paulastro

March 3rd, 10.50pm to 11.55pm. Celestron 8inch Starsense Explorer Dob. Seeing not the best, some haze and bright Moon. Spent the first 20mts or so on the Moon - binoviewer and Orthos, x200. Bailly (the largest crater on the nearside, diam 188 miles) nicely placed on the S limb, always east to locate with the three craters Kircher, Bettinus and Zucchius in a shallow arc to the N of Bailly's N limb. Bailly mostly in shadow apart from parts of the N limb and part of the rim of Bailly B in the interior. Schickard well illuminated showing lots of interior detail. Paused to look at Wargentin adjoing Schickard which is filled to the rim with larva, it always reminds me of a flan or cheese cake with its smooth surface under the right illumination. Despite the bright 95% illuminated Moon, I couldn't resist looking at some open clusters and globulars which still look very good in a 6 inch or larger scope. I used the Morpheus 17.5mm (×68, 1.1deg) for these obs. OCs observed were, M37, M36, M38, Double Cluster, NGC457 ET/Owl Cluster, Collinder 463 in Cas, M103, M35, M44 and M67. Globulars M13 and M92. Some fine views with the Morpheus with sharp stars across the 76 deg field and very contrasty. Objects further from the Moon clearly less affected by its influence. A very enjoyable session.

Great, thanks for that John. There are a few scopes I'd like to try out, I'll get onto Steve straight away! 😊

Very true. We also tend to disbelieve anything that is contrary to the views and opinions we hold, and indeed feel uncomfortable if we act contrary to beliefs we hold strongly. A bit like a Meade enthusiast buying a Celestron SC 😅. In psychology terms it's called cognitive dissonance.

I'm not sure Alan, I cant recall what it said on my Tecnosky version. FLO can tell us, it may be on their website anyway.

That 'rumour' wouldn't come from another forum over the pond would it? Do you actuuually know the source?The trouble with rumours is that the more they are passed on, the more they become accepted as being true - and they can cause serious damage to people's reputations and livelihoods. Personally, I'd doubt this to be true. The Starfield and the other badged examples are so good I'd have thought it unlikely. Anyway, with the cost of labour in China, there is no reason for them to 'rush a bit''. Though, there's nothing wrong with having minimum standards as long as they are high enough, I presume every manufacturer of optics have to have minimum standards. I've not heard of a bad example of the Starfield or the other versions myself.

Thank you David. If I start writing about the Starsense Explorer I'll be up until the early hours 😊. There us a good review by Alan Dyer below https://astrogeartoday.com/celestrons-new-starsense-dobsonians-reviewed/ Also an excellent review by Ade Ashford in September 2022's Astronomy Now. I've also put a review on SGL somewhere but I haven't got a link for it. There's a very good review on the SS dob by High Point Scientific on u-tube . Lots of info on SGL too. Well, you did ask David 😅

Many thanks Dave. I actually use a binoviewer, barlow and Orthos for virtually all my lunar and planetary observing, and they do make a huge difference. Usually this is x200, and sometimes up to around x300 or so, more for Mars. I accept liking to use some scopes above others is a good reason to use them. I like using refractors and reflectors the most, with a slight preferance for the latter as I really don't like seeing mirror images in diagonals. It just bugs me as it's not a 'real' view which you can actually see if you get in a rocket and travel out into space! My 8 inch is used for nearly all my obs because, for me, it shows more detail in planetary and deep sky than my 80mm ED. In fact, I sold my Tecnosky 102ED version of the Starfield to pay for my dob. It was just as excellent as the Starfield but I wanted the extra aperture to allow me to see brighter images of planets at the mags I needed to use and more detail in deep sky. This it does very well and I don't miss the Tecnosky to be honest. Another reason I bought it was it is the Celestron 8inch Starsense Explorer Dob. It has been a real game changer in terms of finding objects quickly and without using a finder. I have severe hip and back problems and sat down observing with the help of pain killers I'm enjoying my observing as much as I ever have. So in the end, I just have the best scope that suits me personally in both what I want to see, and that I can physically cope with at the present time. Whatever scopes I have in the future, I will have to mod them to use the Starsense Explorer system. 🙂.

'Empty Magnification' used to be the expression used to descibe using magnifications so high that the image deteriorated to such a degree that the image became unusable. While a 100mm fluorite doublet refractor still being sharp on planets at x500 plus is impressive, it doesn't mean it is necessarily a good image. That depends on the observer according to their age, experience, observing skill and what they perceive as being a good image. Everyone will have a different opinion. I'm a very experienced observer, and by no means the worst or best, and also fast approaching 68 years old. And, aging in all of us affects what we see. To me a 100mm doublet fluorite image on any planet at much over x250, though still sharp, will be very pale, fairly colourless and being bombarded by numerous floaters. A good example of 'empty magnification'. At x250 in my 8inch Dob the image will be as sharp (when the seeing allows), much brighter, far better saturated colours and floater-free. A good example of 'useful magnification'.

