Littleguy80

Wow! What a great line up! I recently got the 9mm and 20mm and am very pleased with them. The 13mm is on my wish list. Just need to save some pennies up!

Yes! It’s that constant returning to that target you just can’t see for that one time that everything comes together and it’s visible. Some of my very best times in this hobby have come from the elation of finding something rather than simply being blown away by what I was seeing. First time seeing the Veil and finding the Intergalactic Wanderer after an hour of searching spring to mind. You need the determination to solve the challenge and succeed! It’s the challenge that I love! Slightly off topic but that comment really struck a chord with me!

Excellent post, Iain. It’s amazing how much skies can charge over the course of a night. Having something that can give an accurate reading as opposed to a subjective estimate but very helpful. I would think the biggest benefit would be in target choice. I’ve certainly lost lots of time by seeking out targets that weren’t possible under the conditions at the time. I’ve looked at purchasing a meter a few times but ultimately have more pressing purchases to make first. It’s certainly on the list though!

Today I received a battery and eyepiece dew heater. Should be picking up the controller on Sunday. That wasn’t the most exciting part of the delivery though

H-Beta Targets.skylist

The arrival of a 10” dob has led to lots of changes in my eyepiece case. A couple of Lunt/APM widefields and a collection of orthos. Space for more too

Funnily enough that thought crossed my mind today. I’ve bought quite a few astronomy related items recently and have a couple more planned. The forecast is consistently poor at the moment. I did find myself wondering why I’m buying all this stuff. However, I can look back on similar times to this in the past and know that the clear skies did eventually arrive and I throughly enjoyed my scope then. I observed through the summer last year. Sagittarius and Cygnus are wonderful constellations. I used to take a power nap 9:30-10:30pm. Observe 11pm until 2 or 3am and then get up at 7:30am for work. Sometimes 2 or 3 nights in a row. I was tired but got to see an awful lot of things that most people will never get to see in their lives. The payback on your scope won’t come in regular even instalments but every now and then a pot of gold will arrive in the form of an unforgettable night under the stars. Those will be the times that scope will seem worth every penny. Have a read of some of the observing reports. That’s always a good way to remember why you bought a scope

I think this is quite an interesting subject. Technology augmenting visual astronomy. GOTO and even using apps like SkySafari are pretty well accepted uses of technology within visual astronomy. I personally really enjoy all the images that @GavStar gets using night vision. I think that's a good use of technology. The scopes in the link are quite interesting. I know my kids would be fascinated by them. On the flip side, I wouldn't like to see them used for outreach. It mismanages expectations. If this is your introduction to astronomy then the beginner scope you get afterwards will seem pretty disappointing. As it is, most people's expectations are wildly off reality due to all the amazing Hubble images that fly about on social media. I think outreach is best kept to the traditional scopes that people can get a relatively low cost. I look at these types of scopes as just another branch of astronomy that give a different experience. Much like binoculars give a different experience to a telescope. These scopes aren't designed to replace traditional scopes but gives a different means of enjoying the cosmos. The costs will come down, that's just the norm for technology, and with that we may see more people enjoying astronomy wouldn't have otherwise. That's no bad thing in my opinion. Having said all that, I don't think I'll be getting one

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there, Alan. It’s all really just a means of triggering those memories. Ticking off targets off a list is fun and adds some extra interest but we really just want some notes, a sketch, a photo or an observing report that helps us recall one of those happy moments at the eyepiece. Maybe even inspire us to return to a long forgotten target. I think @iPeace‘s sentiment sums it up well: Thank you all again for your awesome responses. Once I settle into something, I’ll share it with you

I think that’s exactly what I’m hitting against. Although a journal and something like Doug’s handwritten check sheets for ticking off items on the lists seems a good combination

