Marvin Jenkins

I completely understand, EP leading to Camera is normally what happens (did with me) but jm1973 needs to find the target first to photograph it. Also it was quite an in-depth post so it covered a fair amount.👍 Marv

No such thing as another. If I get board of M31 time for the scopes to go. Really like the wide field/ mosaic. Really puts it in its place in the darkness. M

I know Astro can get confusing and very frustrating especially when trying to get a Goto mount working just how you want it. Firstly I have to say with all respect to replies to your original op, you seem to be trying to find the Ring Neb via an EP. This is doable with a 200p just takes some practice and a little knowledge of that bit of sky. You are doing nothing wrong. Just take your time and don’t complicate anything. If you cannot find an object in the EP then adding cameras is probably going to add questions. If you find it, then definitely add a camera. Try finding something like M13 a large bright glob in Hercules. See it in your finder scope first, compare it’s position to stars in the square of Hercules. A large target like that is the way to learn an object in relation to its surrounding star field. Planetary nebula are bright so seem a great choice, but they are so small they are very hard to to find. I have had nights when I know the Goto is perfect but I have had ten minutes at the EP to realise that the center object in the fov is not just another star, but the ‘target pn’ ! Happy hunting and clear skies. Marv

I love the contrast of the blue star. Great capture both of you. M

You should be able to gain focus by rotating the eyepiece, unscrewing/screwing in. If that fails unscrew the polar scope ep and check to see it is clean. When installed they are quite greasy and mine had a decent smudge on the optic. M

Thank you John. I was going to ask you about preferred times for planetary viewing in relation to the moon. I will just have to put it down to aperture and poor seeing, mostly the atmosphere I think as moments of stillness and clarity were for a fraction every ten seconds or more. Mostly I experience a few seconds every five so very challenging. Just hoping the clouds don’t roll in for a prolonged period, fingers crossed for October. Marv

But can you imagine how boring the AP thread will be. Another SNR of B..... for years.

In all seriousness the idea put about that astronomers could be blinded by B (mainly put out there by me) is far fetched. It has been pointed out to me that in the life of star we could be a million years away from B going nova. The flip side of that is that B has been incredibly dynamic recently, so no one being a living expert it go off tonight! The more dynamic it becomes the more astronomers will observe it, especially as there have been calls for amateurs to estimate it’s magnitude. If the time from neutrino reception to nova is one hour or less then no matter how ridiculous some caution may be adhered to. Marv

Not a lot of notice then. Do you think astronomers should get a warning via social media on the grounds of health and safety? Come to think of it, is the big B being monitored 24/7 for neutrino bursts? Marv

With you all the way. My weather has not been bad, but frustrating for Astro. One of my main targets this year is Mars and in particular a definitive yes to seeing the polar cap. Well done on seeing the cap and detail. I am using a six inch newt, and I know with good conditions I can get your current results. I had the same problems trying very high mag EPs with a 2x Barlow. Did you use any filters? My problem mainly comes from poor seeing currently, along with a lot of moon. I bet a week from now it will cloud over for a while. Marvin

I did mention the neutrino aspect in my previous post. Please could someone explain why a huge burst of neutrinos would happen in the moments before a super nova. Due to my lack of knowledge of the subject I have to deduce that a neutrino burst happens first, nova after. The speed of light being the limiting factor if both things happened at ‘point of nova’ we would experience both at the same time here on Earth? Furthermore, what is the suspected difference in time from neutrino burst to nova? Are we talking minutes, hours or days? If the last local SN was 1600 ad and something, then am I safe to assume that the current hypothesis is exactly that, best guess? I am pretty sure no one was measuring neutrino bursts in the seventeenth century. Marv

I know I have been a bit tongue in cheek, but this has cropped up before. There is a very long thread on here about Big B and it’s recent magnitude fluctuations. Way above my pay grade but there is a suggestion that a huge wave of neutrinos would signal the impending Nova, and Lord knows there are people on here that understand that stuff and can explain it in a more complicated way than I. In short, it is a joke on my part. Your chance of being blinded by Big B is incredibly small. I have seen quotes that say it is going to be so bright, that for a short period it will be like a second sun in our sky. That’s day time! Try that with a 7mm ep and 2x Barlow and feel how your eyeballs cope. I maybe wrong, and please correct, but the last time this happened was the Crab Neb, recorded by the Chinese a thousand years ago? Marv

The sky is all yours now, and the family of course. Enjoy, the night sky is the best free show you can get. Marv

Just remember when viewing the big B through a telescope from now on, to use your eye that is least preferred. If it goes pop when viewing then you won’t lose the sight in your preferred viewing eye. If you are the kind of astronomer that lives a rock and roll lifestyle and uses a bino viewer, then the risks of the big B going nova are not to be taken lightly. 🤩 Marv

You should. It’s good.

