Nyctimene

The Heritage 130 P Flextube in the trunk of my tiny Seat Mii, together with a folding stool and the PSA in the left corner. Still enough space for some eyepieces... Stephan

SkySafari Plus/Pro,+Red Light Shield. Stephan

Member Steve Tonkin (BinocularSky) has a lot of good advice for holding binoculars; have a look : https://binocularsky.com/binoc_hold.php I'm combining 2,3 and 4 when using my rather heavy 7x50 Fujinons, and it works surprisingly well. Stephan

Try this to assess the diameter of your pupils - it's simple : Get a set of spiral drill bits, graded in 1/2 mm steps. Go outside (your pupils will adapt within a few minutes, not so the retina), and look, one eye covered, at a bright star. Hold, beginning with about three millimeters, a drill bit (blunt side up), 15 to 30 cm in front of your eye (you may as well go farther away with it -stars send parallel light rays out of infinite distance). You will see the starlight, passing the bit's edges and entering your eye. Now, work your way up to larger bit diameters; you will still see the starlight. At a certain point, the used bit will block all the starlight, and the star's image will have disappeared. Repeat two or three times; the bit's diameter just below the occluding bit is the diameter of your maximal dilated pupil. Now test the other eye. I've assessed for my eyes 6.5 mm (left eye) and 6 mm (right eye) that way - very satisfying at age 66. It's astonishingly precise, when repeated. Learned this from an article by German observer Uwe Pilz. (quoted from a 2018 post) Stephan

Spotted the planets this afternoon 16.30 CET with the 80/400 Vixen frac. Views were not the best - still bright and slightly hazy sky, bad seeing, close to my local horizon. With 50x mag, I could make out Jupiter's disc and sometimes the equatorial belts but not the two moons on display. Saturn, 20 arc min ENE, and in the same field of view,was way fainter, but showed the Ring quite well and separated from the planet's disc. Was pleased to have taken a probably last chance before the next rain front. Must have a look into my logbooks 1981 and 2000... Stephan

This is a nice selection: http://astrog80.astro.cf.ac.uk/mwm/ There is also a report in "Observing -Reports" Clear Skies! Stephan

This one is still in your price limit: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/skywatcher-heritage-100p-tabletop-dobsonian.html Decent and sturdy Dobsonian mount, more light gathering power, easy to store, transport and use.. Download Stellarium (its free) to find your star. Stephan

You are absolutely right with your assumption. In SkySafari, it's easy to display the different TFoV's (=True Field of View) for any scope/eyepiece combination, which is of immense value when observing (I hardly use any sky maps directly at the scope, since I got SkySafari). On the toolbar, tap "Observe", then "Equipment". Next, tap "Equipment Help". You'll find a comprehensive guide, how to enter name, focal length, aperture etc. of your scope, and your eyepieces, finders, barlows, cameras. Then return to "Scope Display Help" to find out, how to display the different fields of view. Finished, don't forget to tap "Show even when not connected to telescope". Btw.,your observing report is another vivid and inspiring read - you seem to enjoy the steep learning curve! Stephan

Never observed this galaxy chain. Here's a drawing by Uwe Glahn, one of the best German observers, with his 24": Stephan P.S.: have a look at Uwe's Website; a cornucopia of excellent drawings. He is the co-author of the Interstellarum Deep Sky Guide http://www.deepsky-visuell.de/

Shameless profiteering, IMO; look at this offer of a reliable retailer: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p1992_Skywatcher-Skyliner-200P---Classic-8--f-6-Parabolic-Dobsonian.html

+1 for that. Sturdy Dobsonian mount, totally different from the likely wobbly 114 AZ mount; excellent optics, easy and intuitively to handle, folds compact and travels without issues. Slightly above your budget and nowhere available atm, but it's worth waiting. I'd go for the 150 P Flextube; you will need years of observing to exhaust it's capabilities. Many pleased members on here (including myself with the 130 P Flextube). Stephan

Clear skies, and good luck with the hunt! Stephan

Reminds me of my observations with the then new 13.1" Odyssey under 21+ mag skies three decades ago. Three components separable during moments of good seeing (was way less experienced in DSO observing), but not impressive. I'd give it a try with your 12"; but the three brighter galaxies of the Deer Lick group, the "fleas", are easier and more rewarding. Stephan

All the brighter Pleiades stars are embedded in reflection nebulosities, the brightest one being the Merope nebula. If you are not sure, if you can make out the nebulosities, there' s a trick: A conspicuous star chain, called "Ally's Braid", runs roughly N-S in the eastern part of the Pleiades. The area E of the chain is completely free from nebulosities. It's easy to compare this region to the area with suspected nebulosities. Member "mackiedlem's" picture shows Ally's (=Alcyone's) Braid in the lower half, pointing to the right-down corner, and the adjacent dark area quite well: Stephan

Another vivid report, showing your enthusiasm; thank you - and keep on posting, please! Seems you are on the right track with planning and observing. The two close pairs of the Double Double will probably demand a slightly higher magnification than 65x to be separated; so give it a try with the 2.25x Barlow (-the Baader Turret? - an excellent barlow!) you are planning to buy. And the collimation, regarding your description of the Trapezium, seems to be quite good. I guess, it's just the seeing/transparency problem, that affects your views. Have patience; better nights will come. Dew is sometimes a problem with the unshielded 130 P. Have a look at the shield builds here, page 1 and 10; (the huge One Sky Newtonian (= Skywatcher 130 P Flextube) thread on CloudyNights): https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/463109-onesky-newtonian-astronomers-without-borders/page-187 Clear Skies, and enjoy the journey - and keep a (paper) logbook, as suggested by Tiny Clanger above; she's spot on! Stephan

