JOC

Well not that I know huge amounts about these things, but they wouldn't look like that in my beginners system I'd see points of light, OK, bright points of light, but points of light nonetheless. Those pictures have got more in common with something like Venus or another brighter planet (though it is bright even for saturn and not the right shape, even out of focus, for rings around a disc), but even then you shouldn't be seeing the diffraction spikes. If you have no more travel left in the focusser to get pin-points of light have you got any necessary adapters etc. in place? Have you perhaps upped the magnification too much and got to the point when all you are seeing is a hazey blob, or did you have dew on the mirror? If that's what you are seeing, even in my experience as a rank amateur, that doesn't look correct to me. Perhaps someone more experienced will be along to comment. NB. Andy is someone different 😉 NNB. I too would stick with the BST's if you have them, your scope is somewhat similar to mine and the BST's should be ideal once you get the focussing sorted,

Spheres of light - I was under the impression that most stars except Sol only gave points of light - were you in focus?

It looks almost 'fairy-tale' like. I like the way the nebulosity is almost 'illuminated' almost as though they are back-lit (which of course they aren't, but it gives lovely effect)

Welcome to the Morpheus fold - possibly your research has already turned up my thread on this range, but if not here is the link. NB - the header photo is from a related posting further on in - the thread is really about the Morpheuses (Morphii??) Lots of useful comments in there about them. I hope you enjoy using them. . They appear to be a really well respected line of eye pieces

It makes such a change to read about a beginner who got a great result from day 1 - well done and I'm pleased you are pleased.

That's an awesome build. Do you know how much it weigh's and how are you going to transport it to your museum?

FWIW I once tried making one from a Yoga mat and found it made that end of the Dob way too heavy. I gave up in the finish and now manage without.

Very impressive. Something like that would make a good project for a student studying a resistant materials course at school, Far more practical than what students usually come home with.

How about Baader Morpheus? I am a convert! You should be able to pick up second hand ones within your budget

Nothing new here, this case full has already been discussed widely on its own thread (which I was chuffed to bits with), but I thought I'd better add the same picture to this thread just to play nicely. The nice thing is that they all came from generous SGL members second-hand over some time and I think I'm really lucky. I have got a couple of options for a wider FOV already in another box, but my bank balance is just hoping the ideal candidate for this, my posh box, doesn't appear on SGL classifieds as I think I need to curtail the spending for now!

Moon filters, many people like them to reduce the glare, but I've never needed one and much prefer my view of the moon just as it comes.

I don't know a huge amount about EP design, but any 7mm eyepiece (EP) in your scope will give the same level of magnification. 'Plossl', I believe, refers to the internal design of the Eyepiece and I get the impression is a good standard beginners eyepiece. As with any design of EP there will be good ones and bad ones depending on manufacturer. BST branded eyepieces around £45-£55 a pop are often recommended at our level of expertise. Some designs of EP will give a wider field of view like my own Mopheus EP's which are way beyond my level of expertise (and really my pocket! and my amount of use!!), but I like the view they give - a wider field of view means you have more time for the stars to cross the field of view at any magnification before you have to nudge the scope to keep up with the earth rotation, but with a wider field of view sometimes the quality is not as good closer to the edge of the view - again it depends on the brand and the EP design. The other thing with EP's is something called 'eye relief' this is how close you need to hold your eye to the top of the EP to get a good view. I wear specs and find that I get on better longer eye relief - around 20mm is best for me. I once owned a Teleview plossl - considered the best of the manufacturers, but couldn't get on with the very limited eye relief and sold it. BST's are considered good all rounders in this area too.

It says variously online that 'As a rule of thumb, a telescope’s maximum useful magnification is 50 times its aperture in inches (or twice its aperture in millimeters).' So your scope has a 5" apperture or 130mm so that give x250 or x260 Your Focal length is 900mm so if you are using your 20mm EP that gives x45 magnification. If you use the 20mm EP plus x2 barlow that five x90 magnification. With my scope the apperture is 8" - thus a theoretical max mag of x400 under ideal conditons. and a 1200mm focal length. HOWEVER, the seeing in the UK if that's where you are tends to not be exceptional and personally find that I can't push my own scope much beyond a 5-4mm EP which is giving me x240 - x300 - way below the theoretical max magnification. So on that basis I tend to think that you might find you are best at around half the theorectical maximum, which is about x130 which is about a 7mm Eyepiece. Others with the scope might be able to advise better, but the above is based is on the figures and my own experience with my larger scope. Also, check this thread out so you have good expectations - look a the pictures on page one:

One of these - https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-150p-dobsonian.html or if you want to bust your budget a little further or check SGL classifieds, one of these (which is the most quoted beginner scope and what I own) https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html

This is the Astrobaby guide http://www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/ the definitive work on the subject and with this and doing every single step, no matter how odd it sounded. even I succeeded. It is worth noting that the final pictures of a well collimated scope are NOT perfectly central circles - a slight off-centered-ness might be seen.

I was driving along a country road one day with literally no-one close in a car or on foot when out of no where and from an angle acute to the sky a small rusty coloured object Impacted my windscreen, causing damage and nearly giving me heart failure. It bounced off and I'd have never found it, but to this day I've wondered if I was hit by a meteorite. It was either that or a stone dropped by a bird.

So Id set a reminder and at the appointed time 5 of inc. 2 elderly parents were outside hoping for a break in the clouds. Only then did we find it was cancelled!!!

I don't know what sort of focusser you have, but I had the same issue. I discovered my telescope focusser knobs were removeable via grub screws. Now I live with a nearly tame engineer and on being given a lump of aluminium he produced me this upgraded wheel. Mind you I understand that you achieve something similar with a jam-pot lid and a tube of Araldite. FWIW it did work for me.

That's a neat idea John pity I didn't think of that before I made the bigger cover!! LOL Edit. Given the comment below perhaps John's idea could still be deployed if an additional cardboard shape was firmly glued into place thus sandwiching the film in place and then care taken when storing the cover - which should be checked before use, to ensure the film isn't damaged. Mind you it doesn't apply in my case as I have a the full home-made cover pictured anyway.

I've just checked my attachments and look I've got a picture showing mine using the adapter @John showed in the stock focusser that came on the scope - the same as in your current setup so it def. is the original focusser as suggested above and you Def. need that tall adapter

The Focusser in your picture is identical to the one in my 200P. Mine needs the adapter that @John shows above - you won't get anywhere without one, but should be able to purchase the same at modest cost from FLO and I think it will solve your issues. I've had a quick look on FLO website and can't easily spot one, but give them a call and I bet they can help.

That sounds a great amateur set-up and better than many people will have. I'm sure someone will be along soon with a list of things you can view, but before you get stuck in it is important that your expectations are correct. With this in mind I commend a browse of at least the pictures on the first page of this thread - the text in the post is useful, but it is a thread where the pictures speak a thousand words.

I bought these for my kids as presents for taking on holidays and walks just to see that bit more. They have been really pleased with them and they have been much admired and envied by their peers. I've peeped through them and for the cash paid (I think about £40 a set - brand new with damaged boxes from an astro buy and sell place) I think they were a stupendous buy,

I haven't waded through tbe rest of the answers, but my telecope has a focal length og 1200mm. I always assumed that if I put my dslr into the focusser with no other Eye piece in place that it was like stcking a 1200mm lens onto the DSLR

I don't know if I'll find the time, but if the details are posted somewhere - or sent, I'd be interested in having them if I find I've got the time join you all. The organisers are to be congratulated for making the effort 😄