Zhumell sky-glow, UHC, and OIII filters
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Tony Flanders
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 3469
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
Now I'm looking forward to when I can take a look at this under a darker sky than the suburbs provide.
Dark skies make a huge difference for M74. I remember struggling mightily to see this galaxy from my country home through my 70-mm refractor. My country home isn't dark (yellow zone, typically mag 21.0 per square arcsecond in the evening), but it's *way* different from a typical suburb.
Then, last year, with a smaller scope (60 mm), I was observing some stuff at the Oregon Star Party, and decided to take a gander at M74. Being more experienced than when I had first seen M74, I was expecting it to be not *too* hard -- but at least still require some effort. But in fact, it popped right out as soon as I pointed my scope to the right general area. Didn't even need averted vision.
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Tony Flanders
First and foremost observing love: naked eye.
Second, binoculars.
Last but not least, telescopes.
And I sometimes dabble with cameras.
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JayKSC
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/01/05
Posts: 985
Loc: Florida
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Congrats on nabbing such an elusive target! I have yet to see M74, myself. You've given some great advice, too:
Quote:
For me, the key was knowing EXACTLY where to look. I used asterisms on three sides of the galaxy in the eyepiece to pin down its precise location. If you are hunting for this one and can't find it, at least look around and become familiar with some of the star patterns. They will help you find it later. Use something like Google Sky that will show all the stars in the area to help you out.
Knowing exactly where to look for an object has definitely been critical for my seeing numerous targets over the years. Even if using a goto scope, knowing the precise star patterns can greatly assist in seeing an object, and may make the difference between seeing it and not seeing it.
- Jay
South Florida
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Refractor manic.
My Sketches
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 10516
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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I've seen M74 through a 15x70 binocular from a dark site.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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mattyfatz
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 1296
Loc: Boise Idaho
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Tim
great stuff.. I was out in a light polluted school parking lot last night struggling to see easy to find objects. The great thing is that once you find something like M74 once, you will be able to find it with less difficulty in the future.
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**Matty**
Stimulating the economy, one piece of equipment at a time.   
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mattyfatz
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 1296
Loc: Boise Idaho
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Tim
great stuff.. I was out in a light polluted school parking lot last night struggling to see easy to find objects. The great thing is that once you find something like M74 once, you will be able to find it with less difficulty in the future.
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**Matty**
Stimulating the economy, one piece of equipment at a time.
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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Good catch, Tim. It is a cool rewarding feeling that comes with it. Way to go! 
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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Brian Schmidt
sage
Reged: 01/25/09
Posts: 204
Loc: Roswell, GA
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Congrats. Now I am wanting dark skies to try for this again even more. 
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Brian
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Tim L
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/17/08
Posts: 565
Loc: Austin, TX
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Thanks, guys!
There's no way I would ever have caught this one from my yard with simple scanning. (Well, my failed attempts are a good testimony to that). What I noticed was that as I left the scope alone, a few other extremely dim stars would become visible as the scope settled. I could only see them when I did not touch the scope at all. Then, looking just next to them, the subtle glow of the galaxy became perceptible.
I had to keep using my visible guide stars to put me where my nearly invisible guide stars would show up, and then look for the galaxy. I found out later on Google Sky that the nearly invisible stars I was using as close reference points are actually located close to the border of the galaxy. Getting to see this one all spread out from a dark site someday will be a treat.
I guess when spring rolls around, I'll be on a new mission to try to finally detect M101 from home!
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Tim
Zhumell Z10 dob
Meade 60mm refractor
Zhumell 1.25" eyepiece and filter kit
Zhumell sky-glow, UHC, and OIII filters
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nyc_nurse
sage
Reged: 07/29/09
Posts: 254
Loc: nyc
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Great job Tim! Good idea of starting with a test object like M110. Dark skies makes all the difference. I observed M74 easily @37X at a mag 6.4 site. Now that you got M74 could I suggest you try for the 7626/7619 pair in Peg.
