Best summer DSO's

Hello again,
I am going to be participating in the Table Mt. Star Party in
Washington state next week, I am in my first year of amateur astronomy and
as such haven't done much dark sky summer observing yet. My primary scope is
a Orion XT8 and my daughter will have a 4 1/2" go-to Newt. Anyway I was
wondering what "you" the good people of SAA think are the best DSO's to
look at in the summer skies? I am trying to come up with a list of "don't
miss objects" to look for. The skies here in the Puget Sound are fairly
light polluted and I have managed to see the brighter stuff up to about Mag
8.1 or so. So if you have any favorites let me know and when I get back next
Sunday I will try to post a recap. of my observations.

Thanks and Clear Skies to you all.

Tom Wales

primary scope is
a Orion XT8 and my daughter will have a 4 1/2" go-to Newt. Anyway I was
wondering what "you" the good people of SAA think are the best DSO's to

Oh man! There are a TON of showcase objects to see, and lots of Messier
objects. A short list off the top of my head good in both scopes.

M57 - Ring Neb
M 27 - Dumbell Neb
M13 - globular cluster
M17 - Swan Neb
M8 - Lagoon
M51 - Whirpool Galaxy
M11 - Wild Duck open cluster
If you have or can borrow an OIII filter try the Veil in a widefield eyepiece
on the 8" scope.

Have fun!

Richard Navarrete

Astrophotography Web Page - http://members.aol.com/richardn22

primary scope is
a Orion XT8 and my daughter will have a 4 1/2" go-to Newt. Anyway I was
wondering what "you" the good people of SAA think are the best DSO's to

Oh man! There are a TON of showcase objects to see, and lots of Messier
objects. A short list off the top of my head good in both scopes.

M57 - Ring Neb
M 27 - Dumbell Neb
M13 - globular cluster
M17 - Swan Neb
M8 - Lagoon
M51 - Whirpool Galaxy
M11 - Wild Duck open cluster
If you have or can borrow an OIII filter try the Veil in a widefield eyepiece
on the 8" scope.

Have fun!

Richard Navarrete

Astrophotography Web Page - http://members.aol.com/richardn22

Tom Wales wrote:
[snip]
Anyway I was wondering what "you" the good people of SAA think are the
best DSO's to look at in the summer skies? I am trying to come up with a
list of "don't miss objects" to look for. The skies here in the Puget Sound
are fairly light polluted and I have managed to see the brighter stuff up to
about Mag 8.1 or so. So if you have any favorites let me know and when I
get back next Sunday I will try to post a recap. of my observations.

Anything with an "M" in front of it is going to be worth looking at. Here's a
list of non-Messier objects that are worth exploring with your 8-inch. All
should transit the meridian within 2-hours either side of local midnight, next
weekend. I've added links to my notes and sketches to give you an idea of their
appearance in a 10-inch under pretty dark skies:

NGC 6543 "Cat's Eye": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6543.html
NGC 6781: http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6781.html
NGC 6818 "Little Gem": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6818.html
NGC 6822 "Barnard's Galaxy": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6822.html
Palomar 8: http://members.aol.com/billferris/pal8.html
NGC 6826 "Blinking Planetary": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6826.html
NGC 6946: http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6946.html
NGC 6960 "Veil Nebula": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6960.html
NGC 6992 "Veil Nebula": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6992.html
NGC 7009 "Saturn Nebula": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n7009.html

Don't sweat it, if you miss a few. They'll come back around next year at this
time )

Regards,

Bill Ferris
"Cosmic Voyage: The Online Resource for Amateur Astronomers"
URL: http://www.cosmic-voyage.net
=============
Email: Remove "ic" from .comic above to respond

Tom Wales wrote:
[snip]
Anyway I was wondering what "you" the good people of SAA think are the
best DSO's to look at in the summer skies? I am trying to come up with a
list of "don't miss objects" to look for. The skies here in the Puget Sound
are fairly light polluted and I have managed to see the brighter stuff up to
about Mag 8.1 or so. So if you have any favorites let me know and when I
get back next Sunday I will try to post a recap. of my observations.

Anything with an "M" in front of it is going to be worth looking at. Here's a
list of non-Messier objects that are worth exploring with your 8-inch. All
should transit the meridian within 2-hours either side of local midnight, next
weekend. I've added links to my notes and sketches to give you an idea of their
appearance in a 10-inch under pretty dark skies:

NGC 6543 "Cat's Eye": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6543.html
NGC 6781: http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6781.html
NGC 6818 "Little Gem": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6818.html
NGC 6822 "Barnard's Galaxy": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6822.html
Palomar 8: http://members.aol.com/billferris/pal8.html
NGC 6826 "Blinking Planetary": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6826.html
NGC 6946: http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6946.html
NGC 6960 "Veil Nebula": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6960.html
NGC 6992 "Veil Nebula": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n6992.html
NGC 7009 "Saturn Nebula": http://members.aol.com/billferris/n7009.html

Don't sweat it, if you miss a few. They'll come back around next year at this
time )

Regards,

Bill Ferris
"Cosmic Voyage: The Online Resource for Amateur Astronomers"
URL: http://www.cosmic-voyage.net
=============
Email: Remove "ic" from .comic above to respond

Tom,
Good luck at going to the star party! I have used an Orion XT8 (older
Guan Sheng version) for the last four years (although I just took delivery
at the end of April for a new 16" truss tube scope by Night Sky Scopes with
a Pegasus mirror!), and don't be afraid to range beyond 8th magnitude. I
often observed objects at 9th and even 10th magnitude here just outside of
the town where I live, and at dark sky sites like where you're going, I have
observed 11th, and occasionally a 12th magnitude. Now those dimmest objects
have to have a pretty high surface brightness, but some of the edge on
galaxies are reachable.
Usually star parties like that will offer an observing program or target
list for medium range apertures (as well one for the big boys). Have fun!

