What you can see really depends on how dark your site is. apparent magnitude 6, this unlike a star is spread over a wide area so they really are usually quite dim - probably the only exception to this is Andromeda which you might just see with the naked eye depending on your local skies Galaxies are not generally that small - this is part of the problem as although they might be e.g. You have a great all round scope so don't worry - there's lots to see I am no expert (and have scopes either side of yours) but can answer your queries as follows: Should I expect trying to find all smaller objects to be this difficult? Similarly, what other limitations should I expect from my scope, and where can I expect it to excel? Can you guys help alleviate my fears and frustration? Thanks so much. Is that what I should expect galaxies to look like? I'm not expecting Hubble-like images or anything, but without at least an idea of what I am looking for, I'm afraid I'm overlooking them. Once, when looking for the Whirlpool Galaxy, I found a light haze in the correct area. Two nights and 3.5 hours later, and all I have to show for my troubles is frustration. I began with M81, M82, M108, and the Whirpool Galaxy. At least, that's what I read now I'm afraid I made a mistake, particularly because of my frustrations trying to find galaxies.Īfter a few weeks of getting comfortable with the major players in the night sky, I've begun trying to pinpoint smaller objects, particularly galaxies. This 8-inch Dob seemed like a great scope to start with, given its good performance for both planets and deep sky objects. Over the last few months, I've been researching instruments and finally purchased my first telescope, an Orion XT8.

8 dobsonian reflector