RT65CB-SWL

No need for a paid-membership at the local gym. Just have a workout and pumping iron at the observatory with those declination weights. 😉😜

Mine was the TeleVue Ranger... Fast forward to 1998 and I bought one!

Hi @fatjon and welcome to SGL.

Bear in mind @Nugs Meade was brought by Bresser. Instead of ‘spot the ball’ it’s going to be ‘spot the likeness’… https://www.bresser.de/en/Astronomy/Telescopes/BRESSER-Messier-MCX-127-GoTo-Telescope-EQ-AZ.html

The joys of urban-astronomy. I have to contend with these three LED streetlight designs… [1.] [2.] [3.] [1.] This streetlight is shielded, (after I complained to my local authority/council), at the end of a footpath/communal lawn where I mainly set up my ‘scopes and observe from when at home. [2.] At the other end of the footpath… and no shield. I have asked the local authority/council for this to be shielded too. As it does not interfere with my property, there is little I can do to raise a complaint. [3]. This streetlight is on the pavement of the main road. Nothing much can I do about this one!

Curved, crinkly, wavey washers, or whatever other name you call them, can be obtained from dedicated fixings suppliers direct or places like Amazon or eBay. If the curvature is to great an angle, I am sure that squeezing one in a vice until you have something close to the required curvature will suffice.

Very nice!

Hi @Rustic John and welcome to SGL. Yes!... Meade's after sales support is not first-class. I have had many 'phone calls and emails abruptly terminated by the helpdesk staff when enquiring about spare parts availability, etc. I personally would be inclined to purchase a 'stand-alone' RDF powered from its own replaceable battery/button cell [C2032 or equivalent and should usually last for a year or two before you need a replacement] and/or finderscope and shoe for it. On my 're-modded' ETX-105, I am going to put one of each on it. You will have to separate the the rear plastic section that houses the flip-mirror from the OTA and is attached to the fork mount assembly from the main tube if you want to hide or permanently remove the wiring loom of the original RDF. It is attached by three 6-32" UNC crosshead/Phillips machine screws. Remember that you will have to remove the focus wheel/knob first, before proceeding and this is secured by a hex/Allen grub screw. You may find this site... http://www.weasner.com/etx/menu.html is a useful online resource for all things ETX related. Above are a few images of my 're-modded' ETX-105.

It is also the same focus mechanism on the Meade ETX [Maksutov] finders as well.

I completed the survey a few days ago

Pretty much the same. As I have replaced the backend of my ETX-105 with an aluminium backplate, that was made before https://wegatoptical.com/ started making theirs. It also includes provision for attaching SCT accessories and 2” e/p’s. Images below. Since the image below was taken, I have sold the Vixen GP and use the mounts as per my signature. I have also replaced the Jubilee hose rings with a pair of 124mm tube/guidescope rings, via AliExpress.

Hi @Lizmoo and welcome to SGL. Most ‘budget’/‘high street’ telescopes are or were often supplied with three 0.965” eyepieces, usually of Huygens or Ramsden design and are H20, HR12.5 & SR4. They are not particularly good. Even with the supplied 2X or 3X Barlow it is not going to make much difference or it is going to be overkill. I don’t wish to dampen your enthusiasm, but I think your ‘scope is what is referred to as a a ‘Bird-Jones’ design. Again, not ideal. Basically there is a lens element in the eyepiece holder/tube which does away with a Barlow lens. Unfortunately no ‘scope does all in this hobby and each type of telescope design has its pros & cons. Also when are you using the telescope? and what do you like viewing? If you enjoy the planets and are viewing early evening, then wait until they become higher in the sky. The higher they rise, the less of a dense atmosphere and atmospheric thermals you are looking through. This can or make some improvement and a more enjoyable experience.

Hi @Jean Doneghan and welcome. Somewhere in the depths of SGL there is a list of astronomy clubs in societies. If unable to locate one near you, a local library may help you locate one.

Can still be done with digital too! Below is an image from years ago of Montes Appeninus on the Moon. I used my EPU [inserted a 20mm Plossl e/p] using the top eyepiece port/holder of my ETX105, and an Olympus digital compact camera and CLA-1 adapter. ...before processing. ...after processing.

