John

One of the tiniest stars that can be seen is Sirius B, AKA "The Pup Star". It's believed to be smaller than the Earth.

It might have been helpful if you had caveated your initial post with that information ?

I enjoy playing "how faint can you see ?" as well. With M57 well placed currently it's not a bad place to play this game: I'm often surprised at how smaller aperture scopes can still show that mag 13 star. The faintest I've managed is mag 14.7 with my old 12 inch dob. I've yet to convincingly spot the central star of M57 though.

Another peek at this nova with the 100mm refractor this evening. Brightness seems similar to last nights observation. Visually it seems to me to be around mag 11.3 or maybe 11.4.

Here are some feedback reports for SGL that I've done courtesy of loans from FLO. They are getting a bit long in the tooth now (like me !) but might be of some use to someone: 31nagler30xw28nirvana11-09.pdf30mm Vixen NPL v Baader 32 pl02-13.pdfBaader Classic Orthos01-13.pdfHutechOrthos04-13.pdfHyperions V LVWs10-10.pdfPentaxVBaaderVNaglers11-09.pdfSkywatcher SWA 70 Degree Eyepieces03-13.pdfPentaxVBaaderVNaglers11-09.pdfSW_Aero_30mm02-09.pdfVixen_SSW_Eyepieces_Review.pdfVixen SLV Eyepieces05-14.pdf

If FLO stocked the brand, they would probably make one available to an SGL member or two to try about a report back on. They have a habit of doing that 🙂 In the past they have loaned me and others quite a few eyepieces and other gear (some rather expensive !) to do just that with. It really helps reaching a balanced viewpoint when you have not personally invested (other than some time) in an item. I assume that Bogdan was loaned his example ?

Got nova V615 Vul again tonight, with the Tak FC100. It seems to my eye to have dimmed a little since Thursday evening. I'd estimate around magnitude 11.3 compared to surrounding stars ? In this crop of @JeremyS's image posted above, this evening I reckon the nova (indicated between the yellow lines by Jeremy) is now a touch fainter than the magnitude 11.10 star that I've indicated with the red arrow. It was clearly brighter than that star on Thursday night, visually as well as photographically. Who knows what might happen to it next though 🙂

Interesting to hear. One of my favourite albums as well and one of the first that I ever purchased, with my paper round money, back in the 1970's 🙂 I think Tubular Bells was the very first - that dates me, doesn't it !

Anyone compared an APM Superzoom with TV DeLite equivalent FL eyepieces ?

Personally I prefer the zoom image. The colours look more natural and the sharpness seems better. I'd have to actually use one myself at night and over a number of sessions / scopes / targets ideally to decide though. It's the only way to really find out🙂

Just the one target for my short session this evening with my Tak FC100 and that was Nova Vulpeculae 2024. As reported here, I think I got it 🙂 https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/424357-nova-vulpeculae-2024/?do=findComment&comment=4502952

Here are a couple of Stellarium screen shots (refractor view so N = top and E & W reversed) which might help find this nova. The 1st shows 9 and 12 Vulpec for the general location. The 2nd shows the close up view.

That is wonderful ! Needless to say, my view at 150x with my 100mm Tak was "unhindered" by 95% of those fainter stars - which might make zeroing in on the nova easier !

Clouds have relented. Pretty sure that I have got the nova with the 100mm refractor. If you can find that little kinked line of 4 stars (2 at mag 11 and 2 around mag 9.8) then the fainter pair point at the nova's position. My estimate tonight for the nova is around magnitude 10.5 but I'm not experienced in these things so I'll wait for estimates from more experienced observers / imagers. The photo posted by @JeremyS above was helpful in finding it visually as was Stellarium for getting to the little kinked line of stars. Start by finding 9 Vulpecula and then move slowly west to find the 4 stars in a kinked line (which is a small asterism). Not much else in that small part of the sky that will show in a 10cm aperture !

But the clouds have a different plan apparently ......... 🤨

Might have a crack at this one tonight 🙂

I've used my Lunt 1.25 HW quite frequently with my ED120. The heatsink gets warm on a clear day but not noticeably more so than when I use the HW with my 85mm or 100mm scopes.

Apart from simplicity and low cost, the dobsonian mount does a great job of holding a large, fat, heavy optical tube steady enough for high magnifications to be employed. Goodness knows what the cost / weight / bulk would have been of an equatorial mount that would have held my 12 inch F/5.3 optical tube steady enough for 400x - 500x to be a practical proposition when conditions / target allowed. The 18mm plywood dobsonian mount managed that for around £200 build costs and 10kg in weight.

Exciting - I was observing that part of the sky the night before last but was unaware of the nova. Something to have a look at next time out 🙂

Getting under dark skies is very beneficial - I recall an SGL star party when I had a 6 inch scope and the skies were pretty dark. The 6 inch was showing galaxies quite nicely that my 10 inch struggled to show at all from my garden at home.

Nice report Kerry - glad you got a scope out again 🙂 I didn't realise that you had an FC100 DL - I'm still very fond of mine 👍

I used to fit my 12 inch F/5.3 solid tube dob in my Golf-size hatchback when going to star parties. I needed to fold one half of the split rear seat down to fit the tube in. The mount stood upright on the other side of the boot. A flex-tube might not need the split seat folding down. Those "double the light grasp" figures don't seem to translate into massive differences in observing in my experience. Subtle differences maybe.

I can't advise on the GOTO side of things as I don't use it but I'm not sure that moving from a 6 inch aperture to an 8 inch will give you much in the way of improvements to the views ? 10 inches would give a more meaningful and longer lasting extra / deeper reach I think. That does present challenges if you want to stick with EQ mounting of course. Maybe a GOTO 10 inch dobsonian ?

A session with the Tele Vue 85 this evening. Highlights included Messier 11, the Wild Duck cluster in Scutum. Nice at 37.5x (ES 16mm 68) but even nicer at 75x (Svbony 3-8 zoom at 8mm). Also made some interesting comparisons of Pi Aquilae (1.42 arc seconds separation and nearly equal brightness components) and Mu Cygni (1.47 arc seconds separation but with component stars of 4.7 and 6.2 magnitude). That brightness difference adds to the challenge of getting the Mu Cygni split but I'm happy to report that the TV 85 got both with 200x being the "sweet spot" magnification this evening. Might wait for Saturn to rise above the rooftops unless the need to sleep becomes overwhelming 🙄 Shorts and T-shirt observing tonight 🙂

Interesting timing (not my advert !): U.K. Astronomy Buy & Sell (astrobuysell.com)