bish

Solar scope. 14" flextube. Shed to hide.  Delivery when wife not in.

I rarely feel the need for anything more than my 4.5mm with a 250px. I do have a 2x barlow I could use with a 6.7mm for more mag but can"t even remember the last time I used it.

Nice sketch. I always find Mars a tricky one for detail.

Fantastic image. I had a go with a similar set up and couldn"t  get anywhere near that level of detail.

My binoculars get used quite a lot, especially at dark sites. Often I am just grabbing breaks in the clouds

3 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

There's some great camp sites in the Dales. No leccy where I go though, but worth a visit for the scenery, decent hosts and space.  The skies really are great too. Fingers crossed for March!

 

Sounds good. I don"t use leccy, so no problem with that.

Only 2. Light pollution. Clouds.

Yet to find my observing spot for this. Don"t really want to set up in the street!

Great news for Yorkshire. I haven't been up there with the scope yet.  Will have to try and make it next year.

Welcome to SGL.

On 22/11/2020 at 00:58, IB20 said:

Got crystal clear skies tonight so pushed the dob to my door and finally got to see M42 through the 200P. What a fantastic object, I’ve had UHC & OIII filters for a while but never really got much out of them, until now! The depth the filters bring to the dark rolling nebulous clouds is quite stunning. Enjoyed dropping down to the 15x bins and sweeping across collinder 70 too, such a fantastic constellation packed full of targets.
 

Managed to grab a quick at the EP iPhone shot of M42.

 

Great shot through the ep.

I was going to try and see it with eclipse glasses before getting the scope and solar filter out. Been clouded/fogged out all weekend!

Excellent work.

Just seen a picture on a facebook page. Looks like it might be close to visible with solar glasses if you have good eyesight. One for the scope if it is clear over the weekend.

17 hours ago, Deadlake said:

I have the digital copy, find it a great way to keep them archived. However ties you in to having an iPad to read them on...

Wish I was a bit more up-to-date. Books and magazines I have to have  physical copy. I used to hoard the magazines (had a load for 35 years), but do dispose of them now (mostly).

Very nice. I like to have a look at the outer planets when I can. No detail but the thought of how far they are makes up for it.

I used to buy Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines from W H Smith,  but they have  closed near me. Either means a trip to a bigger town, or post. Not so cheap now. I read a lot less magazines with all the podcasts now though.

Excellent. Don"t think I will get a visual on that comet with my light pollution.

Nice one. Goes to what can be done with some old kit.

Nice stroke of luck!

It was  a great view. Naked eye or  observing with a small pair of bins can be as good a sight as anything. Conjunctions such as this or the Milky Way from a very dark site spring to mind.  

It probably has to be the 2015 total eclipse. I saw it from a plane and it was incredible. The 2017 eclipse is a close second. Not event as such, but seeing the rings of Saturn as a kid, through a 60mm scope, will always stay with me. I have managed to miss the great comets, but the outburst of 17P Holmes (around 2007?) also comes to mind.

As John said, it also takes practise to see detail on planets. Sometimes the detail is only fleeting. Of course collimation, mirror cooling seeing conditions and the eyepiece are all important factors too. Stick with it!

My dob mainly lives in the veranda and my mak in the spare bedroom.  

2 hours ago, John said:

I have a "scope corner" in the dining room for the OTA's:

Nice scopes. Scares me how the fracs are all stood up - probably because of my bouncy dogs!