Lets Find The Ring Nebula (M57 Polo In The Sky)

[@Babr900]

Thanks for this video, I was able to see the Ring Nebula for the first time early this morning in Toronto. Very cool 😎

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Babr900. Your more than welcome my friend. Great to hear you it OK :)

[@smalloptics753]

Sorry I've just realised I missed a word out I meant to say 'Great to hear you FOUND it OK :)

[@Astrolavista]

One of my favourite summer targets, easy to find and looks great visually :)

[@smalloptics753]

Couldn't agree more Chris :)

[@TheUrbanAstronomer]

Great video again, love the way you present things. 👍👍

[@smalloptics753]

Thanks buddy really appreciate it 😊

[@Intheskyes1]

Totally agree. Great presentation.

[@titobattaglia7932]

Hey Jason great vid as always! I have special love for these star-hopping videos of yours. The one on Cassiopeia is super, and this one is great too! I've been observing the Double Double these days and did not realize how close I was to the ring nebula! I'll sure give it a shot and see if I can catch it even under my intensely light-polluted urban skies. All the best my friend! PS for watchers: there's so much cool stuff in the immediate vicinity… the Double Double, as said, but a little west of Lyra there's Hercules with its glorious globulars! PPS for Jason: I second what Deep Sky Hunter says below… the mount with the logo is great ;D

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Tito, Thank you for your kind words my friend, so pleased to hear you are enjoying my videos. Yes you are right there are loads of interesting targets around that part of the sky...That's the cool thing about astronomy...You never run out of things to look at....Pleased to hear you like the logo...I got a bit obsessed with making them...I've actually made 4 of them and turned one into a clock...Lol. Stay safe friend, clear skies :)

[@EleanorPeterson]

I'm picking up a lot of old-school tuck-shop references, here, Jason... 😁 Polo Mint is obvious enough, but at 3:00 you also mention 'star-burst', which Brits of a certain age will ALWAYS know as Opal Fruits (yay!) no matter what the American corporate re-branding nutters try to rename them. (Grrrr! I'm prepared to go to war over this, Uncle Sam. Come on - I'll take you on single-handed!) Oh, and what about a Marathon. Marathon? Yes, a proper MARATHON, not a US-friendly 'Snickers'. 🙂 The only thing missing in this absurd space-themed sweetie rant would be a Mars Bar... Freedom, sweet freedom! They can squish our Turkish Delight but they'll never take our Skittles! Ahoy, Commander Jason: load up the Spangles cannon and let the star wars begin. Just kidding. Thanks for the video. Fancy some Space Dust, mate? 👽

[@memerhd8888]

As a gen z, I get the gist but I am oblivious 😂🤣🤣

[@jasonvictor9542]

Hi Jason, Happy New Year, thank you so much for another great video, I will try to find M57 but not to soon because it's -25 degrees Celsius here north of Montreal. You are helping me plan my futur observations!

[@smalloptics753]

Hey Jason. Happy New Year my friend.. And your more than welcome.. Good luck with M57.. That is when it warms up a little :D

[@petset77]

Thanks for the directions! I've only been using Vega to navigate towards other eastern objects, jumping to Deneb and Cygnus, heading to Altair in Aquila, etc. I didn't realize M57 (and M56) are right there. Thanks again.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Steve, you're more than welcome my friend good luck with M57🙂

[@avt_astro206]

Great Video jason, nice story Telling!! M57 is An Interesting Object!! I have Seen it with my 76mm Reflector, it looks like a Ghost Ring, You gave a Nice description of a Donut/polo, Thats Sweet :- ) for sure, I call It a Smoke Ring!! P.s; Your Dobsonian Mount with your Small Optics Profile Looks Pretty Cool.

[@smalloptics753]

Hey DSH, Thank you my friend...Glad you like the logo :)

[@ManikandanSubramanian]

Thank you so much for your vids!! I managed to find the ring nebula today. It's my first DSO! You really have to use averted vision to see the ring, otherwise it is just a blur! Also checked out Albireo. It was so cool to see some color in the stars 🤩🤩. I used Lyra to find Albireo - the side of the parallelogram sort of points to it, so I just followed the line using my finderscope. Thank you also for the tip on keeping both eyes open when using the finderscope. It was such a game changer. I used to struggle to find easy targets like Jupiter and Saturn using my scope, but with this tip it's soooo simple!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello friend.. Your more than welcome.. Great to hear my videos have help you find things in the night sky.. Keep on star watching, have fun , clear skies :)

[@stay_at_home_astronaut]

Good video. Thank you for posting it.

