domstar

Good luck. I'm looking forward to reading your report (and, if I'm honest, a little jealous).

Nice thread. I like the Leo Triplet. The star-hop is pretty easy but I often muck it up if I'm not prepared. It's far enough away from a naked eye star to miss. The Hamburger gave me all sorts of problems and I didn't get to see it for a long time. One advantage is that I knew I was in the right place because of the other two. That meant I could spend a good amount of time trying for it rather than conclude that I was in the wrong place.

Great stuff. Izar, Alkalurops, and Cor Caroli are all wonderful. I haven't got any further in Bootes and Corona Borealis than that. I should try and rectify that in spring.

Wow, I've found it. I couldn't find it last night and after many attempts I saw it tonight. Rigel is just too far to star-hop confidently from. The white dwarf was clear but it took me quite a while before I could hold it in direct vision. I tried 50x, 90x and 150x but couldn't be sure about the red dwarf. I had a little look at Orion and came back with my Vixen plossl. It shouldn't be better than my BCO but it did the trick at 90x. I'm really pleased. A tough challenge for me but so rewarding. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. This is what SGL is all about. I wouldn't have known anything about it without this thread.

Well, I would love the frac that you mentioned but my advice would be different. I would say, buy an 8 inch dob. Have some fun with that and then you will find out what you really want. Do you want to go bigger? Would you prefer a refractor? You would still have over a grand to play with and the 8 inch would compliment a big dob as a grab and go or a refractor as something to grab a bit more light. Or you might decide the 8 inch is perfect for you and you could buy some lovely accessories. I think it's difficult to know where you stand on the balance between minimising size and weight and maximising light grasp. A year with an 8-inch dob would solve that for you. Good luck. You are going to get a great scope whatever way you decide to go.

Great report. I love doubles more and more. There are always new targets to find, there is the challenge and I don't get the feeling of missing out because of aperture and observing skill that I do on other targets. If I manage to split one, I feel I have as good a view as I would have with any equipment (if the conditions are good). After reading another thread, I'm looking forward to having a go at 40 Eridani when the clouds clear. As for Wasat, I don't remember it being a particularly difficult split (I've never observed at more than 150x). Just across from that towards the Eskimo Nebula HD 57900 made a real impression on me and needed the best conditions. I can't wait to try them both again. Lastly, it was a real pleasure to read about someone enjoying the ED100. I love my scope but I also feel a bit envious of people using the real big boys so it's nice to have my positive experiences reaffirmed by others. Thanks.

I was in a similar position a few years ago. I upgraded the eyepieces to plossls, which was good, but in the end I got a new telescope. That's what you will do eventually if you are sure this is the hobby for you- everybody does . We all brows when there are clouds in the sky. I think you should start to think about what new scope will compliment your current one. As for your upgrades- the diagonal (I also thought about it). Just take out the diagonal and look straight through. I was surprised about how little improvement I had without the diagonal. That's why I think there is little to be gained in upgrading yet. As for a new focuser- it's too much money to spend on your scope. I eventually bought a UHC filter and I was also surprised by how subtle the improvement was. I have since come appreciate it but often I don't know if the views are better with or without it. Sorry to be negative. I'm only replying because I wanted to slowly improve my (inferior to yours) original scope. If you are bored, start dreaming of a new scope, whatever that may be. Good luck, I hope you continue to enjoy yourself.

Wow. What an amazing list of firsts on the same night- some of the very best doubles in the sky. What a night. Well done.

Yes indeed.

Very nice. I was just watching Sherlock on Friday and a man was murdered because of his astronomical knowledge. He had a small reflector aimed at a skylight window. I had a hideous moment of self-awareness as I couldn't stop myself from talking over the episode to my less than interested partner.

Great report. Keep them coming. The reports section is my favourite part of the forum. It's good to hear about successes and failures. I can compare my observations, find new ideas and stay enthused when I haven't managed to be out for a while. I also enjoy double stars; they are beautiful and a challenge, both finding them and splitting them. Your session sounds just like how I like mine- some successes, some failures, something old and something new.

An excellent report. There have been very few opportunities here since October and reports like this really keep up my enthusiasm.

