MartinHiggins

Hi Stevie, I've just been reading the posts on Cloudy Nights and it looks very interesting. Could you tell me whose selling it in the UK?

Cheers

Happy new year Steve and many thanks for the newsletter

Thanks Steve

I've a copy and love it!

Hi Stuarts,

A bit late to the thread. I have an Altair 100mm which I'm very happy with.

As well as the supplied 18mm I've bought a pair of 10mm Altair 10mm flat field eyepieces which work also work very well.

I have it mounted on a Fotomate tripod and head which gives easy fore and aft movement for balancing, I can give you more details of it if you need.

I have the 45 degree version. Mods I have made are to reverse the mounting arm on the bottom of the bino to get better balance at high elevation and removing the carrying handle to fit a red dot finder, the latter is a big bonus.

Cheers

Martin

Thanks very much for this Steve.

Thanks for this Steve. I'll check out those lunar occultations.

Cheers

The best type of window for observing is an "escape type". Fakro do various sizes and you can choose whether it hinges on the right or left. 

I observe from my attic with a giant binocular and while not ideal from a pure observing point of view it is an instant set up and comfortable.

Hi Steve,

Glad to see you're back and thanks very much for the latest Newsletter.

Cheers

Hi Mark,

Appearence and spec wise they seem very similar to the Altair BT100 which I have and I must say I find them awesome.

Cheers

Thanks very much for this Steve, all the best and clear skies.

1 hour ago, WiltsStarGazer said:

I'm all for raising awareness of the problem of light pollution but the CPRE form doesn't ask for the age of the observer so any information will be skewed by the the deteriorating night vision of the older observers.

Surely if they wanted an accurate picture of the problem, satellite data would give a great deal more consistent information.

Yes that would be more accurate but I guess they wanted to raise awareness of light pollution and get people involved and looking up.

Well it was very clear here in the middle of Cardiff last night, I think the best it's been since Christmas and I managed 10 stars standing under a street light. 

CPRE says I live in an area of severe light pollution which is kicking a chap when he's down!

Thanks very much for that.

Hi, just took delivery of this Altair 30x100 bin and Fotomate VT990 tripod. I'm really chuffed with both. Par for the course the weather hasn't been great but I've managed some delightful views of the Pleiades, Orion nebula and some great flat wide field views of stars within Orion. The fluid head works very well indeed.

Hi all, I've just come across this star count survey:

People urged to count stars to see if lockdown has cut light pollution | Astronomy | The Guardian

Hopefully it will be used to limit light pollution.

Cheers and clear skies!

Cheers Steve,

Thanks for that. Those online events look really interesting too.

Clear skies!

Martin

Cheers Mark, I'll keep a  look out for that. Hope we have a clear night!

Well that sounds spectacular. I'll keep an eye on this post!

Cheers

Hi, I have the W.O binoviewer on a Celestron C8 and use it all the time and find it very good, particuarly for lunar work. I'm not sure if using two zoom eyepieces would work though as it may be tricky to match the zoom mag. equally especially if you are changing the zoom often. The binoviewer comes with I think 2 x 22mm eyepieces but I bought a couple of Starguider 25mm which I prefer.

I think you'll enjoy them.

Cheers

It's great what a leveler the moon is for viewing it. I imagine you have in Powys a decent dark sky. I'm in central Cardiff Bortle8 but I still get loverly moon viewing.

Cheers

Hi Dai I see your just up the road from me. That's no good for you though as I can't answer your question!

I'm sure others here will though.

Cheers

Beautiful map work. I fancied getting a copy so just checked prices, cheapest I could find £114.00 and way north from there!

21 minutes ago, lukebl said:

Ouch!

I regularly listen the to BBC World Service, as I find its internationally-based news far more informative, interesting and impartial than the tedious domestic stuff.

HOWEVER, whilst listening to an item about the forthcoming Jupiter/Saturn conjunction just now, the news anchor introduced Dr. Carolyn Crawford as being from the Cambridge University Institute of ASTROLOGY.

It was a recording, so she didn't have the opportunity to correct him. I'll bet she's fuming!

Hi does anybody remember  the book The Henry Root Letters from 1980? He wrote absurd  but sincere sounding letters to well known people and published his original letters followed by their reply. I remember reading correspondence between him and  Patrick Moore about astrology and to David Attenborough asking him for advice about naturism. 

On 10/12/2020 at 14:23, Grant said:

If anybody would like to watch this, please PM me and I will send you the private link.

Hi Grant, would you be able to send me a link for this talk?

Cheers

Martin