RobertI

Thanks, yes I have a yellow filter so I shall bear in mind. 👍

The Frank Spencer of the astronomy world. 😉

I recently bought a Celestron Starsense 70, purely for the Starsense attachment, which I put on a better scope and effectively retired the 70mm scope as it was largely plastic and mount and tripod were awful. But in a quick test I actually thought the optics were ok, so I have taken the scope off the terrible mount, put it in some rings and mounted it on my Mini-giro and Horizon tripod. What a difference! The scope is now stable and adjustable. Part of the reason for doing this is I think it is now the perfect scope for lending to friends, relatives and any budding astronomers who want to have a go. And for kids, it looks like a ‘real’ telescope. I expect I will also enjoy doing some testing against my other scopes. Before……… After……

Great list and the first one chimes with me, I long for some truly dark skies.

Well, the video has landed. Another brilliantly executed astro-drama! Very entertaining as always. Not so sure about the guitar string secondary spider though!

Nice comparison John, a fun thing to do with your scopes. It’s amazingly clear and transparent out there tonight, but I’m just too tired. 😴

Interesting walk through your collection Mr. Spock. Is the 80ED good enough to be worthy of a focuser upgrade at some point do you think?

It wasn’t cheap but so pleased I got one. The current trend seems to be for houses to have massive bifold doors (I’m not a not a huge fan personally!) which turns the room into a greenhouse. The awning has really helped reduce the temperature in the house, create some privacy and allows enjoyment of the garden in the shade. It’s been a real boon. Glad your wife was successfully treated Jeremy, not a pleasant thing to go through.

Had a lovely session in the peace and tranquility of the garden. Found a nice spot under the shade of the awning where I could sit and view in comfort. Plenty to see with the Hershel wedge and binoviewers. Tried some captures for posterity using my phone. The first one was at around 150x I think and the second was at around 300x. Sorry for all the dust bunnies and hairs!

Yes, there is always something to see setup there. I often feel the need for a quick fix or just the opportunity to relax under the stars, usually involving a telescope or pair of binoculars. Last night I had planned to do something, but too tired, I looked at Venus and Mars through 10x50s, a lovely sight.

Brilliant! 😂

Fascinating to see their relative sizes, and the standout is the compactness of the FC100.

I’m pretty sure there used to be a page which gave an interesting overview of the origins of SGL, I’m sure it has its roots in a Yahoo group or similar. Perhaps the page can be reinstated if there is enough interest?

Superb picture of the Marius domes and a fascinating read. 👍

I’d agree with most of the comments, and would heartily recommend the Starfield 102ED (or Altair Astro or TS equivalents). I agree that it is not really complementary to your 130PDS and is more like a replacement, assuming you prefer the refractor views (who doesn’t love those pinpoint stars and crisp planetary views?), but you will be able to make a direct comparison to understand the pros and cons of each. Obviously the 130PDS is not really optimized for visual with the larger secondary. My F7 102ED is also a little kinder to eyepieces than my F5 130 Heritage - my 21mm Hyperion is almost unusable in my 130 because of edge of field aberrations but is acceptable in the 102. I find the 102 is rock solid on my AZ4 and steel tripod, I’d assume the AZ5 is as solid, but may be wrong judging by some comments above. I still have a soft spot for Newts though, and would make some points in favour of the 130PDS (which you already know as you own one!): Newts are better for viewing overhead IMO as the the eyepiece position is better - if you have an EQ mount too, you access all those objects in the best part of the sky. The resolving power of the 130PDS shouldn’t be underestimated, although the stars are less perfect, it can still split some really tight doubles, beating the 102ED I would think (happy to be corrected) Newts open up the possibility of viewing when standing - something I no longer do tbh, but does remove the need for a chair I prefer the eyepiece positions in Newts as you can rotate the OTA to get the perfect angle You can hug Newts while observing 😉 Having said all that, I generally use the 102ED now, and have lent my H130 to a friend! 🙂

I’m sure there used to be a page outlining the history of SGL. From what I recall it all started out as a bulletin board group thingy (possibly a Yahoo group) run by astronomy enthusiasts, some of whom are still involved or were until recently. I’d always assumed the model was that SGL was run as a ‘open’ group type model with its own rules, with FLO being the authorized sponsor. But I may be wrong or things may have changed. Perhaps someone can clarify?

Apple has obviously worked hard to make this really groundbreaking. Some interesting tech, like the 3D videos, and face simulation. I had an Occulus for a while, but sold it eventually - the main problems being lack of resolution, lack of apps and content, and the biggest things - you can’t do anything else while you’re wearing them, not even drink a cup of tea, and they are uncomfortable to wear. I wonder if Apple have solved the “cup of tea” problem? 🙂

Beautiful scope, very compact, the focuser looks extremely beefy. 👍

Interesting snd very contrasting sketches @Nik271 and @John. What I saw was closer to Nick’s than John’s, but reading the other comments in this thread about how difficult it is to see these cloud features, I’m wondering what I saw now!

I quite like the look of the solution involving a telrad riser with cut down diagonal. Might give it a go.

Nice result Nik. 👍 I think I may also have spotted some cloud patterning last night. I used my binoviewers in the 102ED at around 160x while the sky was still glowing after sunset. I couldn’t see any cloud detail and Venus was really bright, but I happened to have an OIII filter to hand, and this darkened Venus considerably and I’m pretty sure I could then see some subtle darkened patches on the disc along the terminator. I did a lot of fiddling with different filters without much success, but always got the same result with the OIII, so I don’t think it was an illusion.

We wait with baited breath….

A wonderful piece of engineering Peter, looks to be in pretty good condition, it must give wonderful views. Great news that it’s back in the fold. How did it feel to see it again?

Excellent video - well done on your perseverance!

There are also a number of small planetary nebulae that are very bright, such as the Catseye Nebula, the Blinking Planetary and the Eskimo Neb as already mentioned. Easy to see, but not always so easy to find!