As the 150 P Flextube is the same build like it's smaller brother, the 130 P, you may find a lot of experiences, advices and hints in the huge (187 pages!) CloudyNights thread on the 130 P. The AWB One Sky Newtonian (=Astronomers without Borders) scope is identical with the 130 P Flextube, just another brand. A good read during the overcast nights, that will come with the purchase of a new scope.... 😉 (FLO packages are, AFAIK, labeled with "May contain clouds") https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/463109-onesky-newtonian-astronomers-without-borders/ Clear Skies! Stephan

A very good decision. I'm using it's smaller brother, the 130 P Flextube, as a very capable grab-and-go scope, and am always astonished at it's optical quality. Good to hear, that it will be in stock at FLO within a few days. Fix the helical focuser's slop with some centimeters of plumber's PTFE tape (just wrap it around the moving part), adjust the RDF finder during the day, using a very distant target, that you center in the scope, then align the finder. Have fun (it seems, as if you are affected with the astro virus as well as your partner) Stephan

My "Blue Penguin", a Skywatcher Infinity 76/300. Bought it used for 15€, added a 15x eyepiece for 10€, gutted the 30x eyepiece to remove it's "erectile (dys-) function", mounted a Rigel Quikfinder and got a nice and capable RFT with a parabolic primary mirror. 3° resp. 1.5° TFoV, easy and comfortable to handle. Posted some observations on here with it during the last four years, including some "pyjama sessions" from indoors. A real fun scope. Still in search for the 50x (6mmf) eyepiece sold with it in earlier editions... Stephan

SkySafari Pro RDF+RACI combo Astro Chair, in my case, the "Füssener Astrostuhl", large version. Allows me observing with the 18" safe and seated relaxed objects of 70 degrees elevation. Can be adjusted one-handed in seconds without looking. A real game changer. Here's a link: https://www.intercon-spacetec.de/zubehoer/astronomie-zubehoer/stuehle/4889-ics-astro-stuhl-magnum-grau-hoehe-115-cm-mit-verstaerktem-sitzbrett.html Stephan

I'm observing all the year round - no problems at 49.36 N latitude, as the sun at the end of June at midnight is15 degrees under the horizon, almost at the end of astronomical twilight. Most DSO's can be spotted under these conditions. At 55 degrees N, the sun is about 10 degrees under the horizon - nautical twilight. Moon, planets of course, as well as double stars, but even brighter point (=star/starlike) sources, as open clusters, globular clusters or small planetaries should be in reach. Higher magnifications will darken the sky background, and narrowband filters will help. So just give it a try, get two or three hours of sleep before (think of the Vendee Globe sailors, who can sleep on command), get up at midnight and have one to two hours of fun. Enjoy the warm breeze, flower scents, nightly animals, and a glass of wine, beer or "sperretts", or something else, as you like. It's just being out under the stars, what counts. Stephan

Hello, and a warm welcome from a German stargazer (visual, Dobsonaut)! When I read your list of planned purchases, I felt a moment of slight vertigo - so many scopes, although you already own a pretty and capable set with the binos, the 6" Mak and the 80mm frac. As you seem to be a newbie in practical stargazing, I'd suggest, that you spend a lot of observing time with your equipment, before upgrading. Spend your money meanwhile on important additions - narrowband filters (UHC; O III), a decent observing chair, star maps/apps etc. When upgrading for visual, a decent lightweight 10"-12" Dob, perhaps on an equatorial platform, would give you many more options than just another added 4"-6". (as a teaser, have a look at this 12"/12 kgs traveldob; (no affiliations etc., of course). Website in German only, but look at the photos. Long delivery times, for good reasons): http://www.hofheiminstruments.com/12-zoll-dobson.html Enjoy the journey! Stephan

Skywatcher Heritage 150 P Flextube: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p12279_Skywatcher-Dobson-Telescope-Heritage-150P-Flextube---150-mm-Aperture.html Gets good reviews, and would be a lifetime scope. Tiny Clanger on here bought one, and is very pleased. I'm sure she will answer any questions. Stephan

This might be a solution (for his birthday): https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p6827_SSkywatcher-Heritage-100P-Tabletop-Dobsonian---100-mm---4--f4-Telescope.html Very easy and intuitively to handle, good optics with a parabolic primary mirror. It will show moon, planets and the brighter Deep Sky objects quite well, especially from your dark skies. Stephan

Make sure, that you get the Meade 82 with a parabolic primary mirror -the image quality will be definitely better. Look at the specifications- if "parabolic" is not mentioned, I'd stick with the Heritage 100 P. Stephan P.S.: just found this review, have a look : https://telescopicwatch.com/meade-lightbridge-mini-review/

The Heritage 100 P is in stock here: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p6827_Skywatcher-Heritage-100P-Tabletop-Dobsonian---100-mm---4--f4-Telescope.html A very reliable German retailer; fast delivery; ships to Ireland at moderate costs. Have been their customer for years, and was always pleased. Stephan