Just was wondering if anyone could help a newbie. M 74 has eluded me this winter though I have attempted to find her several times. I know I am in the right area based on star charts and tonight I thought using averted vision I saw a very small core, but it faded out as I moved my eye back. This best describes the route I have tried though I have tried another also: I start from Hamal (Alpha Arietis); and from this star, I follow a line via Beta Arietis to Eta Piscium (mag 3.5); M74 should be about 1/2 deg N and 1 1/2 deg E of Eta Psc; Is it just too hard an item to see unless I'm in a dark site? Thanks, Jay
That's so weird! I had exactly the same problem. I wanted to photograph it and could not see it. Was it too low in the sky? Good luck, Joe --- On Sun, 1/18/09, JayLEads <jayleads@gmail.com> wrote: From: JayLEads <jayleads@gmail.com> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] M 74 To: "Utah-Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Sunday, January 18, 2009, 11:58 PM Just was wondering if anyone could help a newbie. M 74 has eluded me this winter though I have attempted to find her several times. I know I am in the right area based on star charts and tonight I thought using averted vision I saw a very small core, but it faded out as I moved my eye back. This best describes the route I have tried though I have tried another also: I start from Hamal (Alpha Arietis); and from this star, I follow a line via Beta Arietis to Eta Piscium (mag 3.5); M74 should be about 1/2 deg N and 1 1/2 deg E of Eta Psc; Is it just too hard an item to see unless I'm in a dark site? Thanks, Jay _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
M-74 is not an easy target. In fact, during the Messier marathons it's one of those objects that many people miss. Still, at mag 10 it is bright enough to be seen even in moderate sized binoculars if the conditions are right. As with most objects it is best observed when high in the sky. These days that's just as it's getting good and dark, say around 7 p.m. And having dark skies not filled with smog helps too which probably rules out any place in the SL Valley. patrick On 18 Jan 2009, at 23:58, JayLEads wrote:
Just was wondering if anyone could help a newbie. M 74 has eluded me this winter though I have attempted to find her several times. I know I am in the right area based on star charts and tonight I thought using averted vision I saw a very small core, but it faded out as I moved my eye back. This best describes the route I have tried though I have tried another also:
I start from Hamal (Alpha Arietis); and from this star, I follow a line via Beta Arietis to Eta Piscium (mag 3.5); M74 should be about 1/2 deg N and 1 1/2 deg E of Eta Psc;
Is it just too hard an item to see unless I'm in a dark site?
Thanks,
Jay
Jay, Getting a head start in the Messier Marathon huh? Good man. This is a good time to practice up getting down the first few objects. Because, like Patrick said, it can be hard to find unless you have favorable conditions, and if you don’t get the first one and, M74 is usually recommended as the first to locate during the marathon, then it is a ticker. Once you get to Eta Piscium and assuming you have about 1 degree (real) Field of View put Eta Piscium at the 6 O’clock position. There are 3 stars there in pyramid shape all about mag 9.25 or so. If you see more than 3 stars (fainter stars), then you are seeing down to the level of M74. If seeing conditions are such that you can’t see those 3 stars you may not be able to see M74 at mag 10.5. I don’t know if M74 gets brighter as we approach spring but the limit on binoculars is around 9.5. However, I know that Dave Burnson (sp?) can find all the Messier objects with binos and it sounds like Patrick can too. So, either my information on M75 being 10.5 is wrong or it won’t be an easy find. If you found the 3 star pyramid then move them to either 4 O’clock or 8’Oclock and M74 will be in your field of view. There is something else that has fuzzed out of my memory with time so if someone can explain this it will be a refresher to me. I once asked Brent Watson what a mag n.n (like 10.5) meant for an extended object; that is a non-point source of light. If I recall correctly Brent told me that if you take a point source of light like a star of 10.5 then spread it over an area like 7.25 arc minutes, which is about what M74 is then you can imagine it will be much less bright. So, in light of what Patrick told you, I am thinking that mag 10.5 is wrong for M74 because people can see it in binos. It still is not gong to be easy in SL valley or with a small scope. Jim Gibson alias The Rambler
Hi all, My new astronomy blog is launched! Pls see it at http://deseretnews.com/blogs/1,5322,10000034,00.html and offer any comments you'd like. Patrick, Kurt and Howard are "stars" of the first one! I would greatly appreciate any suggestions you knowledgeable folks can give for future blogs. Best wishes, Joe --- On Mon, 1/19/09, Jim Gibson <jimgibson00@yahoo.com> wrote: From: Jim Gibson <jimgibson00@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] M 74 To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Monday, January 19, 2009, 5:12 AM Jay, Getting a head start in the Messier Marathon huh? Good man. This is a good time to practice up getting down the first few objects. Because, like Patrick said, it can be hard to find unless you have favorable conditions, and if you don’t get the first one and, M74 is usually recommended as the first to locate during the marathon, then it is a ticker. Once you get to Eta Piscium and assuming you have about 1 degree (real) Field of View put Eta Piscium at the 6 O’clock position. There are 3 stars there in pyramid shape all about mag 9.25 or so. If you see more than 3 stars (fainter stars), then you are seeing down to the level of M74. If seeing conditions are such that you can’t see those 3 stars you may not be able to see M74 at mag 10.5. I don’t know if M74 gets brighter as we approach spring but the limit on binoculars is around 9.5. However, I know that Dave Burnson (sp?) can find all the Messier objects with binos and it sounds like Patrick can too. So, either my information on M75 being 10.5 is wrong or it won’t be an easy find. If you found the 3 star pyramid then move them to either 4 O’clock or 8’Oclock and M74 will be in your field of view. There is something else that has fuzzed out of my memory with time so if someone can explain this it will be a refresher to me. I once asked Brent Watson what a mag n.n (like 10.5) meant for an extended object; that is a non-point source of light. If I recall correctly Brent told me that if you take a point source of light like a star of 10.5 then spread it over an area like 7.25 arc minutes, which is about what M74 is then you can imagine it will be much less bright. So, in light of what Patrick told you, I am thinking that mag 10.5 is wrong for M74 because people can see it in binos. It still is not gong to be easy in SL valley or with a small scope. Jim Gibson alias The Rambler _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://gallery.utahastronomy.com Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
participants (4)
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JayLEads -
Jim Gibson -
Joe Bauman -
Patrick Wiggins