Flame Nebula

Thanks. I'll be doing a mix of visual and imaging. In the latter case, even planetary AP can be done with alt-az mode.

Thanks Geoff, Indeed, one of my tasks is to get myself more up to speed with modern methods for AP. I'm hoping an asiair with guide camera can plate solve. I think it can, from my initial research a month ago. I was just looking out of the kitchen window now, thinking how irritating the large trees are, over our back fence. I'd like to cut them down, but for some strange reason, I think the neighbour might get a little upset, 🤣🤣 I guess they look worse now, due to leaves. Ideally, I could do with winning the lottery, and getting a house in the country, with a huge lawn, no trees, maybe an observatory, installed with say a 20" Newtonian, and perhaps a 7-8" apo. Sorry, I've just woken up.... 😭

Hi Stu, So, when you're on the lawn, you never get that sinking feeling? 😉

Thanks Dazzy. 👍

Thanks Elp, Unfortunately I can't have a permanent pier, on the grounds I'll never get it authorised by Mrs FlameNebula😉. I'm thinking of maybe some kind of feet that will stop sinking of the tripod into grass. Or something flat with an indent that won't slide on grass that the feet can go into. These could be placed on grass and taken up at end of session.

Looking out at my potential observing area, the choices are: 1. Setting up near house on small patio, which blocks polaris, but best view of southern sky. Potential for someone to come out of back door and trip over it in the dark. 2. Setting up on middle of sloping lawn, with likely sight on polariser, but nearer trees obscuring southern view. Plenty of room. More danger of imbalance. 3. Setting up at end of garden on small patio, south completely obscured. Ideal place has a buddleia on it, and I don't think it would be wise to dig it up. 😏. My wife likes the garden. So, I wondered what experiences any of you may have had observing from a sloping lawn? Visual and/or imaging. I have previously observed with the ed80 on azgti from patio (option 1), but the profile of the setup will be smaller, I think, than a AZ-EQ6 with 8" newt on it. So, maybe less room to move around it without tripping over something. Thanks

Indeed, part of the reason I'd like a 5" frac in the armoury. Might be worth the sub aperture approach too.

Hi, yes near Nottingham. Indeed, my previous attempts were like looking at a flare. But, I'm up for a challenge. After all it's the closest example of a white dwarf.

So, here's a question, which is now so far off my original post, I've forgotten what started it. 🤣 But, I'm here so may as well ask. Do you think a very a long focal length pseudo frac using this approach, and avoiding diffraction spikes, could facilitate seeing the pup, more easily?

101.5-29=72.5mm. Definitely nearly 3" frac 😉

OK, so I think 200pds has a 58mm secondary, so that's 29. 100-29=71mm, F14 approx., assuming 1000mm focal length. So nearly a 3" frac with long focal length. I wonder how that would appear on say jupiter, compared to my 80ed. An experiment, I must conduct!

Thanks Wes, I'll probably get the mount new, as it really is critically important there are no issues with it, as I intend to also do DSO AP, which will need very accurate tracking, especially if I move up from frac to newt. But, if I see a used 200pds which has been modded, and I know many people do, and it's cheaper than new, it would be hard to resist. The only pain is travelling several hundred miles, only to find the mirror has, shall we say, seen better days. However, I think for the frac, you're totally right. In fact I bought my 80ed for £330 off Ebay and it's perfect! Same with the 127mm mak, £120 off Ebay. Nothing wrong with it. However, I would not buy more expensive stuff from there. I did see a £700 frac being sold near where my parents live in Wales, but not ready to buy yet. But, it shows they're out there at that price. With gear like the asiair, being electronic and again absolutely critical part of dso AP, I'd probably buy new. But, case by case I think. 👍

So, you just place a cover over the end of the newt, with a circle cut out of it?

Mmm, that is interesting! So, let's see if I can generate enough brain power to work it out for a 200mm. Would it be (2/3)*125 = 80mm? F ratio, about 1000/80 = 12.5? That would give me something interesting for jupiter, like a long focal length achromat, but better?