Clear Skies
Jason Fry
Kingsville, TX

"Tom Wales" wrote in message
...
Hello again,
I am going to be participating in the Table Mt. Star Party in
Washington state next week, I am in my first year of amateur astronomy and
as such haven't done much dark sky summer observing yet. My primary scope
is
a Orion XT8 and my daughter will have a 4 1/2" go-to Newt. Anyway I was
wondering what "you" the good people of SAA think are the best DSO's to
look at in the summer skies? I am trying to come up with a list of "don't
miss objects" to look for. The skies here in the Puget Sound are fairly
light polluted and I have managed to see the brighter stuff up to about
Mag
8.1 or so. So if you have any favorites let me know and when I get back
next
Sunday I will try to post a recap. of my observations.

Thanks and Clear Skies to you all.

Tom Wales

Tom,
Good luck at going to the star party! I have used an Orion XT8 (older
Guan Sheng version) for the last four years (although I just took delivery
at the end of April for a new 16" truss tube scope by Night Sky Scopes with
a Pegasus mirror!), and don't be afraid to range beyond 8th magnitude. I
often observed objects at 9th and even 10th magnitude here just outside of
the town where I live, and at dark sky sites like where you're going, I have
observed 11th, and occasionally a 12th magnitude. Now those dimmest objects
have to have a pretty high surface brightness, but some of the edge on
galaxies are reachable.
Usually star parties like that will offer an observing program or target
list for medium range apertures (as well one for the big boys). Have fun!

Clear Skies
Jason Fry
Kingsville, TX

"Tom Wales" wrote in message
...
Hello again,
I am going to be participating in the Table Mt. Star Party in
Washington state next week, I am in my first year of amateur astronomy and
as such haven't done much dark sky summer observing yet. My primary scope
is
a Orion XT8 and my daughter will have a 4 1/2" go-to Newt. Anyway I was
wondering what "you" the good people of SAA think are the best DSO's to
look at in the summer skies? I am trying to come up with a list of "don't
miss objects" to look for. The skies here in the Puget Sound are fairly
light polluted and I have managed to see the brighter stuff up to about
Mag
8.1 or so. So if you have any favorites let me know and when I get back
next
Sunday I will try to post a recap. of my observations.

Thanks and Clear Skies to you all.

Tom Wales

"Tom Wales" wrote in message
...
Hello again,
I am going to be participating in the Table Mt. Star Party in
Washington state next week, I am in my first year of amateur astronomy and
as such haven't done much dark sky summer observing yet. My primary scope
is
a Orion XT8 and my daughter will have a 4 1/2" go-to Newt. Anyway I was
wondering what "you" the good people of SAA think are the best DSO's to
look at in the summer skies? I am trying to come up with a list of "don't
miss objects" to look for. The skies here in the Puget Sound are fairly
light polluted and I have managed to see the brighter stuff up to about
Mag
8.1 or so. So if you have any favorites let me know and when I get back
next
Sunday I will try to post a recap. of my observations.

Let me add one of my favorite summer things. B86 (often called Barnard's Ink
Spot) is a wonderful dark nebula in the middle of the milky way. It's easy
to find because it is a black spot (no stars) in the middle of the
Sagittarius Star Cloud next to an open cluster (NGC 6520). Just hang your
outer Telrad ring on the spout of the teapot.
http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/9907/j.html

"Tom Wales" wrote in message
...
Hello again,
I am going to be participating in the Table Mt. Star Party in
Washington state next week, I am in my first year of amateur astronomy and
as such haven't done much dark sky summer observing yet. My primary scope
is
a Orion XT8 and my daughter will have a 4 1/2" go-to Newt. Anyway I was
wondering what "you" the good people of SAA think are the best DSO's to
look at in the summer skies? I am trying to come up with a list of "don't
miss objects" to look for. The skies here in the Puget Sound are fairly
light polluted and I have managed to see the brighter stuff up to about
Mag
8.1 or so. So if you have any favorites let me know and when I get back
next
Sunday I will try to post a recap. of my observations.

Let me add one of my favorite summer things. B86 (often called Barnard's Ink
Spot) is a wonderful dark nebula in the middle of the milky way. It's easy
to find because it is a black spot (no stars) in the middle of the
Sagittarius Star Cloud next to an open cluster (NGC 6520). Just hang your
outer Telrad ring on the spout of the teapot.
http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/9907/j.html

To the previous items I'd add a couple of early evening objects that may still
be visible, although quite low in the west:

M104 - Sombrero Galaxy, NGC4565 (half as wide, twice as long as Sombrero), and
the region around Markharian's Chain, an area of fairly bright galaxies
strectching from M86 to M89. See how many you can detect, with patience. This
time of year they set pretty early, though; they really belong to Spring.

To RichardN22's suggestion about an OIII filter, I'd add an Ultra High Contrast
filter for the nebulae. This will add some more detail to the OIII since it
will allow some hydrogen into the view. With either of these two, the Veil,
Swan, Lagoon, and even the Dumbell will jump out.

Finally, try a comet! 2003 K4 (LINEAR) is bright, now around magnitude 7, and
available all night and pretty high in the sky. For the next week it's
cruising through Bootes, just inside a line from Beta to Gamma Bootes. There's
a finder chart at:
http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2003K4/2003K4.html.

Jim
"A Bad Night With A Telescope
Beats a Good Night Doing Anything Else"