paulastro

46 minutes ago, michael8554 said:

Today's Test Match play in Pakistan ended, due to poor light, with this shot of the setting sun.The TV cameras often have Canon lenses 

Michael, I saw this and noticed the sunspots on the setting sun.

By the way, it didn't finish because of bad light, but because England bowled Pakistan out and won the test!

1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

I used to really look forward to Sky & Telescope and bought it religiously until the destructive take over a number of years ago. I didn't usually buy it for the astro charts etc, but for the enthusiasm displayed by our American cousins that I find sadly lacking from any British astro mag. Back in the day the equipment reviews were truly outstanding and informative. Today most reviews in mag's aren't worth the paper they are written on. Everything is so watered down and often written with an undertone of inexperience that they are effectively valueless. Then there are the silly price hikes, and paying more for less really gets under my skin, so I nolonger buy a monthly magazine and haven't done so for around ten years. Better to buy a set of 1950's to 1990's S&T's and look back at a time when amateure astronomy was truly great and observers knew their instruments and the night sky. 

 

22 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Paul I first got the information from the book 'Stargazing 2022' by Nigel Henbest. On page 79 he refers to the next time it will be visible in the UK in 2052. I cannot verify this information - but I am trying.

Thanks Mark, I have that book and hadn't read that bit 🤔.

6 hours ago, Saganite said:

Of course , and bring Mike with you....😂

Bring a scope, it'll be a Star Party......

Looking forward to it already.  But are you really sure you want me to bring Mike along?  Have you ever met before?  🤣

47 minutes ago, Saganite said:

I shall be exactly 100.....😂

Can I come to your party please ?

😊 🥳

14 hours ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Got up at 4.30am to see heavy cloud cover. The first contact was 4.56am and missed that - cloud. I got up again just below 6am and the Moon was just leaving the cloud cover. I saw Mars just after leaving the Moon - then total clear skies. Managed to catch the event using the 90mm frac and the 7-21mm zoom.

Well there have been different views when next there will be an occultation of Mars and the Moon. Last night was different because it was a full Moon and Mars was at its closest. The next time this will happen in the UK will be 2052.

Thanks for that Mark, I was going to research when the date of the next similiar event was.  Can you tell me where 2052 came from, and is it slso on the actual day of oppostion? This surprises me, as on an intuitive basis, I thought it would be a rarer event.  Though I'm clearly no mathemitician 😅.

3 hours ago, Astro_Dad said:

The most significant app version update (since the original launch of the DX 130 AZ in 2020) was when they released  the 8” and 10” Dobsonians- more objects were included to help take advantage of the larger apertures. This was when they introduced the “More Deep Sky Objects” section. Some duplication of other sections but overall nicely expanded. The update potential is almost unlimited - it will be very interesting to see how far they take it in time. 

 Thanks Andrew, I was only referring to data updates for new newly discovered objects,  or changes to orbitary date for already known objects - rather than new versions of the app.

Intetestingly, the fact that there has only been one new version, because of the dobsonians launch, shows how much trouble Celestron went to in ensuring the original app worked as well as it does.  The fact that  it worked so well when the original 'beginner' StarSense Explorer scopes were launched is very impressive in my view. In terms of its functionality, I don't think Celestron could have done any better.

As you say Andrew, it will be interesting to see how Celestron support and develop the system going into the future.

Out of interest, why did you realign it if it was working OK in your previous session?

When you aligned it, at the final stage when you aligned the crosshair on the screen with the star, Deneb, that was in the telescope field of view are you sure it was Deneb on the screen?  It's not impossible to mistakenly align with the wrong star on the screen. Ive done it myself and it results in a constant pointing error in the distance you are out when you then try and locate an object.

I hate to say this, but the Starsense App didn't 'get it all wrong'.  I soon found this out when I had mine,  if it wasn't locating objects it was my fault, not the app.  If you follow the alignment procedure, it will locate objects correctly, accurately and quickly.

I enerally don't like RDFs, and use a 30mm optical finder  on the rare occassion I need one.  I also wear glasses.

The app you use is the same one we all use, and there's no reason why it should not work for you, so I can't see it being the moonlight being responsible. As I said in my testing of this, I was quite astonished how well it worked in very bright moonlight.

If your phone is an old one, or not compatable it may not work as well as it should.  You can check online via Celestro'ns website if you're not sure.

If you can't sort it, you're welcome to pm me if you wish.  I can talk a lot faster than I can type on my phone. 🙂  I can always pm my number to you.

Regards, Paul

Thank you Mark.  I never thought to break out the PST yesterday 😏. 

4 minutes ago, Stu said:

Excellent views here! Wasn’t planning on getting the reappearance but may do. Quick snaps beforehand.

