M33
I observed from my summer house location using my 16x70 binoculars. The atmosphere was clear giving a limiting magnitude of about +5.5 which I estimated by counting the number of visible stars inside the square of Pegasus.
I first went for some easy targets; M31, M15 (which looked almost like a star), the coathanger, M27, the double cluster, M103 and M34 among others. Then being quite dark I went for the elusive M33. After scanning the area between Alpha Trianguli and Beta Andromedae on a line with Mu Andromedae, I found the faint patch of M33. It was unmistakable (not my imagination). Checking on Cartes du Ciel confirmed that I the patch was in the right location.
Another interesting binocular target was the variable Chi Cygnii which is now approaching maximum. Last year was an exceptional maximum when it was actually brighter than Eta Cygnii (mag +4), the other star in the swan's neck. This time round, with about two weeks estimated for maximum, I estimated that it is still at approximately mag +6. One to look out for in the coming weeks.
I first went for some easy targets; M31, M15 (which looked almost like a star), the coathanger, M27, the double cluster, M103 and M34 among others. Then being quite dark I went for the elusive M33. After scanning the area between Alpha Trianguli and Beta Andromedae on a line with Mu Andromedae, I found the faint patch of M33. It was unmistakable (not my imagination). Checking on Cartes du Ciel confirmed that I the patch was in the right location.
Another interesting binocular target was the variable Chi Cygnii which is now approaching maximum. Last year was an exceptional maximum when it was actually brighter than Eta Cygnii (mag +4), the other star in the swan's neck. This time round, with about two weeks estimated for maximum, I estimated that it is still at approximately mag +6. One to look out for in the coming weeks.
posted by Albireo at 11:15 AM
2 Comments:
From my house, M33 is not visible in a 254 mm reflector. Lists vary from mag 6.2 to 7.0. Some say it's quite bright. I'd even heard a report that it's naked eye visible.
But the light pollution at my house is another thing. I don't bring a flashlight out, because i can find a dropped contact lens without one.
M33's surface brightness is quite low. With poor skies, the sky can be brighter than M33, and it is invisible without regard to aperture.
Yet M33 is pretty close, and dark skies allow it to show structure. Very strange.
In fact, from my home I couldn't be certain I could see it with my 8" dob due to light pollution. In darker skies I can see it with my 16X70 binoculars
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