Sunshine

2 minutes ago, AKB said:

X-wing fighters?

Yes! i see that too! totally X-wing fighters.

Looks like a well built and capable scope.

Thats neat!

That is a great response, where are Atik based out of?

Beautiful image, I especially love the bronze color of the nebulosity.

Amazing shot!

1 hour ago, theropod said:

Like golf astronomy can be prohibitively expensive for many (I am lucky enough to do both). I’d love to see schools given the bare bones needed so hat kids could build their own scopes, and their own barn door trackers. Many schools have golf teams and I see no reason they couldn’t have astronomy clubs.

I’ve never had big scope fever, and actually love the challenge small scopes represent. Imagine if Galileo had my C-90 Mak and a goto eq! Sparking a kids mind with a small inexpensive scope could give us another Sagan.

Very well said!

The detail is over the top.

Huge welcome to the lounge!

Keep minds open and the greatest hobby alive.

Local Costco carries boxes of 60 individually wrapped lens cleaning wipes, first I balled up one and just dabbed lens to lift dust. 
Next I used one wipe per gentle swipe and then a breath of steam and microfiber to finish. It turned out great, the before and after images speak volumes.
 

Big welcome to SGL!

5 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Tom has now posted a 'zoomable' version of our Orion on his website. This is the best way to see it. Put the image to full screen first.

https://www.astrophotography.ie/mosaics.htm

Olly

This mosaic is an imaging masterpiece, i do like this one better than the one i started this thread with, less noise and i have never seen Barnards Loop so beautifully captured.

6 minutes ago, david_taurus83 said:

Its good, but Olly and Tom's is better. This one has panels with varying degrees of noise if you pixel peep. I think binning it would improve it. Great dedication though. Almost an obsession, but aren't we all familiar?! 🙂

Oh i need to see that, do you have a link?

Pulled this link off CN, it is the result of 5 years imaging one region, i have no words, zooming in on it is dizzying!

Included article and direct link to image.

https://petapixel.com/2020/10/23/this-insane-2-5-gigapixel-image-of-the-orion-constellation-took-five-years-to-complete/

https://orion2020v5b.spaceforeverybody.com

Your great effort is no laughing matter, slightly out of focus which is actually tricky so no worries, I struggled with it and still do sometimes. Lately I have been using a method where I use the auto focus while there's still some daylight to focus on a very distant object. Then I carefully switch the lens to manual and use a small strip of tape on the focus ring where it meets the main barrel to keep it from moving. This way i find stars are pinpoints and the tape prevents any slipping of the focus barrel.

Hello John. welcome to the lounge! have fun surfing the forums and asking questions.

Nice Mars shot!

I once drove almost two hours to a dark sky site, only to realize as i was setting up that i left my eyepieces at home on the kitchen table.

This is simply a beautiful image to say the least!

3 hours ago, CCD-Freak said:

I had to drive 850 miles to get to it but it has been worth the trip.  I can only get out here a couple times a year.  I torture myself the rest of the year as I suffer with light pollution and crappy weather so I feel your pain. 🤪   Getting to sky like this is always a treat.  I have become a "Dark sky junkie".

 

John
CCD-Freak
WD5IKX

850 miles!! omg that's one heck of a drive, you deserve every minute of those skies.

Beautiful image, stop teasing us with your bortle 1 sky, thats just cruel. 😥

Nice sketch! it may need to be de-rotated, though. 🤣🤣

I need to learn how to sketch, i haven't progressed past stick figures yet, lol.

That is one beautiful looking Dob, i have never heard of Taurus telescopes, i doubt they're available in North America. Just browsing through their website as you've stirred my curiosity, they really are beautifully made and finished, definitely the prettiest wood dob's I've seen so far.

The CPC110 is a beast, i gave it up after it almost tried to kill me twice while carrying it down steps lol. That being said, it is a great scope but not for those who have to carry it in and out for sessions. Aside from that, you may find yourself avoiding sessions simply because the scope is such a chore to set up which defeats the whole purpose. there was a time when aperture fever meant everything to me but, as i get older, i now suffer from aperture fear of falling.