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exceptional_biped t1_jdqee4t wrote

OP can I ask if the Needle galaxy looks like this through your 10 dobsonian without a camera hooked up? I assume you live under dark skies. Unfortunately I don’t and I can only just make out what appears to be Andromeda as a very faint smudge. I also have a 10 inch dobsonian.

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J3RRYLIKESCHEESE OP t1_jdsmlbe wrote

Yes, like the above reply mentions, the sky conditions mean a lot. On darker, clearer and moonless nights, I've seen the spiral arms of M51, didn't look like the images but was still pretty surreal to see with my own eyes.

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weathercat4 t1_jdr76vm wrote

Galaxies are hard in bad light pollution. I used to live in bortle 7 and when I was galaxy hunting it was more about being able to locate and detect the smudge. Andromeda was only a faint smudge and m110 was only detectable on good night's.

Try the sombrero galaxy m104 it was by far my favorite in bortle 7.

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