Bill Meyers wrote in message ...

What in your opinion or experience is the minimum aperture necessary
for satisfying views of globular clusters and galaxies?


Assuming these "satisfying views" are permitted to be on a screen
(after stacking and processing multiple CCD frames taken through
various filters), then 40mm (or even less) would probably do.

Not the point of the question, right? I'll be less flippant :-)

I've an 80mm ED piggybacked on a 10" SCT. When "doing visual", I've
begun to use both scopes as it's usually just a turn of the head to
switch from one to the other and compare the views.

The verdict? Both are satisfying! The SCT for the extra resolving
power and reach down to dimmer stars. The ED for the brighter, wider
field of view that puts the object in context.

Personally, I'd say this applies to globulars more tha galaxies
though. Since moving into CCD imaging, I can't get quite the same
satisfaction from a dim smudge in the eyepiece. So I guess a couple of
metres of aperture might (just) satisfy me in that regard :-)

Cheers
Beats