Marvin Jenkins

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

1 hour ago, Bob tries hard said:

What an interesting reply; 

the idea of a trip to darker pasture and appreciate the sky’s above is in my opinion a fantastic idea which I will definitely do.

Now I just need get the eyepiece and book a trip lol.

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

We have been having some amazing horse tails here today. With a huge variation of Cirrus, really quite dramatic.

It will probably ruin the possibility of clear Astro tonight.

Marv

I did get a few more pictures. Does anyone know if this connected to the recent solar activity or just a coincidence caused by atmospheric conditions.

Also I am very lucky to work in an environment like that. I do pinch myself sometimes. 26 deg and sunny, very nice.

Marv

Hi all. May the 5th I posted a photo of what I thought may have been my first sun dog.

Today at work there was an almost complete solar halo with another bar of colour directly below it.

For once my phone did a pretty good job of picking it out. Please let me know if you have any info on this phenomenon.

I don’t know if this is any help, but my iPhone will not take any picture with low mag eye pieces.

A 10 mm plossle in my 150 pds is about the max I use for observing anything. For finding and wider field I use the 25 and 17mm eps but my phone camera will just not find focus unless I am 10mm or less like 7mm.

I had not thought about using filters. I have an Olll, but fail to see how it is useful on a hydrogen/helium target. Am I missing something obvious?
Of course I am, the obvious is often the most over looked.

Marvin

I managed to get the 150 newt out yesterday evening after the clouds finally giving up.

They are by far the best sun spots I have observed and I too could not resist a quick pic. Only a phone photo through the eye piece though.

Marv

My entire Astro journey in one little book. Admittedly I only started in Autumn 2018 and whole observing sessions were covered by just a few lines.

I consider this little, quite worn book my most treasured possession. Far more than my scope and mount.

In the last year I have taken to planning a session on paper, then as it is happening I record it orally on the voice recorder of my phone. This is especially effective when doing lunar observations as sometimes there is so much to describe it is better to just run off at the mouth.

I am not one for spread sheets and horrendous organisation, but I do use a highlight pen for planets, comets, galaxies and NGC’s so I can flick through and see if I have observed them in the past.

I include all observations by date and time no matter how short or even without equipment! Naked eye observations of Mercury being the latest. It is all astronomy after all.

Marvin

8 hours ago, tooth_dr said:

Any need to bash AP?  

Yes! But I also love it. In equal measure to looking through an ep. The latter gives me an immediate feeling of wonder and peace, the former gives me anxiety and heart burn with the occasional picture to keep forever.

I consider them both worthy pursuits but then again I am an angler, so a worm on one end and a fool on the other. 

Marv