I observe from Bortle 5-6 skies and have an Explore Scientific UHC and Olll. I purchased an Sll a few months ago, but yet to try try it on wide field DSO’s. The UHC is an improvement on some of the filters I use. Also SGL’er @Ags has published some very useful books too, either printed or .PDF - link here... https://discovering-astronomy.eu/index.html

I understand what @Stu and @Mandy D are saying. I have seen images/photos of eclipses from other planets and moons of our solar system via probes that have landed on their surfaces. When the average person in the street thinks eclipse, they think of our Moon covering the disc of the Sun as viewed from Earth and revealing the corona. Therefore an eclipse can be defined as an object is in front of another and the one behind it is obscured. I should have made it clearer to understand in my first reply.

There is usually a ‘Paste as plain text’ pop-up in the bottom right corner or you can highlight the text and then select ‘Paste as plain text’. I use either option.

Forgot to mention that a partial eclipse is when the disc of celestial body does not fully cover the disc of a celestial body from a given location if you are not at the centre line of its path.

Hi @kausgx and welcome to SGL. ‘Artificial’ can you explain? - ‘Artificial’ is defined as to include man-made satellites, etc. The Moon is moving away from the Earth at something like 1.5inches/4cms per annum. During a few of the Apollo missions [11, 14 & 15] the astronauts left reflective instruments known as Lunar Laser Ranger experiment on the surface in different areas. Every now and again the McDonald observatory in Texas or other observatories fires a laser at them. Depending on the time it takes reach and return, the astronomers/scientists at the NASA/JPL can more or less calculate the Earth/Moon distance. The Russian’s also left a French built one, via an unmanned lunar rover/mission. At the time of writing, the Earth/Moon distance is approximately... Hi also @ccaissie and welcome to SGL. As far as I know, a solar eclipse is when the disc of the Sun or star is obscured by another ‘body’ and you can see the corona, than it is a total solar eclipse. At some time in the future, the Earth/Moon distance will be so far apart, that we will be able to view an annular eclipses, [see below], not a total solar eclipse. If you can see a ‘ring of fire’ around it, than that is an annular eclipse. If it is totally obscured, than that is an occultation. As the outer planets are so far away from the Sun and the outer planets moons are smaller than our Moon [excluding Jupiter’s moon, Ganymede and Saturn’s moon, Titan] then I guess that they would be annular eclipses or occultations. As far as I know, no known images have been yet been seen of a solar eclipse from another planet within our solar system.

Try to get screws with a nylon tip too! Meade being an American brand and using American threads, you may have to order them from overseas. I have done a search and at the time of posting, I was unable to find anything available from GB/UK🇬🇧and Eire/Ireland🇨🇮

Also check out the Astronomy Tools - Field of View calculator/app at the top of this page. I am doing this on a smartphone/tablet and it does not show up on it. Screenshots above of the Astronomy Tools - Field of View calculator/app as shown from a desktop/laptop.

The Hi @Redterry & family and welcome to SGL. What is your ‘maximum’ budget? - If you have not already seen or read this... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes.html would be a good place to start. I am no expert, but I think they all maybe what is called a ‘Bird-Jones’. Basically they have a lens element built in to the drawtube/eyepiece holder which doubles as some sort of Barlow lens. They can be a PITA to collimate... and best avoided. Also, some cheap/budget high street retail outlets may sell telescopes with 0.965” e/p’s and accessories. Nowadays, trying to purchase 0.965” e/p’s and accessories is going to become frustrating. You will better purchasing a ‘scope that accepts 1.25” e/p’s and accessories or a dual-fit [ie 1.25” & 2”]. Your wallet and your later life will thank you.

@alexwolf one of the developers of Stellarium is also a member of SGL. Below is a few developers and contributors that I can currently think of that are also SGL'ers. @Artik ...Astrohopper @Kevdog ...Star Hop Pro @BinocularSky ... monthly newsletter for binocular observers.

Hi @Jeff5567 and welcome to SGL. Some of my friends and people I know are envious of my shift pattern, as it is 6 days on/4days off. I like to consider that SGL is the best social network/forum in the solar system. I try to get out with my 'scopes when I can. It gives me chance to think of how small this Pale Blue Dot is in comparison with everything else in the universe and reflect on the late Prof. Carl Sagan's infamous quote.

Hi @Ser and welcome to SGL. Eye placement is key when using wide angle (WA) and ultra-wide angle (UWA) e/p's. with short focal lengths. I also would get the same effect as you described when using a TeleVue 6mm Radian [they are 58o AFOV] with my Meade ETX-105. I have and use the Svbony 'Goldline' [66o] and 'Redline' [68o]... they are 6mm too!