I don't get around for much observing these days, but a supernova will do it! Especially if it's this easy. Since it's in
ngc 4647, which is right beside M 60, and it is currently 12.5-is in magnitude, it was a piece of cake for the old 8dob.
Skies cleared around midnight, so I went into the garden, fearful and ready to bolt because I had seen a great stray dog in the neighbor's garden a few hours prior.
But I toughed it out and it was worth it. I found in the spotter the Y-shaped
asterism that is one
FOV from M60, and there was M 60, strong and bright. The
ngc beside it was practically invisible, because the focus of the eye was attracted ti the small dot at its side, the supernova!
It was just a tad dimmer than the 11.9 star also in the
FOV. At 65 million ly away, it was an awesome sight. It's so true that amateur astronomy is more in the mind than in the tube. I could not tear my eye from it for a good 20 minutes, kept refocusing.
In half an hour mist started forming, so the small window of opportunity seemed to have been created just for me. Great sight, great night.