The Phantom Galaxy (Messier 74)

[@RubydRillz]

Just brilliant

[@renzluckyvergara4086]

Thanks and congrats

[@JoesAstrophoto]

Great video Joe! I've never imaged this one before. I like how you compare it to our Milky Way as well. I would imagine it's very similar to our galaxy.

[@thedigitalastronomer6442]

Thanks. Look forward to seeing what you do with it.

[@Boxxkarr]

Monday, Dec 11, 2023 I visually observed M 74 with a ten inch Dosbonian. I used Stellarium to starhop to it, and with a 22mm Teleview eyepiece, I saw a very faint glow. I had to move the telescope up, down, left and right to make sure the glow was there in the starfield. I switched to a 10mm Baader and using diverted vision I could barely make out the shape, and see a few pin pricks of light, but in dark Bortle 2 - 3 skies this object was dim! As a visual astronomer with no Go To system, this was one of the hardest things I've found on Messier's list! Liked and subbed.

[@thedigitalastronomer6442]

It's been a long time since I star hopped to find anything. I can remember as a teenager the first time I found M81 by hopping. Our light polluted skies make it very hard to find enough stars.

[@Boxxkarr]

​@@thedigitalastronomer6442Without Stellarium I never would have found it. Jupiter was close, so I used it to get me in the neighborhood, then I found Eta Piscium and 105 Piscium, and used them for up/down borders. I still saw nothing at first, but upon closer observation saw a faint glow. This was with a Teleview 22 mm, in my 10 inch Dob, clear skies Bortle 2/3 but the atmosphere was pretty stirred up. I went to a 6mm eyepiece, and saw....... nothing! Even with averted vision! Too much magnification, not enough light. But with a Baader 10mm, and averted vision I could resolve a few pinpricks of light, and it's outline shape. No doubt, this is the hardest object I've ever found! Hope this helps other new astronomers see this dim jewel!

[@tomwall8403]

Hi Joe. Great video. I find you videos very on point for me because I'm using the exact same gear. Question: You set your offset to 50 at unity gain. I have stayed with the default of 70. What advantages are there to adjusting to 50? Thanks, Tom, Tucson

[@thedigitalastronomer6442]

Honestly Tom I'm not sure. 50 is the default setting that came up when I loaded the driver. Basically you just need to make sure that your histogram is not clipping the left side. I don't know that setting it higher would have any advantage.

[@tomwall8403]

@@thedigitalastronomer6442 Thanks Joe. The histogram really tells it all.