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Skywatcher Skyliner Flextube 400P - First Light!

DRT

By DRT
in Observing - Reports

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DRT

DRT

Posted
Posted

I managed to have a look through this beast for a short while last night and again this morning, although both sessions were in quite poor seeing conditions due to the amount of moisture in the atmosphere and lots of wispy high cloud.

Here she is standing almost 2m high at the eyepiece when near zenith...

post-33858-0-85308600-1444461028.png

My first target was the Ring Nebula - very easy to find with the Telrad and a lovely sight through the 17mm Ethos. Much bluer than I have seen previously, particularly when placed about midway between the centre and the edge of the FOV, but what amazed me more than anything was the scale of the image - wow!

Next was M13 - again easy to find and simply stunning in the Ethos 13mm with bright coloured stars all the way into the core. This was as good if not better than any view I have had of M13 through the CPC1100 at roughly the same magnification and once again the scale of the image just blew me away.

I then spent about half an hour looking for the Veil Nebula and failed miserably despite using various low power EPs, with and without my OIII filter. This is when I noticed just how much skill and balance is required to move a scope of this size around the sky whilst looking through the eyepiece and standing on a set of steps! I suspect that the Veil was not visible due to the seeing conditions as I am sure I was looking in the correct place so that will have to wait for another night.

The cloud then started to thicken so I gave up for the evening and set my alarm for 6 a.m. so that I could see the Moon and planetary alignment just before dawn. That was a beautiful sight but the Dob was in the wrong place in the garden to get a view of it. I then spent about twenty minutes having a look at the Orion Nebula, Pleiades and the Double Cluster. WOW!!!!! For that few minutes the sky seemed to be very clear and the views of these old favourites was simply stunning. The only downside was that the large objects which filled the FOV in the Ethos 21mm exposed just how much comma a big mirror creates. I have yet to master my Paracorr and didn't have time to start looking for which setting I needed for the E21 so I just  put up with it and enjoyed the view :grin:

By this time the Sun was coming up so I packed the beast away for the first time. Remarkably easy considering the size of it and it only took about 5 minutes.

Overall I am very pleased but am all too aware that it is going to take quite a bit of practice to learn to point this thing in the direction I want to. I also need to do some serious work on my knowledge of the sky! :rolleyes:

Not a bad start :wink:

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Owmuchonomy

Owmuchonomy

Posted
Posted

Hi Derek that's a beast. I have the 300. How do you get on moving the OTA and base around? Regarding the veil I can get it through the 300P but only with my Baader 0III. I think I was looking at it many times then all of a sudden it pops out and your brain integrates the rest. After that it was easier to spot in subsequent sessions. Happy viewing.

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DRT

DRT

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Hi Derek that's a beast. I have the 300. How do you get on moving the OTA and base around? Regarding the veil I can get it through the 300P but only with my Baader 0III. I think I was looking at it many times then all of a sudden it pops out and your brain integrates the rest. After that it was easier to spot in subsequent sessions. Happy viewing.

It's easier to move around than I expected but very heavy. I think a few mods are in order to make it a bit easier.

I'm sure I'll see the veil one day!

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faulksy

faulksy

Posted
Posted

I managed to have a look through this beast for a short while last night and again this morning, although both sessions were in quite poor seeing conditions due to the amount of moisture in the atmosphere and lots of wispy high cloud.

Here she is standing almost 2m high at the eyepiece when near zenith...

attachicon.gifScreen Shot 2015-10-10 at 08.08.48.png

My first target was the Ring Nebula - very easy to find with the Telrad and a lovely sight through the 17mm Ethos. Much bluer than I have seen previously, particularly when placed about midway between the centre and the edge of the FOV, but what amazed me more than anything was the scale of the image - wow!

Next was M13 - again easy to find and simply stunning in the Ethos 13mm with bright coloured stars all the way into the core. This was as good if not better than any view I have had of M13 through the CPC1100 at roughly the same magnification and once again the scale of the image just blew me away.

I then spent about half an hour looking for the Veil Nebula and failed miserably despite using various low power EPs, with and without my OIII filter. This is when I noticed just how much skill and balance is required to move a scope of this size around the sky whilst looking through the eyepiece and standing on a set of steps! I suspect that the Veil was not visible due to the seeing conditions as I am sure I was looking in the correct place so that will have to wait for another night.

The cloud then started to thicken so I gave up for the evening and set my alarm for 6 a.m. so that I could see the Moon and planetary alignment just before dawn. That was a beautiful sight but the Dob was in the wrong place in the garden to get a view of it. I then spent about twenty minutes having a look at the Orion Nebula, Pleiades and the Double Cluster. WOW!!!!! For that few minutes the sky seemed to be very clear and the views of these old favourites was simply stunning. The only downside was that the large objects which filled the FOV in the Ethos 21mm exposed just how much comma a big mirror creates. I have yet to master my Paracorr and didn't have time to start looking for which setting I needed for the E21 so I just  put up with it and enjoyed the view :grin:

By this time the Sun was coming up so I packed the beast away for the first time. Remarkably easy considering the size of it and it only took about 5 minutes.

Overall I am very pleased but am all too aware that it is going to take quite a bit of practice to learn to point this thing in the direction I want to. I also need to do some serious work on my knowledge of the sky! :rolleyes:

Not a bad start :wink:

i could only just see the veil my self last night and that was somewere pretty dark. nice first light report there and scope looks good

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Stu

Stu

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It's easier to move around than I expected but very heavy. I think a few mods are in order to make it a bit easier.

I'm sure I'll see the veil one day!

Great stuff Derek, the scope will really show its capabilities under a dark sky. You should be able to get the Veil no problem, but if the transparency was poor then it might have been tricky. With the 16" even with a 21e you are only looking at small parts of it at once so it's easier to miss or look through if conditions aren't great.

I've seen it in a 6" with OIII from home which is around mag 4.5 on a good night.

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