RobertI

I think Chris is spot on, the StellaMira seems to be a quality scope with top optics so perfect for solar system. Although the TS optics is quite a bit cheaper I think, so not quite comparing apples with apples. I had a similar dilemma last year except my choice was between the StellaMira 80mm and the 102mm Photoline (which has the same FPL-53 glass as the StellaMira). I chose the 102mm in the end (the Altair Astro equivalent) because of the increased aperture, and it seemed better value. But the StellaMira wouldn’t disappoint I think.

Lovely report, really captured the experience of the session. I never considered that the aurora could be a hindrance to observing!

Nice to have a cheaper option on this lovely scope. 👍

Interesting point, hadn’t really thought of that. I still think I could do better with protecting my extremeties though, my light weight trainers were insufficient and I had to keep taking my gloves off as I didn’t trust handling my eyepieces with gloved hands. The gel pack sounds promising. I need some fur lined boots too I think. Also just reminded me to dig out I my skiing salopettes - Very good insulators.

Ventured out with the 102ED last night for a very brief session in the cold (-2C). Inspired by @John's recent post I had wanted to try the Pup but the seeing wasn't up to it. Just to make sure, I had a look at Sirius at high power and it was flickering like an oxy-acetyline torch, making the whole FOV flash like a strobe light. So dew heaters in place, I had a quick look around Taurus instead, and found the following 'never seen before' delights: 119 Tauri - Known as the 'Ruby star' this is a mag 4.5 red supergiant. It was a beautiful deep orange but what really made this was the nearby 120 Tauri, a blue subgiant. The contrasting red and blue of these two stars in the same FOV at x35 was magical. NGC1647 - A lovely rich open cluster known as the 'Pirate Moon' cluster. NGC1817 - Known as the 'Poor Man's Double Cluster', it comprised two very loose groups of stars, one with around 10 members and the other around 5. Certainly lives up to its name, but might look a bit less poor in a larger aperture. I also managed a quick look at M42. Surprisingly the E component of the Trapezium was immediately visible at x140, but the F component wasn't apparent in the brief time I looked. I just managed to split Alnitak, but wobbly conditions made it rather unpleasant. A brief but satisfying session. Seeing the equipment covered in ice somehow made it seem like more of an achievement. Unfortunately my pre-prepared list of targets had disappeared over the rooftops - need to produce another list! I found it was a faff changing eyepieces in really cold conditions (cold fingers and eyepiece dew heaters) - next time out I'll either choose objects that all work at the same mag & FOV, or I'll just use the zoom.

Great report Mike, you made the most of your clear skies. Similar story here, forecast clear until 9pm, but actually I was out until about midnight under crisp skies, when the cold finally drove me indoors (-2 degrees).

Looks great Ville. Look forward to some more content. Do you have some more pics of your observatory and equipment that you can include?

A very uplifting story. Astronomy has been a sanctuary for me over the years and has undoubtedly helped my mental health in times of stress. I try to encourage others to explore the night sky so they can benefit too. 👍

Crikey - that makes me realise how bad my C8 is - at very high magnifications the object can disappear from the field of view when focussing! It is twenty years old mind you. Just for clarification for the OP, my understanding is that ‘mirror shift’ is the problem you get when focusing and ‘mirror flop’ is another problem you get when the scope moves around the sky. I guess if you get one you are likely to get the other...

You had me stumped for a minute there! 😁

Thanks for the information John, you’ve inspired me to give the pup a proper go. There is a housing estate to my south so not ideal, so I might need to go to a nearby park with decent horizons - this would mean taking the 102ED which I hope might stand a chance under good conditions. 🤞

I think your equipment journey this year has been almost identical to mine! 🙂

Having just read through this thread, I really think you need to think about an easily transportable setup, as you have mentioned balcony and garden as two possible observing locations and if your interest continues you will probably want to try other locations too. I won't add to the equipment suggestions already made. As John says, take time to think it through, and perhaps try some binocular observing from the balcony to get a feel for it first.. 🙂

Looking forward to hearing more about your experiences with this scope, I really like the look of it.

Impressive observing record this year Jeremy. Well done. Very interesting to hear about your programme of patrolling for dwarf novae. This year has not been particularly good for me observationally, although I did have an excellent period during the warm summer months. I also managed a two day sojourn to Kelling Heath - sadly the clouds only parted for 10 minutes but the skies were awesome and my view of M33 through bins was so good I genuinely thought it was a passing cloud - probably the standout observation of 2020, perhaps alongside Mars. I also managed to acquire some lovely new equipment, reminding me of the versatility of the 6” F8 Newt, introducing me to the amazing planetary abilities of a 4” APO, and revealing the ‘comfort and joy’ of bino-viewing. Here’s to clear skies in 2021. 🍺

Nice words Steve. It has been quite a year for everyone and I shall be celebrating the end of it with a takeaway. 😋 It’s also my birthday today and I can now theoretically draw my pension (although I’ve many years of work ahead)! Happy New Year to all. 🥳

I'd also heartily recommend the Heritage Flexitube 130P or 150P. Very lightweight, so doesn't need a super heavy mount. Has standard vixen rail, so can be mounted on anything. Collapsible so doesn't take up much room. Decent focal length and aperture. Very versatile and excellent quality optics. Because the eyepiece is at the top, the tripod can be set low, adding to the stability. A lot of experienced observers use them for convenience. The helical focuser is the only downside, but it is perfectly adequate, although zoom eyepieces are a bit of a pain to use. When I spent a couple of days at a dark sky site recently, I wasn't sure what to take - eventually I took pretty much everything, but when I got there I ended up using the Heritage 130P as it's so easy to set up! Here is the 130P on a Giro-WR mount on a Horizon photo tripod, and a 66mm apo the other side. The whole thing can be easily lifted with one hand.

An update on the binoviewer problem - it looks like the issue is caused by my use of the 2.25x barlow with the BVs, as when I tried the 1.6x GPC with the BVs the problem disappeared. So looks like I will need to find another route to getting high mags with the BVs in my 102ED.

In reality I’d go with the answer above as £250K is a lot of money. But assuming the £250K cannot be ‘re-purposed’, I’d probably go with option 1 and choose a two month holiday at a dedicated dark sky destination such as in the Namibian desert - ie: use the money to buy some dark skies, ideally Southern Hemisphere. There might be a better location that the family could also enjoy - I’m open to suggestions (sorry for a moment I forgot this was a fantasy 😉).

It’s a beautiful object and you’ve captured it perfectly. Some lovely star colours. 👍

Thanks for the link John, actually it was your recommendation that led me to getting the Baader barlow to complement my zoom (although I had hadn’t seen the above post) - it’s turned out to be a very multi-talented little tool - thanks again!

Ah, I thought you meant the 'meeting' of Jupiter and Saturn! I was unable to quite reach focus with my BVs using the supplied 1.6x GPC and 20mm e/p's, so opted for using my 2.25x Baader barlow, which actually gives a magnification factor of 5x with the BV - the resulting magnification of around 175x was perfect for Mars. But I'd like to experiment and I may get the 2x GPC for lower powers.

Agreed about the zoom. You wouldn’t think that a cheap zoom with an achromatic barlow would be that good for doubles, but it seems fine. I was tempted to swap for a better quality eyepiece but everything seemed to be working (including the dew heaters) and the clouds were threatening, so I just left as was!

Must have looked spectacular. What sort of magnification do you achieve with your BV setup?

I think you’re right - I would have made a note of the zoom setting for reference but it was covered by the eyepiece dew-band!