dweller25

Yes, if you can track it fast enough - it moves very quickly, but @Kon manages it with a dobsonian……. https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/418411-first-international-space-station-for-2024-260124/#comment-4453699

The International Space Station is a naked eye object and passes over the UK regularly. I use an app called “ISS SPOTTER” to predict it’s position, “Stellarium” can be used too.

Hello Jerry and welcome to SGL 🙂👍

Mars angular size over the next couple of oppositions….

Coming soon, The Moon, Hesiodus crater ray phenomenon, May 28th….

You will see the benefits going from 8” to 10” 👍

If you have collimated before then you will not find the f/4.8 tricky to collimate, although the f/6.3 would have more latitude. But even if you have not collimated before it’s a learnable process 👍 The f/6.3 is more suited to planetary as it has a smaller secondary obstruction, but it’s a long telescope. Both are good 🙂

Yes, a 125mm refractor is a good size and there are quite a few out there now 👍

I have a plastic box too now 🙂

Sorry, you did say you were considering the 140mm and my response was for the 120mm !

He caught covid - it’s badly affected his logic, memory and love of lens licking 🙂 Get well soon Mike 👍

Looking forward to the responses as I have one that needs sprucing up …

That’s Astronomy for ya 🤣

But angular diameter at opposition will not be the best 🙁

At least Mars and Jupiter will be high in the sky until 2027, see this from @Stu

I just read that thread and here is my take. The one person who bought the Askar 120 said it was visually outstanding and then sold it quite quickly !

Here is one of my old posts from 2010 where my wife and I visually compared a 5” refractor to a Skywatcher 8” F/6 Newtonian… “I was really enthusing about how good the seeing was so Mrs Dweller25 decided to come out and have a look. Now this is a rare event as Mrs D and the cold night air don't mix so to spice things up a little I suggested a shootout between the 5" Takahashi FS128 and the Skywatcher 8" F/6 Newtonian. Each of us would take a turn observing and drawing Mars in each scope so we could compare and contrast. Seeing was very good - AII, temp was -4'C. We concluded :- 1. Mrs D25 has better eyesight than me - I have astigmatism 😕 2. The humble Skywatcher slightly outperforms the Tak 😱 🙂

The AZEQ6, 80mm refractor, 5” refractor and 8” Newtonian is a great combo and would cover imaging and visual nicely 👍

@Replayy Where do you live ? It could be worthwhile hooking up with an SGL member who lives close to you or going to your local astronomy club.

I think it best that we agree to disagree and move on. All the best in whatever choice you make 👍

@Flame Nebula I have constructively contributed to many of your posts but this one felt like the title was just click bait when you said the wording was “deliberate” You have subsequently explained what you were trying to do. Perhaps it would have been better to have had a more genuine approach at the start ?

Good point Magnus and I always cool my eyepieces, diagonal and especially my binoviewers with the scope.

You need to put the above drawtube back into the focuser, marked below..

I just saw an eyepiece - it’s in the end of the draw tube….

Sounds like an 8” F/5, mirrors look reasonable but hard to tell. Do you have any eyepieces with it like this - ignore the writing.