Thank you all for the fantastic responses! @mikeDnight your sketches are amazing. I’ve had a few goes at sketching but have struggled to get good results. As my mount doesn’t automatically track, it becomes a bit of pain to keep the target in the eyepiece and get the sketch down on the page. Maybe something to return once I have some good widefield eyepieces. @iPeace “just enjoy the ride” Great advice @Pondus I’m sure your observing reports make great reads. I read a lot of observing reports and every single one has something of interest in them. Would it be quicker to write in your native language and use a translation website to put it into English and give that a quick tidy up? @alanjgreen I was looking forward to your response as you write such wonderful reports. Having the shed to observe must make note taking easier. Thank you for sharing your notes @Cjg Cheers, Chris. SkySafari is great for observing lists. Will have a look for that template! @Paz I also make notes when I get in most times and have a tendency to forget things. I often go back in the morning and add extra notes as I remember things! @Hayduke27 Now I think about it, my diary is probably more of a journal. I quite often add extra thoughts about things going in my life as well as astronomy observations. @cotterless45 Thank you for sharing your notebook. Really good for grabbing notes and sketches at the scope. Do you do all your sketches in the notebook? @cloudsweeper Neat system, Doug. Quick and easy to tick off targets. Is that done on a spreadsheet or pencil and paper? @GavStar I love taking a photo with my iPhone at the eyepiece @David Levi Thank you so much for the counter point. I was really hoping someone would. I didn’t record anything when I first started and have definitely pondered whether recording observations gives me more or less enjoyment. @RobertI Great idea. Quick and easy

I’ve tried several different methods for recording observations and still haven’t really found any one method really works. For a first observation of an object, I’ll note it in SkySafari so I can quickly see whether or not I’ve seen an object. I have an observing diary which I normally write in after every session. For the more interesting sessions, I’ll write an observing report on SGL. I keep a document with all my observing reports in for future reference. SkySafari 6 adds LiveSky which gives more options around recording observations per session and has an option of viewing them on the LiveSky website. In principle, this seems like a good solution but I don’t want to spend much time recording whilst observing. I’ve also found that I don’t always feel like writing in the diary if I am planning to write an observing report on SGL. The main goals of recording observations for me are: 1. A record of what objects I’ve seen 2. Capturing some of the memories and excitement from my favourite sessions 3. A means to encourage me to take closer observations of objects and pick out more detail. This is why I started the observing diary. What methods do you use? Do you bother to record observations at all? I’m trying to walk the line of fulfilling the goals above without it becoming a boring admin task!

Great result, John. Really is lovely out there tonight. Do you think the HH was easier second time around?

It's certainly not Texas weather but it's not that bad. I've only had a telescope for a year but feel like I've got a good amount of use out of it. Would I like to have used it more? Of course I would but it's a case of making the best of what you have. I've had a couple of sessions already this week

My first instinct on reading this post was that my eyepiece collection was quite uniform with 3 BST’s. On closer inspection, there’s 4 diff manufacturers in there: Celestron, Explore Scientific, BST and Baader!

Congratulations! Must feel great to still be having firsts after so many years I’m the hobby

I don't know what to say, I never expected to win! I'd like to thank my wife for her instance that I "go outside and leave her alone". Without her encouragement I may never have taken the winning picture. I'd also like to thank the judge for his kind words and for picking my picture ahead of all the other entries on the day

Tonight I present to you the Great (mediocre) Orion Nebula. Using a full 1 second exposure on an iPhone 8 and the Nightcap app, I was able to capture one of the most photographed wonders of the night sky. I also used sliders in the Pixelmator app to try and hide all the funny red bits in the image. I hope you and the judge enjoy the image!

Amazing what can be seen. Forgive my ignorance, will the magnitude remain at that level or is there potential for it to get brighter?

That's awesome, Tim! Great skills to make something like to such a high standard.

Fab report. Really enjoyed it. Nice to read about the build up to your various successes. Excellent picture too. I'm planning on some binoculars for Christmas. I think they'll be a big big help with getting a first look at targets and planning star hopping routes as you've done

Good review, Stephan. Thank you for posting I'm just using setting on my iPhone to turn everything red and dim the screen to only 5% brightness. I'm curious to try the sheet now to see if it performs any better than my current solution!

I never paid much attention to the weather forecast until I got my telescope. It's very sad at the moment with little hope on the horizon for a good clear night. I do, however, agree with @Pig. If it was clear all the time then it would be easy to take it for granted. It's the evenings spent reading forum posts, books and planning the next session that all add to the excitement when the clouds finally do clear. The only problem I have is that I then try to fit 3 weeks worth of viewing into 1 night! Especially difficult with the short summer nights!