Marvin Jenkins

Don’t give up fellow Vacuum. Is there any chance you can get that four inch frac to a darker site? You say ‘that light shining in your garden’ perhaps the end of the street is a dark site compared to your garden. I have B4 skies with no immediate lights at all and I am planning to go north ten kilometres for darker skies. Never accept what you have, improve if you can, no matter the effort. It will be worth it. A dark or darker site will really show you what you can see even with small scopes. I use a newt but only five inches and darker skies make all the difference. I have noticed that weather is the main issue for astronomers. If you have the view that due to weather and seeing issues, plus work and family commitments you may get three or four nights a month at best. Two of those sessions will no doubt be troubled by moon light. For the two nights of clear skies, good seeing, without moon and work and family commitments at best...... getting somewhere dark, away from towns and villages for say, perhaps three hours will get you what you desire. I can assure you it will be worth it. Get out there and please let us all know what you see, even if you think we have all seen it before. I can assure you that seeing for the first time will make us all smile. Me in particular as I am seeing a lot of this stuff for the first time this year. Marvin

That’s a really impressive build. Now you say remote set up, but how do you get the lens caps off?

Congratulations, If I had known I would have offered this little number. Some of the objects don’t seem to appear on NGC or the other lists.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Jupiter was great last night despite it being hot. The four Galilean satellites were two either side. Got excited for a fifth more distant moon, turned out to be star hip84543, forever the optimist.

I have seen two bolides since starting astronomy two years ago. I have another interest ‘carp fishing’ which is mainly a nocturnal pursuit. I have a friend who has witnessed first hand meteors that have turned night time to day for a second or two. He fishes a minimum of three night a week regardless of the weather. Makes you wonder what just missed us while we are tucked up in bed, shopping or at work. Most go unnoticed. There is an organisation called UKMON (I think) that has people with webcams monitoring the skies to triangulate meteorite impact sites. I am sure someone on this site has all the info

That’s a very kind offer. I would love to come and have a look at your set up and have a ‘natter’ about star gazing. I have only been doing this a couple of years, 130 newt on an NEQ5 go to, but our skies!!!! Would be nice to meet up as I know no other astronomers here (French or English or other). Don’t worry about the language, a little bit of effort, a little bit of help and many misunderstandings you will be doing just fine, it will come. I do remember allo allo ‘clop’ The outreach comment was a little joke, baby steps. Get your site up and running fully and tested and then it might be for you. Speaking as a landscape gardener with said business here since 2005 I am very impressed with what you have done. Enjoy Agen, it is a good town. The usual provincial town centre with a couple of zone industrials with lots of shops. I am near a little village called Bourg de Visa just in Tarn et Garonne, on the tri border of Lot and Lot et Garonne. I think there is a way on here to contact directly so I will try that for a meet. Marv

Yeh weather is great. I am twenty minutes the other side of Agen from you and wondering if we will get any opportunities soon. What was that about people buying equipment and ruining the weather? Look at what you have accomplished, probably fog now for the next six months. Seen as you are contractually obligated to start an astronomy club or your planning permission inspection after four years could be a problem, can I join. Are we doing outreach?

I’m a bit lost. Maybe I have missed something but I thought this thread was about whether cameras that use 35mm roll film are now completely out of use. Perhaps I have got the wrong end of the initial question.

There’s a PPM catalogue as well! When will it end? Thanks for the link by the way.

Don’t want to sound stupid, but what are SAO numbers? I am unfamiliar with this list.

It never rains but it pours. Seriously though it is raining so it doesn’t matter one way or the other.

Sorry can’t comment on the technical side of your achievements, but really nice picture of an object that I saw for the first time only a few short weeks ago. Averted vision was needed to pick out the dark hole in the centre, but clearly a small polo.

It’s one of those items that you see and think I have to get one of those. After a day or two I will calm down and go back to saving for a laser collimator, more important I think.

Couldn’t agree more. I tried some ep shots of Jupiter with a Nikon cool pix and deleted then after five seconds. I know it hardly compares to some of the ‘more well equipped’ members of this forum, but to get bands and details with a phone! More power too you. Marv

Hell, I am out of the country, why are these things not happening at Christmas when I am meeting my Australian brother and Finish nephew at the natural history museum for a look at the iron nickel meteorite from somewhere in our galaxy. Seems location is everything. M

Really happy you are here. I have quite a few places in Italy that I want to visit and Turin is one of them. Great country, good people. In no particular order... Turin, Bologna (Ducati) I love moto’s. Venice before the seas rise. Naples for a real pizza. Twice I have been to Rome with my wife and I never tire of the eternal city. What a history your country has. Ice cream opposite the pantheon for four cost me a small travel set up. Sorry I don’t speak Italian by the way. All the best Marvin.

They could have just worn polarising shades like me.

Thanks for the info, I hope Santa brings you what you want. Can he get a ten inch down the chimney? Marv

Eight or ten inch, any good? Anyone’s thoughts on if this scope is good. How does it compare to to sky watcher equivalent?

Mine is a three euro kitchen cupboard handle from Leroy Merlin. Turns out the rings are exactly the right distance apart for kitchen handles as a standard. It has been commented that, that nice piece of brushed stainless rod is the best bit of my set up! People can be cruel. Marv

Don’t know what to say.......... other than great job all round. Well deserved.

Welcome home. This forum will make your learning curve so much better. Love the photo, don’t be afraid to to ask questions no matter how trivial. Where in Greece are you? From a beginner to a beginner you have made the right choice for a first scope. What mount is it on? Marv

There is a whole load of us rooting for you. Other than my own observations I have never wanted someone else to succeed so much, good luck. Please let us know if you succeed. Marv ps the moon is amazing tonight from where I stand, so perhaps a night off from dso and look at that majestic wonder, so close and sometimes ignored.

On a technical level Johns post is spot on. So many variables, moon, light levels, pollution, seeing. Please keep trying, your reward will be worth it.