Deepsky Top-100

Most books for deep sky observers are stuffed with observing reports from high altitudes and/or remote dark sky sites. I regularly get reports from frustrated (beginning) observers who live in urban / suburban areas. They compare what they see through their telescopes with the reports in these books and of course they don't match. Most people are disappointed by what they see, because their expectations were much too high.

I know that a dark sky site is essential for deep sky observing, but like most of us I live in a more or less light polluted suburban area and I cannot visit a dark sky site every clear night. During weekdays I have to observe from my light polluted backyard, because the nearest dark-sky site is about 1,5 hours driving from my home. I visit the dark sky site only on moonless, clear nights in the weekend.

To help (beginning) urban / suburban observers I started a new series of articles on my site, the deepsky TOP 100. Every two weeks I will publish a short article on one or more deep sky objects that I have observed with my moderate aperture telescope (8-inch) or giant binoculars(15x80) from my own light polluted backyard with a limiting magnitude between 4 and 5. Sometimes I will compare the view from my backyard, with that of a dark sky site. I will try to give an accurate report of what I have seen. A finder chart and/or eyepiece impression is always included.

01 - M 46 and M 47

11 - Y Cnv (la Superba)

02 - M 35 and NGC 2158

12 - M 13

03 - M 48

13 - M 57 (Ring Nebula)

04 - M 67

14 - NGC 457

05 - Zeta Cancri

15 - M 104, Stargate and Jaws

06 - NGC 2903

07 - Mizar and Alcor

08 - M 51 and NGC 5195

09 - M 3

10 - M 81 and M 82