HarryLP

Thanks for the confirmation/reassurance.

I received my 7.2 to 21.6mm on Monday and tried out that evening which was cloud free and the seeing was excellent. I have no previous experience with a zoom ep, i found the action to be smooth with no sticky movements. I experienced no 'clicks' as it moved through the range, appeared to focus (with slight adjustment) in any position not just the marked positions - is this normal ? I found the views to be crisp and sharp like the celestron omnis i have.. I compared the mag with the TMB II 8mm and it seemed similar. Even though the moon was at about 70%, got good views of Jupiter and Saturn though obviously washed out color and of course the moon. Additionally Almach and Albireo with good light blue on the secondaries. Would be tempted on 3mm zoom if it came on a similar offer.

Not sure if this is the right place for this but let me add my current experiences with binoculars. I have astigmatism of -1.25 in both eyes which I believe is in low end mild level. I mainly wear torric contact lens during the day and varifocals at night. I observe naked eye. I have 10X50 'lidl' binos which are excellent during daylight with or without contacts but virtually impossible to obtain a merged single astro image with at night, with or without contacts. Amazon have just had their spring sale and I purchased Celestron 25x70 Skymasters hoping that the bigger adjustment range would help. I also wanted a decent pair to encourage me out more, as over the last six months the cloud cover has been so bad it's not been worth getting the dob out. Not had a lot of time to fully test...too much cloud cover. Daytime use seems problem free, including a faint washed out daytime moon yesterday. Managed 30 mins of dark time on the moon about 2200 last night. Managed to get the moon to a single image and then on closer inspection noticed a degree of double images on the moon's surface which I sort of resolved ? Played around with focus and IPD and then not 100% certain if I was fully viewing through both eyes. Need some better dark time to more fully evaluate. Any comments, suggestions, insight very welcome.

I now have access on my 26th post. How long before I get tempted ?

Could I ask how many posts are currently required to have access to the site classifieds section. I have seen some references in other posts suggesting 25 but in the site terms of use the number is 50. When the required number of posts has been achieved does the site automatically open up access ?

Clearsky was showing total cloud cover for my location last night (1st Jan 2023). Looked outside at about 9pm could just about see the moon through the clouds and nothing else. Happened to look outside later around 11pm and the moon was shining brightly, Orion and lots of stars clearly visible. Taken by surprise and not expecting the skies to remain clear I quickly decided to give it a go (I wanted to see Uranus) so I grabbed the Bresser 70/700, a 20mm Plossl and my 15mm omni. Moon views good and clear but unable to pick up Uranus. However I stuck with it and after about 45 mins, with better dark adapted eyes ( as much as you can with a bright moon) I found it sitting below the Moon. Quick dash into the house to get the 6mm omni and the TMB II 4mm. The 6mm resolved it into a very small disk, the TMB as expected was too powerful on the small scope. Did I detect a hint of color or maybe just wishful thinking but very pleased. Almost two years since my last sighting with the dob when it was next to Mars. Checked out Mars with the 6mm, not too bad, looked like Srytus Major was showing, quick look at M42 first of the season. So for me and unexpected success and a good start to the New Year; chance I may be able to get the dob out this evening.

Observing Date 31st Aug 2022 2230 to 0045 200p DOB The skies were as clear as I have ever seen them before, though in my limited experience that is not an indicator of "Seeing". Constellations, milky way, Jupiter, Saturn all visible naked eye. Started off trying out with the Omni 15mm + Omni 2* Barlow giving pin sharp views of Jupiter and Saturn. Cassini very evident plus either ring shadow or equatorial belt. Several belts visible on Jupiter, maybe a smudge (GRS ?) on the right side? Toured around the night sky, Almach, Albireo the most vivid blue secondaries I have ever seen. M31, M32 and I think a first for me M110 a very very faint smudge. Good separation on the double double. Strangely I was unable to pick out M71, M57 or M56. Eyes by this time well dark adapted, back to Jupiter and Saturn using the TMB II 8mm, 5mm and even the 4mm holding a solid image. A resounding YES on my first sighting of the GRS which by now was centrally located. It looked just like on many of the familiar images we have all looked at. A slightly oval shape sitting within its belt, looks like its sitting within a 'frame' not red but rather a burnt orange. Even colour within the main belts and greyish white in the polar regions. Spent a good 45 minutes observing it. Just before packing up Mars just clearing the rooftops behind in the mush zone. But with a lower mag 15mm was able to firm up the disk and a hint of dark in the middle. The forecast for the next night 1st Sept was to be excellent...it was a cloudy wash out, so I will have to wait a while yet to see if I can repeat my GRS success.

