Marvin Jenkins

You know you take it to the dechetterie and they take it somewhere else and burn it on a bonfire, cut out the middle man. Less carbon footprint too.😁 saves driving that AMG all over France

I recently had a pizza with a friend. Said friend has been on this planet 75 years and is an award wining architect, so not a dull flame. He asked this question..... You do Astronomy? Yes. How do “they” with the fingers in the air, know how far away things are in the universe? I explained Parallax. Tried to show the idea with a finger in front of the face and alternate eye open close, should have sensed danger, his hands stayed on the table. Second question.... But, when “they say” (remember the fingers in the air) 25.000 light years how can they know that? I go on to explain Edwin Hubble’s ground breaking work with Cephid variables as a standard candle. No question this time.... ‘Rubbish, they are always contradicting themselves’ even everything Einstein came up with is wrong! I made a note in my diary that night to just keep it to myself unless pestered. The human race is something I find more palatable at a great distance. A quote to sum it up. A person with a small amount of information is very dangerous.

Thanks for the heads up. I noticed Vesta was marked on Stellarium yesterday and it has just dawned on me that I have a couple of comets under my belt but not a single asteroid. Time for things to change, I will let you know how I get on. Marvin

That’s what a Merc is for. You got a tow hook, put a plow on the back and help your farmer neighbour.

Perfect, just the kind of shot that motivates me after multiple disappointments. Well done, the kind of example I am aiming for👍

Gutted, can’t see the fencing.😂

I remember it was really visible. No fuzzy that time, and I looked at it naked eye in a small town with yellow sodium street lighting. I hope we all get another in our lifetimes, can’t imagine what it would have looked like through my 130. Great picture Mike, on real film, not all this digital cheating malarkey people are up to these days. That picture pretty much answers my question in the second paragraph. Thanks, Marvin

I’m not kidding, I thought for a minute someone had posted a photo in sketching. Blows my mind. Can’t comprehend how you observe then record, the two things seems separate in my brain.

Now, I have embarked on the mighty challenge of astronomy for two years now. I am quite clearly at the beginning. I have always had a hankering for stargazing but for some insane reason I have I have only just lost my marbles. I quite clearly remember seeing (on the way to the pub not on the way back) a large comet that appeared fixed in the sky for some time around the summer of 1998. I remember seeing the curved tail but Guinness was calling. Now I know I could Google, YouTube etc but can the good people of SGL take me back in time, to the last century, before I looked through a telescope. Most importantly, are there any imagers now current who have pictures of the comet from back then or images taken by astronomers no longer with us and how were they taken in relation to today’s tech setups in many astronomers homes. Marvin

Welcome to the site. Feel free to ask questions no matter how simple. I found nothing but help and helpful people. Happy star gazing. Marvin

I love the idea that having goto means you don’t learn anything. You will be looking up.... so the learning begins. Forget what scope, draw in the heavens. Marvin.

Funny you should say that. I won the French National loto eight weeks ago, still waiting for any kind of conformation or pay out. I got three numbers, with a pay out of 20 euros. I have to send the ticket to head office, with ID, a bank pay in slip via registered post that costs 5.30 euro. Seven weeks after and I am still dreaming about a bag of gravel or two.🤣 Marv

I have been given permission by Gordon to hijack this thread, cheers. I visited Gordon Monday Tuesday to help install some security fencing around the perimeter of the Obsy area. We were hoping for clear skies Monday night so I could use Gordon’s Dob, a first for me and experiment with eyepieces as my small box of plossle’s seemed shockingly inadequate to the eyepieces that were on offer. Sadly it was cloud all the way. I have added a few pictures to this post, as the beast is now installed in the second dome and I couldn’t believe the quality of the mount. That bit of carbon fibre at the top is a joy to behold. Hoping to get invite back in the future to see it all in action, fingers crossed.

