Ceramus

We've booked with Astrotrails to see the Ecllpse ifrom near Lander, WY. I believe they may be still a few new places available, as due to the high demand they have booked extra accommodation and tour buses. Good luck!

Great sketches, nice detail.

We'll be taking 10x40 binos, Baader sol filters, 80mm f5 Celestron frack plus Canon 400 d 80-200 zoom hand luggage and video tripod in suitcase (same gear I took to Lybia and China). Staying at Lander WY with eclipse site at Bass Lake near Shshoni. Anyone heading that way? Later visiting Meteor Crater, Lowell And Kitt Peak Obs, taking in Bryce and Grand Canyons on route.

I put my 300p GoTo on a platform with castors which can then be effortless moved round to my observing patch on the terrace. I usually leve it there parked (and well covered ) if the weather looks good.

My thoughs about an off the peg option would be to go for a smaller roll-off shed (reinforced plastic?) on a sturdy mobile platform rather than roll off roof. Ther are plenty of great examples on this forum.

Great sketches, lots of detail.

Welcome Dex, we hope you and your son enjoy the stars for a long time.

We've booked with Astrotrails and will see the eclipse from a site near Lander in Wyoming. This is our 5th total, having managed some passable images from all previous one. Best ones from the Lybian desert with a Canon 400 trough a 80mm Celestron scope on video tripod. Several bracketed exposures using manual remote control. All that whilst having a glimpse of prominences through a 10x40 binos. That's what I'll take with me in August. After the eclipse we visit Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Lowell Observatory and Kitt Peak observatory. Anyone booked with Astrotrails?

I had my second cataract op 8 weeks ago, right eye this time which is my prefered obseving eye. My first op, on the left eye, was 4 years ago and the diference to my eyesight was amazing. Colours became brighter and whites were much more pure as the cataract imparts a light sepia colour to the vision. At first, a darkish crescent shape shadow was present at the very corner of the eye but soon disappeared. Rainbows were also present around bright lights. Recovery took about 2 weeks. At the telescope, after I got used to using my left eye instead of the usual right one, I noticed a substantial increase in colour perception and perhaps more contrast also. The right eye got progressive worse so I decided to go for the second op as it was becoming more difficult to drive at night. This time a laser was used to do the initial incision and 'loosen up' the cataract. Recovery this time round was quicker and, so far, no side effects. I can now go back to observing with the right eye. Next time I'm in a dark sky location I'll do a star count to ascertain if I can go half a magnitude fainter using both eyes...

Nice image and colour on the GRS,

I have both, but the Cheshire is the one I use/trust all the time.

Very nice. Hope to catch C 41P when down south in April.

Hi Veronika, welcome!

We've booked with ASTROTRAILS, a tour operator we've used on many eclipses before. The eclipse observing site will be near Shoshoni, Wisconsin. The tour will also visit Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, and extensions to Kitt Peak and Lowell Observatories. Any one there also booked on this tour? Would be good to know. Marcio

I really understand this collimation predicament, went through it myself when my Flextube arrived. I ended up getting a Cheshire collimating tool and leaving the laser alone. Made things a lot easier.AstroBaby's collimating tutorial was a great help, but her site is not up anymore, pity, wonder why. But there are others.