Nyctimene

Hello, Tony, "splitting", as you guessed it correctly, means the separation of celestial bodies close together. There are several levels of "splitting" for double star observers; Sissy Haas' criteria are useful (Table 1): http://fisherka.csolutionshosting.net/astronote/astromath/ueb/Unequalbinaries.html Stephan

Re.: seeing: Meteoblue presents the values of astronomical seeing, cloud layers, jetstream velocity etc.: https://www.meteoblue.com/de/wetter/outdoorsports/seeing/portishead_vereinigtes-königreich_2640037 Moreover, you can look up data of dust or pollen contamination, that may have influence on your observing: https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/outdoorsports/airquality/portishead_united-kingdom_2640037 Stephan

Hi, Xgaze, the magnification of 187x is well within the limits of your 150/750 mm scope. I'm using almost the same magnification with the smaller brother of your scope, the 130/650 Heritage Flextube, when observing moon and planets, or double stars, and can go up to 244x mag, when the seeing is good (Baader 2.25x turret Barlow and 6 mmf UWA eyepiece). The optical quality of the Heritages is really good; but you have to wait for these nights of really good seeing (= low atmospheric turbulence; the Bortle scale doesn't refer to this, but to sky brightness btw.), and the scope has to be properly cooled down (rule of thumb: 5 mins for each inch of aperture) and well collimated. Under such circumstances, you might reach 250x mag (with an additional 6 mmf eyepiece). So, have patience, go out and enjoy your mighty Heritage. It's my most used grab-and-go scope for good reasons. Splitting Pi Aquilae with 1.4" distance is a real challenge, but this scope is mastering it! Stephan

I' m using three eyepieces of the first mentioned set (66° AFoV= Apparent Field of View), the 20, 9 and 6mmf ones. They give good, sharp and neutral coloured views in my f/5 and even f/4.5 Newtonian dobs, so they should work well with your 8" f/6 (a good choice you've made - it's an allrounder and can be a lifetime scope). There is some "kidney-beaning" effect, giving sometimes a slightly "unsettled" view, therefore you have to center your eye exactly to the outcoming light bundle, but this is less annoying with the observation of DSO's.The 15 mmf eyepiece of these well-known "golden rim" line is usually considered as the weakest part of the quartet; but for the price of the set, your gf will make no mistake when buying. The price is surprisingly low - for a single Omegon UWA 66°you pay 59 € from a German retailer. But I' m guessing it's the same make, just another brand. I cannot comment on the second set of 68° AFOV eyepieces; but I suppose, they are a similar built and more a slightly changed clone of the 66° ones. Hth. Stephan

The Moon Maiden, a light-shadow phenomenon in Sinus Iridum, will be visible again this evening: Stephan

Not a list - but the Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas gives valid recommendations for the use of H Beta, UHC and O III filters for galactic nebulae (emission nebulae). The number of galactic nebulae (including reflection n.) is 530, so a lot of objects for observing (up to 12" aperture). Hth. Stephan

Never observed Barnard's galaxy; just looked it up in the NSOG (Night Sky Observer's Guide); quoted from there: "Visually it is an extremely faint, extremely low surface brightness, ill defined glow in a field rich with faint stars. It needs no less than perfectly dark skies to be seen; nevertheless under good conditions it can be glimpsed even in mere 10x50 binoculars as a vague N - S smudge. ....... The galaxy's meager glow tends to be camouflaged by the numerous foreground stars superimposed upon it's halo". Seems, that you have to plan a travel to the Sumava National Park close to the German border to get the sky darkness needed for 6822.... Hth. Stephan

Should be no problem with your 20" under 21.8 skies - observing is possible from 8" aperture upwards. You might be able to find the central star and two knots in the northern part. It would be interesting, if you can spot it with the mighty Heritage...... Stephan

