Jiggy 67

11 hours ago, scarp15 said:

The Camels Eye Nebula

Also known as The Oyster Nebula 

Anyone ever observed this nebula in Camelopardias?

Spent about half an hour with it tonight and I was really surprised at just how nice it is. I have to say, it was really small with the Morpheus 4.5mm (x222 mag) but a definite blue colour. It appeared to have a haze around it which shimmered as the seeing altered. Tried an 0III and a UHC but neither were any good, however, the Baader MOon and Skyglow made it stand out nicely.

Be prepared to work at this one, it’s quite challenging but I found it to be worth the effort 

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-slow-motion-cable-set.html

FLO have them as well but currently out of stock 

37 minutes ago, Newforestgimp said:

Yeah the price is prohibitive TBH, £250 seems like a lot to me.

Yep, it’s expensive but most things of quality in astronomy are. If you want a power supply that does the job year in year out without losing it’s ability like lead batteries do and is simple to use with multiple devices then this is worth the money and will make life easy. You could go for cheaper options but life could be difficult and require a bit of electrical knowledge. I have the same knowledge as you so I have the Celestron battery and it works perfectly powering an EQ6 R Pro and dew bands over at least two or three nights without a recharge 

Brexit may well make this situation worse with lorrys backed up at the ports 

9 minutes ago, saac said:

I think what you are looking at is the expansion of the universe which gives rise to distant objects having a higher recessional velocity than nearby objects.  This is measured in the red shift of distant galaxies which is one of the supporting pieces of evidence to support the expansion of the universe.  My understanding is  that it doesn't point to things slowing down rather than the stretching of the space between the objects. 

Jim

I love that Jim, great explanation.....now explain the influence of dark energy on the expansion of the Universe 😀😀

This may surprise everyone.......my Celestron 32mm Omni Plossl. Crystal sharp view every time

These things are sent to try us!!

Wow, you’re obviously a very determined individual, overcoming each problem as it arises. Good luck, I hope you get it all up and running 

12 hours ago, Dtfvmd said:

Meade 130eq scope, finder scope very hard to adjust to sync with what is in eyepiece , is there a better mount that would allow more precise adjustment?

I don’t think the mount has anything to do with alignment of the finderscope and the main scope. 
I use a reticle eyepiece. Centre a star in the eyepiece of the main scope then use the adjustment screws on the finderscope to centre the same star in the finderscope. You can do it during the day on a distant object, the top of a pylon for example but I find a star easier as the inverted views of a distant object can be confusing 

On 09/12/2020 at 13:27, Captain Magenta said:

I’ve toyed with the idea of a cooling fan but don’t have one yet. The mirror was cooling naturally but I’d say the temperature had dropped from around 4-5 degs C to about -2 in the space of an hour.

I’d heard of the cooling effect on mirrors by reading some of Mike Lockwood’s writings.

M

That’s quite scary. Can permanent damage be done to the mirror??

The dew point changes depending on a number of factors and is often ( more often than not) well below 10’

15 minutes ago, Nik271 said:

I used to do that in the summer but in winter I'm worried that moisture will get inside the equipment. It's been terribly wet recently

I’m not gonna lie, you have to be prepared to dig deep and buy a good cover (TG 365) and even a cheaper one as well for underneath that when really severe rain is forecast but I can assure you that I have never had a problem, a bit of condensation maybe but equipment can deal with that, it’s designed for it. I keep my newt out but I may not keep my soon to arrive frac out.

 I work and arrive home in the dark, I just know I wouldn’t bother if I had to drag everything in and out , even if it was a much simpler setup which is difficult in light polluted skies at the best of times

Another alternative is leaving everything setup under a cover. I use GoTo on a heavy mount and a reasonably large scope. Everything is left outside, polar aligned and star aligned. With a good cover I have never suffered from water ingress etc and I can be on my first target within 10 minutes and no lifting in and out of the house at all

Consider a good light pollution filter, the only filter you will need. It won’t solve the light pollution problem but it may assist 

Caught up with this on YouTube. Excellent and fascinating account of an event I hadn’t realized was so huge. 

4 minutes ago, Luke said:

s that the F9 SW100?

Yes it is, your words are encouraging, but being used to newts, I may be coming to you for advice soon 😀

I suspect that, after Xmas, the best place to get “brand new” equipment will be the used market.....a bizarre state of affairs!

11 minutes ago, Luke said:

Anyway, which scope was tempting you?!

I was just browsing. I’ve actually got a SW 100 ED on order, been waiting months but it now says 10-15 days for delivery (I realize that’s just a guide), my first ever frac....so that should be interesting 🤔 

I looked at the 150, but it’s a beast! 😀 

I know availability has been really low in recent months but I was shocked to see FLO’s new section of available telescopes on the website......only 2 available across the whole site!!! .....unbelievable!

Obviously it’s not FLO’s fault, it’s the state of the industry at the moment but even when stocks start to return the backlog will be massive 

That’s actually quite a good question, I can’t think of any good reason why it can’t other than:

it’s close to the eyepiece making it easier to switch between the two

If it was at the bottom of the OTA it would be awkward when looking towards the zenith 

I have to say that I’m not an imager, just a visual observer, but I wouldn’t even observe from an upstairs bedroom window let alone image for all the reasons above. 
Plus, part of the reason for this hobby for me is getting out in the peace, quiet and dark of the garden away from tv’s , partners, dogs and other distractions. Provides time for self reflection and relaxation as well as astronomy

However I get that some people in flats etc may not have much choice 

Just when you thought it was all over 😀.....what about the Concentre 

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p5506_TS-Optics-Concenter-2--Collimation-Eyepiece-for-Newtonian-Telescopes.html

I have got one and uses it once to centre the secondary under the focuser......but it will completely collimate a scope......just widening the debate, sorry 

33 minutes ago, John said:

At least you can use a star test to act as a "referee"

Absolutely!

It really is personal preference, some people prefer a Cheshire, others a laser, I’ve tried both . I prefer a laser (HoTech, which I think is a premium bit of kit) and you’re right, a laser is quick and easy in the dark if you need it. 
The Cheshire V Laser argument has been repeated a hundred times before on this forum and will repeat a hundred times again, it never gets resolved because it’s all about preference 😀