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  • Latest Posts

    • Echoing @F15Rules comments on Russian MAKs. I have been very impressed by the views through all the Intes scopes I have used. Mechanical build quality is in a different league to the Chinese stuff. The only 'problem' with them is that they are heavy compared to the Chinese stuff, so more demanding of the mount. I suppose it comes down to....Do you want views or be able to use a cheap mount? My (20Kg) MN78 Mak newt is permanently installed. My (lightweight) 12Kg TAL200K is not well used.
    • There is no one. You might argue that the catch is size of the tube and mount requirements. 90mm F/6 apo is very small scope and it's easily mounted. 6" Scope - while not as big of a sail as 8" scope - is still very long and prone to wind issues - it has ~1200mm of length and arm moment is big at those distances, so you need better mount and better mount connection (and possibly fair weather) to image properly. Some of those issues can be worked around with compact scopes - like 6" F/9 RC - but people are afraid of RC collimation for the most part. Then there is 6" SCT (not sure if there is EdgeHD version - but I'd go with that one for imaging rather than regular + corrector) - and finally 6" CC - which is F/12 so you'll need to bin x3 instead x2 - but with larger sensor that should not be problem either.
    • Just asked ChatGP this question..saved so much time looking it all up, just gave me a decent list to start with for the summer…so simple… “Can you show me a list of nebula and galaxy targets visible from the 52nd parallel, and visible after dark, and all above 45 degrees from the horizon, and visible between May and September from the northern hemisphere, and show there approx direction in the night sky” And the answer was: Certainly! Here’s a list of nebula and galaxy targets visible from the 52nd parallel north, observable after dark, above 45 degrees from the horizon, and visible between May and September. I've included their approximate directions in the night sky. ### Nebulae 1. **Dumbbell Nebula (M27)**    - **Constellation:** Vulpecula    - **Best Viewing Time:** Mid-summer to early autumn    - **Direction:** High in the southeastern sky in the evening, moving to the south by midnight 2. **North America Nebula (NGC 7000)**    - **Constellation:** Cygnus    - **Best Viewing Time:** Mid-summer to early autumn    - **Direction:** High in the eastern sky in the evening, moving towards the zenith by midnight 3. **Veil Nebula (NGC 6960, NGC 6992, NGC 6995)**    - **Constellation:** Cygnus    - **Best Viewing Time:** Mid-summer to early autumn    - **Direction:** High in the eastern sky in the evening, moving towards the zenith by midnight 4. **Pelican Nebula (IC 5070)**    - **Constellation:** Cygnus    - **Best Viewing Time:** Mid-summer to early autumn    - **Direction:** High in the eastern sky in the evening, moving towards the zenith by midnight ### Galaxies 1. **Andromeda Galaxy (M31)**    - **Constellation:** Andromeda    - **Best Viewing Time:** Late summer to autumn (rises late in summer)    - **Direction:** Northeast in the late evening, moving higher in the northeastern sky by midnight 2. **Pinwheel Galaxy (M101)**    - **Constellation:** Ursa Major    - **Best Viewing Time:** Spring to early summer    - **Direction:** High in the northwestern sky after dark, setting in the northwest by midnight 3. **Bode's Galaxy (M81)**    - **Constellation:** Ursa Major    - **Best Viewing Time:** Spring to early summer    - **Direction:** High in the northwestern sky after dark, setting in the northwest by midnight 4. **Cigar Galaxy (M82)**    - **Constellation:** Ursa Major    - **Best Viewing Time:** Spring to early summer    - **Direction:** High in the northwestern sky after dark, setting in the northwest by midnight 5. **Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)**    - **Constellation:** Canes Venatici    - **Best Viewing Time:** Spring to early summer    - **Direction:** High in the west-northwestern sky after dark, setting in the northwest by midnight 6. **Sombrero Galaxy (M104)**    - **Constellation:** Virgo    - **Best Viewing Time:** Late spring to early summer    - **Direction:** Low in the western sky after dark, setting in the west by midnight ### Approximate Directions Summary - **Northwest:** M101, M81, M82, M51 - **West:** M104 - **East/Northeast:** NGC 7000, NGC 6960, IC 5070, M31 - **Southeast:** M27 Using a star chart or an astronomy app will help you locate these objects more precisely and understand their movement across the night sky throughout the evening.  
    • Thanks Vlaiv. I'm trying to see what the downside is here. Surely there must be something I've missed   A 150mm f8 is twice as fast (with 2x2 binning) as my current set up (90mm F6 APO and 533MM Pro) An f8 newt is more tolerant of collimation, has a flatter field and doesn't need a coma corrector on a 533 MM sensor 2x2 binning gives me a pixel scale of 1.3"/px, which suits my likely seeing and is well within my mount and guiding capabilities What's the catch?      
    • Best approach (not necessarily the one you'll end up using) would be to measure things on specific target and go by that. Measure background levels in each channel and then determine suitable exposure length that swamps read noise. Measure target signal and aim for specific SNR in total stack for that channel.
  • Recent Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • David Smith

      Blown away by the Aurora Borealis last night, fingers crossed we might get some more tonight 🙏
      · 0 replies
    • Earl

      We are total surronded NESW by Aroura !!!!!
      · 0 replies
    • Earl

      broken cloud time to run a timelpase from the back window, might do star trails later as its saying clear so far
      · 0 replies
    • Minhlead  »  inedible_hulk

      Hi there,
      I can see you had a Lunt 50mm for sale. By any chance it's still available?
      · 0 replies
    • Hawksmoor

      Had a brainwave as to how I could make a conversion gizmo to attach to my homemade spectrometer to enable it's use for nebulae. The aluminium bits arrived from EBAY this afternoon. I feel an astro project coming on!
      Finally got the LVST (Lowestoft Very Small Telescope) reprogrammed and catching 'meteor pings' again. Everything went west after the electrical supply to the shed went down in the last major storm deluge. All is up and running again. It really does pay to write down what you have done and programmed when you get old. I'm 74 years old you know!!👴
      · 0 replies
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