Mark at Beaufort

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

@StuNo apology necessary it made me smile this morning. I call mine 'the big one' or 'my little one' - perhaps i should give them a nicer name 😀

Mark I believe the best software is Virtual Moon Atlas - version 7.0. However, I also use a book atlas called 21st Century Atlas of the Moon.

Paul the app is for android for my tablet called Moon Atlas 3D. Its okay and shows crater names, lunar 100 positions etc. Its not as good as Virtual Moon Atlas (version7) which is on my main computer. However, the app is useful because I can take out the tablet and compare the view with the eyepiece.

@Stu- I started by trying to find 'Felicity' then I realised it was your scope. Anyway I think the area you have marked on your first photo is 'Mare Marginis'. However, I am sure @paulastrowill know better.

Really enjoyable thread Paul. I have been using my 150p skywatcher plus a few ortho EPs. When I attempt this area I usually start with the crater Cruger and go towards the edge from there. It was good to pick out the mountain areas and the edge of Mare Orientale. I recently downloaded a useful Moon app which together with my 21st century atlas of the Moon makes it easier to identify the area.

I have just been outside using my Apollo 15x70 binos + Helios 2x40 star field binos. This device certainly stops light entering your eyes from the side including the Full Moon. You really need your eyes to go right up to the eyepiece otherwise I was not getting the full FOV. I think once I get used to using them they will be a useful accessory. I appreciate not the best night for seeing objects but I was able to pick a few clusters.

You made some very positive statements about magnification and comparison with other scopes you have used. Your comment about the difference between FPL51 and FDL53 and the extra cost for visual observing is very relevant. I am sure your post has been very helpful for those who want a reasonable refractor without spending a fortune.

I have really enjoyed your reports on this scope. I often regretted selling my 4 inch Astro Tech ED frac and your statements about this particular frac has got me thinking. This does appear to be good instrument at under £500

Arrived today and fits nicely on my Helios Apollo 15x70 binos. I still have easy access to place my 1.25 inch filters. The big test will compare the view using these bino-bandit especially viewing items like Rosette Neb and the like.

Hello - Justyn @reddoss hope you are well - its been a while since we last met and chatted. I am going to submit this question downstairs for discussion. It may be that Grant will reply direct. As you may know the road between Lucksall and Fownhope collapsed 12 months ago because of the flood. Still not open although they expect everything to be okay soon.

I think the myriad eyepieces are very good. I sold my 8mm and 21mm ethos which in hindsight I regret. However, I bought the 9mm and 20mm myriad which as John stated is very similar. I have the 13mm ethos and I was going to buy the 5mm myriad but a 6mm ethos came up on the classifieds. It would be interesting to try the 3.5mm.

Just ordered these for my deep sky observing with my Apollo 15x70 binos. Although I have used an observing hood these appear to be a better option especially when I use filters in the eyecup.

Thanks for that. I have never noticed that before. It does not help being badly colour blind.

@Louis DI have always felt this chart useful. However I never really understood the black etched lines. If you look at a 90mms frac at f/5 it shows the black lines.Go to f/6 it's filterable. Go to f/7 you have black lines again. There are a number of 90mms Astro fracs at f5.5 useful for airline travel but how good are they

The heritage range of telescopes are excellent both for beginners and more advanced individuals who use the Heritage range as grab and go instruments. I have the Heritage 130p which is mounted on a skywatcher pronto alt/az mount. The other night I had good views of M1, M42, M79,M78, M35 and the Rosette nebula. By the way mercury does not have any moons as mentioned by SAMFS above. But with the Heritage range you will get good views of Jupiter and Saturn plus the moon of course.

I enjoy the view of the nebula using my 15x70 Apollo binos with filters screwed into the eyecups. The other night I used my Heritage 130p + my 24mm 68 explore scientific eyepiece and a televue nebustar 2 filter and could make out the nebula's shape.

@LaurieastI have now had a reply from my colleague who undertook a great deal of research into these Victorian Astronomers. Here is an exact from his email (some points were private and not related) - Hope this is useful. Let me know if you want me to do anything else. Key & With began collaborating in 1862 ... GHW teamed up with John Browning in 1865, with a 6-inch silvered glass instrument displayed by them at the RAS soiree in 1866 Jan ... orders subsequently flowed for these telescopes. By 1868 GHW had produced 8 specula of 10-13-inch aperture, mostly to f/9 ... he later provided specula down to f/6.5 and apertures to 18-inch ...including refiguring one of HCK's in 1878. GHW resigned his post at the Hereford Blue Coat boy's school in 1876 ... and later worked as an agricultural chemist.. Your enquirer has a spherical glass speculum which GHW probably intended to finish ... but in practice when HCK died at the end of 1879 he rather lost interest in producing specula ... and a decade later had sold all his equipment and ~100 unsold (finished) specula ... this particular example may have been ground by one of his children as he mostly concentrated on finishing optics ... using the graduated-tool method that he and HCK devised (they never used the Foucault test). It might be of interest to Herefordshire Museum & Resource Centre ... as they have both the 18-inch BAA mirror (on permanent loan now) and also a 13-inch mirror (the Pontin-mirror) which was part-financed through the Webb-Share project ... it would illustrate an intermediary stage in the mirror-making process ... and of course began its life in Hereford.

Observing with the PST + DS is showing a developing sunspot and nearby the Prom has started to lift off. Have a look if you can,

I have sent an email to my colleague asking his advice about the mirror etc

Nice report Nicoly. I do enjoy lying back in a recliner and use my binos. You choosen some nice objects

That was an excellent and very professional talk by Keith. As someone that has observed the 110 objects in the messier list I enjoyed the challenge of trying to observe 101 in March. I think latitude is an important consideration - I know that m83 is difficult from the UK although it was easy using binoculars from a mountain top in California.

Just a few in Ursa Major to start with - NGC 2841, 3184 and 3077

@Konthat is an enjoyable report to read. Ursa Major has some reasonably bright DSOs in fact over 55 between M81 (6.9 mag) and NGC 4085 (Mag 12.5) quite a few are listed in the Herschel 400 list. The 8" Dob will give you endless pleasure and as John suggested adding a UHC or O-III will bring some object to 'life'.