Lurcher

Blimey you've put some work into this Gina. Well done. Sorry I'm a bit late to this thread, but some of the images you've captured looked good. You could see the milky way clearly in some. Good stuff.

I'd never heard of a flap wheel so I looked one up. Yeah that would have helped! I might get one and finish it off a bit better one day. Although I was determined not to buy a new drill bit which I desperately needed so who knows!

Thanks I'll try that. I did try several different eyepieces and the moon filter but it was all much the same. I'll try that stopping down idea. (I've tried it on the moon before but not tried it on double stars or planets so that'll be interesting). Thanks! Martin.

Hi all, I've been looking at all the wonderful home-made cats-perch observing chairs on-line and on here, and after getting a stiff neck and shoulders when sketching I decided to have a go myself last weekend. Big thanks to anyone who has ever built one and posted their own photos on-line. I've probably looked at them and found them a massive help in helping me put mine together. The BBC's Sky at Night's article was also brilliant help. It was satisfying to find a use for an old piece if board that's been sitting around in my garage since the day we moved in for the main back board. (Up until now I'd been using it as a board to stand on when I'm sowing seeds in my vegetable patch. It cleaned up ok!). Sorry it's nothing new or original, and it's not the best I've seen by a long way; but I can't wait to try it out when doing some more sketches of the moon. Cheers all.

Brilliant sketch again. (I'm still struggling to see as more than a small disc with blurred red/orange edges to one side and refracted green and blue colours to the top - or bottom as viewed). I thought of your brilliant sketches while I was looking at Mars and struggling! lol

I saw M92 for the first time quite recently, I was surprised how brilliant it looked. Personally I felt it was possibly better than the more popular M13. (Unless it was just that unexpectedness adding to it).

. . . . . and there was me thinking I'd done well last night to see M104 and M87 for the first time! That's a fantastic list. I'm going to take a copy of your list out with me when I get chance and see how I get on in comparison. What an excellent night's observing.

So is this a new telescope? Are you going to upload any photos? (Sorry if you've already posted about it somewhere else and I've missed it). I do love the large dobsonian telescopes. (Never had a look through one but they just look like works of art).

Thanks for all your likes and positive comments everybody. Much appreciated. Thanks. Please do try it. I have to say, I find it so useful in helping me remember what an area really looks like; helping me to recognise it again if I see it in a picture anywhere. Thanks for you comments. Thanks Des. That's very kind of you. Thank you. ?

Brilliantly written David. Reminds me of my last holiday in the Lake District where there were really dark skies too, and like you I had a car full of not only my family and luggage; but Wiggins our dog too! I don't have a smaller travel scope so couldn't take anything with me, although I wish now I'd just taken a pair of binoculars. The skies were brilliant, and just like you mentioned, I remember standing out in a field staring up at the skies just making out all the constellations, until I heard the eeriest loud noise I've ever heard. I can only assume it was a fox, but it was so strange I really couldn't make out if it was from an animal or a human! Certainly it was enough for me to decide I'd probably spent long enough standing in the dark in the middle of a field by myself. (I think I would have been out all night though if I'd had my scope with me). Thanks for posting it was a great read.

Hi all, I've been wanting to post this on here for ages, but never had an opportunity to get a decent photo. (I hope I've posted it in the right section too). The Turner Contemporary in Margate have an exhibition on at the moment called "A Place That Exists Only In Moonlight" by Katie Patterson. I loved seeing Caroline's Herschel's own notebook of observations from 1782 to 1787. It was open at the page recording the first comet she discovered on the 1st of August 1786. I've attached a photo of her notebook, and her copy of Flamsteed's Atlas from 1729. The exhibition runs until 6th May.

Hi, I wanted to try another sketch along the terminator using a higher magnification so I could concentrate on just one or two craters. I used a 13mm eyepiece with a 2x barlow lens to give me 230x magnification. There was a lot of high level cloud and a distinct lack of stars when I started, so once again I couldn't do an alignment, so made do with continually adjusting the scope to bring the crater back into view. The twin peaks in the centre of the crater, and the intersection with Gassendi A really make this crater stand out.

Thanks for posting. So much work! I have said before I really like the split block design that you use, but I didn't realize quite how much went into making them. Well done. Good to hear orders are coming in fast now too. ?

Sounds ingenious! Can't wait to see the video. Looks brilliant.

Exciting stuff. I look forward to seeing the video. Your friend is going to be very lucky to own such a brilliant thing. (I love those split blocks!! - and the end cylinder that houses the secondary mirror also).

I love your scopes. I've watched a video on Youtube so many times showing the construction of a 20" Dobsonian. I love the detail of the split blocks in particular. I was about to ask if you'd seen it as it was so similar to yours, and then realized it was yours! So glad I didn't just ask a really stupid question again. I would love one of them (ideally with a GoTo as I'm a bit useless without that). Really nice designs.

Clever stuff Gina! Well done it's beginning to look the business. ?

Hey well done! I think I've read your previous posts and know you've waited a long time to finally get a scope and be able to use it outside. We had a clear sky last night for the first time in ages too. It's such a welcome after so long isn't it!? My back garden is pretty limited too, with the only benefit being that Orion is directly behind me at the moment at night, so that works well at this time of year. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I looked quickly at M31 last night too as that's always a good one, but I was really disappointed with the views of it last night. It was quite high in the sky but, (and possibly due to the neighbours' sodding external lights), I could hardly see anything! So if it was looking good for you last night and you managed to find it you did well. Well done for getting out with your scope last night and the write up.

Hey well done!! You've put me to shame! The King Ethelbert Pub at Reculver organize a Boxing Day swim and I always say one year I'm going to do it with my Daughter who's keen to join in, but then every year, I say, "I can't do it as we've now been invited round to see someone or another." Perhaps next year I should be more determined, make it a priority, and not find excuses! Well done again!

Looking absolutely brilliant. I like the wording you've added. I hope it continues to go well, and I look forward to seeing more updates.