7 replies to this topic

[BBQuasar]

Hi.  Check out this video showing many of the interesting things to see in the constellation Aquarius - Eye of God, Saturn Nebula, Atoms for Peace galaxy, and a bunch more! 

 

Thanks for watching. 

 

https://youtu.be/3u2O_7_mr1I

 

 

[Nankins]

Thanks for posting!  Would many of these galaxies be within reach of a 10" reflector?  Such an "empty" constellation - but space is never "empty!"

[Sebastian_Sajaroff]

NGC 7009 and M2 are visible on my 70 mm refractor from my Bortle 8 backyard.

NGC 7293 is visible on 12x50 binoculars from a Bortle 3 or better sky.

M72 and M73 are also visible on small telescopes from rural skies.

[wuschel]

Thanks for posting!  Would many of these galaxies be within reach of a 10" reflector?  Such an "empty" constellation - but space is never "empty!"

How good is your location and sky?
Yesterday I had average clarity and I could see C30 (magnitude 9.44) with my 12x56 binoculars.

Many of the galaxies in the video were brighter than mag 13, which would be doable for me with an 4".

 

But seeing details like spiral arms will not be possible.

Edited by wuschel, 05 November 2024 - 04:51 AM.

[Sebastian_Sajaroff]

Neptune is in Aquarius, it will stay there for the next few years. It’s tiny deep blue disc always fascinated me.

Edited by Sebastian_Sajaroff, 07 November 2024 - 07:13 AM.

[12BH7]

Besides the already mentioned objects I have an entry for NGC 7218.  A small 12th mag galaxy that I described as "knotty". I was using a 16" scope under what was a dark sky at the time. Today, I have no idea if I could see it???

[WillR]

Beautiful video and music. Loved the grand finale of the Helix.

[Nankins]

How good is your location and sky?
Yesterday I had average clarity and I could see C30 (magnitude 9.44) with my 12x56 binoculars.

Many of the galaxies in the video were brighter than mag 13, which would be doable for me with an 4".

 

But seeing details like spiral arms will not be possible.

Bortle 4.5ish - travel 1/8 of a mile east and you will have worse skies.  Travel 1/8 mile west and the skies are slightly better than home.  We sit right on the edge of transition from light yellow to green, thanks in part to neighbors who decided to install 3 LED security lights, one of which light trespasses badly into another neighboring family's woods.  

 

I can easily find M81/82 with 12x50 binoculars as well as some of the brighter Virgo Cluster galaxies, though I haven't tried this in a few years so I guess I need to check again.   I have access to a property with B3.5 or something like that skies in the western part of our county, only during harvest there are a few extra bright little light domes from farm buildings and combines.  Absolutely zero security lights within a mile of that property.  This past spring there was a 12th magnitude dwarf galaxy I found that sure looked much brighter than 12th magnitude, even despite the light haze and clouds (this place sits under an atmospheric anomaly that often keeps the weather fairly nice there while 2 miles away the little towns get nailed by rain). 

 

Arms are hard to do.  Have only seen them in M31, M82, and hints in M33.