Marvin Jenkins

The Moon! I know it is obvious but my first views made me swear out loud. You see it all your life on the way home late from a friend or the pub or what ever.
Not seeing it! But Observing it! Through a scope for the first time it is a game changer to how you see where your feet are planted and on what they stand.

Marv

14 minutes ago, Neil H said:

Well a top astro scientist said thet he found a type of xray  coming off it that is only found if it has gone bang 

So it may have but now they are all talking about life on Venus  and water they found on mars 

That’s interesting. I was told that we would have a precursor to the big B going bang in a flood of Nutrinos right before the explosion.

From my investigation the search for neutrinos on mass is almost zero as we do not have the kit to detect them. Our ability to detect neutrinos is rather lacking.

Bear in mind that if that flood of neutrinos happened fifty years ago then we would have no idea that it was about to go pop in relation to light travelling across the void to our place in the universe. The thing I don’t understand is that my understanding is that at just before the point of SN there is a Nutrino burst. 

If nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, how can a neutrino burst right before the SN give us a heads up when we cannot detect a neutrino burst in the first place.

Marv

I am going to say a winter obvious. First scope, first week out and unknown to me a new moon. A great friend of mine came over for a week so out the door with the new 130 newt.

The Great Orion Nebula!!! A grey white wing like structure, like a bird in flight. It was so dark I could see the trapezium.

I declared, ‘A Nebula’, my friend looked for a bit and said it looked like a smudge on his expensive kitchen floor tiles!

My other memory is M33 Triangulum. The Pinwheel. I was looking for my first galaxy M31 Andromeda and got M33 by accident. I still have no idea how that happened and why for another year I could not find M33.

Marv

I have to say that I am not a Dob user, sadly. But I am sure that if you are using a completely manual Dob adding a SynScan unit in my mind is not possible.

A SynScan unit is the brain that runs the two motors that control Altitude and Azimuth in a powered mount (GOTO). A manual Dob does not have these motor.

There are plenty of Dobs that have GOTO and so have a SynScan unit to control the Dob. There maybe some models of Dobs that can be retro fitted with GOTO systems and a SynScan handset.

If you let us know which Dob you have, I am sure someone more qualified than I can tell you if your Dob can be GOTO and SynScan equipped.

Marv

On 05/11/2020 at 20:53, saac said:

Paul honestly mate it did go bang exactly 234511.5 days ago (642.5 yrs)  we only got to wait one more night - happening tomorrow you'll see  

Jim 

 

ps unless it  is  cloudy  

UNLESS IT IS CLOUDY! It is always cloudy. I reckon the whole of Orion has disappeared since I last had a clear night. 
Does the above give anyone the strange idea I maybe in crisis? Two clear nights since the beginning of September and I had food poisoning.

Does bad weather come in light years? Feels like it right now.

Marv

Just realised that my whole reply post has been about weather. So mods delete, or move depending on your mood. A rant about the weather must have happened here before, no?

It would be nice to have a shot, singular.

So jealous. Turns out Mars is my Nemesis. Horrible weather, starting with extreme heat directly into heavy weather. Not a single opportunity for two months!
I missed Mars last time and it seems this time too. I just have to make peace with the god of war.

Next opportunity this good I will be 70, with the way things are I am not planning past next year.

Marv

Is it possible to observe the whole 110 Messier’s in one perfect clear night? I am at 44 deg lat and frustratingly at 109 of 110 Messier’s with M68 left.

From my understanding I have to wait till Feb weather permitting to say 110. Is there a point in the year when all M’s are visible at the same time? 

Marvin

Well done Pixies. Great bit of opportunistic astronomy. With sessions like that it can go any way real fast. Good one Stu, I hope this thread keeps on rolling, you started something, I hope to finish on a personal level.

As to Messier in one night! Is that possible? I would say no as some of them are only on the horizon limit during high summer. Am I wrong? 

I know this is off topic to the planet challenge but I am 109 of 110 Messier objects just M68 in Hydra to go. No chance until early next year.

I will post a separate thread to the Messier question in Observing Questions.

Marv

I don’t have a problem storing all the fracs and dobs, FLO store them for me as I have not bought them yet.

