Marvin Jenkins

Really nice. I also like the title, perhaps we should all just call it that, it is kind of fitting. I have been reading a Patrick Moore book from April 1972 and M31 is referred to as The Great Spiral in Andromeda. I am sure the Great SPM was reaching in his minds eye for “The Big Fella”. 👍Marv

Well done, you have been busy. A really good mixture of targets, I would be very with that lot in one year. Marv

One euro and a second book about bee keeping thrown in for free. Published in 1972 which must have been a good year as it was the year I was born. Quite striking to see the best Astro pictures taken with the best telescopes in the world now out done by two grands worth of kit in a B6 back garden in suburban England. Fantastic to see how far we have come in all aspects of astronomy and how fast this progress has come. Great book and a great read.

Now you say this I am wondering why I did not move the focuser and spider down the tube🙈 I saw so many threads saying the primary needed to be moved further up the tube I didn’t look at the problem from the other direction. I will say however, that my comment about collimating is about how hard it is to get accurate optics in fast scopes. I am sure that fast F scopes at the expensive end of the market have adjustments that can be fine tuned. A 130p is a bit more basic, so one tiny adjustment here or there may not give you the desired effect you are looking for. Good luck anyway and will give my odd ball Orion 130st PDS another look. Marv

Hi chemistorge, I went mad with an Orion ST130 which is a bit like a 130P. I did the same as you and bought the 2inch DS focuser as I hated the little plastic thing it came with. I had a hankering for attaching a DSLR and thought the PDS focuser would solve the problem but there was not enough back focus. I had to move the main mirror quite a way up the tube towards the secondary and now it is a real hassle to collimate. The thread is on here somewhere, with extras like flock and blackened mirror edges. Thanks you for the reminder that I need to give it a bit more work and get it right. The problem was a 150pds turned up and that grabbed all my attention. Good luck with the project, keep up the hard work. Marvin

A thing of beauty to behold.

Your Vixen looks like an amazing bit of equipment. I am relatively new to Astro and avoided fracs with my first purchase, as I thought they looked old fashioned. I would say I was new and a fool! I look at scopes like this now and know I will own own one in the future. The quality is right in your face. Not to mention they were made to last. Marvin

Brilliant. What a well researched and thought out write up. I am impressed and interested in equal amounts. I hope to have a southern visit in a couple of years as my brother lives in Melbourne and has become a citizen. It will undoubtedly be odd to look at the night sky and not recognise anything. Marv

I am probably not the person to ask as I use a Nikon. Great cameras and I have had some great results, however I use it in it’s simplest form, ie not connected to a computer. I have been looking at a future move to Canon and the 6D seems to be very popular. When I do make the jump I will get mine Astro modded by a professional. Marv

Absolutely brilliant. A grab and go 16 inch! I have a smile a mile wide. I wish you nothing but clear skies, or even one hour breaks in the cloud. Marv

Back in the day I use to look at Pentax with envious eyes. As far as Astro is concerned I feel a little handicapped in that I started the Astro journey already owning Nikon. It seems that for AP the whole sport is based around Canon. Before people start shouting at me, I know some great images have been taken with non Canon DSLRs. However the main infrastructure of DSLR AP is Canon. If Canon were a planet, then it would be Jupiter. You may get great results, but if the solar system analogy stands up to scrutiny, why pick Mars. Marv

WOW! And I thought The Edge, was the guitarist from U2. Marv

Absolutely the right thing to do, however do you spend money on eps and postpone the trip? Or go on the trip and wait to buy the eps? I would say get the experience now! It will be something in the bag that you can compare to in the future when you have the high end eps. It is said that at the end of your life you regret the things you didn’t do...... I never heard anyone say they regretted the eps they didn’t own. Observational astronomy is about ‘that moment’ when it all comes together, and sometimes that is with a budget Plossl, a BST Star guider, a Badder Morpheus or a Teleview. My first Saturn with a 20quid plos blew my brain out. That effect will probably not not be beaten by high end kit, despite the better resolution. It might come close in revealing more, but that is an extension to observation. Marv