Excellent report. A good reminder of why we do this.

That's very true. My advice is to use the ones you already have and then you will see what you want. I found I needed to see more sky so I could find objects, so I bought a 2 inch with a long focal length. I found I don't need a lot of eye relief, neither do I need to see a lot of sky at the shorter focal lengths so my Baader Classic Orthoscopics are fine. I don't like fiddling around changing eyepieces so I think maybe a zoom would suit me well. Take your time. You'll appreciate better eyepieces mostly by seeing the subtle improvement they make over your old ones- well, that's what happened with me.

I use gloves for running under a pair of mittens. The running gloves allow me to change eyepieces and focus.

Hi, I use my 4 inch refractor on an AZ4 on my small balcony and it's a squeeze. I think a 127mm Mak would be better for me. Are you sure you want a 150mm scope? A 127 seems more practical. On a balcony with light pollution would you need the extra aperture and expense? You would still get spectacular views of the moon and planets.

Well done on your decision to go for the Messier catalogue. Doing the same thing really suited me. It helped me focus on a session and gave me direction and a lot of satisfaction. I have a 4 inch refractor so you'll be fine with a 6 inch scope if your skies are dark enough. Bodes Galaxy and the Cigar are great, but I still find it a bit hit or miss to track them down. It's not an easy star hop. As for the brightness (or dimness) of the galaxies- your eyes will get used to that (on mooonless nights). Things that seem to be just short of invisible will seem a bit clearer with practice. Good luck with your endeavour.

Highlights for me- 1 Spring Virgo galaxies in spectacular skies including the Siamese Twins. Learning to use higher magnification on galaxies. 2 Early Autumn spent trying to see Stephan's Quintet and perhaps getting a glimpse of something so mindbogglingly far away. 3 Mars (of course) and finally understanding what all the fuss was about. Happy New Year to everyone. Dominic

Miram (or Miriam as I can't help but call it) is a lovely star. It looks good directly and also there are those little averted vision stars to see. It keeps me occupied at the eyepiece. Glad to hear you've been able to get outside. You are an expert at making use of those little clear windows. I haven't managed to get out for weeks. Anyway, Doug, have a great Christmas and all the best for 2021. Dominic

Great report. I generally look south in the winter because the cold forces me to stay on the balcony so most of these are new to me. I must keep this list to try out when it gets a bit warmer.

A great read. It makes me feel a bit guilty for staying in the warm last night when the sky was clear. M 108 really is a nightmare for me. I find it much more challenging than I think it should be.

Hi and welcome to the forum, If your eyepieces have a big H written on them, then almost anything will be a significant upgrade. I bought a couple of cheap skywatcher plossls from ebay for just a few pounds. These eyepieces come with new scopes and people who already own better eyepieces sometimes sell them. When I bought mine, it transformed my observing. A few months later I bought a better scope and never used them again but at around 10 pounds for two, it was well worth it.

Nice report Doug. It is thrilling to see an asteroid. I've only manged Vesta and maybe one other (I'll have to check), so I'll definitely look out for Pallas next time as it seems to be in the right part of sky for me. I like the way you use a variety of telescopes. I'm concerned that if I got a bigger new one, then I would never use the old one again and I wouldn't want that. Your reports give me hope that it wouldn't be the case.

Great report. I really enjoyed reading it. You have the right tactic- biscuits. I could always keep my kids happy to be out with me as long as they were munching on something. I tried the same tactic at football matches too. Now my daughter is 16 and I'm happy when she indulges me by looking at a planet or a sunspot from the balcony.

Sorry, I should've read it more carefully. I always start with the eyepiece with the longest focal length (biggest number) because it has the least magnification and shows the most sky. When you have the object centred, you can try and up the magnification. The H25 should work OK with the Barlow but the other eyepieces will probably be too strong for it. The 4mm probably won't be very useful (too much magnification) and the erecting eyepiece is only for use during the day (looking at birds). So, 25mm mostly but up the magnification by using the 9mm or the Barlow to get more magnification on the moon or planets. Mars can be a disappointing devil in a small scope unless the conditions play ball. Anyway, good luck, have fun and welcome to the forum.