More Observing

Observing the Sky in Australia

In this section we shall cover what objects can been seen from Australia, when is the best time of year to see them, how to find them, and which equipment is suitable for viewing each object.

NOTICE: Scroll down the page and make sure you see what the view of objects look like through an eyepiece  compared to photographs

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Our Southern View of the Milky way

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WINTER is probably the best season to observe some of the greatest sights in the Southern Skies, but many fascinating and beautiful objects can be seen in all seasons.

Here are some of them.

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ORION NEBULA

One of the most observed objects in the Summer skies is the Orion Nebula (or Great Nebula) also known by its catalogue number as M42

 Photo - David Hough

The Orion Nebula can be easily located. Most people are familiar with the Orion Constellation as the 'Saucepan'. The centre Star in the Saucepan's handle is actually the Orion Nebula. This large object can be seen easily in Binoculars and Telescopes of almost any size, which makes it a delightful sight through even small 'beginner' scopes.
Unfortunately, our view of the Nebula is without colour, except in very large Telescopes (300mm diameter or more) where a slight tinge of green & pink can be seen.

Here is a map to help locate the Orion Nebula

47 Tuc
Globular Cluster (47 Tucanae, aka NGC 104)

47Tuc Globular Cluster is truly a sight to see!
Consisting of several million stars it is quite easy to see in Telescopes from small to very large. Large Binoculars have also given good results. 47Tuc is approximately 15,000 light years away. It is visible throughout the year from most of Australia.

Locating 47Tuc is very easy in dark skies, but not so easy in light-polluted cities. It sits right next to the Small Magellanic Cloud. Here is a photo of 47 Tuc and it's location near the SMC.

Photo - ESO (left), Bert van Donkelaar (right)

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EYEPIECE VIEWS - WHAT TO EXPECT

Are you considering buying a Telescope, but don't know what to expect to see through it?

This section should help.

It shows approximate examples of what you can expect to see through an Eyepiece in reflector telescopes from 8" to 12" from a dark sky site.

Through a Telescope, objects really don't look like the colourful advertising hype on Telescope boxes!

These 'Eyepiece View' examples are compared to real photographs on the left. The Telescope eyepiece view is on the right.

M42 - Orion Nebula

The Jewel Box in Crux

Saturn

Sombrero Galaxy

Helix Planetary Nebula

M83 Spiral Galaxy

Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Different Telescopes will give different views, and different locations will also affect the visibility of faint objects. It is always best (if possible) to get to a very dark site away from city light pollution.

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