[@smalloptics753]

Your welcome friend :)

[@martinlegg8642]

Another great vid Jason. Looking forward to finding this, next clear night. Funnily enough I tried to find it last week but got a lesson in light pollution from a very bright moon, down here in the south. Nothing but cloud since. Liking the Dobsonian and might have a go at one, being I’m a chippy, one day? 🤔🥴 Stay well 👍🏻💫

[@smalloptics753]

Hey Martin, Thanks buddy. Yeah, it's the same with a lot of DSO's you really want a moonless night especially if you got light pollution to deal with as well. I would recommend having a go at making a dob mount they are rock solid, and you would find it a breeze to make being a chippy and all. stay safe, clear skies mate :)

[@martinlegg8642]

@@smalloptics753 only problem is I’ve only got Appetite for Destruction on cassette 😂😂 Would have to sort through the vinyl in the loft, though this might prompt me to start playing it again? 🤔👍🏻

[@AstroDude500]

Thank you. I'll look for this on the next clear night.

[@smalloptics753]

Your welcome friend :)

[@bushcraftandastronomer.3775]

Hey Jason great little video and M57 is so nice to see and it's a little polo mint you wish you could chew! Not far from Vega and every time I see Vega I think of the movie Contact with Jodie foster searching for little green men who likes polo mints like M57. You probably seen Contact? A dying star and I wonder what kind of nebula the sun will make when our sun starts to die. I've seen M57 through a telescope and it's wonderful to see it. One object I'm going to photograph this summer along with NGC 7000. Have you tried to photograph it? Thanks for the video and stay safe buddy!

[@smalloptics753]

Hey Bushcraft, Thank you buddy. Ha ha ha! aliens who like polo mints.. I like that XD.....Yes even though its a long long long time happening...It's still a bit scary to think it will happen to our sun one day...I'm sure we will have found somewhere else to live by then though...No I haven't photograph the N.A nebula, I want to get into the photography side of astronomy hopefully some time this year...With me been a visual astronomer, at the moment I just haven't got the right gear. Stay safe buddy clear skies :)

[@SuperWillie0]

Hi Jason. This one I still am having trouble spotting. I have been doing stargazing with a telescope for a couple of months at this point, have spotted 18 DSO's at this point, but still can't seem to get this one. I went last night to a dark sky location thinking I was sure to see it now, but nothing. I am determined to spot this. I am learning this hobby is not an instant gratification kinda thing. I've got the patience!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Willie. Sorry to hear that, try this the next time you go hunting.. Start with a low powered eyepiece, say, a 25mm. Then target the right hand bottom star in Lyra (the bottom 2 stars were M57 is). Then slowly move the telescope to the left, keep stopping and look very carefully. At this power, M57 is going to look like a dim out of focus star. M57 is lies not quite dead centre of the two stars but more towards the right hand one, if you draw an imaginary line joining the bottom two stars, M57 is just below that line.. Once you've identified M57 use you can now increase the power a little (12/15mm is perfect). Hope this helps you find it, keep trying, you will find it is there, and like I say you can even see this one in light polluted skies. Good luck, clear skies :)

[@SuperWillie0]

Well, I am updating this entry. I found it just this evening in my backyard! Whoopee! You know, Jason, I bought a push to scope and am finding, just like you said I in a previous video, that it is much more rewarding to hunt these things down with just a finder scope ( I purchased a Telrad and love it) and my own increasing knowledge of the night sky. Thanks dude for these incouraging vids!

[@AmatureAstronomer]

There are many unexpected things in the sky which become visible through a telescope. Neat.

[@henrygorman]

I like lyra. Just on the way from Vega to the ring nebulae there are two double stars. One of them is visible even with binoculars...

[@santiagomoebio]

Lyra has a lot to offer!

[@gene1647]

This one I have to see. Thanks so much Jason.

[@smalloptics753]

Your more than welcome.. Happy hunting 🙂

[@alcollins5179]

Hi Jason. Superb videos as usual. Can you recommend a good nebula filter for a 102 telescope. Have only started observing the Hercules Cluster which is a small faint whitish blob,but the Beehive Cluster is fabulous. You are certainly very good with beginners like me not to technical just spot on. Thanks.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Al, Thank you for your kinds words my friend, I appreciate that :) When it comes to filters it's hard to recommend one out of 100's of decent filters out there. For nebula a decent light pollution filter is always a good option, by decent I mean no less than £20. To be honest, I personally don't use filters for nebula as they are not really needed for visual astronomy they are aimed more for photography. With a aperture of 102mm unless you are doing photography a moon filter is all you will need really..Hope this helps, stay safe, clear skies :)

[@santiagomoebio]

This is my favorite object in the sky. Why? Mostly because of its weirdness. When I first saw it I thought something was wrong with my eyes, my telescope or the sky. It's at the same time so well defined and so undefined. I'm buying an O-III filter only to marginally improve the sight of M57.The other thing I love about this object is that it's likely an image of our future. Our atoms will be absorbed by the Sun on its red giant phase and then expelled incredible distances, in an explosion that will be visible even from the Andromeda Galaxy.

