mark81

Did that say 29.99?

I have seen the Ring Nebula a few times with the st80 under dark skies - this time it wasn't as prominent but still just big enough to reveal that it is a 'ring' shape. I haven't yet upgraded to a decent higher power EP but a 12mm plossl does show it as an out of focus star and averted vision shows the shape. The surrounding stars were a little dimmer than in my sketch, but I think a decent EP would help greatly... (I have been looking at the OVL 7mm 82 degree) Thanks for looking

Great detailed first impression there. Really looking forward to how it performs compared to the ST80 - and how much much more that extra length gives...

Wonderful sketch, great shading around the centre - I must try and check this one out. .. sort of looks like a strawberry...

Great sketch!

Hi All, I'm sure this happens to the best of us, but I seem to find myself spending too much time looking at new telescopes and mounts and other equipment that I will use to replace my little ST80, with the knowledge that it isn't going to happen anytime soon. So, I'm looking for a little inspiration and would love to hear about any challenges or projects you are involved in with your telescopes -and/ or any ideas that I could really get into this coming year.. I know the ST80 is a little limited but on the plus side I do have really dark skies so I am able to get the best out of it... thanks, Mark

'rain, rain, all around, so let's all have a drink'

Nice report there Neil, Thanks. A few objects you mentioned I have not heard of before, so that'll be interesting to look them up and see what they are all about. I was only reading about the Horsehead nebula last night and was surprised about the amount of times the word 'elusive' cropped up. Congrats on spotting it!

I sketched this while laying back in a recliner under nice dark skies. The double cluster was an easy naked eye object so I included that. I used black A4 210gsm card, a white gel 0.8mm pen and a white colouring pencil.

Sorry to hear that. If you get no luck, you should still be able to power it with the Celestron power pack of course ...

Check out There are a few other vids on this channel concerning binocular AP

I have looked at 1647 a few times this season, but it's very dim untill it climbs higher into darker skies. Last night was one of the clearest darkest nights I've seen this autumn and with the es68/24 it was still a little too dim, but with the BST 15mm it sat very nicely. I used my new red torch, black card and white pen..

Nothing wrong with the st102. I'm still on the st80...which I really do enjoy for it's super fast setup and widefield views. I saw the esprit on Astrobackyard too.. but after months of thought, I don't think AP is for me. Having and ed scope is the goal I suppose, but as long as astronomy can be done, it's all good. Also, welcome Matt

Hi, I think I would avoid them. For daytime use you may find that they turn out OK but with scratches ad scuff like that I'm sure they would impact greatly with astronomy use. For the same amount of money you can buy a new set of 10x50's - which I always think are the best for handheld observing of the night sky. Most models will have crisp and clean optics - the build quality may be a little less impressive than more expensive models - but will be perfect to get into astronomy and finding your way around the sky before you spend on a scope. Mark

I agree that they are too powerful for astronomy - very hard to keep the image steady. Also, a little too powerful for nature that is close (garden birds) I have always found 10x50s to be perfect for handheld astronomy and great for nature too. If you can get to a binoculars store you should be able to pick up a pair and see how hey feel. 8x40s would be much lighter but I wouldn't want to go any smaller than that with astronomy in mind