Just saw M45!

I was outside at work with my binoculars and was looking for mars because I read that it can be seen early in the morning during this time of the year. Well I just happened to notice a grayish glob below the moon. However once I looked through the binoculars it was turned into one amazing site! After looking the area up on my laptop I discovered it was M45! While I have seen a few other objects before turns out that I was wrong as to what they where.. So as it turns out this is my very first identified messier object. The others that I saw in a previous post where no where near as bright and visible as this one. Just which I had my scope here with me. I can see some glittery dust like area's that I imagine would stand out a bit more in my telescope.

I was totally blown away when I saw that faint blob turn into a glorious cluster of bright stars. I've only seen pictures before, but to see it for yourself is a totally different experience. It looks allot different in pictures to boot, but after identifying it, I remembered the pictures.

M45 is a very large naked eye cluster best seen in binoculars or a wide field telescope. Now that you know where it is you'll follow it the rest of the year till it is visible at sunset in the west next spring. The nebula is hard to see visually unless under really dark skies.

The Moon will pass in front of M45 late tonight IIRC. Check Sky and Telescope for exact times for your location. Just the opposite of the occultation last spring. It will be harder to see the stars wink out because the bright limb is leading. I observed the occultation last spring in Georgia and really enjoyed it.

Congratulations on your first Messier object!

Here's a link to S&T's observing highlights:

http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/article_110_1.asp