(IAAC) Obj: M51 - Inst: Meade 8" LX200GPS (UHTC) F10, Field tripod

[anonymous at sedna.atmob.org]

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Observation Poster: Mark Solomon <mark.a.solomon at gmail.com>

Observer: Mark Solomon
Your skills: Beginner (< one year)
Date/time of observation: 06/18/06 11:25PM EST
Location of site: 1 Scott Circle, NW (Lat 38.53, Elev 0)
Site classification: Rural
Sky darkness: approx 3.50 <Limiting magnitude>
Seeing: 5 <1-10 Seeing Scale (10 best)>
Moon presence: None - moon not in sky
Instrument: Meade 8" LX200GPS (UHTC) F10, Field tripod
Magnification: 57X 35mm Panoptic
Filter(s): 
Object(s): M51
Category: External galaxy.
Class: Sc
Constellation: Canes Venatici
Data: mag 8.4  size 11'2 x 6'9
Position: RA 13h:29.9  DEC +47:12
Description:
M51. Couldn't believe what I was seeing. Extremeley faint, yet large. No discernable structure. Barely visible, yet when using averted vision, I could tell it was M51, even though i didn't think it was possible to see this object from a 5th floor apartment window in the middle of Washington, D.C.

Checked Sky Atlas 2000 and Starry Night for confirmation of position as it was close enough to M64, the Black Eye Galaxy, but it appeared much too large to be that. Couldn't make out NGC5195 accompanying M51, which led me to doubt the observation, however, the next morning (06/19/06),I found a drawing of it as made from the eyepiece in Phil Harrington's "The Deep Sky - An Introduction, as I was skipping through it while watching the World Cup match between Togo and Switzerland, and my immediate reaction was "that has to be it", such was the similarity of the view. 
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