I am not sure what is going on here. But I do know that the loss of someone like Rodd on this forum is a loss to me personally. I have just started in the AP world and I need all the help and reference I can get. Loosing people like Rodd will just set me back. Sorry Rodd, I am one of those silent thousands who never applauded never gave a heart. I am a complete beginner and think to myself I have not seen Narrow band kit let alone used any. As such I always feel I am not qualified to comment or like an image of your quality as for me it is a dream sometime in the future if ever. In short you have a chearing chorus of us beginners who are silent, sat in the wings hoping one day to do better than you, and we will! People like you are the shoulders I hope to stand on. Don’t hang it up just yet. Give me a year or two to try and catch up a little then let me pick your brains, frankly I need the help. Marv

In the original post I noticed a part sentence about mainland Europe with open skies or some such xxxxxxx. Yes our weather is much better, but clear for Astro? Sooooo many nights where horse tails and high thin cloud ruin it all, admittedly in shorts with a glass of cold Vin Blanc. I have had problems at ep due to the heat, dehydration instantly cured by more Vin Blanc. Joking aside (and the odd night has Vin Blanc) I have been without a starry night for three months in my Astro diary. So being located in the UK does not give you complete blagging rights. Marvin

Trying not to swear. Obviously not allowed to on here. Your link opened and first few pages Ian Miller! Never knew or met the man, but I get the feeling that he was a man I would have liked to have met. Compared to his work I am a guy blindly looking around with a spy glass. Recently I stumbled across (probably prodded by an SGL member or more likely a friend from across the pond on CN) a link to Mantrapskies. Same sadness, the website said he has passed on. Please research both as there legacy lives on in their research. I have not had a chance yet to look at Mr Millers data, but a lifetimes effort will surely be beyond my expectations. Marvin

I would presume that there was just not a market for anything between 6 and 8. 7 was probably on the drawing board and got shelved before production. Anyway, I feel I must apologize, as I have dragged the thread away from the original post, sorry Jm1973. Marv

I always felt sorry for the EQ7. Never allowed out to play with it’s brothers and sisters. Locked away in the broom cupboard of astronomy. Dejected, worthless, an embarrassment to equatorial mounts, it holds its head in shame. A bit like Windows 9. M

Next clear night I am going to have a go at getting a few more single sub pn’s , could become addictive. If successful I will add to the posts. Marv

Hi Martin, I looked it up. NGC7662. PK 106-17.1 Mag 8.6 in Andromeda , size listed as 17”. when I first saw the picture I just laughed, thinking ‘is that it’. It is only when you look at the size and details that I realised it was quite a capture. Sorry to say I do not have a distance for it right now. I always associate Little Gem with lettuce 🥬 for some reason. Marv

I don’t know if this is what you are after but only a month or so after putting my DSLR on my 150 I took a single frame of The Blue Snowball, not even really knowing if it was in the frame. I would have to look up exposure time and date details, but I was first amazed it was there and secondly even though the focus is poor you can see some colour structure. Apologies if you were asking for EEVA images only.

Planned to do some imaging last night but horse tails from the north took that idea away. So instead of packing up grumpy I broke out the eps had a good long look at Jupiter. I use a 150 newt so I will describe as it appeared to me at the time. 17mm Plossl with 2x Barlow and blue filter which is really working for me right now. Quite a clean view with good moments of stillness. One moon to the left and two to the right, so I relaxed pulled over the hood and spent time searching for a transit or the GRS and other features. Despite the two main bands showing well and a possible finer band higher to the north? I couldn’t find a shadow or moon. I then noticed a small raised pimple attached to Jupiter at the equator 21:40 UK time. My last resort, phone app and sure enough Io was showing in that spot (pardon the pun) looks like It was just about to disappear behind the gas giant. First time I have noticed this as the moons tend to disappear into the planets shadow before being eclipsed by the planets disc in my experience. Marvin

You have done really well there. Nicely framed, plenty of dust lanes, M31 and 101 in particular well represented. I am quite new to all this imaging and processing lark, so I cannot offer advice, just praise. Marvin