Telescope Reviews: Need A Larger Scope?

We all too often complain about poor seeing, needing a larger scope, needing better quality eyepieces, etc. But it's time to put observing conditions and equipment of today into some realistic perspective.

Here is some observing notes from a 1700s astronomer on the Messier objects he observed from dark skies in Europe using a 2 foot long refractor (about 50mm), which was of high quality for its day.

M1 "A nebula...does not contain any stars...its light is whitish and elongated like a candle flame"
M2 "Nebula without a star...the center is bright with a surrounding circular luminosity"
M3 " It does not contain any stars...its center is bright...light fades imperceptibly away from its center...circular"
M4 "Cluster of very faint stars...looks like a nebula"
M5 " Beautiful nebula...does not contain any stars...it is round"
M6 " A cluster of faint stars"
M7 " A larger cluster of faint stars...larger than M6"
M8 " A cluster of faint stars appearing as a nebula with an elongated shape"
M9 " Nebula without a star...circular and its light faint"
M10 " Nebula without a star...circular...faint with a good quality scope"
M11 " Cluster with a large number of faint stars...suffused with a faint luminosity... an 8th mag. star near its center"
M12 " This nebula does not contain any stars...circular...its light is faint"
M13 " Nebula without a star...circular and bright...the center brighter than the edges...close to two 8th mag. stars, one above it and one below it"

And so goes the list with similar observing details. The observers name? Why none other than Charles Messier himself!

So lets stop complaining about our seeing conditions and equipment and stop taking for granted what marvelous equipment we do have today, even with light polluted skies.

Will knowing Messier's observing conditions/equipment help you better appreciate yours? I know I have

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What goes around, comes around, eventually.

Meade DS-10(10" newt)
10x50, 10x70 binos

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