Should add that, before it gets too low to the horizon (haven't checked
its position lately) try M104; I saw it from suburban skies in the 60s
through
a 60mm refractor. A 5 inch should star showing some sign of the shape of
the thing, although the dust lane might require an 8-inch or larger, and/or
darker skies.

--
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Never be afraid of trying something new for the love of it.
Remember... amateurs built the Ark.
Professionals built the Titanic!


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"Chillyvek" wrote in message
...
BenignVanilla wrote:

Took advice from the group and tried for M51...I was looking in the area,
that some star charts said it would be in, and I found a faint fuzzy. In
my
excitement I bumped the scope, and lost the image. Never found it again.
*sigh*

Actually it will be two faint fuzzies side by side, M51 and NGC 5195. Dim
but
do-able, at least if you can get about 25 miles away from Balto-DC. It's
one
that you need to move the scope around to confirm there's something there.

I viewed it a couple nights ago, and what's tantalizing is that it looks
like
some structure would be visible it the darn thing was just brighter, or
the
skies darker.