Saganite

Thanks to Stu1smartcookie  for the heads up on the breaks in the cloud.  I was happy to settle for the forecast untiI I saw his post and looked outside.

As a devoted user of binoviewers, particularly for Lunar observing, I have spent the last hour using a single eyepiece, the Svbony 3-8 zoom in fact, and that is only because it is quite cloudy and I thought I would be out for a very short time, so didn't bother with them.  I am however pleased because I have been enthralled by rock steady  views at 400x !

I cannot  believe how steady the atmosphere is, quite incredible, and this little zoom is amazing, all I need for this evening.

I did try a particular popular brand of holder  Dave, but it was so awkward to adjust  that after a few attempts to use it,  it was lucky to leave my employ ' alive ' and in one piece, and I passed it on to some poor soul who probably found it easy to use...

The session you are longing for Dave will be 'third time lucky ' of course.  I have tried hand held shots myself but am useless, yours, of Plato, is great !

That is a superb shot !

Cloudy here unfortunately.

The sky last evening was clear when I got home at about 8.30pm.  It was not what was forecast but a treat all the same.  

Having my telescopes permanently set in an Obsy is a great bonus so I was observing within minutes.   Rigel, Mintaka, the Trapezium and Sigma Orionis quickly revealed that the seeing was pretty fair, though F was intermittent.  The main course for me though was Lunar, so a quick change to the bino and Powerswitch and a pair of 20mm WO eyepieces and I was in business moving all over the surface with mags of 84x ...rock steady,  120x ...also rock steady, and 150x...slight undulations but very good, certainly good enough for me to count the sink pits along Rima Hyginus.  Since I discovered some years ago that what I thought were ' weird straight lines of craters ' were in fact sink pits formed by volcanic action, it is a favourite area which I always spend time on.

It is wonderfully relaxing to spend the best part of an hour, dare I say, gazing at the surface, but soaking in  the details in and around the Craters; very cathartic.

Feeling now very refreshed, I removed the binoviewer and put in the 30mm UFF before swinging the APM 152 onto the Double Cluster in Perseus.  I really love this eyepiece for deep sky views , and particularly star clusters. You really can fill it with stars edge to edge and they remain sharp and focused.  This pair of clusters are a magnificent sight , as we all know.  My recently acquired APM 20mm XWA was then put into the focuser and I got what I had hoped for, the same view but at 60x rather than 40x, so the gorgeous diamond stars were set in a darker background.  This was very pleasing and  so too is the prospect of doing the same again, in a little while, when Lunar is not lighting up the sky.

I won't be parting with the 30mm UFF though.  Both eyepieces have their merit .

My Vixen ED103 lives most of the time now on the SP mount and tripod.

I should add that I often spend an equal amount of time trying to focus single eyepieces before realizing that the OCS  IS in the diagonal .........😟

I spent a similar amount of time trying to focus the Moon tonight  by putting different lengths of extension tube in the focuser despite  knowing exactly what was required, before I realized I had not screwed the OCS into the diagonal.....

I sold my 30mm Pentax XW  last summer for a Stellalyra 30mm UFF and have no regrets.

+1 for the Svbony zoom, a very good buy at well under £150.  

My offering is the humble Tele Vue 11mm plossl @ £99, a superb performer.  I had to buy two of course for binoviewing but in my Denkmeier with power switch  and Vixen ED103 Swt I get... 101x , 145x, and 180x without changing eyepieces.

Congratulations  Nigella,

That is cool.  I almost fancy having a go at imaging .....😨

The largest  I have ever bought by a long way, this  mint condition APM eyepiece came today courtesy of an esteemed colleague on this forum.  For use in my 12" Dob and my 6" refractor, for deep sky observing, it will yield a 50% increase in power over my 30mm UFF eyepiece and give a darker background, with the same FOV. As is usual, I will have to wait a while for first light.

It is looking good for tonight here as well so  I hope to have the chance to try the LVW 3.5mm.

What more could you wish for Dave? It is more stable, lighter, and, like Trinity, at the top of the Premier league.

It certainly looks superb on your tripod.

Maybe I should trade in Foxy for one of those...🙂

13 minutes ago, maw lod qan said:

Earlier I saw a member say he thinks the term astronomer seems to imply some sort of intellectual or scientific endeavor. 

When I "gaze" into the heavens thru my telescope I'm doing it to enjoy the beauty above me and to increase my knowledge of the infinite universe. 

I guess that falls into both groups, scientific and intellectual. 

But deep down inside I still know I'm an amateur amateur!

I think it highly unlikely that anyone who spends four hours plus in the freezing cold is just gazing.  I engage with what I look at and concentrate for detail and I know this to be true of many of my colleagues on this forum. I have no real problem with Stargazer but nor do I with Amateur Astronomer.

On 09/02/2024 at 23:18, iantaylor2uk said:

Not sure I agree. An astronomer is someone who does astronomy, which is what we all do. Calling yourself an astronomer doesn't imply you are doing research. Those who do such things can call themselves professional astronomers if they wish, but I think most of us (and most of the public) regard ourselves as amateur astronomers and we're not misleading anyone in any way and we don't need to justify it either. 

This is how I feel, and when asked about my interests I reply that I have a great passion for Astronomy and that is usually enough to elicit interest and questions.  

Try typing into Google, " What is a Stargazer "  and it comes up with someone who is an Astronomer or Astrologer.......simples ..

I am a wannabe Astronomer....

I love the peace and tranquility of observing.  I get my kick out of using a beautiful and powerful instrument  to do so.

9 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I heard someone say stargazers use refractors and astronomers use reflectors 🤔

Light the touch paper why don't you .....😨

Fine report Joe, and I look forward to seeing the Southern Sky in 2025 when I next visit my daughter and granddaughters.

On 03/02/2024 at 20:05, wookie1965 said:

Not as extensive as other peoples

But more extensive than mine Paul..

The drawers are full of Astro essentials though..

13 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

There’s something about the look of Vixen scopes I always liked, they have that simplistic yet elegant look, hard to explain but you can see the quality in them.

As well as through them..😁

I agree 100% with your statement.  

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

Oh, forgot to mention as well.."Proper" refractors are of course always white!!🙃😂

Dave

Unless they are baby blue !......

Just one item, my Nagler 26mm  T5  2" , a wonderful eyepiece . Not seen one for sale since that time.

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

I think @JeremyS must have only shown one half of his Tak collection, 
That or else he has far more to add yet 😉

Those six Tec 180 made me have a similar reaction to @Sunshine

Andromeda could have had a dome Steve, but it would be outsized for uk planing no doubt and not count as a temporary building.

And so far thank goodness no one has started posting finders as an entry.......,ooops that has done it now.

I couldn't put a dome around that pier Al because it would have exceeded the  8' max height allowed in close proximity to a neighbours boundary.  The pulsar dome which is around that pier now is a 2.2m diameter and just under 8', so is fine...