Hi Dave, I'm not sure why, but your post has had a very emotional effect on me (in a nice way! ☺️). I'm going to be 60 later this year, and I have no idea where the last 20 went! So, I feel the passage of time very acutely now. It was a bit of a shock when I was told a year ago (or was it two?) that I had early signs of cataracts in both eyes, although I understand it's not a barrier to visual observation after you have lenses replaced. I hope not anyway. And regarding the job security, well, I have set a date of 15 September to start purchasing, if I've not been given any bad news by then. Bad = being told more redundancies are inevitable and soon. Otherwise, one can keep putting things off, waiting for 0% risk, which does not exist, until you realise you've run out of time. Worst case scenario, I could get probably 2/3 back on the cost of a new az-eq6, I'm sure. The newt will cost £430, so not much risk there. I'm planning to get various AP accessories. A used sw120ed around £700-900, and I probably get most of that back, if I had to resell. So, it's not like it's all irreversible one way cost. But I wouldn't sell anything unless my finances were near point of collapse, before which time I'd hope to get another job. 60 is not that old these days! 😉 It's the new 50.🤣 So, as long as I can get the zimmer frame through the door for the job interview, I'll be fine (🤣🤣). But seriously , thanks Dave for one of the nicest posts I've had on the forum! Mark

Thanks Wes, A very good analogy using the stream and pebbles. 👍 It seems from all I've read so far, that the logical path is via the 200pds, which is now 100% probable, up from 95% last month. 🤣 I think part of me would also like a used SW 120ed, as I think it may have the potential to complement the newt, and I have a suspicion that for some targets like Sirius , it might be easier to pull out the pup. But, it would make sense to make every effort with the 8" first.

Thanks Wes, I'll probably see what jupiter looks like without, and then consider it. I was more interested in if it would allow extra details to be seen. Did you not see anything extra at 8" aperture?

Hi John, Indeed, I just edited a post to Stu, about my research, which matches exactly what you've said. 👍 Mmm, a new post. Not sure if I dare.. 🤣

Thanks Mr Spock If my memory serves, you're in bortle 6? Same as me, or in same ballpark. Although I can get to darker skies not far away, they'd be in some farmer's field🤣

Hi Stu, Thanks for this. They do seem useful. I live in a bortle 6 area, so hopefully dark enough. Seems dark enough to me on moonless night, although nothing like sky that looks like icing sugar has been scattered across it. 😉 I did consider the starfield after Mr Spock's wonderful comparison with a tak. For similar money I could get a used Sw120 Ed, and I understand the jump between 4 and 5 " apo is significant, plus I have an 80ed already, so going from 3" to 5" seems better, with the 8" newt topping out the aperture. So, going back to your wide field comment, I could use the filters with the 80ed. Just need to make sure I get the right size for all three (potentially) scopes. Actually, thinking about that, all my eyepieces are 1.25", so I think the decision is clear on that point, as I currently haven't budgetted for any more eyepieces😊. My 8-24mm Baader zoom has proven to be multiple eyepieces in one package, at least as good as my individual ones within same range, although they are not top end ones, whereas the zoom is quality. My widest is an ES 68° 24mm, which quite a nice one, for the money. That would give me 2.7°, according to astronomy tools. Maybe I do need to get a wider eyepiece! 🤣 Edit: just checked again, and if I have my 0.85 reducer on, I could get 3.2°, so not far off. Edit: so having researched further, £180 would get me a quality combo of an astronomik O-III and an ES 62° 32mm,2" eyepiece, which should give me 3.3° and with the filter, a good chance in my bortle 6 skies. What do you think? Edit: Mmm, a 2" O-III is £180,so £270 for the combo. I thought it seemed cheap before! Edit: I've read some of your past posts on using a 1.25" filter with 2 " eyepiece. Sounds interesting! Have you done this for the veil? I've asked flo if they sell an adapter that will allow this, as I have mainly 1.25" eyepieces, so for smaller objects, would use those.

Hi Mr Spock Do you mind me asking which brand of variable polariser you used? From reading other threads it also looks like having a O-III and UHC filter can enhance certain objects like nebula and planetary nebula. Do you have either of these? Thanks

Ultra thin too.

Mmm, very interesting, This was actually a specific example I did wonder might be easier in the frac., without diffraction spikes, and very uneven brightness.

Actually, this is very interesting, as I've wondered why manufacturers don't do the same to avoid spiders in commercial scopes.

OK, that sounds encouraging. I'd rather get a used one, as usually much cheaper than new