My first M-object

My Collins Gem Stars book describes the Ring Nebula as disappointing with amateur telescopes. Well, I'm not disappointed because I actually found it tonight. The first Messier that I found

No pics I'm afraid - I'm a beginner

Took me an hour to find it but I think I've finally cracked this tracking down malarky What delayed me was seeing a double star in the viewfinder and then wondering where the hell "1 Lyr" was - should have been halfway between that double and Vega! Finally realised that I wasn't looking at 2 Lyr at all - but 1a and 2a. Once I copped that it was a piece of cake to find 2 Lyr and then move up (down) to Sulafat and Sheriak - and hey presto - there's this big grey blob staring at me

Yes, it's 3:15, I'm cold, a little drunk, and happy

Well done Steve. Its no mean feat finding M57. At mag 9.5 its a little bugger to find visually.

Glad you're getting to grips with star-hopping. Only a hundred more M's to find... Then you can start on the NGC/IC's...

I'm just after packing up myself - to the dawn chorus. Bagged a few goodies tonight. I need to do some astrometry but I may have gotten a couple of the Uranean (?) moons, possibly Triton, and almost certainly Pluto (no teapot yet Bill). The dawn beat me to Mars but I bagged Jupiter, the moon and a couple of sunspots. Oh yes, and one 'M' object - 101

Keep it up and keep us posted.

Cheers

Dave McD (sober but also tired and happy )

Nice one Steve,
I find the ring nebula one of the more stunning objects in the sky, it looks like as does in the photos except for the colour.

I saw the ring nebula for the first time last night too..Kerry astronomy club had an observing session and I got to see it through an 8.75" dob...Should be on the list with saturn as a definite object for introducing people to the joys of astronomy

I have yet to actually find the Ring Nebula myself, its that difficult! Of course, I have seen it with a goto, but on a manual sweep of the sky, I couldn't get it with either the 70mm refractor, or my 8" reflector... Probably the sky conditions were not the best on the night with the 8".

Seanie.

I have yet to actually find the Ring Nebula myself, its that difficult! Of course, I have seen it with a goto, but on a manual sweep of the sky, I couldn't get it with either the 70mm refractor, or my 8" reflector... Probably the sky conditions were not the best on the night with the 8".

Seanie.

Well it did take me an hour and a lot of persistence. I was near giving up tbh. But I'm glad I stuck at it. According the Messier handbook you can see it in any skies. At 1:30 am last it was fairly high up in the sky as well so light pollution was minimised.

Next on the list is M13