Easily Visible with the naked eye....

Chums

Using my Starry Night software, a number of galaxies, cluster, nebulas
etc (ie Andromeda) are referred to as 'easily visible to the naked
eye'

Well, erm, am I doing something wrong, cos I can't see the buggers?

I've twigged the averted vision thing with Pleidies (or however its
spelt), but even at midnight the other night when it was dark and
clear over this part of Essex, I couldn't get an inkling of a
twinkling from the region where Andromeda should have been.

I'm in central Colchester, so it's not the darkest of dark skies by a
long shot. Is Starry Night really meaning its visible to the naked eye
when you are out in the dark countryside?



Mark Watson
Best SF - www.bestsf.net
Best SF reviews: classic and current short SF
Best SF Gateway: online short SF

The Plaeides should give you no problem. If you need averted vision to see
these them you have no chance of seeing the Andromeda Galaxy. I have never
seen the AG or many other "naked eye" objects, even in the countryside. But
then some countryside sites are darker than others.

Ken

"Mark Watson" wrote in message
...
Chums

Using my Starry Night software, a number of galaxies, cluster, nebulas
etc (ie Andromeda) are referred to as 'easily visible to the naked
eye'

Well, erm, am I doing something wrong, cos I can't see the buggers?

I've twigged the averted vision thing with Pleidies (or however its
spelt), but even at midnight the other night when it was dark and
clear over this part of Essex, I couldn't get an inkling of a
twinkling from the region where Andromeda should have been.

I'm in central Colchester, so it's not the darkest of dark skies by a
long shot. Is Starry Night really meaning its visible to the naked eye
when you are out in the dark countryside?



Mark Watson
Best SF - www.bestsf.net
Best SF reviews: classic and current short SF
Best SF Gateway: online short SF

On Tue, 4 Nov 2003 18:25:43 +0000 (UTC), "Ken Johnston"
wrote:

The Plaeides should give you no problem. If you need averted vision to see
these them you have no chance of seeing the Andromeda Galaxy. I have never
seen the AG or many other "naked eye" objects, even in the countryside. But
then some countryside sites are darker than others.


A bit disappointing, but then again I was worried my eyesight was
failing!



Mark Watson
Best SF - www.bestsf.net
Best SF reviews: classic and current short SF
Best SF Gateway: online short SF

In article , Mark Watson wrote:
On Tue, 4 Nov 2003 18:25:43 +0000 (UTC), "Ken Johnston"
wrote:

The Plaeides should give you no problem. If you need averted vision to see
these them you have no chance of seeing the Andromeda Galaxy. I have never
seen the AG or many other "naked eye" objects, even in the countryside. But
then some countryside sites are darker than others.


A bit disappointing, but then again I was worried my eyesight was
failing!


If you can't see the milky way, there no chance of being able to see
any other galaxies, either.
Even when I have seen andromeda naked eye (in tenerife) it was just a
dim, fuzzy patch. There was certainly no "quality" to the view.

If you like collecting things, then go ahead and try for it naked eye.
Personally I prefer to look at it through a telescope (still a dim
fuzzy object in the bright UK sky).

Pete
--
.................................................. .........................
.. never trust a man who, when left alone ...... Pete Lynch .
.. in a room with a tea cosy ...... Marlow, England .
.. doesn't try it on (Billy Connolly) .....................................

On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 18:16:27 +0000, Mark Watson
wrote:

Chums

Using my Starry Night software, a number of galaxies, cluster, nebulas
etc (ie Andromeda) are referred to as 'easily visible to the naked
eye'

Well, erm, am I doing something wrong, cos I can't see the buggers?

I've twigged the averted vision thing with Pleidies (or however its
spelt), but even at midnight the other night when it was dark and
clear over this part of Essex, I couldn't get an inkling of a
twinkling from the region where Andromeda should have been.

I'm in central Colchester, so it's not the darkest of dark skies by a
long shot. Is Starry Night really meaning its visible to the naked eye
when you are out in the dark countryside?



Mark Watson
Best SF - www.bestsf.net
Best SF reviews: classic and current short SF
Best SF Gateway: online short SF

I can see M31 from my garden quite easily(good dark night with no moon
that is, guess i should stop moaning at the neighbors about light
pollution really!

M13 If im really lucky.....

R

In message , pete lynch
writes
In article , Mark Watson wrote:
On Tue, 4 Nov 2003 18:25:43 +0000 (UTC), "Ken Johnston"
wrote:

The Plaeides should give you no problem. If you need averted vision to see
these them you have no chance of seeing the Andromeda Galaxy. I have never
seen the AG or many other "naked eye" objects, even in the countryside. But
then some countryside sites are darker than others.


A bit disappointing, but then again I was worried my eyesight was
failing!


If you can't see the milky way, there no chance of being able to see
any other galaxies, either.
Even when I have seen andromeda naked eye (in tenerife) it was just a
dim, fuzzy patch. There was certainly no "quality" to the view.

If you like collecting things, then go ahead and try for it naked eye.
Personally I prefer to look at it through a telescope (still a dim
fuzzy object in the bright UK sky).

I could see M31 from a small town (Topsham in Devon) some years ago - it
may be more light-polluted now. Never saw the Milky Way from town. But
it's a notoriously boring sight to the eye even through a telescope,
unless you're very skilled and/or using a big scope.
--
Rabbit arithmetic - 1 plus 1 equals 10
Remove spam and invalid from address to reply.

