Sunshine

Spectacular!

Wow, i left this thread for a few days now it has grown, i have a lot of catching up to do lol.

1 minute ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Certainly agree with the noise issue ... its surprising how loud those motors are in the "dead of night" . Also i find that the setting up of such mounts become tiresome , having to force yourself outside to set up a GOTO mount .. especially when its partially cloudy , freezing cold  and you  are not sure how long you can observe for . Astronomy for most is primarily about looking at the night sky , using optical aids ... thats why a simple set up can be so rewarding . ( I'm actually convincing myself to change my own set up )

 You’ve mentioned some points that I forgot about but, recall them being an issue, also.

I just love the simplicity and, ruggedness of my Vixen GP mount (manual). Having owned a couple of tracking mounts, i found they were fun for a period of time but, i soon grew tired of having to consider a heavy battery every time i wanted to use the scope. Aside from this, the noise was a game changer, finding myself cringing every time the scope slewed at 2 am in my back garden with neighbours windows just feet away was nerve wracking.

My collection is meager comparing to some of yours, I only want one or two more.

Welcome to SGL!

A big as life image of Saturn!

Its a cracking first crack!

That is one big image! I would make a poster if I were you.

2 hours ago, Telescope40 said:

Hello. May I quickly enquire about the RDF you have fitted to this lovely scope. 
Don’t think I’ve seen one before. 
regards.  John 

It’s the Celestron star pointer, stay clear of it, it has since been replaced with a telrad, the star pointer is flimsy and shaky.

15 minutes ago, Geoff Barnes said:

Are they lemons? I see them as eggs! 🤔

Those would be some big eggs! lol, those are fake lemons, a decorative thing my wife used to fill up counter space a bit.

3 minutes ago, andrew s said:

Whatever floats your boat I take between 1000 an 2000 images/spectra a night of the same star  to try to catch it flaring. Regards Andrew 

That is an observation I have never heard about, interested in knowing more about that if you care to elaborate.

8 minutes ago, andrew s said:

The human visual system is a lot more than the optics and receptors in the eye. We learn to see. As a learnt skill we will all develop our prefered strategy. 

As an example I tend to pull away from blured or pixellated images to try to sharpen them up. I am currently reintroducing myself to visual astronomy and it will be interesting to see how this develops.

Regards Andrew 

Welcome to visual astronomy! sometimes I think some forget the joys of such an idea while lost in plate solving and such haha. Asside from the odd planetary image, my idea of astrophotography is setting up my scope, taking images of it as though it were a model, then I enjoy looking through it. Here is a favorite, it looks smashing in my kitchen, wouldn’t you say?.

35 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

You no doubt have an excellent refractor Sunshine, and there are many out there, not all are Tak's. Personally, I don't worry about the math or science, I know what an acceptable image looks like, and I instantly know when I've tipped the scale. I'd say continue pushing the mag and increasing the image scale. Things will vary according to seeing conditions and the chosen target of course, but more often than not, being adventurous in this was will pay off on many occasions. A few nights ago i observed Mars while it was still relatively low in the east and in less that first class seeing, yet I was able to use 400X on my 100mm frac and still retain an acceptably well defined image showing some really nice detail. Crazy isn't it!

Agreed! My point exactly, I was always convinced that after about 50x per inch, things went downhill very fast, hadn't even attempted pushing that  envelope. Now i realize i can go well beyond it as long as both seeing permits and, i am happy with the image. That being said, i would be curious to see how different designs perform side by side at a given power per inch. Would a given target 90x per inch look as sharp and defined in an 8" SCT and a 5" frac side by side? keeping in mind the difference in magnification but, this should be offset by light gathering capability, all relevant of course.

Understanding everything mentioned above, i am not one to enjoy magnifying an image and, sacrificing detail or image quality. Sometimes, i find i can increase image scale far beyond what i thought possible based on other scopes I've owned and still maintain well defined edges and detail. Yes, the image does dim, i expect that.

Recently i have been doing a whole load of planetary observing, there were a couple of nights where seeing very good, very little shimmering as i cranked up the power. On a few occasions, i have been experimenting with exactly how high i could ramp up the power while still maintaining a decent image. On one night in particular, i was floored by my ability to push power up to 90x per inch with my 5mmXW plus a 2.5 powermate while maintaining a dimmer but still sharp image of saturn, cassini division still well defined. Never would i have thought this would be possible without making a mess of the image, i have had many scopes (never a refractor before) and such high per inch powers would turn planets into blobs. it is no Tak but, Is this a trait that refractors can display? handling such high powers per inch compared to other designs? or, do i have a particularly one with better optics then lets say the same scope made a week later? one of a particularly good batch?. 

It was interesting to watch Ganymede's shadow transit Jupiter, all the while Io just peeking out from behind Jupiter. There seems to be a dark limb around Jupiter, a product of processing which cant seem to pinpoint. Regardless, Jupiter and its moons are always fun to watch, a miniature solar system one can witness functioning live.

7 minutes ago, orion25 said:

Thanks, Sunshine. You're right; maks are true "planet-killers" and excellent for lunar work. I have two, a smaller 127mm and the big 180mm. I usually only bring out the big one occasionally because of its size.

I had a 150mm Mak, I only sold it because I wanted a triplet refractor (which is no slouch for planetary and lunar too). Some of my most memorable views of planets were with my 150 Mak but, this refractor is doing a fine job of putting up some epic views.

Those Mak' are great planetary/lunar scopes, nice pics!.

Welcome to the lounge! i cannot stress how important it is that you join a local astronomy club. Getting out under a dark sky with members and, asking question while looking through their scopes will be the best way by far to get you on the best path. All too often, newcomers to the hobby rush to buy equipment, only to find they are in over their heads. Once again, a big welcome to the lounge!.

looking at that behemoth, i fail to comprehend how they kept it from flexing, that party looks like it is way out of control.

My 9mm Morpheus is my goto eyepiece, one very large piece of glass on top, well constructed and, i cannot find and optical anomalies which are worth noting in my refractor at 90x. 

That 127 Mak would be a great little scope for doubles, lunar and, planetary observing.

Your solar images are nothing short of phenomenal, absolutely beautiful work!

32 minutes ago, Pixies said:

Likewise, but I'll give it a shot too.

Does LP from a full moon affect the splitting of doubles?

I really can’t see LP from the full moon affecting double splitting, I would be surprised to hear otherwise.