Ah, that's ok then as long as you're getting a bigger one 😊

I don't know what 'last telescope' means? 😉

Stu, I'm not trying to tempt you or anything, but I think I've seen a SW 200mm dob and a stellaLyra one recently, either here or on astrobuysell for good prices 😊.

Out with the Starsense Explorer 8inch from 7.45 to 8.10 when very threatening black clouds closed in. I went out for the Moon, just as well as nothing else was visible. Clavius's W walls were snugly against the terminator, lovely contrast of light and dark patches and shadows along with some fine floor details. Eratosthenes showed good detail under excellent lighting. Not far from Clavius Tycho was very favourable, with the central mountain coming out of the shadows and the W walls well lit with lovely detail in the terracing. The E outer rim of Copernicus was just coming into sunlight on the terminator. It was nice to see the shadows starting to cross the floor of Plato from hills on the E wall also. Other features showing well included the Straight Wall and some of the rille systems close to the terminator. I used my binoviwer, x2 barlow and 24mm Orthos giving x200. Very enjoyable despite the session being on the short side.

What has not been mentioned is that not all observers are equal - that is in terms of experience, technique and visual acuity. The observer is the key link in the chain of course. There are some observers who will never be able get the best out of either of these telescopes, never mind being able to tell the optical difference between them. And all this without taking into account the often poor seeing, which will be a leveler between the two scopes most of the time, certainly in the UK. As an all round telescope, my 8inch Dob, never mind a 12 inch, will 'spank' them both. (except in portability) 🙂

Thanks for that Stu and for posting the pic of your setup, it looks great. It's really nice to hear the difference it has made to your observing, as it did for me when I bought the 8inch Dob SS Explorer last July. The quietness of it not only keeps the neighbours on board, but makes the experience more enjoyable too. Listening to the local Tawny Owls is far better than the alternative of slewing motors 😊. All the best, Paul.

Great report Stu, I really enjoyed reading it. It really doesn't matter if you move the scope a bit fast. However fast you move it, when you stop the scope within the vicinity of the object it will take a pic and plate solve and you then just move the scope to the centre of the bullseye. It will nearly always take well less than a minute, perhaps up to a minute if there's a lot of cloud or haze. When you're used to it, you'll be amazed at the conditions in which it works - in some conditions not good enough for a visual finder. It's a great feeling to know you will never have a problem finding any object - if its bright enough to be seen in your scope. You'll spend far more time observing than searching. I'd love to see a pic of your scope with the SS 🙂.

I came across this review which was actually published online in December 2022. I'd not seen it before and haven't seen it on SGL. Apologies if it has been posted here before. Interestingly, it seems to be aimed at newcomers to astronomy rather than more experienced astronomers. Hence it might be of particular interest to people who are considering buying their first telescope. For those who may not know who Damian Peach is, there is a piece about him at the end of the review. https://www.space.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-130az-review

Signed. Best of luck with it. No excuse for anyone on SGL not to sign, takes seconds so get to it !

Yes you're right Dave, I use the smaller when I'm only going to use 1.25 and the other for 2 inch. Baader are about the best firm for giving complete information on all their many diagonals, including the prism sizes. They have an excellent download just on their diagonals. It's always irked me a little that most companies don't tell you the clear aperture of their diagonals.

Kelling Spring Star Party 2023 is on from April 17th to 24th. Is anyone else going apart from me and Andy from The Astronomy Centre? 🙂

Is anyone else attending this event, apart from myself and Andy from The Astronomy Centre (Todmorden) ? 🙂 I've attended the Autumn bash for many years, but this will be my first time for the Spring event.

I came across this article, regarding what size threads are used for bolts and adapters used for astronomical purposes. It may be useful if you need an adapter or bolt but aren't sure what thread it is. https://agenaastro.com/articles/guides/astronomy-threads-explained.html#small Regards, Paul

Exactly right. Once you have identified some of the exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful people on the forum you can find out just about anything. Alas, some newcomers may not realise that all advice is not helpful, however we'll intended.

Yes, it does. It's a problem for people new to the hobby, as they won't know who's view is the correct one, or most useful. It can be useful to look back at the members posts and feedback which may give clues as to their experience and interests.

I've only got one law. When reading anything on an an astronomical forum or blog, don't just assume it is true. People can write in a very authoritative manner, even when they have little knowledge or experience to back it up. 🙂

Well Mike, we've really had some laughs together, but you've forgetting to mention one of the best. I'm thinking of the time after you had just bought the FS128, and brought it up to The Astronomy Centre one evening - having previously told me on the phone that you had star tested it and it was a load of 'rubbish' (I'm not allowed to mention the actual words you used to me on SGL). Also, that having given the seller an earful the scope was re-boxed ready to be collected the next day by courier. As this thread is about confessing our own mistakes (I've made more than I can possibly remember ) I'll leave it up to you if you want to complete the story 😊.