iPeace

3 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Absolutely textbook images

That's great to read. One always hopes that the excellence will travel smoothly to a new home.

Had a really nice look at Jupiter and Saturn between the roofs opposite, a few nights in short order now. Almost like old times.

The Moon is up as well, great details to be had.

I've owned and used both. Both very nice. I find it difficult to rate one's performance over the other's; the experience differed mostly in ergonomics (apart from the eye relief, which is luxurious on both). The XW is heftier, with a wider eye lens (lovely!) and a premium feel. The DeLite is significantly lighter but built just as well; in use, the view somehow seems wider than expected. If I had to call it, and weight was no issue, I'd go for the XW's extra FOV and extra posh feel.

I'm happy with my Porta II...a good tripod helps.

This is not to say I didn't enjoy the view - I did! Jupiter's GRS was great to see once more and Saturn was a great show. It was short, but sweet.

Just thinking...

24 minutes ago, Kirby301 said:

im used to a heritage 130p

...which should be able to show a lot of worthwhile stuff...

I know this is over-sensible, but I'd also consider enjoying the spikes for a while longer (like stars on Christmas cards).

I used a Sky-Watcher Skymax 102 for a while, it didn't need to cool for very long at all.

Very portable and easily mounted.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-102-ota.html

1 minute ago, andrew s said:

How close a doubles tempt you? Personally I would go with a scope that, under good conditions, can resolve 1" i.e. at least 110 to 120 mm then you will mostly be seeing limited.

It goes without saying that magnitude/apparent brightness is also a factor; I may have split doubles of which I couldn't see the faint secondary...but I wouldn't know.

My refractors are 60-85mm, so my limit is usually closer to 2" - as long as the stars are bright enough for me to enjoy.

A multiple like Tegmine is attractive enough to push out a newt, but it's usually the other way around: I'll try for Tegmine if I happen to be using the newt anyway.

I'm sure your assessment makes sense, using a nice 120mm APO to get down to 1" subject to seeing. In my own case, I didn't enjoy using that large a refractor as much as I do enjoy using a larger Newtonian - and I don't mind the spikes.

1 hour ago, Kirby301 said:

I'm left wondering what telescopes everbody else uses for the doubles

Depends on: which doubles?

• I enjoy observing plenty of them with small-aperture APO refractors. This keeps me happy most of the time.
• For doubles which are too tight and/or too faint for a small refractor, I need aperture, that means an 8" F/6 Newtonian. A 6" F/8 Newtonian also works very well. (I know, you don't like the spikes, just answering the question )

...for me, the point is that there are suitable doubles for every aperture (so to speak), so I just choose what to look at based on what I feel like carrying outside and setting up.

Looking at the pictures again, if Jeff has not had a change of clothes for three weeks....well, I think all of us are pretty sane in comparison...

Low altitude and spectacular, indeed. Picture from last night, Moon and Jupiter between the houses opposite (never mind the local LP):

1 hour ago, Tenor Viol said:

How good is she at mental arithmetic?

'Mental' indeed...

...but I've been somewhere close, myself

30 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Anyway: what's missing?

Hm. No Ethos? (Apologies, I don't recall whether you've tried them yet.)

Looks pretty complete to me.

(In case you're not yet aware: observing double stars is a lot of fun. I do urge you to have a go.)

One of my stock 'roll-up-everyone-is-a-winner' lists of doubles is The Astronomical League's Double Star Observing Program (details below). And I do enjoy repeatedly going through the 100 targets in this list; this time, I'm doing it with minimal aperture (again, details below). This is a report on the first night this time around, with the first twelve targets crossed off (not in index order).

Hedgehogs are amusingly peculiar to me. At night, (often enough: more than) one will nose about the garden, totally oblivious to my presence until only inches separate us and then suddenly detect me - and freeze. Not wanting to startle or cause any (more) distress, I freeze also, but that never works...Mr. Hog will just stay immobile until I move away, out of sight and smell, which means back in the house. The visitor then resumes his work as if I were never there, seemingly thinking to himself: "Hum...must have imagined that...". Until he's shuffled out of sight, it's an imposed break from the telescope. I don't mind; he's here to make a living, our main contractor in the snail management program.

Summary: July 31st 2020 from 00:00 (ish) to 03:00 (ish) - including 2 hedgehog breaks 🦔

Re. magnitudes and separation: if you're interested, do look them up in your favourite source - my sources don't fully agree with each other.

Observed, by constellation, with index nrs. from the below-mentioned list of 100, each with multiple catalogue numbers and the (very short) notes I made:

Andromeda

8. Almach |    Gamma/57 Andromedae | HIP 9640 | SAO 37734 | STF/Σ 205: 33x very bright orange / blue

(This is a classic favourite, easily located and very rewarding.)

Camelopardalis

16. 1 Camelopardalis | HIP 21148 | SAO 24672 | STF/Σ 550: 33x white / blue
48. 32H Camelopardalis | HIP 62572 | SAO 2102 | STF/Σ 1694: 15x both look white

(Camelopardalis as a whole is very faint; I had to star-hop from Perseus for 1, and from Polaris for 32H.)

Cassiopeia

1. Achird | Eta/24 Cassiopeiae | HIP 3821 | SAO 21732 | STF/Σ 60: 33x yellow-white / blue-grey
100. Sigma/8 Cassiopeiae| HIP 118243 | SAO 35947 | STF/Σ 3049: 90x faint and tight

(Sigma was the most challenging split of this session; very satisfying.)