Early morning is a great time as all things being equal it is dark/really dark. First I think you have to ask what you want to observe, I would leave imaging for a second or third session as it will complicate things considerably. Just observing. Do your homework, and be prepared with a small list of targets of higher mag with a secondary list of harder targets depending on your aperture. Take a good look at the phases of the moon as dso is deeply effected. Unless you want to look at the moon of course. It is sometimes wonderful to cast around the heavens with a let’s see what happens attitude which can lead to amazing things, but mostly I get lost and frustrated then end up looking at my ring bound, laminated sky atlas and compare it to Stellarium on the lap top. That’s part of the prep, the atlas is free on the web but hours of printing and laminating is part of the deal. Stellarium is free too. Depending on your target, later is not always better. I did a session recently where I gambled on a comet getting high enough in the sky to view before a weather front came in at 2am. Went out early, saw the comet, fog rolled in by midnight, if I wasn’t out at 23:00hrs then I would never have seen Africano. Keep getting out there, the experience you will build is invaluable. I have been doing this less than two years, and if I can, just dream what you will see. Just post it on here so I can have a go. Marvin

I agree with James. I use one of those jumper packs with a battery sealed inside as they conveniently have one or two cigarette sockets on the front. They work great, but unless fully charged I have had problems. Mine has a button on the front, when pushed shows level of charge. It says green full, but it is not and needs a charge to be truthfully full.

I don’t use a dob so don’t flog me. However I have had strange alignment issues on big battery packs that claim max charge. If you can test your scope via a long mains cable plugged into your house supply it will indicate if you have a power issue. (Be aware of moisture dew) You don’t need to do an observation session, but it might narrow down your problem and identify or eliminate a cause. I lost three valuable nights astronomy due to major alignment inaccuracies. My large power supply said perfect but plugged into the mains all problems disappeared. A day later the battery said it needed charging! Eliminate the obvious. Battery packs are great but the light systems on the front to test charge are not very accurate. Marvin

JamesF, you the man. I am always fearful of going into settings and background areas as I am old before my years. A sad legacy of being the generation between pre computer and everyone has a computer age, I try my hardest, but somehow I like a printed page. I am 47, my school had four BBC Micro’s but no pupil was allowed to use them as they were very expensive. So don’t blame me. Marv

For the last couple of years I have been using SN7 as my planetarium software, primarily as it was bundled free with the scope set up my wife bought me. Up until recently I have had nothing but praise, it works great. Recently I started using Stellarium. It seems more exact, scientific and lots of other people sing it’s praises. I have however, run into a problem. If the weather holds to the end of the week, with the waining moon I was going to try for a visual on the comet C/2017 T2 Panstarrs somewhere in Taurus and printed the path from comet watch. I compared the pdf against my star chart which I use in the garden and decided that a modern approach may be used in addition. Due to the moon position it may be hard to find so I looked it up on Stellarium....... nothing! Looked it up on SN7 and bang there it is. Is there something on Stellarium I am missing that can flag up current comets. The position on SN7 was perfect but I did note that star positions on Stellarium are far more accurate, SN7 some stars were missing altogether.

Tax rebate! In France, just like dark matter, never seen it. Marvin

I think the only option is to get all of the above! Only joking. I don’t like commenting on Dobs as I do not have one, but it is unanimous that they are the best value for money for aperture. The downside is very limited for photography. I chose the Newtonian on an EQ mount thinking I could do astrophotography. EQ2!!!!!! A smallish newt is a remarkable instrument, but needs a good mount EQ5 and beyond. My personal jump to EQ5 has made me very happy for the time being with the small newt I have 130. Took my breath away what can be seen by a 130 under dark skies on a decent mount. Could probably say the same for a small frac but the cost is somewhat higher. No truer statement, no mount, no scope. Dobs on the other hand have little if no mount issues and for cost give you way bigger apertures. If you are happy with visual only get a Dob, if you want go to with Astro photography possibilities get a Newt or Frac on a decent EQ. Marv

It never rains but it floods.

There is nothing a large wild pig with tusks loves more than a green beer. Gordon your card is marked.

It’s all part of the deal. If the work doesn’t get you the wine will. Working with a hangover is why everything takes sooooo long down here. M

Gordon’s not kidding, if you have a bad back don’t bother. Marvin

Stumbled into a whole new world. Eyes as big as saucers. What an amazing project, I will be following this every day. Well done to the both of you and hope Marc’s health is quickly resolved. I would love to hear about first light with this amazing creation. Please keep us all informed Marvin