John

While browsing the web, as you do, I came across this website created and maintained by the American Institute of Physics. Some very interesting articles covering the development of thinking on cosmology and the development of tools to study it:

https://history.aip.org/history/exhibits/cosmology/index.htm

Worth an explore on a rainy evening

1 hour ago, scarp15 said:

I think that Peter Drew has crafted one. 

This is a Peter Drew creation. These are 150mm each I think.

7 hours ago, DaveL59 said:

oh my bad then, I'd not tallied John's previous alert with my first trawl around the bay this morning. 

No problem - I've reported the one you spotted as well now.

Trouble it, I suspect more will follow

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

What time did you test the cap, John?
 

🙂

 

At the third stroke it was three thirty one and forty four seconds

I have a Skywatcher dual axis drive system (non-GOTO) fitted to my Vixen GP mount (which is very similar to the EQ5) and that seems to run for ages from the stock battery pack which comprises of 4 x "D" cell alkaline batteries.

For me it's a bonus not to have to have an electric supply out to the mount or use a portable power pack.

If you don't feel happy with the stock battery pack then maybe a portable power pack would be a possibility ?:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/batteries-powerpacks/skywatcher-powertank-7ah.html

On 08/11/2020 at 18:37, John said:

I need to get a new larger dust cap for the ES 17mm 92 degree. The one supplied fits fine with the eye cup in the rolled down position but I use it in the rolled up position and that means a larger diameter dust cap. I'd prefer not to fiddle with rolling the eye cup up and down as I re-cap the eyepiece. I've been looking out for a suitably sized dust cap but so far not found one. The size is around 64-55mm I think....

 

Just a quick update on this, for anyone who might be interested. I measured the upright eye cup of the ES 17mm 92 eyepiece more carefully and found that 67mm was the correct diameter. My brother, who has a big box of old photo / video stuff, had a rummage and found an unbranded dust cap of 67mm inside diameter and sent it on to me. It fits pretty well and does not drop off when the eyepiece is turned upside down. 

I agree with David.

I used to have a Celestron C8 that was probably 20 years or more old. It performed really well. A couple of my current scopes are 14 and 20 years old respectively now but perform as well as the one I bought brand new 4 years ago.

If you are happy with it, I'd stick with it.

Lovely coatings on that eye lens !

It's got that "come look in here" appeal

Nice post and sketch David

Describes and illustrates very well what I saw last night with my Tak FC100.

2 hours ago, Craney said:

I hope it is bigger, then I will be able to see it around the edges of the tree that blocks it all Winter !!!   <grump...grump....>

Orion will stay the same size but trees can me made smaller

I'll report it again when I get a moment.

I suspect it will keep popping up though - they don't seem to give up easily

9 minutes ago, HollyHound said:

Perhaps when all this lockdown is over properly, we can arrange something (you're only just down the M5 from me), as it would be good to get your comparison between the Pentax XW5 and DeLite 5mm 🤔

That would be fun !

I've owned the 3-6mm Nagler zoom twice in the past and also found that I didn't "bond" with it either. A couple of years ago I picked up the 2-4mm version and found that I got on much better with it. Odd really because the two are very, very similar to use

The 2-4mm does have half mm click stops rather than 1mm though but that's not a showstopping difference.

It is a magnificent constellation and packed full of interesting targets

Those that have joined this hobby over the Summer period and are yet to explore Orion are in for a treat

I had a look at it last night through patchy clouds and it looks the same to me as it always has

Thanks for that information. My dobsonian is a 12 inch Orion Optics F/5.3. I usually prefer using my refractors for double star observing but I will need to try the dobsonian more often on those targets I think.

Delites look delightful

I'd like to try one someday. I tend to only use my barlow with my zoom as well and use either fixed short focal length eyepiece or the specialised 2-4 Nagler zoom.

Good to have options at high power

Another very impressive list

Your skies, scope and eye must be excellent to be able to split all those sub-arc second pairs and some easily as well.

What sort of 12 inch dobsonian are you using ?

It looks a great scope Michael

I agree with you re: photos of the actual instrument rather than boxes

2 hours ago, Antares_856 said:

I’ve joined the ranks.... sold all my other gear and my order has gone in with FLO today:

Berlebach Planet

AZ100 full accessories + Nexus DSC

TSA 120

Mewlon 210

 

Many thanks to the excellent Mr Ian King @FLO for his help and advice, and also Dave @Rowan
 

Close to wetting myself with excitement... can’t wait 😃

John

I think that is called "going the whole hog" !

I'm sure you will absolutely love those choices

That all sounds very satisfying - nice report

27 minutes ago, AustenPhil said:

Thanks guys have just ordered the baader and am probably going to upgrade to the bst starguider EP’s in due course, out of interest anyone know what the stock EP’s FOV are with the heritage 150p?

The 10mm claims to be 52 degrees and the 25mm 50 degrees. Not sure if those are accurate figures though - the ones I've used seemed a little narrower than that

12 minutes ago, Stu said:

Actually I’ve just seen it’s clear outside, but too tired to put a scope out now. I suspect this feature has rotated off the disk now, is that right? Is it best caught early at the moment?

It's cloudy here now so I can't check on the current state of affairs but I figure early evening is the best time. The area which the dust storm seems to be affecting moves westwards as the planet rotates and could well be mostly out of sight over a couple of hours looking at the simulators.

I've just read a report from early this evening on the CN forum which described a pale "finger" bisecting the darker areas diagonally from the SW limb, which sounds similar.

These are dynamic things though so the shape / extent could well change over the coming hours and days.

4 minutes ago, John said:

Just observing Mars again now with my Tak FC100.

That brighter streak / corridor though the darker terrain in the SW quadrant of the planets disk that Paul Abel draws in his 1st drawing in Jeremy's link above seems to be quite visible just now. It divides off a chunk of the darker area to the W of it.

Worth a look if you can get out, before that area rotates off the disk.

I'm supposed to be cooking supper now so I'm just grabbing a few moments at the scope while my other half is on the phone

 

I've flipped Paul's drawing to get the refractor view here and arrowed the pale feature that I'm seeing:

Just observing Mars again now with my Tak FC100.

That brighter streak / corridor though the darker terrain in the SW quadrant of the planets disk that Paul Abel draws in his 1st drawing in Jeremy's link above seems to be quite visible just now. It divides off a chunk of the darker area to the W of it.

Worth a look if you can get out, before that area rotates off the disk.

I'm supposed to be cooking supper now so I'm just grabbing a few moments at the scope while my other half is on the phone

The 1920's cigarette card thoughts on the Martian landscape have obviously been influenced by Schiaparelli and Lowell