After observing all the messier and a lot of brighter NGC objects later last year with my 8" dob, I decided to try to do more with less. Using only a Megrez 80mm and mostly one eyepiece - 13mm @ 38x, I tried to find and observe the messier objects again (under my moderately polluted mag 5.0 skies). Well, after last nite, i can say i'm done!!!
I think it was actually EASIER this second time around, even with a lot smaller scope. Initially, M101 and M74 gave me a little trouble. But after waiting for them to be ideally situated higher in the sky and using my latest secret weapon - Orion's dark cloth observing canopy to cover my head and eyepiece from stray light - even those became apparent and not hard. In the end, only M98 gave me a bit of grief - being intermittently visible (at <50% of time) even with averted vision. Also, I had saved M61 for last, remembering that i had read a comment that it was hardest, but that ended up easy too...
... anyways, I'm off to my next project - maybe using my 8" and observing all the Caldwell objects (at least the ones above -40 degs dec). I'm kind of happy and sad at the same time. Happy to be able to finish the Messier Objects with just an 80mm and only half decent mag 5.0 skies. But I'm kind of sad to be not a "beginner" anymore. There's definitely a strong sense of anticipation, excitement, and adventure of discovery with being a "begineer" that I'll miss! So, any beginners out there reading this, I encourage you to take your time and enjoy every step of your learning curve in this hobby.
I think it was actually EASIER this second time around, even with a lot smaller scope. Initially, M101 and M74 gave me a little trouble. But after waiting for them to be ideally situated higher in the sky and using my latest secret weapon - Orion's dark cloth observing canopy to cover my head and eyepiece from stray light - even those became apparent and not hard. In the end, only M98 gave me a bit of grief - being intermittently visible (at <50% of time) even with averted vision. Also, I had saved M61 for last, remembering that i had read a comment that it was hardest, but that ended up easy too...
... anyways, I'm off to my next project - maybe using my 8" and observing all the Caldwell objects (at least the ones above -40 degs dec). I'm kind of happy and sad at the same time. Happy to be able to finish the Messier Objects with just an 80mm and only half decent mag 5.0 skies. But I'm kind of sad to be not a "beginner" anymore. There's definitely a strong sense of anticipation, excitement, and adventure of discovery with being a "begineer" that I'll miss! So, any beginners out there reading this, I encourage you to take your time and enjoy every step of your learning curve in this hobby.
