What did I see and how can I see it better!!!????

I don't have my software with me and I know about M42 and the planets and that's about it. It's about 9:50CST here and I was facing kind of NE and looking up at about a 60* angle or so. I was free handed slewing with my 80mm f/11.25 on an alt/az and something pretty bright and long came across. I locked the mount and centered it in with the slow mo cables. I grabbed my 7x50 Nikons and I could see it with those too. Looking through the Nikons, it's length direction looks like it goes from slightly northeast, to southwest. Can anyone make anything of this? I'm using an older Japan made Meade 312 and a very lousy MA25mm. An eyepiece suggestion for this "item in the sky" would be appreciated. Something in the $50 used price range and maybe a "little" more power. Thank you very much for the time.


Nate.

Nate.

Nate,

I'm gonna guess M31, Andromeda Galaxy. Was it long with a bright core?

Tom

First off did you mean thanks marc for the post with vega? Not that recognition matters to me, just want to know if your referring to my post. Secondly, you can't see andromeda like that even with $7000 dollars of equipment visually. A picture like that is a combination of 5 time lapse exposures spaning 5 minutes each with a CCD camera, even with a 10 meter telescope you could not see that much detail with your eye.

Marc