pbyrne

I was going to vote for the Herschells, I went for Sir Patrick based on his work on the Apollo programme and the fact that his work in bringing astronomy to so many ordinary people. He took astronomy from a pursuit that was enjoyed by a small percentage of the population to the popularity of today. There are so many great British scientists that it is difficult to pick. Luckily, even the Irish can vote.

Hi Stephan I love Davis's Dog, you can almost hear the bark. Paul

Hi all Last night, November, 1, the skies were exceptionally clear, even from my light polluted back garden the stars sparkled. It was time to hunt down some asterisms. It's amazing the variety of asterisms out there, I saw a mini Cassiopeia, a mini Orion, a replica Delphinus and second coat hanger. I observed a toadstool, it was upside down, a spatula and even ET. Ursa Minor held an engagement ring, as well as the coat hanger, there is also a shark, though this beast eluded me. Getting close to the season, there is a Christmas tree in Aquarius. For the pipe smokers out there, Cepheus holds a sample, as does Cygnus. Cygnus also presents a nice smiley face called Vultus Irrisore, no, I don't know what that means either. The tennis racket is in Aquila, and it even has a ball. In July I stumbled across an asterism that was not listed, here's the link: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/624795-asterism-in-vulpecula/ Asterisms are fun, some require a little imagination to see, others, such as mini Orion and mini Cassiopeia really are what they say they are.

Thanks, Michael, that is similar to what I was seeing.

Another quiet day on the sun in white light, no sunspots to be seen. As I am relative newcomer to white light observing, I believe that I have seen some granulation, they looked like small dark spots in clusters, am I correct in my assumption? Paul

Hi everyone. I have decided that it is time to go back to simpler things and ditch the CG-5 and move to an alt-az mount. There are a couple that I have my eye on and I am looking for some advice and opinions from all you good folks. Here's the contenders: https://www.365astronomy.com/SKYTEE-2-Heavy-Duty-Dual-Load-AltAzimuth-Mount-by-ovl.html https://www.365astronomy.com/365Astronomy-Giant-Alt-Azimuth-Telescope-Mount-Head-ONLY.html I plan to use the tripod from the CG-5, the scopes will be a Celestron C8 Newtonian. 5.6kgs. and 100mm Bresser refractor, 3.9kgs for deep sky. 120mm Evostar, 5.1kgs for solar and 127mm Skywatcher Mak, 3.2kgs for lunar. I also plan to attach my 20x90 binoculars via the correct bracket. The Skytee has slow motion controls, but I wonder how accessible they will be when at the eyepiece of the Newtonian or the long tube of the Evostar. The weight limit is 15 kg. There is also €100 in the price difference, that could buy the binocular bracket. The 365 head has a weight limit of 12kgs. The 365 head have the scopes mounted on the ends of the arms, the Skytee has one on top. Would this make a difference? The Skytee has a counterweight bar, the 365 model does not, is this counterweight necessary with the scopes I use? The 365 head is stated to weight 8 kgs while the Skytee is 6 kgs. Any opinions and first hand advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

How old is the camera?

Hi all I'm new to white light solar observing, with sunspot activity low at the moment, I would like to try for granulation. Under what conditions is granulation visible? My setup is 120mm Evostar with Lacerta Herschel wedge and Baader Solar Continuum filter. Thanks Paul

Hi all The night of September 24 will have favourable liberation that will allow Mare Orientale, Montes Rook and Montes Cordillera to be viewed. Paul

Funny, I was also looking for a second one for a bino pair and when I had no success I sold it. Strange world.

...I've gone and done it. After some weeks of humming and hawing and great advice on the site, I have got the credit card out of retirement and bought a 1.25" Lacerta Herschel Wedge and Lacerta solar finder from 365Astronomy. From FLO I picked up a Baader Solar Continuum filter that was going second hand. At the weekend I am picking up an older, blue tube version, 120mm Evostar, at a price I couldn't resist. My timing leaves a lot to be desired, the sun is at solar minimum and the summer has passed. I have used solar film in the past and I was never happy with the views. When I looked into the merits of a Herschel Wedge I knew that was the way to go. We know that the sun will now disappear for a couple of weeks, apologies to all. I know you are all good people and will forgive me. Paul

Looking at the TS wedge, with the polarizing filter, I have heard that this is a Baader continuum filter, though there is no mention in the ad. How can it be this cheap? A Baader continuum filter is 59 quid alone.

Thanks for all the replies. It looks like the 1.25" model is the way to go. Laverty and Lung are too for my final choice, unless someone can give a reason to try another brand. A solar continuum filter is on the list too. There is a 120mm f/8 blue tube Skywatcher for sale over here and it can be had for 100 Euro. Being a blue tube it is an older model, would it be worth picking up the scope for solar viewing or should I just stick to my 100mm f/5.9? Thanks Paul

Hi all I am considering the purchase of a Herschel Wedge, my question is this, should I go for the 1.25" model or the 2" ? My scope is a 100mm, f/5.9 refractor that accepts both 1.25 and 2" eyepieces. The eyepiece that will used the most is a Baader Hyperion zoom. Is there any advantage in the 2" over the 1 .25" ? Or will they perform the same? Oh, and yes, I know the sun is hibernating at the moment with minimum sunspot activity? Finally, how do the different brands rate? Many thanks. Paul

Thanks guys. I currently use Baader Astrosolar film, and I check it carefully before each use. Slightly off topic, how do you find the views through the wedge differ from the film? I am currently thinking of picking one up, not that there is much activity on the sun at the moment. Is the view sharper? Thanks