I have often wondered this very same thing with astro equipment. I think some of the really high end stuff is justified if it makes a difference. Justification gets chucked out the window if money is no object. If you are on a budget and ep prices make you wince (I do) then I would say buy the best you can afford. The one justification with eps is that they can be a once in a lifetime purchase. I sometimes think ‘is more important to have an experience like a weekend away somewhere dark, where what you see is a cherished memory that you look back on’ or not affording that trip but having a nice ep in B8 skies. You have to weigh it all up and decide what is the most important. I of course keep a pragmatic sensible head on my shoulders about these matters which’s why I am selling my house to fund my hobby! I would add a lol emoji but it is for real. Perhaps O am not the best person to give advice in this matter😂 Marv

You lucky so an so, unless you paid a load for of course. Looks like a future collectors piece especially with the MOD dust jacket. Big like from me, I love old school stuff like that. I hope you treasure it and with carefull handling, get some use from it. Marv

Great pictures, and a lovely foreground. I was out last night too and captured a not bad picture from my back garden, but nothing like your efforts. Marv

Far too soft. This a dog eat world and you seem to be lining up to be dinner😂 It doesn’t matter if he is using it! GET IT BACK. If he had been using it then I am sure he would have said things like “amazing lunar terminator the other night” I can be certain he sold it on the internet. TRACK IT DOWN ruthlessly without remorse, we need a visual report! Marv

No idea at all, but get it back. GET IT BACK. Not into Astro at the time is not an excuse. If your friend refuses then take legal action. I have seen Judge Judy to know how many times a gift can be recalled if you call it a loan 🤣 Be ruthless, scopes are more precious than any long term friendship so do the right thing and post a review of your latest equipment. Marv

They are a family business in the US. They have some trademarks with Lord of the rings and other Film stuff. They also have some products in partnership with NASA. For me it is the old school minting process from back in the day that makes this item special. Not to mention it was a present from my brother, and he ain’t heavy… heee’s my brother like the lyrics. Marvin

This is not an advert for this company and I am not at all connected to their business with the exception of my brother being a customer for a couple of items. My Bro sent me the following item and I was at first confused as to it’s purpose, but the more you handle it and keep it in your possession the more familiar it becomes. I keep sending my brother pictures of the moon taken through the ep and he responded. Shire Mint. Solid silver and minted the old way. The packaging is a work in itself. It has become my odd little thing to play with and flip from hand to hand instead of chewing my mouth.. my wife says.

I would consider near fighting for a night sky like that. They say we are the most dangerous animal on Earth and pair me up with a scope and a dark sky and nothing but a mosquito is coming near. Probably die of malaria in a year or two🤣 Marv

Now you may all shout “You are odd” and I don’t have anything but huge wild boar to deal with but my other pleasure is carp fishing. This invariably involves multiple nights sleeping by a lake in a very rural/wild environment. Frankly it is the best nights sleep I ever get, sometimes I don’t even bother with a tent just sleep on a camp bed. Once embedded in nature I feel part of it and relax, but it has to be said I might have a sleepless night if a bear is a possibility. Marv

Hi SuburbanMak Just wanted to venture a thought about your views of Saturn. I too have seen a surface band on Saturns surface but I am undecided if it is actual weather on the gas giant or a shadow from the planets ring formation. I am not sure how to find out but I am sure there must be resources that would show such info, please feel free to chip in #Stu as I know you are more than familiar with planetary observing, to say the least. Good work SuburbanMak, nothing like fantastic views of the satellites with special features👍 Marvin

Hello everyone, the inevitable moaning about the weather and endless cloudy nights are not just a topic for astronomers but part of the fabric of observing life. I have recently started to research meteorology and read books about the subject (oops science) and it really is a fascinating subject. I became drawn to a conclusion about astronomers (I like to think I am one) that they (we) spend a huge amount of time on our equipment and the minutiae of its ability without really knowing about our weather. I am sure there are Astronomers out there with a wealth of meteorology knowledge but I coming to the conclusion that the majority of astronomers spend time and money on equipment and software and leave the clear sky planning to a website. I look at France Meteo everyday. They have satellites in space, super computers on the ground and they frequently change there real time forecast to what is happening as they got it wrong. I have decided to stop using the usual weather forecast and do it myself, I now think of it as part of my astronomy planning, bit like looking at the star charts and planning my session. Leaving the weather to someone else seems like a dereliction of duty. Marvin

I watched it and enjoyed it a lot. We were warned that there would be recycled footage, but in my opinion this is to be expected due to the travel restrictions that production companies have had to deal with. It was really great to sit back and watch a science program, how rare that statement has become. Marv