Likewise Stu, going out for reappearance shortly, too cold to wait outside, -3 deg C.  Frost all over telescope.

1 hour ago, wookie1965 said:

Is this on automatically or do you have to do something like with stellarium.

As far as I know, Celestron do regular updates to the database

COMET C/2022 E3 (ZTF) NOW ON DATABASE OF STARSENSE EXPLORER TELESCOPE APP.

Thus COMET is forecast to be as bright as 5th mag.

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/403657-comet-c2022-e3-ztf-now-on-database-of-skysense-explorer-telescope-app/

This comet which is forecast to become as bright as 5th mag has been on SkySafari's database for a little while, and has very recently been added to that of the StarSense Explorer Telescope App. On the latter, search for C/2022 and it will come up amongst a list of comets.  

http://aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html

Single frame taken at 11.54am,  Altair 80 ED-R and Olympus E-,M5 Mk11.

Here's a test of the StarSense App's ability to find objects in bright moonlight last night. Excellent!!

Last evening I went out to observe Mars and the Moon.  After observing these two objects, I thought it was a good opportunity to really test how well the StarSense App finding system on my Celestron 8 inch StarSense Explorer  Dob is affected by bright Moonlight.

It was a frosty night, -3 deg C, with the Moon at an altitude of 52 degres and 98.7% illuminated when I finished the session at a little after 1am.

Mars was 15 deg to the E of the Moon, and the SS located the Moon easily,.  I noticed on the phone's screen that the Pleiades were only 5 or so degrres NW of the Moon.  I replaced my binoviwer, x275 mag, I had been using with my 17.5mm Morpheus - x68, 1.1 deg field.

The SS had no problem pointing me to the Pleiades, which I couldn't even see with the naked eye with the Moon's glare.  I then went to several objects to test its accuracy further.

From the Pleiades back to Mars.

Mars to M42.

M42 to HR2764 - my first view of the wonderful 'Winter Albireo' in Canis Major, only 10 degrees above SE horizon. It really is like a fainter version of Albireo, wonderful!

HR2764 to Double Cluster.

Double Cluster to C13, ET/Owl Cluster.

ET Cluster to M44 The Beehive Cluster.

M44 to Pleiades.  This required the scope to go within less than 5 degrees from the Moon to arrive at its destination.  No problem at all.

Despite the bright moonlight, the StarSense App successfully navigated all these maneouvers.  In fact the sky had thin cloud covering the Cass area and when I located the Double Cluster and the ET Cluster I couldn't see any stars in that area with the naked eye..  When I arrived at the ET cluster, in the scope I could only see two odd stars.  I was a bit puzzled until the cloud thinned in patches and ET's eye and then the rest of it came into view!!

In summary, the SS had no difficulty finding any object with an 87% illuminated Moon and some hazy patches of cloud as well, even when objects were close to the Moon itself.  Significantly, I really couldn't have found some of the objects with a finder, it just wouldn't have been possible. 

Use your StarSense Explorer telescope when there's Moonlight, you shouldn't have any problems at all - I didn't!

8 hours ago, Stu said:

Thanks @paulastro, I’m away Wednesday night but have packed my little FS60Q and a lightweight tripod to try to catch it if it’s clear 👍

You're welcome Stu, I hope it's clear wherever you are going to. 

1 hour ago, maw lod qan said:

I spoke too soon. It's not visible in Florida!

Sorry, I couldn't resist laughing - I've made the same mistake, more than once 😊.

This is the current Met cloud cover map at the start of the Mars occultation in the early hours of Thursday morning.  Honest!

Struggled for a view early on, but I had a clearish break from 10.07 to 10.31 this morning. Took some single frames with the Altair 80 ED -R and Olympus E-M5 Mk11.   The first was taken at10.07 and the second at 10.29 as the cloud closed in.

15 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

Cheers for the reminder Paul..might actually be clear here, although forecast to be sub zero!

Hope you get a good view!

Dave

Cheers Dave, you too.  Looking good weather wise at the moment 🙂.

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

Thank you Paul, nice reminder.
Shame its at a less than social hour for a working day.

 

It's times like this I'm pleased I come in the elderly category 😄.

Well, I'm choosing to believe the forecast for the Mars occultation in the early hours of Thurdsay morning, and staying at home to observe it 😁.

Just sending this in case it had slipped anyone's mind, it had mine until a few minutes ago! Weather favourable for many.  Attachments from AN.

Good luck.

1 hour ago, Gonariu said:

Very  Beautiful! I was from a month that I didn't see the sun, as I saw your photograf I have looked it with my acromatic 80/400; if the sun wasn't about to set I would have drawn it!

Hopefully you'll have a chance to do a drawing in the next few days Gonariu.