[@paganphil100]

I remember many years ago trying to find M57 with 15 x 70 binoculars after reading an article by Patrick Moore which said it was virtually impossible. After many attempts I managed to find it (with "averted vision").....no detail of course and very difficult to see. It looked like a very faint smudge.

[@paganphil100]

@4.09.....I think the shape is called a trapezium (or possibly a parallelogram).

[@persimmon3458]

Thanks for the vid! Really appreciate the effort. Any chance for a similar one re M3? Going to the desert (Israel) in a week. Will update on the ring!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello persimmon. I can't see why not buddy, M3 is a lovely globular, I will mark it down on my videos to make list.....Wish I was coming with you..Always wanted to go to any desert to see the stars, I've heard it is truly spectacular. Stay safe and have fun in the desert.....You lucky lucky person :)

[@lucasmorawetz4934]

I have an 8 inch dobsonian telescope, and i observe this target with a uhc filter but i bought a oxygen 3 filter and it is very bright and i observe the ring nebula with about 100 power

[@book3100]

I get 27x with a 36mm, 2inch ep in a 120mm refractor. I'll try that. That's about as low power as I can get, other than my 15x70 binos.

[@epic_playz4283]

I couldn't see it cause I was right next to a street light, and there's trees blocking me and saw it above me, but my eq mount got stuck and eventually got it unstuck

[@smalloptics753]

Glad to hear you got your EQ mount unstuck....Don't worry if you can't see it at the moment, as the year goes on it will get higher and higher in the sky, by mid summer it will be almost directly overhead. So you've got plenty of time :)

[@bennybooboobear3940]

2:59 a starburst in a polo mint?

[@smalloptics753]

hahaha! Like it XD

[@irfanrashid2114]

Hi Jason! Nice video! Have you started making money out of the channel yet? 😬

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Irfan. Ha ha ha! I know it sounds a bit cliche but I never did it for the money it's just nice to help people get started with this awesome hobby...But don't get me wrong if I did start making a bit of money that would be awesome too, because I would put it straight into the channel.. :)

[@RicardoSantos-zh5uz]

Hi Jason. I tried to find it today, but no success. I track Lyra with my eyes and once I go and look through the finderscope I cannot distinguish it anymore, as many stars are now visible and I am suddenly overwhelmed. The fact that all is reversed in the telescope does not help also. Any suggestion to overcome this? Thanks and all the best!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Ricardo. M57 can be a little hard to distinguish at first especially if you've never seen it before because at first it will just look like a out of focus star.. Try this.. 1st make sure you are a 100% certain you are looking in the right area of Lyra (a little off centre to the right of the bottom two stars of Lyra) and instead of using a low powered eyepiece use say a 10mm something like that.. This will cut down the field of view and also a dim down some of the stars a little, now use VERY small adjustments of the telescope to "fish" about for the nebula.. Using a higher powered eyepiece when looking for deep sky objects can sometime help them to pop out a little better against the dark background.. Hope this helps ... Be patient that's the key.. You will find it.. Have fun, good luck :)

[@RicardoSantos-zh5uz]

@@smalloptics753 Thanks, Jason. Your advise makes perfect sense. I'll let you know. ;)

[@RicardoSantos-zh5uz]

I found it!! It was my first observation of a DSO and what a sight! In the end I ended up using Sky Safari app and flipped the image Horizontal and Vertically ( as you also explained in a video using Stellarium), with the SV bony 23mm eyepiece and hop by hop I reached it. Btw, Jason what are your thoughts on the Telrad? It seems useful and with lot’s of supporters, but I’m not sure I’m willing to spend more 60€ if the usefulness is marginal. Unless it is indeed a great help! Thanks again for your videos and sharing. Cheers from Portugal.

[@epic_playz4283]

First! Lol great vid

[@smalloptics753]

Thanks buddy :)

[@oninoyakamo]

Found the Ring Nebula for the first time tonight!

[@smalloptics753]

Fantastic! Congratulations friend :)

[@oninoyakamo]

@@smalloptics753 Thanks Jason! A zoom eyepiece really dramatized your description, taking a 'star' that wouldn't come into focus and blowing it up to a wispy grey donut, (or Polo) :)

[@Jaybird-oo3ih]

I think they call it the eye of God don’t they?