Marvin Jenkins

Wow there is so much going on in there. No need for excuses as far as I am concerned.

Wow, I am going to look that up. I had seen advert for a Unistella EV ??? Might be wrong with the mame. However after looking at how it worked and ignoring the price I said out loud ‘this is probably the future of AP’ I have to say that the area it is in looks like a landing pad with the red lights. Just to be sure.. no one came out and said Gort Marengay? Marv

I don’t bother with YouTube. If I need to find out anything equipment related I say Vlaiv, three times out loud and he is there 😂 Such a wealth of technical knowledge is utterly beyond me. Marv

What kind of scope is it? I am assuming it is a type of eeav. Marvin

Does it talk?

As per a previous thread in a different section, I have been loaned an 8” Dob for the rest of the year! Thank you fellow SGL’r you know who you are and I am very grateful. I managed to get out last night and do an hours Lunar observing, a first for me with a Dob, and the first observation with anything bigger than a six inch newt. The difference is well worth it. Turns out I have gelled with the Dob, it seems totally natural to me. Firstly the area. Montes Alpes / Montes Caucasus / Montes Haemus to a lesser degree and Montes Apennine’s. Alpes. Mons Piton was 10/10 Best I have ever seen. Piazza Smyth and Kirch clearly visible. Mons Pico normally my favourite but now in battle with Piton. Montes Tenerife a little less illuminated but still showing well. At this point I am using the 28mm 2” ep from SW but move over to my 1.25” Orion SP at 25mm and it is slightly sharper, so I go back and repeat. Some of this maybe due to the evening getting cooler of course. Vallis Alpes needs no introduction or words from me. Cassini was fantastic, like lopsided bogeyed monster. AP 15 site - Rima Hadley showing very well. There appears to be another fine Rima just below Mons Ampere, ending below Mons Wolff? Another surprise for me heading east, enough of Montes Haemus was still illuminated and showing shadow. That large notch in MH was a standout as was Sulpicius Gallus and not marked on the app Moon Globe or Philips moon map, but marked on my starter scope give away map, Dorsum Buckland. A quick look south along the terminator and complex Alphonsus, Alpetragius, Arzachel, Purbach. Thebit with it’s overlapping smaller crater leading to Rupes Recta that just developed in only one hour to show the fault line and second eye. I am now a complete Dob convert. Marvin

Hi there and welcome.

What a horrible problem to have🤣 I have a huge thunder storm brewing with at least 10cm of rain, giant hail and 90kmh winds. I wish I had a boring mag 5 area of sky to look at. You have my unending support😂 Marv

I agree. I should have spent more time observing, but due to a past life in 35mm photography the whole AP thing happened which frankly I do not regret. Being loaned the Dob has been a thorough grounding in how much I actually enjoy navigating the skies and finding targets. I think I was spoiled early on by having Goto and just pressing the buttons. The odd thing is that I find a reverse truth. Goto actually showed me where everything is. You have to remember I was on my own without help in the night. I now get the enjoyment of helping friends see distant galaxies which is a joy regardless of equipment choice. Marv

Thank you for the replies. I was really taken with how much a relative jump in aperture can make a difference. More than that I was surprised how I found a Dob to work! It is simplicity itself. I understand some people might find it confusing being a Newtonian, but I was used to that from the 150 Pds. As I said before I will use my basic AP set up. However, when it capturing pictures I will be doing EP Astronomy.

Just thought I would say that you need to take care of the most southern targets. I can say I am 110 of 110 but it is no boast. I managed 109 of 110 for a whole year and M68 in Hydra (the really low to the horizon bit) nearly killed me. I am not kidding you it started to become an obsession. The weather and opportunity being so short. It is almost as bad as the ‘All the planets in one go challenge” which I have never forgiven #stu for. I spent the whole night out and missed it by one Venus due to cloud. Beware lists they are the devil. Any comment Stu? Marv

Hello everyone, I have been doing Astro for about four years and my initial purchase of a Newt on an EQ when I literally knew nothing, has been a learning curve. The curve was steep, I moved up in equipment to an EQ5 and 150pds threw on a camera and surprised myself with the results. Although I have loved the initial AP assault it has ground to a halt. Mostly work pressure, and the fact that I have to fit AP around my life!!!! When does Astro bend to anyones agenda? A fellow SGLr has just lent me a 200P SW Classic for the remains of the year. Bear in mind that I have not used a Dob at all. A few small problems, then it all came together despite the horrible sky conditions, milky poor seeing. I had a high cloud bank to my south so UMA it had to be. Turns out I had 30 minutes till that cloud covered everything. Despite that I found M51 M109 M108 M97 and star hopping M106. I wish I had gone for a bigger Dob at the beginning. I don’t want to dissuade any one from AP as I will pursue this in the future, but this is like going back to the beginning, and it is so rewarding. Marvin

Loving this thread. I am strictly white light and the opportunity to show my neighbours ranging in age from 16 to 84 the sun spots was very rewarding. Just like #PeterStudz I had no interest in Solar. It took me two years to realise I live on a planet next to a star in space that I could simply look at with a sheet of solar film. All that looking at stars light years away distracted me from the one that keeps us alive right next door. Marv

I find a small avenue in this amazing pastime really frustrating. John Dobson was an advocate of getting out there and bringing astronomy to non astronomers. I have several friends and many acquaintances that gush and wax lyrical about seeing the heavens, but when I offer to bring the scope over, or they come to the scope you watch them drift away with excuses of baby sitting grand children etc. I have one friend who insists on talking astro, even owns a small frac, but clearly doesn’t use it as when I ask him about a clear night I get silence. It my be my approach but I have gone so subtle with an invitation that it was almost a black ops. My friend with the frac has a client that wants to get into astro, so he mentioned me as a guy to help (no money involved) First contact, the person concerned who has no astro background at all wants a permanent obs! I talk to client and the lead time is over a year which is good. I suggest buying a good set of binoculars to start the journey. The reply is “How is that supposed to show my family and friends the night sky?” Wow, when was that mentioned? I have a lot of respect for late JD but after this I recommend he buy a 4k ultra TV and show everyone HST pictures off the internet. I soo wanted to help someone into astro, and I realised what they are talking about is just one word.. Entertainment.

Hello and welcome, you have come to the right place.

I am more worried about the giant leg kicking the dog🤣

Hi there and welcome

Why are animals referred to in this way, Horse-Horses. Sheep…… clearly not Sheeps😂

Every now and again I come across a cool sounding scientific word. Something that seems like it should be in a science fiction novel but is actually real. I was reading the notes to some of the ARP images on Mantrap Skies and came across APOGALAXICON. Anyone else out there got any good ones? Marv

Has anyone mentioned Halton Arp and discordant red shifts yet?🧨 3c273 anyone….💣 Marv

Like I said “Easy for you to translate”. M

STU! What have you done? Unleashing a question like that on people like me. I am tired and have a head ache already. I am off to join the Flat Earthers🤣 Marvin

I will second that. Great example in a really simple way👏. Now all I have to do is get four consecutive clear nights😂

Easy for you to say!

Probably has already. M