Dennis Woos wrote:
I am definitely going to bring a copy of this posting out
with my sons and me on our next observing session! A 10"
newt may not do a great job for observing spiral arms,
etc, but it does nevertheless provide a lot of fine galaxy
views. I think this is one area where a 10" scope is much
superior to an 8" scope. A few of us in our club claim
to see spiral structure in M51 and M101 at 10", while
others kid us a lot about "averted imagination". Clearly,
not all eyes (or imaginations) are created equal. Great
info - thanks.

Glad you enjoyed the report and I hope the weather cooperates to provide an
opportunity for you and your sons to observe this New Moon weekend.

The real key to seeing spiral structure and other details within galaxies
is a dark sky. And under a dark sky, a 10-inch will do pretty well in that
area. Of the 27 spiral galaxies in the Messier catalog, I've seen spiral
structure in 14 using my 10-inch. There are non-Messier galaxies that also
show spiral structure in the 10-inch. NGC 157, NGC
5248, NGC 6946 and NGC 7479 are a few that come immediately to mind.

Yes, these same galaxies will show their wares more prominently in larger
aperture. And a larger aperture will expand the list of galaxies showing
good detail. However in my experience, 10-inches and a dark sky will show
spiral structure and other interesting details in quite a few galaxies.

Regards,

Bill Ferris
"Cosmic Voyage: The Online Resource for Amateur Astronomers"
URL: http://www.cosmic-voyage.net
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