John

1 hour ago, Astronomist said:

I'm going to give the pup a go this year, but I suspect the seeing and my dob's TDE might hold me back. I will give it as many attempts as possible though and hope for good seeing 🤞

As long as you can get a sharp image in the central region of the field of view, you should be in with a chance. In terms of the separation it is not a difficult split - around 11 arc seconds currently so similar to Rigel and it's companion. It's the brightness and glare from Sirus A that creates the challenge with the much dimmer (10,000 times dimmer in fact) "Pup" star usually glimmering through the haze of light that surrounds it.

Here is another interesting, and recent, piece on this challenge:

Sirius B: Now is the best time to see Sirius’ companion (earthsky.org)

Unless the seeing conditions are really good (which is rare) you will only get the occasional glimpses of what your telescope is really capable of. These can only be momentary lasting a second or two. That is why you need to spend quite a lot of time observing a target such as Jupiter - you get more chance of seeing one of those fleeting moments. Our atmosphere is responsible for these variations.

10 hours ago, ED Splitter said:

Got 20 mins and a bit more between the clouds. Kept to a 27mm panoptic at the outset as was intending to comet hunt. Clouds put an end to that. Started on Jupiter, 27mm not typically planetary but it gives some detail with 4”frac and it resolves the moons as discs in an overall pleasing FOV. The sky Visibility looked good and clear as could resolve the trapezium in Orion easily at 27mm. Having obtained a degree of confidence following a watch of the sky at night YouTube video for January I then moved over to Sirius and increased mag.

Using a 6mm bco I could detect something in the overwhelming light of Sirius, backed off slightly with a 7mm bgo which confirmed the something in a neater form. I went all in for mag with a 3.2mm starguider and waited for Sirius to rise a little, 20mins later there it was the dog and pup. No comet but will take that. Observed that wonderful sight until the clouds ruined it, all of 2 mins. Then packed up and went in for a celebratory chip butty. 
 

Congratulations on getting "the pup" with a 4 inch frac 🙂

Here is a sketch I made a couple of years ago using my ED120 refractor. The Pup star has been to the E and slightly N of Sirius the the past few years and trails behind it as Sirius drifts across an undriven field of view.

Interesting.

My perception of the colour tints of these planets is similar to @Stu's and @Saganite's. Generally I would describe Neptune as pale blue.

When I have observed either planet close to the Moon, the colour tints seem to be noticeably stronger. 

I often wonder if younger observers eyes are more sensitive to colour tints ? - that often has been the case when I've been sharing the views at outreach events.

1 hour ago, scarp15 said:

Delos and DeLite are parfocal.....

Apart from the 17.3mm and 14mm Delos. Those need around 10mm inwards focuser travel to reach focus.

1 hour ago, Voxish said:

Interesting. I have both Radians and Delites. I can not see any of the coffee tone some on the other channel seem obsessed with (several threads on the topic). The same thing is often said about TV plossls, a warm or coffee tone that is. Personally I prefer Radians to Delites, they are just a little more comfortable and the build quality is better, in my opinion anyway. Panoptics for me were horrible kidney bean enducing things. I bought two together years ago and sold them together a few weeks later, I just didn’t enjoy the experience or views with the 24 mm so I bought a 32 mm TV plossl and added a eye extender.  I have used Radian for years, I almost have a full set but can’t find the outstanding 6 mm. Never ever had any kidney beaning like I had with panoptics, but there you. Very, very personal things eyepieces aren’t they. BTW if you still have a 6mm Radian then I am absolutely a player. 

I've never noticed the "coffee tone" on those eyepieces either. Some eyepieces do have a slightly different tone to the views but I haven't found those variations annoying or distracting. 

The only Panoptic that I have owned is the 24mm and I don't find kidney beaning an issue with it myself. As you so rightly say though, eyepiece preferences do seem very personal. Perhaps more so than most other items of equipment. I guess that is because the eyepiece creates the connection between the human system and the optical system and that intimacy makes us very sensitive to their characteristics and how they match (or don't match) ours 🤔 

If possible, it is best to keep optical accessories such eyepieces, filters and barlow lenses slightly warmer than the outside temperature. If they get too cold they have the tendency to fog as you use them from the warmth of your face and eye socket. 

For non-optical accessories your flat shelf could be useful.

3 hours ago, bosun21 said:

..... I really, really must get myself a light G&G set up for these opportunities regardless of how short they are.

Without such setups I think I would have given up observing a while back !

Lovely scope Andy 

Hope your clear skies last a bit longer - mine have been replaced by fine rain now 🙄

54 minutes ago, John said:

Back out again now, fed and watered 🙂

Still clear skies here and still good seeing. The detail showing on Jupiter is really very nice indeed this evening 

 

Curses !!! - fine misty rain now and gradually tuning into something steadier. I was enjoying that as well 🤨

Back out again now, fed and watered 🙂

Still clear skies here and still good seeing. The detail showing on Jupiter is really very nice indeed this evening 

I've grabbed the opportunity to have a look at Jupiter before supper. The seeing seems pretty good and my little Vixen 102 is showing very nice belt detail and the great red spot as starts it's traverse across Jupiter's disk this evening. Unusually for Jupiter from here, even 200x is showing good contrast in the jovian cloud tops.

