John

Great report Rob !

I completely forgot about the Veil last night - it would have been a great night for that target but there was so much else going on !

You description of the impact of the UHC and the O-III on this target are spot on.

Both worth having though

John

20 minutes ago, johninderby said:

There is a bit of variability in the ED120 optics. Most are very good but there are a few lemons out there. I had an Equinox 120 but soon sold it on as it always disapointed. 

So it you get one check it out carefully and send it back if it’s not right.

I have read one negative report on these optics since they were released - two now counting yours. The first was also an Equinox 120 from 2008 as it happens:

https://astromart.com/reviews-and-articles/reviews/telescopes/refractors/show/eon-120-reveiw

The tests of the objectives on Herr Rohr's site have been excellent.

As we know there are lemons in all brands including Tak, CFF and the top end ones. I don't think that an ED120 has any more chance of being a sub-standard unit than any other brand.

But I totally accept that the ED120 might just not be the type of scope that the OP is looking for. Thats a much better reason not to go for one IMHO 

Great shots

I had the same view but from my garden at Portishead and over some rooftops. I was packing up when the NLC's appeared. Great end to a superb night of astronomy.

I'm packing in as well. Totally agree Neil - this is what it is all about. The sky rewarded me with this sight as I packed the scope away - simply breathtaking:

Just when I thought it was all over ..... this happened at the northern horizon. Noctilucent Cloud display AND a bright comet !!!!

11 minutes ago, Pete Presland said:

...It's a must see object!

It certainly is !!!!

Well I got Saturn with the Cassini Division, equatorial cloud belts and 4 moons showing rather well.

But there was more. The Moon and Mars are now visible and tempting. A quick view of the Moon, for completeness sake, then onto Mars. Nice detail showing. Dark features plus a prominent south polar cap.

Finally back to Comet Neowise. Best view of the night of that was with the ED120 refractor and the 40mm Aero ED eyepiece. A 3 degree true field which framed the comet and it's subtly curving tail magnificently. Almost felt that I could see the outgassing billowing away from the nucleus and streaming away.

Probably won't get many nights like this so making the most of it

Skirting the rooftops now. Used a high ISO to get the roofs, hence the grain

What a night !!!!!

Two scopes cooled and ready plus 11x70 binoculars.

Fabulous naked eye comet complete with long tail.

Galaxies, nebulae and clusters showing wonderfully overhead.

Jupiter with the Great Red Spot bang in the centre of the disk with a lovely arrangement of it's moons and background stars to compliment it.

Just waiting for Saturn to round off the sort of session that has not occurred for a long, long time.

Simply glorious

Great stuff Steve 

"...... this will be done the old fashioned way, with eyes, atlas and a hop...."

That's the way I like to do it as well

5 minutes ago, JamesF said:

And the dark side has you at last!

James

Only as a snap shooter !

2020 F3 Neowise is definitely a naked eye comet tonight. The tail seems to extend for a couple of degrees at least. Quite clear and rather lovely when it's bisected by a low cloud as it is just now.

I have a Vixen ED102 and a lovely scope it is too. But I use the ED120 much, much more

Quick crop of DSLR shot at 300mm F/11, 1.6 sec ISO 1600:

2 minutes ago, Pixies said:

Which Baader barlow is that, John? They have several?

The Classic Q 2.25x:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/barlows/baader-classic-q-225x-barlow.html

Seems crazy to me to let the colour of a scope get in the way of an absolutely superb option but there you go

My ED120 is a wonderful refractor and compares well against my Tak and my TMB/LZOS 130 triplet which of course cost considerably more.

Hope you find something the right colour soon

My shots (crops below) on the 6th July were with an unmodified DSLR, 200mm lens at F/5.6 ISO 800 1 second exposure. First time that I'd tried anything like that but it seemed to work. Rather a nervous process because the gap in the clouds was not going to last long and the comet faded quite fast as the dawn light started to come into the sky.

Hope to get some more soon

2 hours ago, Alan White said:

The APM ones are I am sure made in China.

 

That's my understanding about those as well.

1 hour ago, gary756 said:

Should I also be thinking about upgrading my star diagonal. Are there any decent ones for around £50-£100 or less would better. 

The Baader zoom is quite a bulky eyepiece and while it has a 1.25" barrel option, some feel that it sits more securely in a 2 inch diagonal using it's 2 inch barrel option. It's still a 1.25" eyepiece optically of course.

With some clearer skies forecast over the next few days we should have some fund with this one

1 hour ago, russ said:

The mount looks epic John.

It is Russ

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

And beware when talking Orion.

Orion are a US brand which are similar to Skywatcher.

Orion Optics Uk are a UK based manufacturer making scopes here in the UK, up in Cheshire.

As to flextubes, sorry, never had one, could not see the point until getting big, then I would have gone truss tube.

and having just noted the OP, hello Simon.

I usually put "Orion (USA)" in my posts to differentiate them from Orion Optics but I omitted that on this occasion. Sorry for any confusion caused.

Orion Optics are great scopes at long as you buy them pre-owned

Made at the North Pole by Santa's elves during their "off" season, like all really good eyepieces

The early TAL 100 objectives had beautiful coatings

The ED120 is pretty good as well though. It pretty much vanishes if you catch it at a certain angle.

Hi and welcome to the forum

I'm just a bit SW of Bristol myself but a member of Bristol Astro Society.