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Sam P.
www.agirlandaguy.blogspot.com
Pentax 7X50
TV-102 APO w/ (Starbeam - on backorder  )
Ash Gibraltar w/ SkyTour DSC
NZ3-6, N9T6, N13T6
TV 20 Plossl
Pan 24, 35
Pentax XW10, XW14
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Tim L
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/17/08
Posts: 565
Loc: Austin, TX
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Sam,
Thanks for the tip--I'll look for those next time I'm out (and the moon's not!)
I really like the Pocket Sky Atlas, but if it has one drawback, it is that it's not always apparent if a DSO is "doable" from a LP site. I usually try for the Messiers, but don't shoot for the NGC galaxies unless I hear from another source they're bright enough for suburban viewing.
Thanks again!
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Tim
Zhumell Z10 dob
Meade 60mm refractor
Zhumell 1.25" eyepiece and filter kit
Zhumell sky-glow, UHC, and OIII filters
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Ptarmigan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/23/04
Posts: 2366
Loc: Arctic
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Cool. You snared the most difficult Messier object in the red zone. 
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Ptarmigans=Cute and Cuddly
Meade Starfinder 8
Nikon 10x50
Rebel XT
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CESDewar
GorillAstronomer
Reged: 01/16/05
Posts: 2069
Loc: Morganton, GA, USA
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Dark Skies are everything when it comes to objects like M74. I have seen this several times in my 10x42 binoculars, but that's a combination of knowing exactly where to look, having the object near the Zenith, and having skies at 21.30 on the SQM (mag 6.5+) in a dark rural area. Under slightly lesser skies and not near the Zenith, I usually have little difficulty finding it in my Canon 18x50IS binoculars.
But move to mag 5 skies, and even in a fine 100M scope, it can be really tough to find, and drop to 4.5 skies and even in a 12" DOB you can be struggling to find this object.
I always remember being pleased at finding M33 for the first time in my 25x100mm binoculars (under dark suburban skies), only to read later that evening that someone posted it was an easy naked-eye object from their location.
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Achernar
Postmaster
Reged: 02/25/06
Posts: 5029
Loc: Mobile, Alabama, USA
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From a dark site, I actually saw what appeared to be hints of the spiral arms in M-74 through my 10-inch. I'm sure through an 18 or 20-inch M-74 would reveal their presence. It can be a very impressive object in a medium or large aperture telescopes when the sky is dark and transparent. Along with M-74, I spotted hordes of other fainter and more distant galaxies in the surrounding area. But until I found it for the first time, this galaxy tormented me too until I nailed it with my 6-inch. Congratulations on your find, there's many more you can hunt down in Pisces. Some of them such as NGC-488, a galaxy very much like M-94 with it's tightly wound spiral arms I spotted with a 6-inch. There's at least a couple of dozen galaxies you should be able to see in Pisces with no trouble if you have a dark site and good skies with your 10-inch.
Taras
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15-inch F/4.5 Dob under construction
10-inch F/4.5 Discovery Dob
6-inch F/8 Homebuilt Dob
4 1/4-inch F/4 Homebuilt reflector
A whole bunch of eyepieces, filters and other accessories....
Two curious cats
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Ptarmigan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/23/04
Posts: 2366
Loc: Arctic
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Very true. Rule of thumb for me, if I can see the Milky Way, than I can see galaxies.
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Ptarmigans=Cute and Cuddly
Meade Starfinder 8
Nikon 10x50
Rebel XT
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Lane
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/19/07
Posts: 1515
Loc: Frisco, Texas
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Quote:
From a dark site, I actually saw what appeared to be hints of the spiral arms in M-74 through my 10-inch ...
Taras
Same experience for me with my C11 this past Sunday night. With direct vision I could see that it was an oval and then when I used averted vision I saw an area of central brightness and out from that I could see two very faint arms separated from the core by dark lanes. I was thinking the same thing you were, how nice this must look in an 18 or 20 inch scope.
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Mounts: CGEM, ORION SIRIUS, AT Voyager/motorized
SCTs: C6, C8, C9.25, C11,
Refractors: TV Pronto, Orion ED80
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