What do galaxies look like in backyard telescopes?

Question

What do galaxies look like in backyard telescopes?

Answer 1

It depends on the darkness of the sky in your location, the size and suitability of your telescope, the appropriate eyepiece, and the transparency of the sky at the time of observation.



Galaxies generally appear as faint nebulous objects in small telescopes. The Andromeda Galaxy is a naked-eye object in a good dark location.



It is a rare combination of the right circumstances to get a great view of a galaxy. I had an amazing view of M51 with an 18-inch reflector and no photograph I ever saw compared to this view- the dark lanes, the spiral arms, all clearly visible. With a 14-inch Celestron, there was one night in particular where I had a view of NGC 4565 that looked like a little Milky Way in the eyepiece- central bulge, dark lane, wispy light like the Milky Way in a very dark sky. That gives you perspective on the Universe and makes you feel like you are really in the midst of the Cosmos.



With a C-14 I've had views of the Andromeda Galaxy that showed the dark lanes and bright star clouds in the spiral arms- a few stellar objects around the central bulge could even be identified as globular clusters using an Atlas of the Andromeda Galaxy.



But most views, most of the time, will be disappointing. That's why you have to be patient and have the right equipment at your disposal- it might only show the Andromeda Galaxy as a faint cloud, but a even a pair of binoculars can be a great way to explore the night sky. Sometimes even with big telescopes available, I prefer to just explore the Milky Way with binoculars.

Answer 2

It depends on the galaxy, the telescope, how well your eye is trained, and, most important of all, where your backyard is located. My telescope has an 11-inch aperture, a bit larger than the average telescope, and is located on a farm in the country. This is most important because it means that I have dark skies, which give me maximum contrast between the galaxies and the sky background. I have observed galaxies regularly for over 50 years, and am used to teasing faint detail out of very dim objects.



Large bright galaxies show some resolution of spiral arms, but the vast majority are like tiny faint wisps of smoke.

Answer 3

Well, ..., that depends on the following factors:

1) Aperture for the Telescope

2) Focal length of the Telescope

3) Magnification

4) Atmospheric conditions (Seeing, Transparency, and Cloudiness)

5) Phase of the moon (it is a major source of light pollution)

6) Severity of Light pollution

7) Size and Brightness of the Galaxy in question.

8) Proximity to the Zenith.



Given a 6" aperture and 1200mm focal length with a 25mm plossl (48x) in the yellow zone (light pollution) with a clear dark sky with objects near Zenith:



M31 will appear as a very bright fuzzy patch having a bright fuzzy core gradually diminishing in luminosity as your eye travels toward the edge of your field of view. The longer you remaing at the eyepieve the more structure you'll be able to discern.



M51 - will appear as a barely perceptible set of two galaxies. One larger than the other with the larger once having a bright central core brighter than it's edges. The small galaxy will appear uniformly dim.

Answer 4

Taking nearby M31 as an example, in binoculars and small telescopes, the core will look like a smudge of light. The outer arms may not be visible. Getting into larger telescopes, the core becomes brighter, and the outer arms become visible as a faint haze of light. With bigger telescopes they become more distinct with more of the structure becoming visible. However, it does not look quite like those gorgeous photographs, because those use long exposures to bring up the fainter arms, and the photograph lacks the dynamic range of the eye. So as the core becomes overexposed, it is just white-out. The photograph does not convey the brightness of the core relative to the arms in the way that the eye sees increased levels of brightness.

Answer 5

In Ursa Major M-81 and M-82 appear as fuzzy objects (see link), but not in quite as great detail or color as a photo that is exposed for a few minutes. Direct observation is an art, and like any form of entertainment, has varying conditions and attitudes depending on your personality. There is contentment/satisfaction in actually finding and viewing an object that is light years distant. It is best accomplished with dark sky, clean and properly operating equipment, and a warm night. Add a few quiet companions and a comfortable lounger so you can watch for meteors across the sky, and you have a truly heavenly night.



http://oneminuteastronomer.com/3342/odd-couple-spiral-galaxies/

Answer 6

In my 3-inch reflector (which is a small scope even by amateur standards) from urban skies, most are barely visible fuzzy patches of light, that I can only see by looking at the right spot for five or ten minutes, gradually becoming increasingly confident that *something* is there. The overall shape and size can be seen, but no real detail. The fun is in the challenge of spotting them at all.

Answer 7

Just a small patch of fuzzy light

Answer 8

depends on the galaxy. but absolutely amazing. bright lights, clusters, etc

Answer 9

silvery smudges, for the most part. the most distance object i've observed, 3c273, looks like faint star.

Answer 10

Wispy balls of cotton. No detail could be seen. Only "Andromeda" appeared reasonably bright.

Answer 11

A puff of smoke

Answer 12

Ghostly fuzz.