paulastro

I'll look forward to hearing how you get on in better sky conditions Geoff, thanks for posting.

A 'serious' telescope? Well, all my scopes, including my present brace, have been 'fun' scopes - I wouldn't want to be serious when I'm observing, I want to be enjoying myself.

Peter is quite correct, visual observing in a natural rewarding way to see the wonders of the night, and daytime, sky. As for imaging, wasting valuable eyeball time to play around with frustratingly temperamental electronic gadgets and computers, well, that's downright weird 😱.

Sorry Mike, but your claim as quoted below is not strictly true: What's imaging? Observing through the telescope is all i've ever done and almost certainly all I'll ever do. I'm fortunate to have a couple of excellent visual observers to associate with locally (good friends), so observing is very much alive and healthy in my little world. I do think the skill of observers is on the wane though, as many today just assume you need to either have a large aperture scope to see anything of worth, or you need to live on Hawaii - neither of which is true! I distinctly remember you posting a phone 'image' of the moon on SGL - I have a copy of it as I thought it was such a rare event! I'd also like to say it's a real pleasure being a 'member' of your local observing group.

I couldn't have said it better myself Paul - particularly with respect to the Moon.

I agree with you Mike. by the way I love your new profile picture - your eyepiece box with one of your Mars maps in the lid, good idea .

A 50mm finder makes a big difference compared with a 30mm Nige. If you do go for a 50mm finder, I would buy a 90 degree one with a right way round erect image to match any star/finder chart you may be using, Even if you can't see the target object, if you put the cosshairs of the finder where the target object should be with relation to the star field then the target should be visible in the main telescope. I'm pretty sure the version sold by FLO is a correct image finder, or you could try and get a used one. Just make sure you have aligned the finder during the daytime using a higher power as you can on some distant object.

Nige, I didn't think to mention it in my last post, but I also use a dark black cloth. Buy some black out material from the local market or what ever and get enough to cover your head and shoulders and it will keep out any lights. Also good to enhance the view of the sun in daytime. Makes a huge difference.

I've always primarily been a moon and planet man, though I do like really good views of the brighter deep sky objects. Alas at home, though my conditions are a lot better than many (also aided by a run off roof garage) they are often rather insipid compared with a very good dark sky location. I've been going to the equinox star party at Kelling since at least 2006, and this has always been my annual 'deep sky fix'. Even the poorer clear nights at Kelling are better than the best night I will ever get at home. Kelling skies enable my scopes to perform like a much larger aperture and the views I get at Kelling every year (of both the summer and winter constellations) sustain me until the following year. Even the views through my 9x50 finder can give me 'wow' moments. I still look at deep sky on the finest nights at home - while thinking of how good it would be at Kelling. However, it's not all doom and gloom. Star clusters and double stars are less affected by poorer skies and if you have a good quality optic with fine contrasty images, you can still get a comparatively black background to these objects. At home for instance I can always see the nebulosity surrounding the Pleiades on my best nights, and the Orion Neb and M27 can still be spectacular. It's a matter of choosing the right night at home along with the right targets.

A bargain even if you pay the full price, an 'out of this world' bargain at this price. Get yours now!

Well, at least that's what I thought when I glanced this new book/magazine amongst the new publications of WHS in town this morning. For a nano-second I thought how marvellous it was that WHS would have decided to stock suck a title in their stores. Alas, a second glance made me realise it wasn't quite what I thought it was!! 😄

The English translation of the Takahashi website seems to indicate it is as good or better optically than the other scopes in the series, including the f9 DL. Whether many observers, particularly inexperienced ones, would notice any difference in the real world of observing in UK seeing conditions is another question. I've used the other versions and can't see anyone not being absolutely delighted by their performance. https://translate.google.com/translate?depth=1&hl=fr&ie=UTF8&langpair=ja|en&rurl=translate.google.com&sp=nmt4&u=http://www.takahashijapan.com/ct-news/news_topics/news_19VII09_fc-100dz.html&xid=17259,15700023,15700186,15700191,15700256,15700259,15700262

It's later because the date the organisers wanted clashed with a forties weekend, also taking place at KELLING and it was given priority. Apparently it's a much bigger event. Hence it was moved to the next new moon. I'm rather pleased it now coincides with the Mars opposition. 😁

Many thanks for your good wishes everyone. We had to mop up quite a bit of water which came in after the storm finished. Managed to keep it out of the sleeping areas though. By 7.30pm we were out observing Jupiter and Saturn and have only just come in. Amazingly we've had four successive evening sessions. Despite the fact we've had the worse weather I've seen At Kelling everything except snow! Great observing though, and I'll be back next year for Mars 😀

From 4.50 to 5.15. Really torrential rain. close deafening lightening strikes. Strong gusts of wind and our tent bowing in and out, once sending items tumbling from a shelf. Now water laying all over the place. Here's hoping everyone's tents are still intact. Now only rain and Sun breaking out. Oops, just found water has come onto the tent, got to go and clear up Now!

Thanks Knighty. Me too.. In fact in the last few minutes the Sun has been popping out - there's always hope 😎

Last night Tropical Storm Humberton arrived with heavy rain and very windy. Still continuing as I write this in the tent. It should ease up this evening with some clear patches later. Then clear patches for the next few days with rain at times. If it does clear to any degree the sky should be very transparent 😁.Managed some nice solar views with a friend's solar scope yesterday.

Great news for KELLING 2020. When i arrived yesterday and booked for next year found out it's from October 12th to 19th. Mars opposition is on October 14th. !!! On Oct 14th Mars is mag -2.6, 22.3 arcseconds and over 42 degrees altitude when it transits the meridian. What's more it rises at 6.09 am and doesn't set until 7.17am. FABULOUS.

Thanks Chris.

Lucky to be able to be able to avoid the fluffy stuff and observe and take some snaps of the last quarter Moon. In fact only an hour and eighteen minutes after the actual time of last quarter,. Single frame taken at 04.07 am, SW 120ED, AZ4, Olympus E-M5 Mk11, 1/80 sec, 400 asa. Excellent detail visually all along the terminator, the most striking being from Archimedes to Eratosthenes and the S Apennines. I really must start packing everything into the car for an early start to Kelling tomorrow morning.

Excellent John !!

Certainly not up here in Oakworth!!

I looked up at the Moon when I was up at 7.30, and it did cross my mind I could have had more sleep and gone out to catch it in the dawn sky. Perhaps tomorrow morning, though I could do with some sleep before going to Kelling!

Thanks Maw, It has hasn't it, I think I've had four days in a row now including another session this morning.

Many thanks Chris. I hope you did get a view in the early hours this morning, it was spectacular.