M

Having been a recent convert to AP (in the last year) I live in an odd world between AP and Observing.

I have an NEQ5 with SW150PDS Pro Goto, without guiding and using a base model DSLR. This outfit from what is stated is below the minimum for AP so I consider it my learning rig.

Now I only post this because with careful polar alignment I can get 60 second subs with a six inch newt.

The first windy night, at best gusts of around 15 kmh the stars in my subs looked like spermatozoa! White tadpoles!

If there was ever a definitive about mount to scope size, wind on a newt will give you trouble, especially if you are under mounted.

By the way I only feel I am under mounted with my setup when it is blowing. I note other astronomers have 200p on my mount, but not for ap.

Marv

4 hours ago, Steely Stan said:

Hello all

I just ordered my first telescope, a Nexstar 8 SE (very aggressive pricing on Amazon right now), and I can already tell I walked into the stargazers meth lab!  No sooner had I placed my order than I was on ebay looking for a second hand Baader zoom.  After an hour on this forum I will probably decide I need a EQ wedge, start thinking about whether to by a powerpack or make one from a car battery.  I'll be spending £200 on petrol driving to Scotland and back to find darker skies, and....well you know the drill.  To be fair, all this is with the endorsement of my missus (that makes her a "keeper") but I now know why expensive purchases are commonly referred to as 'astronomical'.

Technically its not my first scope as my son had a tiny toy refractor which, with a lot of fiddling, gave OK views of the moon but was useless for anything dim.  Then during lockdown #1 I bought a pair of binoculars, mounted them on my camera tripod and pointed them at Jupiter and behold! - a yellow disc and four little moons in a row.  Then scoot left a bit to Saturn which revealed a little rugby ball - couldn't see the rings as such, but knew it was egg shaped for a reason....anyway, that was it - hooked.

.....and as £or astro£otography, let's not mention that to the missus.  Yet.

Stan    . .  o .     . 

 

A mentor of mine used the term ‘cheque book astronomy’, if you have the budget without recourse then go AP. Astrophotography is a hugely rewarding persuite.

If funds are restricted then don’t rush. The night sky waits for all of us and what you have now under cloudless conditions is a great eye into the sky.

Smaller beginner outfits are often the stepping stone to much bigger more expensive equipment, only logical. But do not forget where you came from, the small wide field views are what your first Astro experience are based on.

I would say buy bigger if you can. Don’t get rid of your first scope, mine is the level that all the others are judged by. Bigger is not always better.

Marv

No thanks needed Mark. I was looking at star charts, in particular for planetary nebula  (not that I have the aperture to see most of them, but I can dream for the future).

Paz, if you get a chance let me know. If I get a chance I think the description will be ‘star like’. Might well be one of those targets that’s revisited as equipment gets upgraded over the years.

If you are so inclined, have a web search of CHS, it is not the biggest thing in astronomy I concede, but interesting in it’s own way, just difficult to see it would seem.

Marv

On 29/10/2020 at 10:52, Peter Drew said:

Switch off the Moon????     Usually the chorus from DSO imagers.  They overlook the fact that full Moon gives them the respite they need from agonising over misshapen stars, mount orientation issues, tracking errors, computer malfunctions, the list goes on!       🙂

And the years wasted learning all the acronyms. 😖

Thank you very much. Firstly thanks for the reply. Secondly 15 inch dob! I knew it was small and would appear star like but I am wondering if I will see it at all in a six inch newt. I guess only time will tell and I will get a picture if possible.

Just to say I have seen it will be enough. Something about objects that are beyond what is supposed possible bury an itch in my mind I just cannot scratch.

Might be the end of me. Marv

As seen as I really board right now due the never ending bad weather, I find myself exploring star charts and planetarium programmes for obscure targets when the skies finally clear.

I happened upon Campbell’s Hydrogen Star and wanted to ask the membership if anyone has observing experience. I realise plan nebs are often very small and I am using a six inch newt but any tips on observing this for the first time would be most appreciated.

I have asked the good folk of the EEVA section if they have experience and any visual examples they can share. Fingers crossed for clear skies.

