wookie1965

I had a 200p I flocked the inside fitted Bob knobs. upgraded the primary mirror springs and fitted a lacerta dual focus upgrade. I sold it about 3 years ago and to this day I regret it I had the most wonderful views through seeing objects I never thought I would see and stupid me got rid because I thought it was too big.

A warm welcome to SGL

Really great session and a great read thanks for posting Dave.

My collection up to now.

A warm welcome to SGL

It is calmer Steve, across from my viewing position are 3 story houses so early morning there is not as much air turbulence.

Brilliant Magnus really enjoyable read.

Wow way out of my viewing but fascinating reading thank you.

I got one of the best views of Jupiter last week really sublime, I was down stairs this morning at 3.20am in pain. I stepped outside just to sit in one of my highbacked garden chairs Orion was straight facing me Jupiter high and to the right Gemini to the left and the Hyades with A very Orange/Red Mars above Orion.

I have only ever seem M33 from Scotland never from home the same goes for M32 and M110, A trick Nick (Cotterless 45) said is put NGC6992 in the eyepiece and then dial in NGC 6995 now keep your eye at the eyepiece the mount will follow the curve of the Nebula really brilliant view.

Sounds like a great session well done.

Well I have had a tenth of that for viewings so well done.

Wow what a session I myself is hoping to go to a dark place with a fellow SGLer soon looking through his new Celestron Starsense 10" dob after that if all goes well I may be getting one myself.

Brilliant Doug love the sketches.

I want a big dob now sell one of my refractors so I have the best of both worlds.

Nice one Doug some nice doubles there I am going to copy them thanks for posting.

I set up early but only went out after 10pm, My brother came down he wanted to look through my scope he has 20x80 binoculars but wanted to see the difference. He said Jupiter was his favourite so we started there. Jupiter in 12mm BST quite large easily saw 3 bands and 4 moons he was really happy with the view. Saturn and this blew him away we could see 2 moons definitely and we are sure glimpsed a third Gary (my brother) said he could see a darker band on the planet I could not but he has got better eyes than me. Neptune next I never told him what it looked like when he looked he said is it that blue dot I said yes a audible wow was heard. Uranus was too low and so was Mars so took him on a tour. Double double sat him down let him see the double then swapped eyepieces to a 8mm BST he looked and said wow I can see two stars one way and two stars another I said this is the double double. The ring nebula (M57) 12mm again and he really liked this up to M13 and this was another wow so many stars in the cluster, followed by M92 smaller but still a great view. The double cluster he spent a good 5 minutes drinking this in, before taking him to the owl cluster (NGC457). Andromeda next I used my 2" 28mm and it was a great view over to NGC 752 a really pretty cluster then blew him away again with the blue snowball NGC 7662 M81 and M82 could see the difference in these obvious cigar shape. By this time 12.30 am both Uranus and Mars was up so went to Uranus first Gary said it was Aqua coloured Blue/green I said yes and did he notice it was slightly bigger than Neptune. Mars and this is getting better and better nice size disc but just not big enough to see any features including the ice caps but he said he is definitely coming again. All in all a great night even when I phoned him today he was still buzzing.

A warm welcome to SGL

You may have to loosen the central screw, I would check to make sure the 3 collimating bolts have not dug into the metal at the back as when you try to adjust them they will snap back into the same position.

A warm welcome to SGL

A warm welcome to SGL

All down to Nick

Got new sponge for my eyepiece case so I could put all my eyepieces in stood up position as I was advised.

A warm welcome to SGL

Set up the Tal at 10pm getting really dark now which is great. Pisces. α (SAO 1102 91) This is a challenge Mags of 4.1 and 5.2 with a separation of 1.9" split this with 4mm x250 both white 35 (SAO 1090 87) Mags of 6.1 and 7.5 with a separation of 11.4" Yellow with a white companion easily split with my 15mm 51 (SAO 1092 62) Mags of 5.7 and 9.5 with a separation of 27.1" lovely pair white with a blue dot at the side. 55 (SAO 0741 82) Mags of 5.6 and 8.5 with a separation of 6.6" beautiful pair lovely Orange star with cobalt blue companion. 65 (SAO 0742 96) Mags of 6.3 each with a separation of 4.3" both stars yellow 77 (SAO 1096 66) Mags of 6.4 and 7.3 with a separation of 32.8" Three bright stars in the FOV I am quoting from Haas a pumpkin orange (73 Piscium) a pearly white (80 Piscium) and the double pale yellow with a wide companion. ψ (SAO 0744 82) Mags of 5.3 and 5.5 with a separation of 30.0" Both pale yellow makes a nice asterism in binoculars with ψ2, ψ3 and χ ζ (SAO 1097 39) Mags of 5.2 and 6.2 with a separation of 22.8" pale white pair very easy split with a 25mm. Aries γ (SAO 0926 80) Rams Eyes unmistakable Mags of 4.5 and 4.6 with a separation of 7.5" really white pair. λ (SAO 0750 51) Mags of 4.8 and 6.7 with a separation of 36.7" White star with a silvery companion. 14 (SAO 0751 71) Mags of 5.0 and 8.0 for AB and a separation of 93.2" with Mags of 5.0 and 8.0 for AC with a separation of 106.7" Lovely triple system. Camelopardis β (SAO 0133 98) Mags of 4.1 and 7.4 with a separation of 83.0" lovely pair nice orange with a blue companion. 11-12 (SAO 0250 01 and 0250 03) mags of 5.2 and 6.2 with a separation of 178.7" Wide double pale yellow with citrus Orange. Σ780 (SAO 0136 27) Mags of 7.0 and 8.2 with a separation of 3.8" for AB and Mags of 7.0 and 10.2 with a separation of 12.5" for AC Fine triple here lovely yellow, blue with a dot at the side at x83 Σ1127 (SAO 0143 26) Mags of 7.0 and 8.5 with a separation of 5.4" for AB and Mags of 7.0 and 9.7 with a separation of 11.7" for AC another fine triple at x156 with my 6.4mm TMB NGC 1501 Oyster Nebula and what a beautiful object it is Green/Blue ball NGC 1502 Jolly Roger No mistaking the shape here really lovely Got my first view of Mars and its looking good as it gets closer and bigger to us. I finished with the views of Saturn and Jupiter I have viewed this year. Packed up at 1.30 am satisfied with the session.