Cepheus

92. Alfirk | Beta/8 Cephei | HIP 106032 | SAO 10057 | STF/Σ 2806: 33x white / blue
93. HR 8281 | HIP 106886 | SAO 33626 | STF/Σ 2816: 15x 3-way split

(HR 8281 appears as a tiny cluster of 3 pin-points; I 'sensed' rather than saw difference in colour between them, as if grey-scaled.)

95. Alkurah | Xi/17 Cephei | HIP 108917 | SAO 19827 | STF/Σ 2863: 33x white / grey
97. Delta/27 Cephei | HIP 110991 | SAO 34508 | STFA/ΣI 58: 15x mini Albireo

Perseus

12. Miram | Eta/15 Persei | HIP 13268 | SAO 23655 | STF/Σ 307: 15x golden orange / blue
13. HR 890 | HIP 14043 | SAO 23763 | STF/Σ 331:    almost split at 15x; 33x white / pale blue

Ursa Minor

10. Polaris | Alpha/1 Ursae Minoris | HIP 11767 | SAO 308 | STF/Σ 93: 60x white / faint blue

(Companion is faint; takes a while to appear.)

Equipment:

* 60mm refractor
* manual alt/az mount
* 3 eyepieces providing magnifications of 15x, 33x and 60x-120x (zoom)
* red dot finder
* Android smart phone with SkySafari 5 Plus / Google Sheets (for notes)
* ultra-wide-field 2x magnification binoculars (DIY from recycled digital camera accessory lenses)
* nocturnal neighbour-friendly stealth trainers

Location / conditions:

* The Netherlands - well-lit patch of reclaimed ocean floor
* Weather: comfortably warm, zero chance of dew
* Sky: no clouds, but seemingly lacking in transparency
* Moon: other side of house (not that it matters, see below)
* Light pollution: well beyond ridiculous (even my postal code has 'LP' in it)
* Garden: hedgehogs (most welcome) and mozzies (not)

Full target list:

The Astronomical League - Double Star Observing Program: "introduces observers to 100 of the finest double and multiple star systems in the heavens".

(Link to list of 100 targets in various formats is at the bottom of the page.)

Further inspiration:

Star Splitters - the DSC-60 Project: to "observe the Astronomical League’s [Double Star Observing Program] list of 100 choice doubles using a 60mm telescope".

(The entire web site is fun and inspiring to read.)

Thanks, stay safe and healthy under clear skies.

I have done so in the past. To my eyes, the ES was - for all practical purposes - just as good. I eventually chose to keep the Panoptic, as it is a bit more compact...but the green lettering probably meant more.

No problem.

With grateful thanks to @johninderby, a very nice 6x30 RACI with low-profile mounting.

This little guy did not seem very happy at first, would not accept any of my spare finder shoes, had to faff about a bit. I suspect that it's a bit miffed that it got passed over for StellaMira duty.

Alas, it is the way of things, it will have to slum it out with Bjorn for the time being.

I don't expect the weather to improve for a year or two (hundred), but in case it does, even if only for two minutes, we can grab - and go.

Excellent suggestions all, I confirm (mostly) first hand.

I would like to mention the 3mm DeLite from Tele Vue. A fair bit more FOV than Vixem HR or Nagler zoom, very comfortable to use and VERY nice views, Tele Vue's closest offering to the Vixen HR in terms of crystal-quality view - IMHO.

Not as wide a view as the Type 6 Nagler, but that's a 3.5 mm.

More post-renovation pictures! Please.

On 05/02/2018 at 21:05, Alan White said:

Who on here has and uses a wooden eyepiece box or case rather than or in addition to a foam filled photography case?

If you do, why? 

I don't. But I'd like to. If I had an obsy, with a driven mount, a comfy seat and a nice sturdy table / wide shelf for the case to rest on in complete safety and in easy reach, then yes, absolutely. Gentleman observer. By all means.

As it is, my EPs are either in some kind of tote on the (cold, dewy) planet's surface or in my pockets (each has been issued a neoprene pouch to wear) awaiting their go in the night's scope. So a wooden case makes no practical sense for me. Anyway, I need something me-proof that doesn't launch all the EPs when I clumsily knock it about with open lid.

Then again, the permacloud makes me consider either displaying the Naglers in wood and behind glass, or... well, not just yet.

6 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

 

Most deservedly.

Was out tonight for the first time in quite a while. As forecast, it abruptly stopped raining and the skies cleared to show the Moon. I put the 8" f/6 newt out and gave it the beans, most enjoyable. Couldn't be bothered to look up the names of all the great features on show, but they were all there.

I swapped out eyepieces, sampling magnifications of 240x, 170x, 110x before settling on 133x as best in show on the night, using the aperture as opposed to magnification to cut through the gooey air. Really nice sharp views in between the ripples. In the end it got pretty cold and dewy, but nothing fogged up and I got back in with all digits intact. Good to get out again.

On 03/02/2020 at 19:52, John said:

If I had to make do with just owning one scope, an Orion Optics 8 inch F/6 with their top quality optics inside and on a good alt-azimuth mount would be a strong contender for that scope. Powerful, portable and versatile

Inclined to agree...

...provided you've got a decent finder

5 minutes ago, JOC said:

Ah, OK - I'd posted in the forum foibles section as this seemed the correct thing to do, but I've just spotted the response here - glad it's in capable hands 🙂

Same here. 'Foibles' seemed the place to put it.   Glad as well.

6 hours ago, Grumpy Martian said:

It was differcult to resolve. Is this normal?

The fuller the phase, the more difficult I've found to observe Venus clearly. (This is just relating my experience, not explaining anything... ).

I've always been able to get a nice crescent phase to give a decent image. Never any real planetary detail, though - but don't give up on my account.