Looked out last night around 11pm BST, my NE to SE viewing area was covered in clouds. Decide to retire for the night and read. Literally less than ten minutes later looked out the bathroom window and the stars where shining brightly. Out with DOB for a good 90mins +. Poor viewing of Jupiter and Saturn, could only get a solid focus with the 15mm, any higher and Jupiter 'boiled' and Saturn became wishy washy. M57 and M71 located without any issues, last time out could n't get either. Was able to take the mag up with the 8 and 5mm. Finding that I am getting better at averted vision. M31 M32 double cluster Almach double. Albireo; tried again for M56 moving diagonally up from Albireo towards Sulafat. To my utter surprise there it was, my first viewing of M56 initially just a very faint smudge but as I played around with different EPs and averted vision I was able to discern some stars within the smudge. Result. Finished off with a look at the moon and Mars as it just cleared the rooftops but too low down and volatile to see anything.

I started with S@N about two years ago and was able to renew my subscription for two years a few months ago for the price of one year (print only). Just under a year ago I also took out a subscription to All About Space. My opinion is that S@N is the better mag for the monthly what you can see this month pull out and observation articles. Whilst I am visual only I can see that S@N has good detailed astrophotography articles. I take AAS because I like the cosmology and exploration articles, their monthly observation is not as detailed as S@N (in my opinion) but I like the bino and DSO target lists which S@N also do. I also enter AAS monthly competition .. has anybody ever won?

Thanks Olly and Nialk. It looks like with an 8 inch dob my seeing of dso s is reasonable so that gives me reassurance. Since my last post I have now seen m57 and m71 for the first time, yep I can detect the ring and the angel fish. I take the advice about colimation I am just going to have to take a deep breath and go for it using a colimation cap.

My copy of Burnham's Vol 1 (hardback) has arrived. I now have all 3, vols 2 & 3 being softback.

Hi For some inexplicable reason I have only just picked up on your kind advice. Yep, it's the Bresser Skylux 70/700 of LIDL fame. Mine came with the full front sun filter which sat unopened in its sealed plastic bag for nearly two years. With all the clouds in my area I started to think whether or not it would be safe to use. As you suggest looked on the various forums. Looked more fully at the telescope manuals and saw that (the sun filter) came with an ISO number which was verifiable. A look at Bresser telescopes also showed that many of them also included the sun filter. So took the filter out of it's bag and examined it closely with a torch to see if any damage seeing none then held it up to the sun looking quickly with naked eye. Then tried it in the scope without an eyepiece (having first removed the finderscope) then finally with a low power eyepiece. This is now my sun viewing procedure.

My copies of The Cambridge Deep-Sky Album and A Briefer History Of Time arrived yesterday. Both in excellent condition. The Deep Sky-Album even has a professionally fitted plastic sleeve over the dust cover; apart from 3 library stamps, 2 of which are so faint I can just about read, the 3rd "Belfast Public Library" which made me smile thinking of "Coals to Newcastle". The paperback not even a spine crease, spotless inside. Just over £7 delivered total. Just waiting for Burnham's Vol 1 to be delivered from the states.

Finally got out again last night for 30 mins around mid night, short gap in the clouds. Only had time to look again at Sheliak, the double double and albireo. Sheliak showed as a multiple star with the primary in the middle, one star above and two below, so if you like, a tri angle with Sheliak in the middle. Interestingly no sign of the "do nut" I had previously reported on. Even at mid night a very bright night.

Interesting link. I feel more confident that I have been looking at Sheliak. Can certainly relate to the central brightness in the photo and close surrounding stars. Just no obvious halo effect. From the photo its also very likely that I did stumble across M57. Will need another observation. If only the clouds would go away. It was six weeks between my last two viewing nights.