RobertI

Yes, @Lockie, more videos please Chris! I have loved the ones I've seen in your threads, you're getting very good at directing, producing and starring!!

Thanks, yes that is the one, will definitely add to my list then!

Well done, I found my finder guider really good for Ha captures of large emission nebulae, also renders the light pollution largely impotent (except for bright street lights). When I was in a more light polluted area and had three street lights within 60 feet of me I used homemade portable light shields, which I would place so as to obscure the street lights when imaging. It worked extremely effectively, highly recommended.

Looks like a nice way to get some sky time from the comfort of your own home, especially in those temperatures.

Very nice results in colour. Have you tried using a more aggressive reducer like 0.5 or 0.33? I think this would definitely help on the fainter stuff like M33. The 0.33 reducers can be a challenge; I can’t get any faster than 0.45 without coma like effects but this still halves the exposure times needed compared to 0.63. If you could get down to 0.33 (which plenty of people seem to do) then the exposures times are a quarter compared to 0.63. Your sensor size is similar to my small lodestar camera, so should work for more aggressive focal reduction I think.

Must have a look at 46P while I can. One thing I decided to do a while ago, in an attempt to get out more, was to make more of the time when the moon is out by doing the lunar 100 and some more double stars. So far I haven’t got very far, I probably need a good lunar book lying around to inspire me. The Atlas of the Moon by Charles Wood seems popular, might ask Santa.

Nice capture Greg, I think I might be able to see a very slight hint of a tail at 11 o''clock? Is the beta version a new release of SLL? If so, sounds like Starlight Xpress are still developing it?

Having had a great year of observing, with regular sessions during spring and summer, on 14th September I just stopped. Not sure why, I just lost my interest in astronomy. I even stopped participating with SGL to a large extent. Well I'm pleased to say I am back and had an observing session last night. It was pretty windy but lovely and transparent. Due to the wind I used my heavy duty setup, the C8 on the Skytee. I couldn't work out what was going on with the scope at first, I had to rack the focus way in and then could not get a good image, then realised I had screwed in an F3.3 reducer by mistake! Got out the F6.3 and immediately dropped it on to the concrete patio - aargh. Amazingly no damage was done and I had a very enoyable couple of hours looking at a selection of doubles in and around Orion. The C8 was not the best scope for this in many ways (I think the Tal 100R would have shown more pleasing stars and has proven to be a great 'splitter') but was the only scope that would have coped with the buffeting - shows how having a selection of scopes can be useful in so many ways. I finished the session by greeting some old favourites, including M1 and M42, which the C8 showed wonderfully. A brief session, but great to be 'back in the saddle'.

Well done! Keep us posted.

The Occulus is ‘untethered’ so you can take it anywhere and it can be used without access to a phone or internet, but to download apps you need to pair with your smartphone (Android or iOS), be connected to internet via WiFi and use the Occulus app (according to the blurb, I haven’t got the headset yet!).

That's really good to hear Agnes! I don't have the links as I haven't got thet headset yet, but happy to share when I have worked it all out. Actually part of the reason I was attracted to the Occulus (actually VR headsets in general) was the experience of 'being in' some of the virtual landscapes or setting. I loved being able to take myself out of my chaotic day and insert myself into a calm zen-like room overlooking a specacular landscape or on a beach. I can see it being a good relaxation tool and there are some nice looking meditation apps out there. I think that's pretty good value Paul - compares favourably with £250,000 for a seat on Richard Branson's spaceship! Cheap is good Helen! Can't go wrong for that price, the apps look very impressive, let us know how it goes.

I recently experienced the Apollo 11 and ISS simulations on a friend’s Occulus Go (virtual reality headset) and was blown away. It was so immersive and realistic, and all for £200. My reaction afterwards was that Elon Musk and Richard Branson are wasting their time with space tourism! When I saw it was reduced to £169 I felt duty bound to place an order, in the name of science of course. Should arrive in a few days, i’ll download and review some astro apps if anyone is interested.

Great comparison Chris, I love this kind of test! I always root for the underdog and the 100P is producing some great results and holds its own. Is it my imagination, or do the images from the 100P seem to have more CA? I also wonder if there are some other effects at play, like the camera and software having to deal with less dynamic range in the smaller aperture scope allowing the shadow areas to show a bit more detail?

I know what you mean about the focuser Ian, its a pain, and trying to use a twist zoom eyepiece is ......interesting! For all the good things I was saying about it I have been thinking of 'upgrading' to a 130PDS to get the dual speed focuser and encolsed tube. I guess what I have learnt from the Heritage is that 5" seems to be a really versatile aperture, without being too bulky, although the 130PDS is a step up in weight from the Heritage. If you're after wide field views though the small fracs are spot on, and I was surprised how many DSO's I could see with my 72mm frac, it was my only grab and go scope for a long time, sitting atop my photo tripod and more recently my giro-wr, just sling the whole caboodle over my shoulder and walk to the nearest park! Hmmm, thinking I might get it set up again!

Hi Ian, I may not be addressing your question, but I'm wondering if a 72ED is really going to be that much more portable than your 4" Mak, especially if keeping the same mount? Not really sure what you will gain? I have a William Optics 72mm which I think is very similar quality to the SW 72ED, its a great scope, but I really don't use it for visual as I have a Heritage 130P which is lighter, just as portable and has far more light grasp and resolution. I use the OTA on my small goto altaz mount and it is great and my most used scope at the moment. Not sure if that helps at all. Rob