Ptarmigan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/23/04
Posts: 2702
Loc: Arctic
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1.) Saturn
2.) Moon
3.) Orion Nebula
4.) Pleiades
5.) Jupiter
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Ptarmigans=Cute and Cuddly
Meade Starfinder 8
Nikon 10x50
Rebel XT
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Jim Curry
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/29/07
Posts: 527
Loc: Maine
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I try to give "tours of the universe" with non-astro folks. I'll start with whatever planet is naked eye visible, move to a comet if there's something easily seen and then move to a double star, open, globular, milky way, then jump out to a galaxy.
Jim
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Vixen 140 refractor
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hickeydp
super member
Reged: 06/14/09
Posts: 128
Loc: Ireland
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M42 through enough aperture. Blew my mind when I first saw it.
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Clear skies
Damien
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Meade LX200 10 Classic (Re-forked and for sale!!)
Celestron C9.25 on a NEQ6 Pro
William Optics Megrez 110ED
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StarmanDan
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/27/07
Posts: 626
Loc: China Spring, Texas
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In my experience, the Moon and Saturn take the cake followed by Jupiter, M13 (once you tell them how many stars are in that fuzzy ball), M42 then M45. I have found that galaxies are quite difficult for the inexperienced eye and trying to describe how to use adverted vision is a challenge for most folks. Aperture definitely helps with this.
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"Starman" Dan Doyle
Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas
Central Texas Astronomical Society
8" LX200GPS w/ST80 guidescope, Canon 350D+DSI Pro
150mm f/8 Sky Watcher Refractor
10" f/4.5 Homemade Dob
RV-6 Criterion Dynascope
http://darcstar.wordpress.com
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RussL
Music Maker
Reged: 03/18/08
Posts: 1975
Loc: Cayce, SC
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Other than seeing the moon with my Dad at nine-years-old on Christmas night (both of us newbies) and finding Saturn all by myself at ten-years old in the same 3" Newtonian, the next biggest came when I looked at Jupiter in my cousin's home-made 12" f8 Newtonian. I don't know what mag it was, but Jupiter was about the size of a half-dollar at an arm's length---and very crisp, I must say. My cousin had ground that mirror himself, too. The tube was corrigated, ribbed steel culvert pipe, and I was on an 8-ft. ladder. I mean, WOW!
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--Dawg, the Russell
"Akita mani yo." Observe everything as you walk. (--Lakota)
Celestron Celestar 8 Standard SCT, f10
Celestron 80mm Wide View ref., f5
Orion 120ST ref., f5
Criterion RV-6 Dynascope, Newt., f8, (c. 1962)
Sears Discoverer 60mm ref., f7, (c. 1973)
Celestron Ultima DX 10x50, 6.5 TFOV
Tasco 7x35 wide
Several mediocre eyepieces
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 11674
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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Given a telescope with a typical FOV and average skies:
1) the Moon up to First Quarter or (more unlikely) after Last Quarter
2) Saturn
3) Jupiter
4) M42/Eta Carinae Nebula
5) M13/Omega Centauri or 47 Tucanae
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
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HellsKitchen
sage
Reged: 09/05/08
Posts: 442
Loc: Melbourne Australia
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Moon
Saturn
Omega Centauri
47 Tuc
NGC 3532
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S 38º 00' E 145º20'
http://sabastronomy.webs.com/
Custom 12" F/4.6 dob
10" GSO dob
Intes M500 Mak
Skywatcher 120x600mm refractor
Set of Vixen LVWs + TV barlows + powermates
Astronomik 0III, UHC, H-beta filters
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Fogboundturtle
sage
Reged: 05/20/09
Posts: 255
Loc: Burnaby, BC
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In a dark sky : M51 is stunning
Close to the city : Saturn
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www.astronomyphotography.com - Website coming soon
Scopes: Celestron C8 SCT,
Mounts: HEQ5 PRO + SyncScan Version 3.24
Eyepieces: Ortho 18mm,10mm and 25mm Plossl,1.25 to 2inch adapter
Other: T-ring/Adapter EOS, FR F6.3,Celestron Deluxe Photographic Tele-Extender
Camera : Canon 40D unmodified
Orion DSSS II , Orion SSAG, Orion ST80
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RonBurgundy
sage
Reged: 06/16/09
Posts: 422
Loc: Philadelphia
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I chose the moon the other night on a personal outreach mission. Not a single person walked away unimpressed...
