paulastro

APRIL 16TH/17TH A few Seestar images. https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/421231-april-16th17th-lunar-obs-deep-sky-with-seestar-s50/#comment-4478869

Me too, but I made an exception 😅.

Why not just buy a Seestar S50? - the perfect antidote for an imaging itch, and it doesnt waste a lot of valuable observing time. I do admire your determination though. 😊

Out during dusk with 6inch Dob. Excellent views with the Svbony 3-8mm zoom - what a bargain it is. With the Moon being so bright with some clouds and only m3 stars visible I used the Seester S50. Pics below. Even having used tbe S50 since early January, it still continues to amaze me how it performs in adverse conditions. I could never see beyond m3, and M16 (the Eagle Nebula)was taken when it was little more than 6 degrees altitude. Around it I could see no stars at all. LDN 1124 is an area of dark nebule in Cepheus, not far from the elephant nebula. All pics are full frame except the crop of M16.

I've had the scope a few weeks, but only on Saturday did I have it out under Starlight. I had already tested it in daylight on distant lichen-laden leafless trees against blue sky with sunshine. Zero CA and very sharp with good contrast, so I had high expectations of it. The 125 was mounted on the StellaLyra Dual-Altaz mount (similiar to the SkyTee2) which was more than adequate. I had also previously mounted it on my vintage Vixen GP which also took it very well. I used a Baader/Zeiss T2 Prism Diagonal with a 34mm prism and BBHS coatings for my tests. I started on the crescent Moon high in the sky as civil dusk set in. Good seeing initially, but it deteriorated as darkness took over. Jumping in at the deep end I put in the Svbony 3-8 mm zoom, which has had many plaudits. Starting at 8mm and slowly increasing the mag, I was surprised at what I saw - it was the zooms first night time outing too. The image was extremely sharp at 8mm, and to my eyes there was little if any change as the mag went from x122 to x325 at the 3mm setting. The sharpness was very apparent more like the performance of a very good fixed focal length eyepiece. No CA noticeable on limb or crater highlights. Features observed were Janssen, M Nectaris, Fracastorius and the are to the S around Piccolomoni. I forgot the testing and spent some time studying the very impressive detail. I then tried my Baader Mk1 Maxbright binoviewer with x2 Baader Classic 18mm Orthos and x2 barlow element giving x217. This usually out-oerforms any single eyepiece - but not on this occassion surprisingly, it looked less sharp Though, the seeing may have dropped off a tad. Still a great view. Tried the Baader Mk111 8-24 zoom and that gave very good images too, though not as sharp as the Svbony zoom. Alas Jupiter was now rather too low for testing the scope (10 to 5 degrees altitude) but I couldn't resist popping in the Svbony zoom which surprusingky still showed the two equatorial belts and other bits of detail. For viewing wider fields I put in the Celestron Ultima Edge FF 30/70 2 inch eyepiece, x32 and 2.1 degree field. The field had a lovely sharp edge with no vignetting as in my daylight tests. The contrast was as dark as I could have expected with the sky conditions, now a little hazy in places, very nice. What was also obvious was the colour saturation in the different colour stars and also how small and tight the star images were. Again very impressive, what I'd expect from a very good refractor telescope. All in all a very good first light, the scopes optics are clearly of a high quality, very pleasng indeed. I'll write a full review when I've had some more night time forays.

I'd go for the ES24/68. It's Argon filled so sealed and so it can't mist up iside or let in debris. It's quality of construction is excellent, it feels and is very well made. Optical performance is right up there, and I prefer it to the 24mm Panoptic, it's certainly better for comfort of use and eye placement for me. Fine to the edge at least to f4.7. I also have the 24mm Hyperion which is also a very nice eyepiece down to f6. Less good at faster focal ratios. Though not as good as the ES, but I've kept it as a spare as its worth more to me than the used price I'd get if I sold it.

It's not unusual for books to be published later than the first date the publishers announce. The longest I have waited for was nearly two years - but it wasn't an astronomy book. There were at least four dates announced between the first one and the date it was published.

Well, I've never been or wanted to be a traditional inager - far too technical, expensive and time consuming for me. It would also keep me away from visual observing, Hence, I don't feel I know enough to write a remotely useful review that would be useful for existing imagers. However, I do own an S50, and haven't hidden my enthusiasm for it when sending in pics or just talking about it. I'll come clean, I love it, it's a real game changer and in my view one of the most innovative pieces of kit developed in the last fifty years. Anyway, enough rambling, I've just come across this utube video by a very accomplished traditional imager. If you're considering buying the Seestar, or any smart telescope, I think you might like to watch it. Also, if you just want to know what it's all about.

