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Re: (IAAC) Obj: NGC 6826 - Inst: Meade LX10 8" SCT




Harold Williams wrote:
> I found a great way to find out just how much you can see in the city. I
> have the Meade Magellan digital setting circles... The Magellan tells me
> there are literally hundreds of objects in easy reach of an 8" SCT.

There sure are, Harold! In fact, if you include more challenging objects (the
near-stellar planetary nebulae, the more obscure open clusters, galaxy cores,
asterism and even bright HII regions of other galaxies), there are probably
THOUSANDS of objects in reach of the urban small-telescope user... And that's
not including the masses of bright variables and multiples up there.


> So, I don't feel at all bad about observing from an urban site. All you
> need is some help like digital setting circles to find objects.

DSCs are a great way for new observers to get started finding the brighter
objects in a light-polluted sky. For fainter objects (and also the most obscure
objects and details like HII regions), you will still find yourself needing to
discern the "lay of the land" in that area of sky to locate what you seek: the
DSC may get you close, but you'll want to know EXACTLY where to look. For this
reason (and for the sheer fun of it), I find it gratifying to keep in practice
star-hopping with a finder, even under the most light-polluted skies.

And in urban skies *I* really do need a finderscope to star-hop - Telrads don't
cut it for me if I can't see any nearby stars naked-eye! :)

Clear skies,
Lew Gramer


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