mark81

Welcome to the forum . Three Great sketches there. Keep them coming..

Amazing sketch. Looks so real you could reach out and touch it.. I've had a go at Lunar sketching but they never come out anywhere near as good as this... Keep them coming...

Nice report. I was looking at the 72ed online yesterday as I was in one of those moods where I think about future scopes. I couldn't find many observing reports around so it's good to get an idea of what this little frac can do... Thanks Keep them coming

The clusters is Auriga with my ST80 - they were not particularly amazing but they were my first clusters. Halebopp like many others - once in a lifetime event And of course Saturn. 14 years old, a terrible Tasco telescope. Awful tripod, terrible mount which I had held together with cellotape and a Barlow lens which I'm sure the optics were made of some sort of plastic - all of this balanced on top of a large white garden table. An incredible view of the planet at a great angle and showing a nice green colour. Once it drifted out of view I could never get it back, but I will never forget it...

Fantastic yet again. The colour is brilliant

Thanks. I thought about the legs last night when I was out with the AZ3 and st80. Camera tripod it will be.... And being attacked by the slow Mo controls doesn't look too appealing either

I have thought of that - but the other day I saw a comet Hunter f Australia who had mounted them on boards - so I might do that...... Or just do what I know I should, And get a new Atlas

So way back in 1998 I was given one of those general introduction to astronomy books by Collins. Towards the back there was a nice set of star maps - not the best - but stars down to mag 8 and DSOs to mag 13. Over the years the book fell apart and I ended up taping the maps together so I had 12 nice size individual maps..perfect. Last night I was finishing up a little session, the wind had dropped and I placed the maps beside me while I reached forward for my torch - suddenly the biggest gust of wind I have ever felt engulfed the garden, my eyes shot to the maps and before I could move , up they went. Up into the darkness like a flock of frightened pigeons. I stood up in horror as they vanished. Seconds later the wind stopped - silence. I glanced up and amazingly the maps began to float back down. One landed on my neighbours garage and then slipped off, one fell in the pond and others rested here and there. I dashed about the garden like a madman frantically grabbing them up. One missing I thought. I remembered the one on the roof which was no longer there and knew where it was, between the garage and the fence. I peered over into the small gap and there it was at the far end. I would have to make my way along the plant and shrub boarder which was fine untill I reached a pyracanthus which for those of you who are green fingered will know its is full of needle like spikes. I forced myself passed it with spikes digging into my neck and back, a spider web jumped into my mouth.. I bent down and tried lifting the fence but due to its age it was soft and spongy and began to crumble. I tried again lifting it a tiny amount and then stuffed my hand under cutting my arm. I was greeted with nettles brambles and rubble.... And then map beloved map. I couldn't face going back the waybill had come so I leaped over the pond and landed on my back on the went lawn. I clutched the maps to my chest and smiled. 'Auriga looks nice's I thought... What a session Thanks for reading

I came across this on FLO, I guess a binocular bracket would go with this.... Maybe I'll give them a ring .. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-mount-accessories/camera-adaptor-plate-for-az3.html

I really want to mount my 10x50s and am kicking myself that I gave my camera tripod away a few years back, all I have now is an AZ3...Has anyone tried this? And if so, what sort of adaptor/adaptor plate did you use... Thanks Mark

I haven't sketched from binoculars yet but the Beehive was so obvious last night to the naked eye and very pleasing with the 10x50s. I couldn't begin to sketch in every star visible but it all seemed to work out well... Mark

I agree with the other comments about learning a few constellations first and then I think by taking a look at them in a sky atlas online, this way you could pick out a few of the bigger DSOs that are hidden within them like the Beehive cluster in Cancer which would look great in your bins. Orion nebula and a few of the clusters in Monoceros are nicely placed at the moment...

Another one?! I missed the January one by about ten minutes and cloud stopped me last night about 9ish. I've never seen one and have been actively looking for years..

Looks fantastic!

Mark, I'd be interested to know how the two compare.. for daytime use too. I haven't tripod mounted them yet and although they are only 10x individual stars do jump around a little.. Mark