Conditions were not favourable this morning at 01.00 CEST, when I took out the 18" Obsession. The first clouds of the upcoming rain front passed through, and despite a SQM-L of 21.18, transparency was rather low, with a NELM of just 5.0. But Pegasus was close to the meridian, and I wanted to observe once more, after several years, the large planetary (diameter 5.2 arc min!) Jones 1 close to the northern border of the Pegasus square. After warming up with the globular M 15 - a splendid view with 228x mag (and good seeing), I started star hopping from 72 Peg, and, moving about 1° southward, soon found the star field with SkySafari. But Jones 1 was more difficult than expected. With the UHC and 114x mag (ES18/82°), nothing could be seen. Switching to the Thousand Oaks O III filter, and using all the DSO observer's tricks (averted vision, telescope tapping etc.; the trusty R-Sky observing hood finally made the difference), the circular shape of the planetary was during thirty minutes slowly revealing. Most "prominent" were the two slightly inward curved streaks N and S, that encompassed the extremely faint disc structure inside. No details were visible, and the central star with 16.1 could not be made out. No wonder, that this large planetary, despite an overall 12.1 magnitude, is so difficult - the surface brightness of just 16.1 per arc sec is very demanding. Years ago, I had some better views with the 13.1" Odyssey 1 under better skies, and it resembled a very faint version of the Helix nebula. Still a rewarding object, 37 000 years old; I will give it another try, when the sky is better in late autumn. A short look at Jupiter, already deep down in the SW, ended the session at 02.30. Thanks for reading Stephan

Your report, John, prompted me to give Triton a try with my newly acquired 12" f/5 Dobson. Conditions were not great - NELM 5.0 (UMi); SQM-L 20.92; M 31 near zenith barely to make out. Seeing average. After warming up with Jupiter - prominent NEB, four moons (but no transits, no GRS); I started from Phi Aqr with Rigel and SkySafari, and found Neptune after five minutes of star-hopping with 58x mag. The blueish colour was not as obvious as I expected, and the tiny disc needed the magnification of 333x (9 mmf UWA+2x Abbe Barlow) for revealing. Careful observing the field for several minutes and using averted vision, I finally spotted the 13.6 mag Triton, popping in and out of view (as you described it) at the correct position in SkySafari. Later, I found out, that I had observed this moon almost at it's maximum separation from Neptune (which is 17") in 16.3" distance. This was the first time in five decades of observing, that I've seen Triton - admittedly, the first real try. Studying afterwards the article by Phil Harrington in "Cosmic Challenges" (no. 156), I learned, that Triton is the only (larger) moon in the solar system, that circles it's home planet in a "backwards" way against the direction of Neptune's rotation ( indicating an origin of Triton perhaps in the Kuiper Belt, and a capture later in the gravity field of Neptune). The albedo is extremely high (0.75; our moon is just 0.12). I had a short look at M 33 with 58x - no structure visible, but at least NGC 604 easily with direct vision. M 81/M 82 ended the session after 75 min at 01.30 CEST. Very pleased with the optical quality of the 12" and with the view of an extraordinary celestial target; and so to bed. Thanks for reading Stephan.

Spotted 16 in 75 minutes last night; the night before 17 in one hour (with 50% restricted view); rather good compared to most reports above, but sub-average and much better in 2016 (71; 40 within an hour) and 2018 (29/h). More details in my post in the topic "Perseid meteor shower peaks..." here. Stephan

Was out under sub-average 5.0 NELM skies with thin haze/clouds Aug. 12 from 02h25 to 03h30 resp. 00h30 to 01h45 CEST. During the first observation I counted 17 Perseids, typically moving fast, and rather bright, despite restricted view of about 50% sky area (barn roof, church building, tree). Last night, under completely unobstructed viewing conditions, 16 Perseids showed, three rather bright ones (Venus-brightness), one with a 10° tail lasting 5 seconds. Each time four other meteorites of different origins, mostly Delta-Aquarids. Not bad, but sub-average activity IMO, and no comparison to the showers of 2016, Aug. 13th, when I counted within two hours 71 Perseids (40 in one hour), resp. 2018, Aug. 13th (29 during one hour). Had a curious bat as company. Upcoming clouds, so I finished at 01h45. Stephan

Some answers can be found here :https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/744119-the-effect-of-moonset/#entry10720762 Stephan

