F15Rules

D'accord!! J'aimerais en savoir plus sur les poignées sur ce forum !!👍😁😂 Davide

Nice..the ED100 had (has!) good optics..whether Skywatcher or Celestron badged, it was always the mechanics that let it down..fine focus was always an exercise in frustration, I found, but with a decent upgraded focuser such as Moonlite it was transformed into a really good, affordable ED scope. That last image is a cracker!👍 Dave

That's a great result! May it be a blueprint for many other councils.. Dave

I think the Bank of England offer air conditioned and dehumidified space in their vaults for rental..🤔 ..but the light pollution around their site would test even the Tak orthos to their very limit? But at least, in 50 years time, you would have a pristine set of boxes, probably worth as much as the eyepieces!☺️ Dave

I was SO sad to learn of John's passing.. I was fortunate enough to meet him in his Derby home a good few years ago to buy something, and was admiring some of his scopes with him..he was so enthusiastic about our hobby, especially refractors.. I too was one of those who originally thought his SGL handle meant John Inderby, rather than John in Derby!🤦🤦. I do wonder whether that SGL "handle" was quietly mischievous on his part - given his real world love of "handles"!🙂 He knew his stuff, kept it meticulously clean and maintained, and was very generous with sharing his abundant knowledge, freely and enthusiastically. Our community is the poorer for his passing😔. Rest in Peace, John. Dave

Too bloomin right I did!!😱😂 Dave

Brilliant! And, staying with the "Keeping warm while Observing" theme, we've been shopping in Lincoln today, and my wife treated me to these, saying. "to stop you freezing me to death when you come to bed after watching Orion for 2 hours!!" 😂😂 Dave

What a haul, @SuburbanMak😊.. Tell me, will the Divorce be amicable, do you think??😂😂 Dave

Welcome back Martin the Martian! If you've been on Mars for the last year or so, I can understand why you're feeling Grumpy!☺️ Dave

I agree Jeremy..in fact I'm actually thinking of doing just that and changing from F15 Rules to Mr Handle..

If I'm not mistaken this IS the old Grumpy Martian..is that right, Martin?🤔☺️ Did you perhaps close your profile at some point? If so, and if you later tried to rejoin with your old name, the system might think the original is already taken.. Dave

Hi all.. I love this thread, it's so good to read about others' sessions and successes and challenges, especially when circumstances don't allow me to get outside myself.. One thing that I feel would personally help a lot, would be if people just add to their post what scope they were using? No brand needed, just "150mm" Newt", 8" Dob, "100mm F7 refractor" etc.. This would help me, and I'm sure others, put reports into context, for example in my 5" refractor I'm not likely to replicate the view seen in a 10" or 12" Dob. So this could help us to manage our expectations, especially for newer members? Just a thought😊.. Dave

Welcome to the forum Phillyterp85👍😊. Astronomy is fabulous hobby and based on observation and science (most of the time!)..Astrology er, isn't!😂 Hope you and your son enjoy your new pastime, it's so rewarding to learn the night sky constellations. If you can get a pair of half decent binoculars as well (around £50-70) you can both look at things at the same time. And ask if you have any questions, this forum is a great place to get help👍. Dave

I too have the T2 Zeiss BBHS prism..it's a fabulous piece of kit, and with your 30mm 2" eyepiece will deliver fabulous low power vistas.. Congratulations! 👏 Dave

Lovely report, and a great read! Thanks Nick👍 Dave

Thanks😊👍 Robert, no, "Flourite" is used in baking..😁😁

Thanks John, much appreciated 😊👍. Dave

You know the saying.."As rare as Hens Teeth"?? Well...😁😁😁 Pristine Maxbright II Binoviewers with 1.7x Glasspath corrector. So chuffed to find these.. They arrived mid last week but due to family bereavement I've not yet had the chance to use them..just a few pics for my good friends on SGL.👍 Dave

