Captain Scarlet

I was observing Jupiter last night with my 8" newtonian, and also particularly noticed that shade change either side of the GRS. Also that the coloue of the GRS was the best I've seen it. I thought it would have been a good evening for me to start sketching, there was plenty to sketch. Thanks for the drawing, Magnus

Just in from a great 2-3 hours on Jupiter and probably 10 minutes on Uranus. My 8” Newtonian, Delos 6 for 167x giving views that easily surpassed my previous best-ever a few weeks ago with the SV140. Wonderful intricate detail and a GRS that was really and obviously Red. Suddenly curtailed as Jupiter transited a house and all was mush. Magnus

I’ve replaced the main saddle on mine with an ADM one, so the original saddle is spare and unused. I’ll happily dig a spring out and send it to you… Magnus

It’s describing the frequency in meteors per second as opposed to a more usual meteors per hour. My God it could be the event of the decade for those with dark skies and clear nights! @markse68’s profile backdrop photo comes to mind… Magnus

The second highest-ever energy particle has been detected apparently. The Guardian article below says When ultra-high-energy cosmic rays hit Earth’s atmosphere, they initiate a cascade of secondary particles and electromagnetic radiation in what is known as an extensive air shower. Some charged particles in the air shower travel faster than the speed of light, producing a type of electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by specialised instruments. … what is meant by that second paragraph? “Faster than light”? A case of journalistic misunderstanding? @andrew s? @vlaiv? https://phys.org/news/2023-11-telescope-array-second-highest-energy-cosmic-ray.html https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/nov/24/amaterasu-extremely-high-energy-particle-detected-falling-to-earth?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other Magnus

Sky was unexpectedly clear so I set up aiming to see Jupiter with the 8”, having had increasingly good views through the 105 and the 140 in recent weeks. In the event I got about 5 seconds of the Moon as a pre-align, and that was it, total cloud, suddenly and completely.

I’m sure they’ve done their sums but that wedge looks disproportionally small for the monster atop it.

How funny they went together - I did the same and took the other 7 & 13. Makes a nice cascade for me to partner up with my 18.2 and 3. Though it’s going be a bit longer before mine actually arrive. Magnus

Another long journey but this finally arrived. A correct-image adapter for Newtonians that Vixen used to do. It appeared on ENS and I was curious. Telescopic sights for rifles have them built in. SW used also to supply very cheap such adapters with their scopes, but this is supposedly high quality.

In my experience the phrase “settle up” causes an expectation of payment. The phrase “settle down” usually results in an argument 😁.

Yes to the second part of that question. The _position_ of the secondary only affects illumination levels, it’s not really collimation proper, i.e. “alignment of the optical elements”, which are eyepiece and primary mirror. With a slightly misplaced secondary but otherwise collimated focus-tube and primary, you will still get views as aberration-free as they can possibly be. You will not notice the illumination difference visually with a secondary slightly out of position. Ideally of course you’d like that secondary to be symmetrically straddling the primary light cone, but more important, by far, is to align the focus-tube axis with the primary mirror axis. Magnus

A very quick session with the 15x56s after some cloud and showers briefly cleared at bedtime. M81/82 nice. M51 and M101 not detected despite much trying, too low in thin haze over Skibbereen. M1 Crab was visible though, as was M33. M42 and M31 both naked eye. Jupiter and Moons. Feet got cold so back in. Magnus

Another thought is the side-grubscrews in the mirror cell, restraining the mirror laterally. They also need to be made to contact, then 1/8 turn reversed. With my old 300p I once cleaned the mirror then tightened up those grubs, but not by much. That night my brother in law asked “why are all the stars triangular?”. Mirror-clips and those grubs have a much greater effect than you’d think . Cheers, good luck with the diagnosis, Magnus

I finally achieved B33/HH a couple of years ago, and I attribute it to the following combination of factors: dark site (21.8); perfect transparency (any thin cloud is enough to extinguish it); no Moon; no alcohol (important - optic nerve is affected. Learned that from @jetstream); 12” of aperture; full dark adaption; four years experience/learning of how to try to see really faint things. It was possibly my ~5th attempt to see it and I literally danced with joy when I’d convinced myself I’d detected it. Magnus

That shot of Luna, Earthshine, Venus and a suburban silhouette is fantastic! I’d have that in large format on my wall. Magnus

Well done on getting that tick. I’ve seen M1 fairly regularly in my 15x56 binoculars, from a 21.8 location (equates to around Bortle 2-3 though I don’t agree with much of that scale). When I lived 20 miles from central London, though, it was quite impossible. Magnus

This was exactly my experience too. A gap briefly appeared so I can confirm that Venus was in fact occulted, as my location showed it was touch-and-go whether an occupy or a graze.

My forecast is for wind average 40mph gusting to 49mph with dark cloud and heavy rain. Nonetheless I have readied my spotting scope (waterproof) and will be waiting behind a sheltering hedge just in case a lucky gap appears! Magnus

I too couldn’t see the GRS in similar otherwise-good-view circumstances the other day when it was apparently just there. I wonder if it’s at a low-contrast period at the moment.

Not an astronomical object, but certainly a phenomenon we all get interested about, the Aurora Borealis. I’ve seen two from the SW tip of Ireland this year, and I did exactly what you mention to my photo of it. So herewith my pic of 13 September, both as captured by the camera, and as re-rendered in PS to be exactly as I recalled it naked eye: Cheers, Magnus

I saw that too but by the time I got back home it had subsided. A shame as it was clear and I was out with scope.

Just in (0205) from a nice session on Jupiter, with the LZOS 105, mainly at 217x and 260x with the DeLite 3 and TOE 2.5. I’d say my second best ever view, no big features on display but good detail within the Equatorial Bands, North especially, white spots and edge detail plus other belts too. A bit of Uranus and the Moon, plus to finish the Orion Nebula with the Nagler 31: 4 trapezium stars just about separated at only 21x! Magnus

I had this in my diary but sadly fierce weather precludes any chance. The back end of storm Ciaran. You could say, Ciaran’s Hind (groaan). Magnus

Judging by the difference between in and out I’d say you have some severe Spherical Aberration there 😁 Seriously though I feel for you re the flooding M

Did you order it from USA or FLO? Whenever I see the wait times I assume they’re a proxy for “probably never”. Magnus