If you are mainly interested in observing DSO's, I'd postpone the decision of downsizing, until you have exhausted all possible improvements of your existing gear/situation. If the bulky base keeps you away from setting up - is it possible to store it outdoors near your observing spot (garage; garden shed; water resistant cover etc.), so that you have only to deal with the OTA transport? The trolley (or wheelbarrow handles) proposition has already been made above. Finding objects - with a 10" dob I'd rely on the combination of a Red Dot Finder (or Rigel/Telrad) with a RACI (= Right Angle - Correct Image) finder; either 6x30 (wider field of about 6 - 7 °) or 8x50 (goes deeper). Together with good tablet or smartphone software (I prefer SkySafari Plus or Pro - sometimes on sale), star hopping, which you will have to learn and improve continually anyway, is really easy. You can display the TFoV (True Field of View) with it for any given scope+eyepiece combination, and even set the star brightness according to your local conditions. Start with an eyepiece of around 30 mmf from a bright star, that is reliably to identify, and work your way to a nearby DSO by matching eyepiece view and display appearance. Another possibility would be a Push To solution, e.g. this one: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/language/en/info/p11836_Geoptik-Digitale-Teilkreise-und-Objektpositionierung-fuer-Ihr-Dobson-Teleskop---GoTo-Ersatz.html With a Dob and for DSO's, IMO, a push-to system is enough and tracking can easily be done with a good Dob mount. If you, after improvements, still are not content with the situation, get a smaller scope of around 6" (transportability etc.) Some food for thought, I hope. BTW., welcome to the forum, and enjoy! Stephan

Have a look at the Moon Maiden, very prominent just now! (Sinus Iridum), Promontorium Heraclides forms a face, looking down into S.Iridum; the Maiden's long hair extends to the west. See my post from March 24th Enjoy! Stephan

Hello, and welcome, Alan, to this friendly forum! Yes, indeed; and not only financial sense. From looking at some ads, I' d guess, that the 1000 PS "Newtonian" scope is one of the ominous "Bird-Jones" variety. The short tube length, combined with the 1000 mm focal length, is very suspicious. A "Bird-Jones" optical design (do some research on this!) combines a spherical primary mirror with corrective optical elements and will be not easily collimatable. Paired with an equatorial mount (usually of the flimsy sort) and a lowest magnification of 50x (20 mmf eyepiece), looking at stars can really be a challenge for a newbie. I' d suggest to take the "Dobsonian" route. The mount is simple, very sturdy, and cheap as well, so most of the money will be spent on the (parabolic primary mirror) optics. The short focal length will allow low magnifications, thus easier finding of celestial targets. Handling and tracking is intuitive and becomes second nature in a short time. For your money you could get a Skywatcher Heritage Flextube P 130 or 150, or a used 200/1200 Dob. Many pleased owners on here; and for good reasons this CloudyNights thread on the One Sky Newtonian (identical with the 130 P Flextube) has now 208 pages: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/463109-onesky-newtonian-astronomers-without-borders/ Enjoy the journey and keep asking! Stephan

Was out this morning, unplanned, with the 5.1" Skywatcher Heritage Flextube under already brightening midsummer skies, NELM 5.0. The horizon was slightly foggy, so I looked for a target high up and easy to find - the Veil. With the 26 mmf 62° ES LER, nothing could be made out around 52 Cyg, the pointer star. Adding a Baader UHC filter, and, after a while of careful exploration, the N pointing part of the "Witches Broom" was popping in and out with averted vision. Somewhat disappointed (I can see the Veil without filters during a good night), I switched to the Methuselah of my filters, a 30+ years old Thousand Oaks O III - and, to my surprise, the Veil unveiled itself in it's familiar brightness and shape. The western part showed the brooms "stick" as well as the "brushwood" with direct vision easily. The semicircular shape of the brighter eastern part was even more obvious, and, switching to the Seben 8-24 zoom, details in the S part began to show up. Even "Pickering's Triangular Wisp" could be made out with direct vision. I wouldn't have expected the difference between the two filters that big out of my memory. Always rewarding to re-evaluate former observations! Without filters, I ended with a look at Saturn, just rising behind the neighbours house roof. The seeing allowed only mags of around 130x-150x, and the Cassini division could only be made out in the ansae. Titan was visible, and, fainter, Rhea. The sky was more and more brightening, and I had a last look at the just rising moon and the Pleiades very low to the NE, before I ended after an hour at 03.30 CEST. Thanks for reading Stephan

Welcome, Tevin Changoo, to this friendly forum! Nothing wrong with stargazing without optical aids, especially under really dark (island) skies. I,too, start and end most of my sessions this way. Next step for you would be to get some binoculars ; anything up from 6x30 roughly will do, and intensify the naked eye binocular view. Have a look at the Binocular threads here, and Steve Tonkins BinocularSky; many hints even for naked eye observing. Enjoy the journey! Stephan

