Guest beewolf Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 I spent a while last night trying to spot the crab nebula without success - I have seen it years ago and I am pretty sure I am looking in the right place. The "Binocular Sky" site lists it as an object for binoculars so I had a go with my new 15 x 70s and also with the EMS 8" dob, which I was sure would pick it out - no luck with either. Am I expecting too much on a moonlit night? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Strings Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 I think the moon will surely wash it out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 The moon is gonna wash most deep sky objects out Gavin - it all depends where the moon was at the time - things get easier in the East as it approaches setting in the west - which is early morning hours currently. M1's about a third the distance on a line from Alnath towards Betelgeuse - roughly where a line from Adebaran joins it at 90degs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest beewolf Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 It was early evening - kids can't really stay up long enough at the moment but the sky seemed clear so we had a go anyway. I was going from the end of Taurus's southern horn (think its zeta Taurus) in a line towards Alnath, theres a nice 7th mag star not far up which should be just east of the crab. Make sense? Its just fun having a go to be honest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Type-R Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Its just fun having a go to be honest! And that is all that matters, if it aint fun, why bother???? - get yourself and the kids to a dark site at the weekend when they might be allowed to stay up a little bit later for being good, then all the stuff you cant see from your back garden will jump out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toymaster Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hi, As a returning Newbie, last night I loaded a certain star chart application onto my iPad. Set it into red night mode and took it out with me and held it up to the night sky and was amazed that it followed the sky as I moved and you can search for objects like M1 and it shows you exactly where they are and then you can zoom to see a representation of the object...... Just did not have anything like that years ago.... I'm yet again blown away :-) Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuckstar Posted January 10, 2014 Share Posted January 10, 2014 The crab isn't as bright as its made out to be and can be tricky if its not really dark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ivan Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I just about made it visible using my Altair 130edt / televue delos 6mm / ieq45 a couple of weeks ago , averted vision was required, it was still very faint & the moon was nowhere near as bright as now, keep looking but a bit disappointing visually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I've never seen the crab - it's the next messier I want to bag next time I have the dob out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 It really is a faint grey blob, I didn't see it until two years ago, Rusty Strings showed me where it is. Once you have found it though you can get it nearly straight away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I've seen the crab a few times in my 8 inch scope. Just a faint great (small) smudge but easy to see again once you have seen it once. Kin won't have any trouble seeing it in his massive dob! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 That's what I'm hoping Felix - and thanks for the tip about the mirror fan on Sat night - very useful to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 No probs Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest beewolf Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 (edited) Saw the crab last night through the 200p - it was just where we had been looking before so must have been washed out by the moon. It is faint though! We also managed m81, m82 and the supernova, so quite pleased overall. Edited February 3, 2014 by beewolf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Excellent stuff Gavin - you must be dead chuffed. I've still not found the crab yet. Sprained an ankle yesterday so no way could I get the dob out last night (yet again I'm dead miffed at missing out on a good night for observing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philjay Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 I first saw the M1 through a 60mm Tasco under very dark skies when I was a lad. Ive since bagged it all sorts and sizes of scope, its quite easy once you know where to look, however stick a moon in the sky and you can forget it in all but larger scope. The moon will wash any faint objects out. You need a nice dark background to make these faint fuzzies visible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Took me years to find it, it's a heck of a lot fainter than I thought, I only got to see it a couple of years ago. It doesn't look too much like the images, does it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Here are a few of my reports about M1. I have since it loads of times but under dead dark skies it's unmissable and with an O111 filter it stands out really well. 28.10.2010 I then decided to hunt for the M1 the Crab Nebula in Taurus I didn't expect to see nothing as I've read so many reports about this being very hard to spot but would try anyway as the limiting magnitude of the sky was getting nearer mag 5.Found Zeta Tau and placed my Telrad on it and using the 2 degree marker moved it up to where I thought the M1 would be. Scaned around a little and found it. I was really so pleased with myself. Another elusive object found. Again looked really good in my TAL 25mm at x73 looked, oval in apperence. A hazy mottled white smudge but definetly oval in design. Put in my 8 mm Hyperion and at x228 could make out the shape still but no extra detail emerged. 21.11.2008 After this swung the dob back over to Taurus and spotted the Crab Nebula M1 straight away. It was so easy to spot I was pretty shocked. The shape of the nebula clearly stood out against the dark background but no filament or any other detail could be seen using a variety of eyepieces. Best view was in the Tal 25mm at x73 with a FOV of just under one degree. 6.12.2009 Back over to Taurus as it was now slightly higher and easily found the Crab Nebula M1. This was very faint but unmistakable, an ill-defined hazy patch of light that through the 16 Uwan at x 114 looked great, by inserting the O111 filter the shape becomes a little more pronounced but only marginally, no inner filmament structure was seen, but I really enjoyed observing this one. 20.12.2009 Wow what a night, the Crab Nebula looked amazing tonight sitting above Orion, I could even see it through the 28mm Uwan. I swear I could even glimpse a tad of structure, but not sure. The 16mm Uwan really increased the contrast and the shape was so easy to see. Must be perfect seeing for a change as I've never seen it like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Right - that's it - soon as my foot's fixed the LB is coming out on a crab hunt lol. (I wanna bag Saturn too now the rings are back open and it rises after midnight - should be awesome in the dob) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 I've spotted it in 15x70 bins but it's a very rare pot. To me it is more one of the objects to cross of the list of things to see before you die than pure eye candy. I find anything nebulous, even M42, is affected by moonlight. The open clusters are the last DSOs lost in moonlight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werisit Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Hi folks. I spent 3 nights before I found M1. Definately not worth trying when there's moon. Can now find it quite easily using the above star hop. Start at Gemini and Castors foot - Tejat, through Propus (Red line) and continue till you reach the fairly bright Zeta Taurus. With a wide field you should be able to see the pattern of 4 stars with Zet Tau being at bottom right. M1 sits on top of this (roughly) square asterism (arrowed). I've got it a couple of times with my 4" short tube. I agree that it's not the gratest thing to look at. it's finding it that's the fun / challenge. I quite often image stuff then go looking for it. Sometimes reversing the photo to black dots on white (saves a lot of ink) and using it as a finder chart. Did this with M81 / 82. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawson Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Only on my phone but i can't see the crab, but the phone won't let me zoom in very much. I need a better look on a pc. I had a play with the crab once, i'm not a DSO imager, and was surprised how faint and small it was. Jd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+RonC Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 (edited) Sorry, had to do this! Edited March 30, 2014 by Ron Clarke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Type-R Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Sorry, had to do this! Ron!!! Please don't foul the observing section with your dark sider images. We will have none of that here..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+RonC Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Oops, sorry daz!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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