Sunshine

5 minutes ago, Captain Scarlet said:

Not only that but if it were on top you’d hit your head on it whilst lowering your head to the main eyepiece 

Well when I said "on top" I meant higher up and just off to the side of the diagonal position realizing one would bonk their head on it, imagining it where they are placed on refractors at the 11 o'clock position sort of.

JWST captures first direct image of an exoplanet! something I thought not even JWST would be capable of but there it is!

INCREDIBLE!

https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/09/01/nasas-webb-takes-its-first-ever-direct-image-of-distant-world/

Regarding the diffraction spikes, with my dob I found them to be pleasurable especially on stars like Arcturus with its golden colour, you'll soon come to enjoy them.

Also, I have read reviews of the melon where users say it has to be pretty much bang on collimation to really see their potential, they may be intolerant of any slight misalignment 

but that will be left for you to judge.

14 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Nightfall with a new scope….

Amazing! I hope the skies stay clear and the new Tak is collimated dead on out of the box! looking at your setup I can't help thinking it would be nice if it were possible to to relocate the finder closer to the top

of the scope for more comfortable viewing, we know this isn't possible but I'm sure you'll get on well.

Yes, careful what you say in your report as it may end in me living in a takahashi mewlon box under an overpass, no pressure. 🤣

36 minutes ago, HollyHound said:

Oh and I'm sure you noticed that with Mewlons, Takahashi are so generous... not only do you actually get a finder, but they also provide a 35mm dovetail mount fitting too 😮

Most unlike them to give anything away free with the scope 🤣

Point made, how is it that a TSA-120 comes bare naked and a mewlon 180 costing half as much gets a finder? seems odd.

Something tells me your first planetary and lunar views will turn your brain to mush and you'll end up selling some refractors, I'm calling it!.

Oh the Mewlon which I have always been so curious about! congratulations! I would have never thought, considering all your refractors.

Now I wait with childlike anticipation for your first light report! it is BEAUTIFUL!!

What a great in depth look at these eyepieces! thanks for the time and effort.

12 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Hmmm…this will have to wait till tomorrow as just got in from Brussels, so pretty tired.

Seems to be from Japan via Exeter…and took nearly a year to get here. So another few hours won’t matter 🤔

Jeremy, your are certifiable out of control! It's a disease I hope afflicts me one day, too! 😂 I cant wait to see it, congratulations!!

Welcome back to the hobby!

7 minutes ago, Telescope40 said:

Looking forward to looking thru this thread. Fraid I am a "lesser mortal " as a Tak is not in ownership and never has been. SW and Stellarvue ATM. Always nice to look at kit of all types. 

Thought crosses my mind here and there. 

Sell the 3 scopes I have and go Tak. TSA 120 seems like a nice number??   LOL  Time will tell. One day maybe.  

John 

That seems feasible and you won’t regret it, a lot better than the kidney or two I would trade for a new TSA-120. 

I am here from the future to compliment and congratulate you on this beautiful Tak, I suspect  It will not be your only Tak.

I’m not familiar with these scopes from an optical quality POV but from a mechanical perspective I would imagine that mount would shake like a tuning fork every time you touch the focuser. One of the tabletop models mentioned above would certainly be far more stable. We’re not trying to discourage you but merely save you from discouragement, this is one of those hobbies where it is so important to get off on the right foot in order to guarantee you’ll stay with it. Sometimes it’s best to be patient and save a little more as it will surely be more rewarding if you can do so. 

Thanks for that writeup! I have always been curious about the Mewlon 180, many times I struggled with the curser over the "buy" tab 😅. It sounds like you were happy with what you saw

despite the whirlpool being MEH which I must say has never impressed me, either. Regarding the "ass on the grass" issue, I too suffer from this illness when I use my refractor on my Vixen 

mount. Now you have rekindled my curiosity about this scope once again, is there no end to my telescopic ambitions? I suspect not. 

Enjoy the Mewlon!

This is one phenomenon I had never heard of much less think I would ever see if I did know of it considering how difficult it is to resolve anything about individual stars themselves. 

JWST's resolving power is astounding, I cant wait for the next discovery, these rings remind me of tree rings!

You guys don't have to twist my arm 😂

44 minutes ago, Zeta Reticulan said:

The technicians knew about the O-rings. The Challenger disaster could have been avoided. 

Yes, blowby of the O rings had occurred before Challenger, sad that it was swept under the carpet.

3 hours ago, Zeta Reticulan said:

I just hope they check the O rings.

Indeed, I heard it was the same team who inspected the Hubble mirror prior to launch.

Welcome to SGL! 

Amazing, this soap bubble defies laws of nebulae I have seen before in a sense that it is too perfectly circular.

5 hours ago, TheycallmeRiver said:

Picked this up used this morning for £400!  So excited.  My eyepiece collection should be good to go for a long while now 🥰

 

Your eyepiece case should be a lot heavier now, too!

A big welcome to SGL! wow, a whole family of imagers eh! incredible and how fortunate you are that you all share it together, what a great family!.

A beautiful image!

Actually did not have a look as I was caught up with my own gear and doing starsense demo’s for inquiring passers by I forgot about it 🥲 it’s ok I’m sure celestron will release one soon 😂