Consulting lightpollutionmap, you've described your observing situation quite adequate: https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/#zoom=8.74&lat=51.2076&lon=1.8402&layers=B0FFFFFFTFFFFFFFFFF The only rather dark sky seems to be located to the east - the view over the English channel. I'd try to find a sheltered place between the cliffs and the sea, not too exposed to (salty) spray and mist, and start observing from there. A portable rig will be essential, so your tripod plans are sensible; later a travel dob, e.g. the Skywatcher Heritage 130 P Flextube (or the 150 P variant) would be an upgrade. When observing near the beach, salt will be the enemy of optics and (metal) mechanics, so protecting the optics (closed OTA; e.g. a light shroud) and some cleanup and wiping (not the optics!) will be relevant. Stephan

+1 for the 32 mmf Plössl. No other eyepieces needed atm., perhaps an UHC filter. I'd focus on building a decent Dob mount - I guess, even with a decent wooden tripod, the EQ 2 mount would still keep some wobblyness; and, as an equatorial mount, is awkward to use together with a Newtonian OTA (eyepiece position changes etc.). There are lots of DIY instructions in the Internet; e.g this one, that looks quite useful to me (no own DIY experiences, btw.): https://www.instructables.com/BUILDING-a-DOBSONIAN-TELESCOPE-MOUNT/ Enjoy the journey, and keep asking (and posting)! Stephan

With this in mind, I'd go for a slightly smaller and more lightweight solid tube Dob. A 12" ES, even the UL, is heavy (the ES mirror box alone specified with 50 lbs!), so, after a few weeks of enthusiasm, you will possibly find yourself in the situation not wanting to take out all the heavy gear, load it into the car, drive, assemble, await cooling down, collimate.... and reverse two or three hours later, esp. when the weather forecast is uncertain. All the small tasks will add up, like the Liliputians strings fastening Gulliver to the ground, to prevent you from frequent and joyful observing; don't underestimate them. Orion Optics UK offer a 10" f/4.8, with a total weight of just 23 kgs, -( less than the ES mirror box alone), the OTA at 11 kgs, and would be well within your price range; have a look: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p656_Orion-UK-VX10-250-mm-f-4-8-Dobsonian-Telescope---1-8-Lambda.html Place the tube on the rear seats, the base in the trunk; and you are much faster, with less hassle, when starting observing. Short primary collimation, no alignment etc, just sit down and enjoy. (Btw.; there are even more lightweight dobsonians - during the next weeks my new (used) 12" f/5 Hofheim Instruments traveldob will arrive! Total weight just 12 kgs; now out of production - have a look:) http://www.hofheiminstruments.com/fotos.html Stephan

Sky Deep Sea Lots of wonders in both of them. Welcome to this friendly forum from a German Dobsonaut and ex Scuba-diver (hoping to take the hobby up again next year...) Stephan

In your situation - newbie, no special interests in specific types of celestial objects; and living in a light polluted area - , I'd suggest that you start with a smaller scope. A big scope in a major light polluted city is (to quote Kriege/Berry, Dob makers) "like driving a Ferrari in the city". The larger aperture may overcome some of the problems, but you will still be restricted to solar system objects, double stars, star clusters etc., and low contrast will always be somewhat disappointing. For viewing galaxies, galactic nebulas, Milky Way features, you have to take the scope to dark sky areas. A small to moderate size scope (4" to 6-8") is much better for "learning the ropes", and will show you much more under a dark sky (Bortle 4/SQM-L 21+ quality). Objects are easier to find due to the larger field of view. The 5.1" Skywatcher and it's 6" brother get excellent reviews; they can serve as travel scopes or grab-and-go scopes later; or have at least a good resale value. The problem of seat height is a minor one, and easily to overcome. (Btw, I'm also an early morning observer; after a couple of hours sleep I'm refreshed; most of the lights are down, and the atmosphere is more stable with better seeing - a good way to start the day! )😉 Enjoy the journey, and keep asking! Stephan

Rupes and Rima Cauchy, located atm just under the terminator. Rupes (ridge) is easily detected with 5"; the finer Rima (rille) N of it is more subtle. Nice to see the difference of these geolocical formations. Happy hunting! Stephan

This was a suggestion from the original thread indeed. Enough space here, so I didn' t see the need for this modification. I still have to make some cutouts at the "T"'s base, to give the boards a triangular shape, resulting in a better stand on slightly uneven ground. Stephan