With an XT8. Are they bright enough, or too dim? Pretty sure it's possible, but I just want to double check before I go out looking for them.
-
Yes, it's possible. In fact, these are two of the very small number of galaxies which I observed regularly from my back yard in Toronto, solidly in the "white." These galaxies are both bright and have fairly sharp borders, so stand out even in quite severe light pollution.
Use the two stars diagonal in the bowl of the Dipper opposite where the bowl attaches to the handle, Phecda and Dubhe. Project this diagonal an equal distance away from Dubhe, and that should put you right on the galaxies. Exceptr that every time I do this I always overshoot and get to the nice little isosceles triangle formed by the two components of Sigma UMa and Rho UMa. When you get to the triangle, go back a little bit towards the dipper using the two components of Sigma as pointers, and you should hit M81 and M82. M81 id brighter, but M82 has an odd cigar shape like nothing else in the sky. Put a bit of magnification M82 and it should look "lumpy."
While in the neighbourhood, look for M97 (the Owl Nebula) and M109, a galaxy, both near Merak. These are both small and bright, and I've also seen both from downtown Toronto. M97 is greatly helped by a nebula filter, either narrow band or OIII, but should still be visible without a filter.
Happy hunting!
Use the two stars diagonal in the bowl of the Dipper opposite where the bowl attaches to the handle, Phecda and Dubhe. Project this diagonal an equal distance away from Dubhe, and that should put you right on the galaxies. Exceptr that every time I do this I always overshoot and get to the nice little isosceles triangle formed by the two components of Sigma UMa and Rho UMa. When you get to the triangle, go back a little bit towards the dipper using the two components of Sigma as pointers, and you should hit M81 and M82. M81 id brighter, but M82 has an odd cigar shape like nothing else in the sky. Put a bit of magnification M82 and it should look "lumpy."
While in the neighbourhood, look for M97 (the Owl Nebula) and M109, a galaxy, both near Merak. These are both small and bright, and I've also seen both from downtown Toronto. M97 is greatly helped by a nebula filter, either narrow band or OIII, but should still be visible without a filter.
Happy hunting!