If anyone is thinking of buying any 'Smart Telescope', particularly the Seestar S50, you should watch this video on U-Tube if you haven't already. If your'e one of the critics of the S50, particularly those who think it is not worthy as being of use to anyone, perhaps you should look away now! 😊

Thank you Mark. I can honestly say that if I can use it then anyone can. As far as I can see it works flawlessly. The first time I used it, I thought straight away I had my money's worth. 😊

Went up to Penistone Hill with Seestar and 10x50s to see Pons-Brooks, first opportunity for eight days due to poor weather. Set tripod out next to car as dusk fell (8.30pm). The wind was too strong for the S50 so sat in the car to see if the wind dropped - it didn't and the car was rocking from side to side at times! I didn't have much time as the comet would be getting too low, so I drove to a lower position in hope I'd be more sheltered. It was good enough to try, so I set up the Seestar on the tripod for the first time, with a weight to steady the tripod. Fired up the S50, and not unexpectedly, it couldn't find any stars to focus on. (I had checked in my binocs and I couldn't see any stars or the comet below Jupiter which was only a little over 5 degrees from the comet). Interestingly the only thing I could see on my phones screen was a dim image of the comets coma! Elsewhere the sky was reasonable but there was thin clouds/haze under Jupiter. I pressed the button to start enhancing the image more in hope than expectation. The S50 rejected a lot of subs because of the wind causing the stars to trail, but I did manage to accumulate an exposure of 11 minutes, but it took a lot longer. The exposure was completed at 9.21 with the comet only at an altitude of 5 degrees. The original image did show the tail to a degree and some faint stars, but not great - unsurprisingly in the conditions. The focus seemed OK- I guess the focus reverts to its mean focus if it can't actually focus in poor conditions. There is some star trailing, but less than I expected. I did some brief enhancing using the phone's camera software when I arrived home, and though noisy and not great quality, it shows an awful lot more than I could see through my 10x50s, which was absolutely nothing! This is just the sort of occassion when the Seestar can save the day. I don't consider myself an imager, but the Seestar is a fabulous tool to aid my visual observing. Enhanced pic added below.

Yes, there seemed to be god three prominences, one at about 66 degrees seemed to be split in two at one time. Good to see nine total eclipses from Mexico to Main(?) - even with a bit of dodgy camera work now and again. I've seen two, and failed seeing one in 'real life', but still got excited watching them on TV 🙂.

Many thanks Dave, don't tell anyone, but I have two smaller refractors. I'm not fussy, I'll look through anything 🙂 I lusted after one when it was on special offer the first time round, last year. Then they go and put it on offer for the current sale, and then I notice there was one available even cheaper that was a return. A man can only resist for so long before he crumbles 😊. Thank you for your good wishes. Can't wait to try it out.

Well, I ordered an ADM adapter from FLO, and it arrived yesterday packed inside the case for the item below. Don't tell FLO anyone, they may want it back!

Happily I have a beard so I dont have to look at my aging features in a mirror every day. 🙂

I don't think I've been very clear., sorry. If you want to you can just turn you're head, but there's no need to. My point is that an inverted view is 'real' in the sense it is a view you can see on the Moon - as others have pointed out, there is no upside down in space. On the other hand you will never see a mirror image view of the Moon unless you are actually looking in a mirror - or using an ordinary diagonal prism or mirror diagonal on your telescope. If someone carved some writing in huge letters on one of the mare and you looked at it from the earth in a telescope with a mirror image diagonal - what you would see is not a view you can see if you just went there and looked with your unaided eye. The reversed writing you see in the diagonal is not 'real'. The funny thing is, if diagonals had not been invented yet, and people wanted something to make it easier to look through a telescope pointing high in the sky so as not to crick their necks - they would probably reject a device which gave a mirror image as unacceptable. Anyway, if no-one else is bothered and people want to be looking at a 'false' image, that's fine by me - give me a good amici -prism any time 😂.

I don't mind an upside - down Moon, its a 'real' image that you could see if you travel there just by turning your head. You won't see a mirror image! (apart from when shaving 🙂)

I still prefer to see the same image orientation through a telescope as I see with my eye alone - others can make their own choice 😂.

I've recently bought the Baader T2 Amici Astro quality prism. - They do some cheaper ones, but only two 'astro" quality, the other being a non-T2 version with a 2inch clicklock eyepiece fitting and 2 inch nosepiece. So far I'm very pleased with it. The main reason I bought it is I have never liked the mirror image of standard prisms/diagonals as it is a 'false' view which does not exist in reality. This applies to every object of course, not just the Moon. I intend to write a review when I've had more star time with the amici-prism.

Thanks John, it would be good to hear how it compares.

Another vote for a binoviewer. I've been using one for many years - the best thing I ever did to improve my Lunar/ planetary viewing. I wouldn't be without it.

Thanks Louis. Is the zoom you mention supposed to be better than the Baader? If its half as good as the 3-8 it will be a cracker.

A bit late to the party, but is it correct you have the scope on an AZ5? If so, could you tell me how it handles the scope please? Best regards, Paul