Joves

Get the AM5, it’s a great mount 😁

Absolutely beautiful scope and setup, Stu. I’m sure you’ll have many a memorable night with that!

Beautiful post!

Good advice, even if a little later than anticipated ?

You'd be more than welcome to Stu, I know you'd look after it Truth be told, I've not even had a chance to look through the thing since buying it :s

Cheers Chris, they are lovely scopes. I look forward to mustering up the motivation, and getting the time, to use them again soon hopefully.

Haha... Stu, that set of fracs have been sleeping in their cases in a cupboard for god only knows how long! I'm not sure I even remember how to use them anymore :S On a separate note, I simply attached the pic and hit send. When the page refreshed, it looked like I had written a novel... This new format sure makes my signature look like that of a pompous prat!! Hope you've all been well.

Plenty of people have probably caught it on camera however, considering the majority of cameras pointed at the sky are taking long exposure still images, it'll show up as a streak as regular as any satellite caught with a ccd.

Funnily enough, I saw something very much like this only just last night. I was outside and looked up at the sky, thinking it would be nice to see a meteor or something (an absolute beauty was seen burning for over 10 seconds across our skies only last Thursday), when all of a sudden I noticed what looked very much like a low flying satellite, but travelling much quicker than any others I've ever seen. Will be very curious to hear if anyone knows what it is/was. It literally travelled across the sky, from zentith to horizon, in about 20 seconds!

Excellent report, as always, Alan. Please don't put silly thoughts in my head, such as Pentax XW additions to the Ethoi, though please!! You may be a fair way away, but if you think my wife won't track you down, you'd be sorely mistaken!!! Aaron

Funnily enough, last time I went into my local shop, they actually did have less on their shelves than in that pic

And ideally something for these:

I really should get myself a case or two for these:

Vixen LV's and other miscellaneous EP's:

I think therein lies the answer. As suggested by Dude, if the extension tubes are too much a pain in the backside (which, to me, they would be), you'll want to change the focuser. If it's the one I'm thinking it is, then I'm sure it's a nice scope, so you'll no doubt be very pleased with it once you get it sorted. Best of luck.

Which scope are you using? My fracs have no issue coming to focus with any of my EP's without a need for any extension tubes and I use anywhere from 2.5mm to 31mm EP's.

I'll second that, Stu. The 24mm Pan has fast become arguably one of my favourite EP's. Certainly a staple on any given night with any given scope! Aaron

You sure it wasn't two diffraction spikes coming off Venus? It's definitely not Ison, which is still too far out to be barely seen even in large scopes.

Congrats on your first scope, Steve. And cheers to the beginning of your journey through the night skies!