Cat's Eye Nebula - lucky find!

[Chris_Tucson]

Hey folks, as a distinct amateur using my amateur 8" telescope in my backyard with a GPS "go to tour" feauture, tonight I discovered the Cat's Eye Nebula (never seen or appreciated by me before). It was in my limited view of the northwest tonight AZ time at 10pm. I would have missed it using my regular low power lens, but accidently while roaming the night sky I was using my higher mag (12.5 I think) lens and poof, there it was! It was spectacular! I checked the Internet and that was definitely it. Really REALLY cool ... !!! When I realized my mistake and put the regular eyepiece back in, it was unobservable. The moral of this story is that I wish this forum would address such magnificient objects to view (NGC system is lacking, I'm afraid to say) and how exactly to do it for us amateurs! And do it more often (like every day).

=Chris, Tucson (a city getting brighter all the time)

 

[SpaceXFanMobius57]

CATS '0

good job

i hope to be able to get a telescope one day and a dark sky

 

[nailpounder]

Ahh yes, the cats eye! Well done Chris! Don't be too quick to knock the NGC. It's a compilation of the last couple hundred years of quite a few of our early and excellent astronomers' observations. Over 7000 astronomical gems
to be found in there. However, I would suggest Burnham's Celestial Handbook. It's a 3-book Catalog of everything,
however outdated. It's not a read, but a catalog with A LOT of information about the item, and where to find 'em. Not for a beginner's book If you are indeed a "rookie" amateur astronomer I suggest some star charts and spending the time to learn your constellations. A great book to help you do this is Nightwatch by Terence Dickinson. It's some good
star charts and a ton of information. Get the spiral bound! Mine is 12 yrs old and I still use it weekly. Currently there are three galaxies and one big planet that are easy pickens for that big 'ol photon bucket you got. I'll give you a hintne is halfway between Andromeda and Triangulum...........................Good hunting!...........................Al