Marvin

I am an avid follower of the EEVA section although sadly not a practitioner of EEVA at present. Because I am really board at the moment (weather) I find myself looking at star charts for obscure future targets.

I found Campbell’s Hydrogen Star with the symbol for a planetary nebula, which confused me at first. Why would a star have a plan neb symbol? It then dawned on me that all plan nebs  are in fact stars, just transitioning to white dwarf status.

My question is, has anyone EEVA Campbell’s H Star? Plan nebs are so small and many unremarkable in my 6 inch newt that I thought I would ask the question. Any examples would be great.

I am going to ask about CHS on the standard Observing section as I am planning on trying to observe it using my standard equipment.

Thanks, Marvin

Mag 16! Only in my wildest dreams. Great stuff.

Marv

Love it. Screech Owl! We have a Little Owl that sweeps the sky above our garden and is called Screech. The stumpy little thing has ruined a few of my subs by perching on the end of the OTA. Still love it being around though.

Great capture by the way. I have observed Uranus and Neptune but never a moon.

Marv

As to the first question, I would say that there would be stars with exoplanets beyond the Crab Nebula. I do not know if any have been found in that small portion of sky or if a survey has even been made. Just as a statistic about the amount of stars in one arm of a galaxy I would think it is a sure thing.

Second question. I am going to presume you mean visible from the location under your avatar. The answer is no, the Crab Nebula is a winter target. Any object that can be seen all year round is called Circumpolar, for instance M81/M82 Bodes and Cigar.

Marv

You captured a galaxy. Might not be an award winning shot but a ‘galaxy’. 
 

Think about it..... how many ordinary people have seen a galaxy? They are clearly visible in the sky, like globular clusters etc.

99 % of the population have no idea that what is in your picture exists, except in a text book. It is now up to you to improve your framing, and use the gear you have to great effect.

You are at the beginning, but no longer a beginner. Keep up the good work, the night sky is yours for free.

Marv

8 hours ago, JamesF said:

The seal wasn't a ring when I took my 127 Mak apart either.  I just put the same seal back when I reassembled it.  Seems to be fine   I can't recall how I kept it in place during reassembly though

In my case I think it was the black mounting ring at the bottom of the picture that screwed inside the main tube and the backplate was fixed to that with the "pull" collimation bolts.  If yours is wobbly I'd guess that either the collimation bolts have worked loose or the mounting ring needs tightening.  Assuming it is constructed the same way as mine of course, which is not necessarily a given.

James

Is it just me or are there just too many circles in this photo? There is supposed to be a telescope in there somewhere but I cannot see it. 😳

All I can say is that my Nan told me the afternoon at Bembridge IOW when I was a kid was a great way of getting winkles for my toothless grandad.

They were probably trying to get me drowned .

M

You can keep all these products, just leave me with bourbon. Binocular vision guaranteed, funny how marketing people don’t put that on the bottle.

M

21 hours ago, emyliano2000 said:

So, for the last few days I kept thinking that Orion is coming back in the scene and I was wondering if I should shoot it again with the 6" RC and QHY163M.

Because of that I decided to stack all the data I had on it from 2017 and 2018 to see what result I get from it and if it's the result is good enough I can skip it this year too and concentrate my imaging time on something else.

I only have 4 hours of data and maybe adding some Ha to it would bring some benefits, I don't know, but I'm really pleased with what I got from it and I just might skip it this year too, what do you think?

I got 8 spikes because I had the rotation set at both 90 and 0 degrees

Skywatcher 200p

Upgraded Carbon fibre Skywatcher 10" quattro

Astromodified Canon 700D

QHY10 osc cooled CCD

Skywatcher 0.9x coma corrector

Baader mpcc iii coma corrector

IDAS LPS-D1

IDAS LPS-D1Clip filter

 

200p + 700D: 59x120" ISO800, 50x3" ISO800, 4x30" ISO800, 3x300" ISO800
10" quattro and QHY10: 11x60" (gain: 15.00) -15C bin 1x1, 13x600" (gain: 15.00) -15C bin 1x1

 

Emil

 

I actually quite like the eight point star personally, adds a bit of star super sharpness. Might just be newt owner bias😁

M