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Top10 Objects in the Night Sky

Started by Guilherme Lessa , Apr 19 2014 02:23 PM

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30 replies to this topic

#1 Guilherme Lessa

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Posted 19 April 2014 - 02:23 PM

I was reading "Turn Left at Orion" the other day and started questioning their ratings for objects in the sky. In the book, the authors decide on three types of ratings: one for big telescopes such as large aperture dobs, one for small telescopes like small aperture cats, and one for binoculars. The book only gave the maximum rating of 4 stars in all these categories for to two objects: M42 (the Orion Nebula) and the Tarantula Nebula (in the LMC). That left me quite bummed out, because there are lots of other things that are just as beautiful than those two, if not more.

So I decided to make my Top10 beautiful objects to see in the sky with an average 3 to 4-inch telescope and 50mm+ binoculars. I live in the southern hemisphere and light pollution in my area sort of washes out the north, so I have a hard time exploring the region thoroughly (especially because it contains many faint galaxies). I preferred to leave the moon and planets out of my list, otherwise it would be more like a top7 or top6, because the moon, Saturn and Jupiter (and probably the sun too, though I’ve never seen it through a telescope myself) would definitely have to be in it.

So here’s my list. Would love to see yours. And, BTW, I think although these top10 can seem a bit futile and pointless, it’s a chance for us to try and look at something we didn’t otherwise pay attention to yet. Cheers, guys!

1 – Tarantula Nebula
2 – Lagoon Nebula
3 – Carina Nebula
4 – Orion Nebula
5 – 47 Tuc
6 – Pleiades
7 – Omega Centauri
8 – Football cluster – how could a Brazilian dislike something with that name?
9 – Leo Triplet
10 – M104

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#2 pepit

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Posted 19 April 2014 - 02:33 PM

I am very new to the hobby and haven't seen much, but these are my favourite for now:
1.Orion nebula
2.M45
3.Alpha Persei association
4.m47 and m46
5.m65 and m66
6.NGC 2362
7.m44
8.Beta Monoceros
9.Trapezium
10.NGC 2392

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#3 Abhat

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Posted 19 April 2014 - 03:54 PM

My over all top 10 list includes (Jupiter, Moon, Saturn & Sun in that order).

Excluding solar system. It is very hard to limit to only 10 but here is my list anyways.

1. Orion Nebula
2. M13 - Great Cluster in Hercules
3. NGC Double Cluster in Perseus
4-9 Double stars - Epsilon Lyra Double Double, Algeiba, Albireo, Mizar, Castor, Almach
10. Swan Nebula, Lagoon Nebula , Andromeda Galaxy (Tie)

My list would be different if I had 12-14 inch Dob and/or a real dark site close by.

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#4 GlennLeDrew

James Webb Space Telescope

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Posted 19 April 2014 - 04:46 PM

100 people will probably have 99 different top 10 lists. My #1? The milky way. Which is arguably at its best with no optical aid--at a dark site.

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#5 MikeBOKC

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Posted 19 April 2014 - 06:32 PM

Good lists, glad Beta Monoceros was included. I would add M22 as well.

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#6 Man in a Tub

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Posted 19 April 2014 - 09:19 PM

8 – Football cluster – how could a Brazilian dislike something with that name?

I don't get bent out of shape about using or relying on nicknames for DSOs. I did, however, look up this cluster. It's open cluster NGC 3532 in Carina.

If Wikipedia is to be trusted:

On 20 May 1990 it [NGC 3532] became the first target ever observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.

My factoid for the day and with, of course, a question about who was at the Hubble Telescope controls?

:step:

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#7 Mr. Mike

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Posted 20 April 2014 - 08:06 AM

For me, it's whatever ten I just looked at recently.

I like the usual suspects. As most do.

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#8 Guilherme Lessa

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Posted 20 April 2014 - 11:20 AM

I think NGC 3532 is a truly wonderful open cluster. It shows great colors and looks so tight and round in binocs that it takes a while to figure it out.

Would love to see that Hubble photo, Todd! Cheers.

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#9 Guilherme Lessa

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Posted 20 April 2014 - 11:23 AM

Found the Hubble pic. It sucks

http://imgsrc.hubble...-a-full_jpg.jpg

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#10 Man in a Tub

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Posted 20 April 2014 - 12:47 PM

Although it isn't a Hubble picture, see Astronomy Picture of the Day, 2010 February 26:

Chasing Carina by Dieter Willasch

Too much green for my taste, but an impressive shot with NGC 3532 near top center. It's nicknamed the Wishing Well Cluster in this photo. :foreheadslap:

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#11 Guilherme Lessa

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Posted 20 April 2014 - 01:29 PM

Wow. Beautiful picture. Shame it just missed the Southern Pleiades, though it shows some of its stars on the bottom.