Lots of clouds lurking though so I have to be ready to pop the scope under cover quickly but it is nice to be seeing something celestial again 🙂

5 minutes ago, Nik271 said:

Wow, that's 80mm focal length eyepiece in the photo! My calculator shows that it's maximal apparent field of view will be 2 arctan(5/16) or about 35 degrees, and this is assuming a 50mm field stop. 

That sounds right. The 60mm and 80mm's are very niche eyepieces !

1 hour ago, Louis D said:

They are highly sought after in the US, show up infrequently, and command high prices for what is a basically a Plossl.  I think Gary Russell or Harry Siebert could cobble together something similar if asked.

The original Ultimas, Orion Ultrascopics and Parks Gold Series are highly favoured but some members here too as I recall.

I believe they were made by Masuyama in Japan.   

Things are looking more optimistic from Friday onwards here when colder but, hopefully, clearer weather arrives 🙂🤞

I got some naked eye glimpses of Orion and Jupiter last night but those were in gaps in the scudding clouds and heavy showers. 

11 minutes ago, Second Time Around said:

....Anyone got one to sell by any chance?

Not me I'm afraid Steve - I've owned the Ultima's up to 35mm FL but none of the "big boys" 🙂

Celestron used to market the Japanese made Ultima eyepieces in long focal lengths. This was a 5 element modified plossl design I think. Here are the 45mm, 60mm and 80mm from that range, all in the 2 inch fitting:

18 minutes ago, Second Time Around said:

I don't think there's a "right" answer, just what's right for an individual........

.............However, I think that the main reason that so many beginners give up is the frustration of not being able to find objects...... 

Two nails hit very firmly on the head there Steve 

Hopefully the variety of approaches shared in this thread will help folks new to observing find a way that works for them 🙂

I use RACI optical finders with my refractors and a similar finder plus an illuminated reticule finder with dobsonians.

I generally use a combination of Stellarium and / or printed star charts to locate targets where I either don't know, or can't recall, the precise location.

Sometimes a low power, wide field, eyepiece in the scope is used for the final stages of hopping with particularly faint or obscure targets.

I often work out my own "star hop" pathways for more obscure targets. Generally these involve visualising the location of a target relative to readily visible stars. Unofficial asterisms (eg: triangles, rhomboids etc) help with this as does thinking along the lines of "2/3rds of the way between star A and star B, and down a little", that sort of thing.

Certain parts of the sky are much better for me because of rather cluttered horizons and some large conifers bordering our property so I often have to be patient to allow a prospective target to rise into the clear area of sky. 

I know the position of a decent range of targets by heart now. As the seasons pass though I do sometimes need to refresh my memory for the initial viewing of a target that season. 

I can find my way around the principle constellations / brighter stars of each season now which helps with star hopping and observing planning.

My target location improved a lot with the acquisition many years back of the Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas which I found that worked well with my finders. During the months that followed the arrival of that little publication, my DSO hauls increased markedly 🙂

I always try and end a session on an "easy find" rather than a frustrating and fruitless search. That way, my motivation to observe again ASAP stays strong.

A barlow does extend eye relief. The amount depends on the focal length of the barlow lens I believe. The focal point will usually change as well. Not sure about the shape of the exit pupil plane 🤔

I've owned a Vixen "silvertop" 2 inch 50mm plossl in the past. It's performance was decent but the eye relief was long so I needed to "hover" my eye well above the top of the eyepiece, not something that I'm fond of doing. The AFoV of that one was stated as 50 degrees but it may have been a degree or two less in reality. 

I used this one with a C8 SCT I had at that time. I think I decided that I liked the views that 40mm SWA eyepieces produced better (darker background sky ?) and they showed the same amount of true field.

Although Saturn is very beautiful, I find Jupiter a much more interesting target in terms of being able to see features changing from session to session and also as you actually observe. You never know quite what the giant planet will present to you 🙂

Just now, Second Time Around said:

John, it was my 72mm f/6 I was referring to.  However, it's an earlier model from Altair Astro with I believe a shorter main tube, so may have more infocus as result.

Mine is an early one as well. 

The APM would have been too bulky for me to consider as a travel eyepiece though. I saw it as a potential replacement for my Delos 14mm and Pentax XW 10mm within the 1.25 inch set that I use with my 100mm-130mm refractors and especially in the Tak. 

12 hours ago, Bugdozer said:

Shh! Don't let the Dob Squad hear you! 😁

What have you got against dobsonians ? 

I'm sure very few on here would advocate them as the answer to every astronomical need 🙂