I vote for....the Moooooon!
 
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Kipp Ginsburg
8" LX200-ACF
Orion 120mm F/5.0 Piggybacked Refractor
Meade UWA Set [4.7mm-30mm]
DSI-II
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Ptarmigan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/23/04
Posts: 2702
Loc: Arctic
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Interesting. For me, most people were interested in Saturn.
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Ptarmigans=Cute and Cuddly
Meade Starfinder 8
Nikon 10x50
Rebel XT
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brianb11213
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/25/09
Posts: 3301
Loc: 55.215N 6.554W
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The Moon is so big & shows fine detail so readily that it's impressive in any scope, even at x30 if the seeing's rotten. Saturn, OTOH, needs a fair size scope and seeing good enough to support x200 to be really impressive (now that we've been spoiled with Voyager, HST & Cassini images!)
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Spaced
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/01/05
Posts: 2341
Loc: Tacoma, Washington, USA
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At a campout last spring we set up a viewing routine for our non-astro friends, using M-13 -- worked great. First we pointed it out to them with green laser pointer; it was visible naked eye, IIRC. Then in sequence they'd look at it with binos, then a small (I think it was 80 mm) refractor, then to a 10" dob, and finally to a 14.5" dob. It was a major hit. You could hear the jaws clunk.
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Mike
"Once in a while you can be shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right"
- Robt. Hunter
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Webster 14.5" f/4.5 "Sugaree"
Megrez II 80 ED Triplet APO "Punk"
Siebert Black Night BVs
8 X 42 Celestron Regals
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Jim Davenport
sage
Reged: 11/12/06
Posts: 283
Loc: Seminole Fl
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Saturn is #1. But after many years, I still can picture the first time I saw M-51 in a large scope.
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C-11 SCT on Altas EQ-G (With GOTO)
C-8 SCT on LXD-75
12" DSH Dob
C6-R with moonlite CF 2 focuser
William Optic Zenith Star 80 ED II
Old Celestron 11X80 binoc's
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 2034
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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I'm going to say M42--the Orion Nebula just because it looks absolutely stunning in just about *any* scope.
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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F.Meiresonne
Post Laureate
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 3627
Loc: Eeklo,Belgium
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This time of year definately M42. Indeed in just about any telescope is sock off blowing as so to say.
Just came in from a sort session with my brandnew 22x85.
Darn exciting M42, fairly big,dark gap,3 may 4 stars (1 pending...  )
So even in (ok rather big) binoculars M42 is amazing
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Freddy Meiresonne
Obsession 18 inch #1638
Orion Optics 8 inch F/4.5 -1/8 wave optics -Vixen GP-E
22x85 Helios Apollo (=GO SS)
15x70 TS Marine (=Obie Ultra)
10x60 Helios Quantum 4(= Obie Mariner)
10x50,8x40 Helios Nature sport plus
Eyepieces in use :Pan 35,24,19, N13T6, Pentax 10 XW, N9T6, Ultrascopic 7.5, TV2, BGO 12.5 and 9 mm
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Skylook123
Postmaster
Reged: 04/30/05
Posts: 5254
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Most of my work with visitors new to viewing through a telescope is with a 10" f/10 SCT, so I'll jump in and add to the two others who've said NGC457/Caldwell 13/ET Cluster/Owl Cluster.
Kids really seem more excited by this one than some of the other DSO eye candy; a shape they can recognize and get a handle on. Of course, the younger folks only connect with The Owl Cluster, since ET is kind of off the radar screen for school aged kids. It's also been called Johnny 5 cluster, after the movie Short Circuit.