This Bil Christie's photo is also not perfect, but shows well my favourite part of the sky, beginning with the cross on te left with te coalsack, and then to NGC3532, the Eta Car Nebula and Southern Pleiades. Such a huge FOV: http://www.zodiaclig...yEta09Dec05.jpg

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#12 WOBentley

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Posted 20 April 2014 - 08:08 PM

My personal favorite object is M51 but it is not within the grasp (at least to be interesting) of the instruments you suggest...
In that category I would agree with M45, M42 and M13
Lagoon, M31 and would add the Ring Nebula (not in 10x50 binoculars but a challenge and depending in skies with a 3-4 inch scope) would be my top 6 along with Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn...making 9...probably the double cluster in Perseus would be in that list too...

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#13 RussL

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Posted 21 April 2014 - 07:00 AM

I would include the Coma Cluster in Coma Berenices (I forget the number), but only in binoculars, 10x50 or less powerful.

In the scope 9in no particular order:

M44
M7
Double Cluster
Pleiades
M42
Northern Jewelbox
Albireo
M13
Lagoon Neb
M37
Ring Neb

Oops, that's eleven, but I ain't through yet. Too many to pick just ten.

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#14 Tony Flanders

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Posted 21 April 2014 - 07:53 AM

It's somewhat of a silly exercise. But just for kicks, I'll pick fourteen objects: 10 deep sky plus 4 in our solar system. (That way I get to prioritize them.)

I'll give equal weight to the northern and southern skies; nobody would put M13 on a best-ten list if they had southern globs to choose among.

1. The night sky as a whole.
2. The Milky Way as a whole.
3. The Moon
3. Jupiter
4. Saturn
5. The Large Magellanic Cloud
6. 47 Tucanae
7. The Orion Nebula
8. The Eta Carinae Nebula
9. The Double Cluster in Perseus
10. The Pleiades
11. Omega Centauri
12. Orion as a whole
13. The Table of Scorpius
14. Mars at opposition

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#15 SKYGZR

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Posted 22 April 2014 - 05:23 PM

don't forget .... NGC 6992 & 6960

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#16 Dennis_S253

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Posted 22 April 2014 - 06:14 PM

I would say the ones you like to look at and the many more you will find.

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#17 Guilherme Lessa

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Posted 22 April 2014 - 06:37 PM

Hi Tony. I agree that it's kind of a silly exercise, but I was curious about other people's lists and could use some sugestions.

Just a quick question: why do you think 47 Tuc is more beautiful/interesting than Omega Centauri? Is it because we can resolve more stars in it or because of something regarding the beauty of the object itself?

BTW, thank you very much. Never thought I'd find you in these forums, much less communicate and get to know your favourite targets. As someone who really enjoyed Skyweek, I feel very honoured by your response. :bow:

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#18 Tony Flanders

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Posted 23 April 2014 - 04:30 AM

Why do you think 47 Tuc is more beautiful/interesting than Omega Centauri? Is it because we can resolve more stars in it or because of something regarding the beauty of the object itself?

That's a common topic of discussion. Omega Cen is bigger, brighter, and resolves more stars. But to my mind, it's just a bit boring -- a big, shapeless ball of stars. 47 Tuc has a unique structure, unlike any other globular cluster. It looks to me somewhat like the Eye of God, with a dense pupil, streaked with lines like a hazel iris -- a very 3-dimensional look.

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#19 RussL

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Posted 23 April 2014 - 06:25 AM

Omicron 1 and 2 Cygni could be on my list as well. I also like another little cluster in Cygnus that I forget the number of. Actually I like scanning the whole of Cygnus.

Omega Centauri? Well, I like it because I can't really see it, but I did just once in 10x50s last May after years of trying. I had a tree cut down at the other house which barely provided a 10-minute viewing window. It's become a yearly challenge.

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#20 GTog

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Posted 23 April 2014 - 08:57 AM

I like things that I can actually see. That would leave out most emission nebulae and faint fuzzies.

I would include

M42/43 (Orion neb & partner)
M8 (Lagoon neb)
M17 (Omega neb)
M57 (Ring neb)
M13 (Herc cluster)
M103 (little open cluster in Cass, because I like it)
The region around Sadr in Cygnus, including NCG 6910

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#21 REC

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Posted 23 April 2014 - 09:22 AM

I too love scanning the Cygnus region at low power and Bino's. If fact, that is what got me hooked on this as a kid. I was blown away at how many stars I could see in that area of the sky with just bino's back then.

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#22 swix

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Posted 23 April 2014 - 12:05 PM

I agree.. 100 people, 99 different lists.

My fav is M22.

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#23 csrlice12

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Posted 23 April 2014 - 12:52 PM

Lessee, uh, cumulus, cirrus, cumulonimbus,stratus, stratocumulus, altocumulus, cirrocumulus, altostratus, nimbostratus, and Fog....... :lol:

to me, they're all "Top 10", each object has its own beauty.

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#24 Guilherme Lessa

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Posted 23 April 2014 - 01:08 PM

I too love scanning the Cygnus region at low power and Bino's. If fact, that is what got me hooked on this as a kid. I was blown away at how many stars I could see in that area of the sky with just bino's back then.

It happened the same way when my pair of binoculars first arrived and I looked through the Puppis-Vela-Carina-Centaurus-Crux region. The amount of stars just blew me away! I couldn't believe there could be so many!

I think we have to agree that when it comes to the WOW factor, it's hard to beat the Milky Way in a large FOV.