I originally posted this in the "What did you see tonight?" thread, but @Stu asked me to pop my comments as a separate thread on here, which I'm happy to do now. I should just say firstly that my own very satisfying session from the 16th/17th Jan was only one of a number of reports from that couple of nights where numerous SGLers had nights to remember: - so it's well worth checking these other reports out too, some really good reads over on that thread during last week's great run of clear nights! Perhaps the authors of those reports would also like to add their own to this thread 😊. This is what I said.. "Just came indoors after my first session for a good while, just 90 minutes, but WHAT a 90 minutes! I genuinely think this is one of the best night skies I've seen here since we moved to Linconshire almost 6 years ago. Tonight I just wallowed in the conditions.. Scope: - Tak FS128. Now my only scope, and I am content with that. No other scopes to distract me from this one! Targets, in order of viewing (no prior planned list!): Firstly, Mars. Surprised how small it's got now since last viewing several weeks back. Pin sharp (and very bright) at 100x (Pentax XL 10.5mm). Adding 1.6x Barlow to 160x plus a red filter really looked great.. North polar cap very evident, with some large darker land masses showing halfway down the disk and in the bottom third. Too small an image for me to see or identify specifics, but a lovely sight. Got up to 200x with 5mm Burgess TMB Planetary (lovely little eyepiece!) and disk still very sharp. Next, Crab Nebula in Taurus. I've only ever glimpsed this twice, and never tried from this location. What a revelation tonight..easily found star hopping north from Betelgeuse..easily, immediately, visible with direct vision with 31mm Axiom LX, in a sea of sparkling stars background. From here I closed in more and more with 23mm Axiom, Morpheus 17.5mm, Pentax 10.5mm and Burgess 5mm (200x). The higher the Mag, the darker the background, and I started to see the extent of this object. The best view was with the Pentax at 100x. Next the Pleiades, just superbly shown with the big 31mm Axiom, the nebulosity clearer than I've ever seen it! Inevitably, M42..instantly saw all 6 main Trap stars, direct vision, and I continued to be able to see them directly right up to 200x, another first for me.. The overall vista with the 23mm Axiom LX at 85 degree fov was absolutely stunning..Bat Wings, Fish Mouth, Trap, Iota and Sigma close by..just beautiful. I came in after 90 minutes, elated, frozen, mesmerised and invigorated. I now remember why I love this hobby so much. And great to read how good a session many others enjoyed tonight as well👍" ..and finally, a shot of the scope used, fondly known as "Trinity".. "My Precious"..😂😂 Thanks for reading 🙂 Dave

Hi Stu (and all), Sorry not to have done what Stu requested and I said I would do as above. It's been a tough week, especially for my dear wife. Her mum was desperately ill and we visited her in her midlands care home on Thursday.. We are so glad we did, as she passed away on Thursday night, we were told by phone call early yesterday morning. She died peacefully in her sleep after a good life and at the age of 89. Clearly, for now I have to focus on my wife's needs and all the "stuff" that kicks in following a bereavement . We have to go back to the Midlands for a couple of days to help with arrangements, funeral, etc etc, but I will do that post as soon as time permits, and I hope that many of you have had wonderful sessions during the amazing week of clear skies that we have had, certainly here in the east of England👍. Best wishes to you all. Dave

A nice Antares 2" extension tube with Twistlock. Made in Canada. Nice to see something not made in China for a change!👍😊 Dave

Too late Alan!! ..and I had you down as a nice, genuine, visual astronomer👍..and now I find that you have dark secrets!🤦😭😲😂 Dave

I couldn't get out the last 2 nights, due to family issues, but did see how superb the sky looked.. I went outside to do my nightly check at c 11pm, and the Milky way was beautiful, even with no dark adaptation. Real structure was visible in the area from Cassiopeia over to the west of Orion, and Perseus in-between. I do hope many of you got out to enjoy it!👍🌌🔭🔭.. Dave

Thanks Stu. I will do that hopefully later today.. TBH, I cut the session short as my wife's mum is desperately I'll, now on end of life care, and I didn't want to leave her too long..add to that, while we were away at the weekend visiting her mum on 3 consecutive days, there were 6 burglaries of outbuildings in our village, including next door! So that also worried her, in case I might disturb the s*****s if they came back! I did assure her that with night adapted vision, I would surely see or hear them first, and have a good length of 4x3 timber close by, if needed..my motto is basically" You toucha ma Tak, I flatten ya face!!😂 Dave

What???!!! Has John passed away? I am SO sorry to hear that!😔. John was so we'll respected for his knowledge, informed opinions and advice, and a refractor man through and through. I knew he hadn't been on the forum for a while, but that's true of others too, so I thought he was taking a break. I did have the pleasure of meeting him at his Derby home around 10 years ago, I was astonished at his equipment even then, and the "preciseness" of how his outbuilding was organised . R.I.P. John, you are missed by many. Dave