Nakedgun

~ That is a nice instrument, no question. I sold mine after getting the FC100DC. I sold-off my larger, heavier scopes some years back. No more triplets. .

~ Clear skies forecast with improved seeing around 2100, so I had everything set up before dark. Went outside 1830 to have a look at the Green Comet before Moonrise. It was pretty much straight overhead, easy to find. Used 6.5x32s, then 16x mounted, then the scope. After a few minutes I then sat with a double star catalog to plan my next move, looked up to find the sky half filled with fast-moving thin cloud! Within 30 minutes the whole sky was a mess. What a gyp! .

~ Windy today, but clear, so I took photos of the scope I'll use tomorrow night (Tuesday) for double stars and 95% illuminated Moon scanning. : : Borg 2-inch, on Takahashi Sky Patrol mount, KB Systems tripod. : : : : : : Helical focuser on the Borg, Vixen mfd. Tele Vue diagonal with Pentax zoom. I keep these with the scope. : : The long-discontinued 50ED f/10, bought new September 2009. : : .

~ Nothing like a missed opportunity! .

~ As a new astronomer trying to learn my way around the sky, I found "Nightwatch" to be a most useful learning tool. His contribution to this endeavor of ours is appreciated. .

~ Clear tonight and again tomorrow for knocking lunar features off the S&T Moon map with my neighbor and our 16x binoculars. .

~ Welcome to SGL! The Moon has much to offer (aside from washing out deep-sky objects). .

~ I set up four scopes in my backyard this evening, so that my wife, her brother, my neighbor, and I, could watch Europa emerge from Jupiter's shadow at the same time. A short while later we observed the comet (barely) in the waxing Moon sky. .

~ Welcome to the forum, and welcome to astronomy! Having fun is why we're all here. .

~ When Celestron was importing their Japanese Ultimas I obtained a 10x50, which is optically and mechanically excellent. If you're looking at a new purchase, a hassle-free return policy is essential before hitting the "buy" button. Good luck. .

~ Tuesday and Wednesday night and continuing tonight (Thursday) we've had clear skies, but, high winds, rendering the seeing for the toilet. So, my neighbor and I have been contenting ourselves with deep sky targets within the range of binoculars in our suburban skies, including identifying lunar features along the terminator as well as we can make out. Great fun. (Just ignore the two homeless creatures who wandered into this scene, uninvited) .

~ Looks like an invasion by three-legged cyclopses! .

~ Went out 0330hrs with 10x50s to see the new comet for the first time. Was impressed enough to get out and assemble the parallelogram binocular mount for the 16x70s, and then decided to set up the 90mm scope on alt-az, as well. Unlike some others I'm not yet detecting a tail, though it could be just poor eyesight. By now, I'm out there 90 minutes, and the wife was getting ready for work so she came out for a look through both instruments, and may brag to co-workers what she'd seen this morning. Thought I might try to capture an image, too, so here is my crude effort: (DSLR shot on tripod) .

~ A tighter crop of the last shot: .

~ Poor seeing tonight due to wind, so no telescopic observation scheduled. However, binoculars were employed at sundown to catch the Venus/Saturn conjunction, as well as the 3% illuminated setting Moon, which I photographed: 1/3rd degree separation: Streak of a plane seen sliding past Luna, just to its left: Near horizon. .

~ Clear skies again this morning, so here, the Unitron 60mm f/15: The original finder missing, I substituted this one. The OEM finder bracket quite small. Takahashi FOA-60 clamshell & ADM Tak dovetail plate hold the OTA. It arrived with one screw missing from the lens retaining ring, and I have not been able to source a commercial replacement. The one seen here is not proper. .

~ Never too late to start! .

~ You got out there, sometimes that's well enough. .

~ As promised in another thread, clear weather this morning prompted me to take images of my recently delivered Mayflower 60mm f/15. Here goes: : : : : : : : : : : : Artificial star test looks excellent, the best of all my recently acquired 60mm f/15s. When it might get first light? Saturday night looks best just now. .

~ We get our bill, due in December. It can be split into two payments if desired - December and April. .

~ Arrived today: We ever get any decent weather around here I'll post a shot of the entire rig. .

~ Ahh, I agree with you, the 26th was a great date to be born on. .

~ And just how early is it, hmmm? My birthday comes August, perhaps I'm due for an early present, too. .

~ I do like the fact they have no "safety groove" to cause fumbling. >

~ For some time now I've wanted a Japanese 60mm f/15 to use on occasion, and it must be the collector in me that is driving this, as I have now obtained my second (as yet, untested) refractor this month, with another(!) arriving next week. I hope they do not all prove to be duds, otherwise this search will continue. Raining now, but a chance of some clearing late tomorrow. We'll see. The blue patch just a teaser this afternoon. .