It seems just the right size in my 10" SCT; I use a 22mm Panoptic, and the FOV frames it nicely at 115X.
If I'm at a dark site with older folks, M51 and M104 are received very well, along with M42. At my focal length I need to avoid the larger objects like M31 or the Double Cluster; even with a focal reducer I just can't reasonably get those in. But my big hits, depending on season, are The Owl Cluster, Orion Nebula, Saturn. Jupiter, Whirlpool, and Sombrero. There is a short time every year, however, when I get Omega Centaurus, and all the other objects are on the back shelf at that time.
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Jim
A Bad Night With A Telescope
Beats A Good Night Doing Anything Else
Teeter 18" Truss Dob/Sky Commander DSCs, "Derrick"
Meade 10" LX-5 SCT/Atlas-G "Ol' Blue Eye"
Orion 90mm refractor,
Meade 10" Starfinder Newt/JMI NGCMax DSCs,
Celestron 10x50 Ultima Pro
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Jack Tripper
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/10/09
Posts: 502
Loc: Canada
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Well, a long-time friend finally agreed to look through my telescope, his first ever look through a telescope.
I started him with the moon...he was stunned by the details, hardly able to leave the EP. Unfortunately, I think it blinded him too, because the next target, the Double Cluster, didn't seem to impress him. I then went to The Orion Nebula, and he liked that one. He looked a little let down by the next target, M31. That is, until I explained to him how far away it was. I then went to M37, and he loved the high number of faint stars just barely visible. He also really liked the Blinking Planetary Nebula.
He then begged me to look at individual stars. I was there to please, so I agreed. He first wanted to look at Sirius, and he was MESMERIZED for several minutes by how it twinkled. He also asked to see the North Star, probably because it well known outside the astronomy world.
So, if I were to rank his favourite objects, it would be:
1) The Moon
2) Sirius (LOL - not very high on my personal list)
3) M37
4) M42
5) Blinking Planetary
Of course, if Saturn, Jupiter, or M13 were out, things might have been different.
A really fun evening. I just love first-timers reactions! 
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Celestron CPC 1100 
Denkmeier S2 Power Filter Switch Diagonal (.66x Reducer, 2x Barlow)
Ethos 17mm, Meade SWA 28mm, Baader Scopos 30mm
Lunt 60mm Hydrogen-Alpha Solar Scope, Lunt Zoom
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JayKSC
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/01/05
Posts: 1483
Loc: Florida
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Saturn. No other possible #1. I'd put M42 as a close second, provided that you preface the view with a brief commentary about star formation.
I'm so enthusiastic about Saturn as many years ago I was using my telescope in a neighbor's backyard (he let me borrow his yard so I could avoid his garage lights and have a darker, more open sky view). He stopped out one night after I had set-up my scope, so I showed him Saturn. He exclaimed - "You can see the rings!" And then he proceeded to run inside, woke-up his wife, and her come outside. I thereafter showed them a bunch of other objects, but Saturn was by far the winner.
Jay
South Florida
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Refractor manic.
My Sketches
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JayKSC
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/01/05
Posts: 1483
Loc: Florida
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... And in retrospect, I'd put M31 as a #3. For the more scientific-inclined, I've found M31 is a wower. Those with a scientific mind and knowledge seem to love being able to see a galaxy. It's more of a mind-trip than a stunning view.
- Jay
South Florida
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Refractor manic.
My Sketches
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Jack Tripper
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/10/09
Posts: 502
Loc: Canada
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Quote:
It's more of a mind-trip than a stunning view.
- Jay
South Florida
That's it exactly. I spend hours on that trip every chance I can. Very well put.
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Celestron CPC 1100
Denkmeier S2 Power Filter Switch Diagonal (.66x Reducer, 2x Barlow)
Ethos 17mm, Meade SWA 28mm, Baader Scopos 30mm
Lunt 60mm Hydrogen-Alpha Solar Scope, Lunt Zoom
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