On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 18:16:27 +0000, Mark Watson
wrote:

Chums

Using my Starry Night software, a number of galaxies, cluster, nebulas
etc (ie Andromeda) are referred to as 'easily visible to the naked
eye'

Well, erm, am I doing something wrong, cos I can't see the buggers?

I've twigged the averted vision thing with Pleidies (or however its
spelt), but even at midnight the other night when it was dark and
clear over this part of Essex, I couldn't get an inkling of a
twinkling from the region where Andromeda should have been.

I'm in central Colchester, so it's not the darkest of dark skies by a
long shot. Is Starry Night really meaning its visible to the naked eye
when you are out in the dark countryside?



Mark Watson
Best SF - www.bestsf.net
Best SF reviews: classic and current short SF
Best SF Gateway: online short SF

On a good night I can see M31 from my back garden, but admittedly it's
easier from a dark(er) site like Gradbach in the Peninnes. From there
M13 can be seen naked eye, the double cluster, the North America
nebula, and lots of other objects invisible from home without
binoculars. For the pleiades it's better to stare straight at them
with dark-adapted eyes, that way you can count them. 7 are easy,
another half-dozen isn't too difficult provided you keep your head
still (i.e., sit down and rest your head against the chair back). And
no, my eyesight is a long way off exceptional!

Much depends on the clarity of the air, and absence of light pollution
of course. If you can see all 7 major stars in Ursa Minor then you are
down to mag5, you need to get down another mag (to mag6) to start
seeing these fainter objects.

ChrisH

UK Astro Ads: http://www.UKAstroAds.co.uk

Jonathan Silverlight
wrote in :

In message , pete lynch
writes
In article , Mark Watson
wrote:
On Tue, 4 Nov 2003 18:25:43 +0000 (UTC), "Ken Johnston"
wrote:

The Plaeides should give you no problem. If you need averted vision
to see these them you have no chance of seeing the Andromeda Galaxy.
I have never seen the AG or many other "naked eye" objects, even in
the countryside. But then some countryside sites are darker than
others.


A bit disappointing, but then again I was worried my eyesight was
failing!


If you can't see the milky way, there no chance of being able to see
any other galaxies, either.
Even when I have seen andromeda naked eye (in tenerife) it was just a
dim, fuzzy patch. There was certainly no "quality" to the view.

If you like collecting things, then go ahead and try for it naked eye.
Personally I prefer to look at it through a telescope (still a dim
fuzzy object in the bright UK sky).

I could see M31 from a small town (Topsham in Devon) some years ago -
it may be more light-polluted now. Never saw the Milky Way from town.
But it's a notoriously boring sight to the eye even through a
telescope, unless you're very skilled and/or using a big scope.

The Andromeda Galaxy is quite easy to spot on most clear nights, it's
presence is really only detectable by two stars on either rim of the
galaxy, and to do that you have to avert your eyes away from it slightly.
you do not see any other features or at least I havn't seen them with the
naked eye.

Plaeides however is very easy to spot and is shaped like a question mark,
being a nice tight cluster of stars...

The only way to see all nebulae and galaxies is through a telescope and
some CCD imaging equipment or long exposure photgraphs...

J

Mark Watson wrote in message . ..
Chums

Using my Starry Night software, a number of galaxies, cluster, nebulas
etc (ie Andromeda) are referred to as 'easily visible to the naked
eye'

Well, erm, am I doing something wrong, cos I can't see the buggers?

I've twigged the averted vision thing with Pleiadies, but even at midnight the other night when it was dark and
clear over this part of Essex, I couldn't get an inkling of a
twinkling from the region where Andromeda should have been.

I'm in central Colchester, so it's not the darkest of dark skies by a
long shot. Is Starry Night really meaning its visible to the naked eye
when you are out in the dark countryside?

Mark Watson

It's an absolute tragedy that you cannot see these things with the
naked eye over much of the UK these days. I can see the dark lanes and
light patches in the Milky Way, The Double Cluster, Pleiades, M31,
M33, M42 etc without the least effort on most clear nights without my
glasses. The Pleiades & Orion Nebula were quite obvious last night
even with a 3/4 Moon bright enough to read by. I never thought to look
for M31. No Northern Lights even though it was mentioned on the radio
news on every hour.
But trying to see any of these things in a town really is a
non-starter. It's like crying over spilt milk. The milk in the Milky
Way. (There must be a catchy slogan for the light pollution lobby here
somewhere but it evades me):^)

Chris.B

"Mark Watson" wrote in message
...
Chums

Using my Starry Night software, a number of galaxies, cluster, nebulas
etc (ie Andromeda) are referred to as 'easily visible to the naked
eye'

Well, erm, am I doing something wrong, cos I can't see the buggers?

I've twigged the averted vision thing with Pleidies (or however its
spelt), but even at midnight the other night when it was dark and
clear over this part of Essex, I couldn't get an inkling of a
twinkling from the region where Andromeda should have been.

I'm in central Colchester, so it's not the darkest of dark skies by a
long shot. Is Starry Night really meaning its visible to the naked eye
when you are out in the dark countryside?



Mark Watson
Best SF - www.bestsf.net
Best SF reviews: classic and current short SF
Best SF Gateway: online short SF


Try altering the light pollution setting in Starry Night, that way it gives
a better indication of what is actually visible.
Hope that helps a little.
K M