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There's also the Baader Solar Filters (50mm & 60mm filters in stock) and other types of solar filter can be found on THIS PAGE.

Eight, you’ll fit right in here on SGL!

I've not been down to the farm, but the car park above tyneham was pretty good, as long as you only look south...

Your M51 looks typical for a Seestar image at 7 mins. One of our club members just bought a Seestar and showed us some quite impressive images but he ran it for more like 90 minutes with all subs stored separately and then post-processed them. Spiral arms tend to remain dim in the smartphone output. Most Seestar posts are under 'Equipment/Whole Setups' or whatever it's called.

Essentially how I do it but all my equipment is generally together in one bag, maybe the tripod in hand. It gets annoying very quickly to-ing and fro-ing various pieces of equipment in their containers setting up and breaking down every time. At least if I have it fully assembled prior I use photo tripods so I can carry them through a single door with the legs in closed position, but I don't usually do this, I just setup outside with the more comfortable free space around me, and I don't struggle so much getting out the door.

Why don't you make your own filter holder out of cardboard like many people do when using solar film and attach it over the front of the lens?

It does make it easier to carry the mount-head out separately to the tripod in terms of weight, but it's just an another operation you will have to do when setting up. If I only had a single door, I couldn't do this due to the wide tripod legs, but double patio doors means the tripod is easy to carry out. All I do is check the tightness of the mount-head to the tripod every session. With regards to level, it is best practice especially if on the grass, so yes I would suggest to level the tripod first. However, because I set up on a level patio with the tripod legs fully retracted, in all honesty I've never checked my HEQ5 for level and I have no issues when imaging with regards to tracking, guiding or lost subs. If I had a larger scope with a longer focal length (say a C8), then yes maybe I would. Prior to the HEQ5, I used a Star Adventurer which comes with a built-in spirit level. I used it across my whole patio and never found I had to adjust for level, so a bit of prior "testing" and judgement aided with this.

Thanks for the heads up. I'd like to think it may be possible to witness an aurora. We would probably miss the Second Coming happening from here because of the dratted clouds. I've writen to my MP but to no avail. This is the current forecast- Cheers, Steve

I’m having an early “lunchtime” look. Again, it’s still stunning with more of a curve & swirl look to it. And like yesterday you can easily see filaments in the larger penumbral. Here are a couple of iPhone snaps. First from yesterday, second from today. In particular it’s clear how the trailing spot has developed and become more defined.

I'm still learning/practising guiding with my Az GTi and ZS61, last night I tried M13 but it was way off centre. After 6 x 3 minute subs and chose a different target, this time M81 and it was centred perfectly and I got 12 x 3 minute subs. Both images have no calibration frames with minimal processing but are just to illustrate the centering.

Looks like my size is out of stock

ED127 533mc and Baader Coolwedge Herschal.

Which of the eight is your favourite?

It's interesting to compare the rapid change in the shape of 3664 from the photos just a day apart. It's been chucking out flares galore, probably the most active sunspot so far this solar cycle.

Altair support came back to me this morning with a solution! Download the Altair Ascom driver. Done and all working now. Thank you for replying and hopefully this will help others if need be.

I've also seen a wooden chopstick (I guess you have to drill a hole in the knob) and a slice of foam swimming pool noodle slipped over the knob. The cable tie worked well when I had a Mak.

It's still looking impressive. 70mm frac and Lunt HW used here plus mobile held over eyepiece:

From https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/en/news/view/532/20240509-severe-g4-geomagnetic-storm-watch.html: This means that there are four, yes four separate coronal mass ejections currently on their way to Earth. The first of these coronal mass ejections will likely arrive in about 24 to 36 hours from now (late on 10 May or early on 11 May). This impact will likely be followed by three more coronal mass ejection arrivals on 11 and 12 May. This means we are in for a period with very high geomagnetic activity, where geomagnetic storm conditions are possible over multiple days. In response to the four anticipated coronal mass ejection arrives, the NOAA SWPC has issued a severe G4 geomagnetic storm watch for 11 May which yes indeed equal a Kp of 8. This could indeed be an amazing opportunity for sky watchers at middle latitude or maybe even low latitude locations to capture a glimpse of the aurora from places that normally do not get to see them. Under optimal conditions we might get to see aurora from latitudes as low as San Francisco (CA, United States) Dallas (TX) Atlanta (GA) and in Europe perhaps even northern France and southern Germany get a chance to see aurora. Like everything space weather related, nothing is a guarantee but all the ingredients are there that we might be in for some spectacular space weather here at Earth in the days ahead.

Indeed. I used to use mine at x223 for the moon, Jupiter at x179. It would take a lot more on double stars.

Is that a double stacked PST mod? Looks fab, the views must be very good.

Attaching a shower cap or similar might help. I have a cloth bag on my 130pds.

That confirms that I was seeing my "averted smudge" in the right place at least 🙂

Amazing views here. Seeing was good to start with but has dropped off now, views when good were incredible. So much going on in Ha in the big AR. Huge proms nearby too, and a nice filament by the AR.

It might be worth starting a new thread on eyepieces for your scope choice - it can be a complex subject - more complex than choosing the scope, believe it or not !