Mark at Beaufort

Paul that is a great photo of Lunar X. I tried to view the Moon last night - total cloud cover. 

Your Tecnosky 102ED F7 looks the business- clearly a great purchase.

I use the Interstellarum Desk Edition but I place it in a large plastic box to protect it. When required at the telescope I place it on a large music stand - find the object then return it to the box. I have used this method for years and the star atlas is still okay.

Paul good luck with the observing tonight it's looking positive

32 minutes ago, tea_subtle said:

Well it was clear from midnight above us in York last night and it was the first chance to have a proper look around with the 8inch dob. 
Went outside, copy of turn left in hand with all intent and purpose to find somethings for us as beginners to view. 
I never picked the book up again last night. Started at Orion Nebula and after viewing that just spent the next two hours just looking around in amazement at the night sky through the scope. 
with 26mm eyepiece in all night I just kept staring  at the night sky. 
I know and slightly regret I didn’t focus my energy in finding objects to view but I was just blown away by the amount of stars. 
I found a cluster very near the horizon in a NNW direction  havent a clue what it was but I was just mesmerised by it all. 
some would say wasted opportunity maybe but to be honest we loved every minute. 
Next time will follow the book more and be even more amazed  

 

Welcome to SGL and I am glad that you had a great first outing. Turn Left at Orion is a great book with so many objects to view. You may find this software useful especially tracking down objects - http://stellarium.org/

I enjoyed the read and I often looked at the adverts of Unitron scopes in the Sky and Telescope magazine. I remember wishing I had an 8.5 inch scope from Charles Frank in Glasgow - too expensive - date in the 1960s.

I still fancy a small APO frac to take in the car but the moment I will settle with my Heritage 130P on an alt/az mount.

A bit annoying Paul but at least it did not cause other damage. As you say the roof could have smashed into a car or a house window. I am glad your mount came out okay.

8 minutes ago, Stardaze said:

Super set Mark. What caps have you at the bottom of the 2 Ethos? Looks like a 2” collar and no caps?

The caps are baader 28mms fine tuning extension rings. These are much cheaper than the TeleVue range.

Its many years since I posted my eyepiece case. I recently bought a Nagler 3-6mm zoom so I thought the photo should be updated.

From top left - 24mm ES68, 6mm Ethos, 17mm Celestron Ultima DUO, 20mm Myriad 100 degree

Middle far left -9mm Fujiyama Ortho, 10mm Baader Ortho, 6mm Baader Ortho. Middle far right - collection of filters UHC, O-III and H.Beta all marked for easy finding and access

Bottom left - Nagler 3-6mm zoom, 10mm Celestron Ultima DUO, 9mm Myriad 100 degree and 13mm Ethos.

2 hours ago, StuartT said:

So my Baader filter arrived and I tried it out just now. Problem is, I can only see a completely featurless disk with a 26mm Plossl (the sun almost filled the field of view).

Am I supposed to be able to see anything more interesting than that? Do I need any filters at the eyepiece, maybe? To improve contrast or something?

Stuart there is a new sunspot just coming onto the north eastern limb. Its forecast to be a relatively large one. I should start checking the sun over the next few days - if the weather allows.

Great photo and Dob. It's great to be able to go galaxy hunting again - no moon or clouds.

I have moved this thread from solar to planetary. David @dweller25I deleted your thread as requested.

Just been observing the sun with my PST and noticed that the sunspot AR2086 has re-energised and has some nice plage. 

On the South East edge there is a very good Prom - well worth look.

22 minutes ago, JulianO said:

Happy to give some talks if you are still looking, I have a few - let me know.

Julian

 

Hello Julian glad to see you offering talks. I chaired the meeting when you gave your zoom talk 'Cold Dark Matter' to Herefordshire Astro Society. Hopefully, Grant will pick up your offer.

I also use a IR/UV filter which I screw into the eyepiece. Not expensive mine is SvBony. Otherwise all the advice above is sound and correct.

I mainly use a 6 inch reflector with a commercial solar filter but I add a neutral density filter to slightly darken the image

I have just received my Nagler 3-6 zoom. I had one years ago but sold it on. During the past year I started using Ortho EPs again and enjoy using them but adding a Barlow caused inward focusing problems.

So to get some extra mag I bought the nagler zoom.

By the way I have been using baader extension rings on my ethos EPs for years without any difficulty.

The advice you have been given is totally correct. If you want a solar finder just Google svbony solar finder they sell for about £17 on eBay. The finder goes in the finder scope bracket and works brilliantly. The only improvement I made was to highlight the dart board screen with a pencil

David that is an interesting list of the various scope you have own and sold and the reasons for doing so.

4 minutes ago, Waddensky said:

 

I have the Uranometria 2000.0 too, but I never take it outside. It's a work of art.

I agree lovely star atlas and I have both the northern and southern hemisphere. However I still think the interstellarum is better. I never use the Uranometria now.

I have used many quality star atlases over the years. The pocket sky and telescope is very good but I feel to go sky star hopping  with my 12inch dob you need to go deeper.

The best atlas I have used is the interstellarum which I place on a music stand next to the scope. I should have added I use the desk version which once I have found the object I place the atlas in a large plastic box. I have had this atlas several years and it's still okay.

15 hours ago, callisto said:

A nice Atlas recommended by Mark at Beaufort 

 

 

Mark

Glad you bought it. I have a few Moon Atlases going back to Henry Hatfield Lunar Atlas from 1968. IMHO the one you purchased is great especially if you fancy undertaking the Lunar 100 list.

I had a session with the Heritage 130p after the SGL zoom meeting. Whereas I could pick up quite a bit of detail I could not see the Quad. I was using a baader 2.25x Barlow and a 9mm Fujiyama Ortho.

Paul the x is at 10 o'clock with Pichard at the centre. The x is also left on a straight line from Lick crater. I will have a go tonight using the 130 heritage.

I would add that when I use a front solar filter I also add a IR/UV filter just in front of the eyepiece to give added protection

Martin I always worry about cheap solar filters so I agree with discardedastro above. My reasons for being worried is a work colleague's daughter went to see the Total Eclipse and was given 'proper' eye glasses. She has lost her sight.

Paul this is an interesting one. The quad does not appear in the 21st Century atlas - well I can't see it!!

Anyway I thought I would check out my Moon Maps by H.P. Wilkins which I bought about 55 years ago. Here is a copy from the area. The quad appears to be marked 'x' - am I correct do you think?

This book is a first edition and cost me 30s