Mr Spock

Hi, welcome to SGL

If people stop using a word to mean something different to it's original meaning there isn't an issue

Hi Ron, welcome to SGL

Hi, welcome to SGL

f7 is faster than f10. Don't confuse the speed of an optical system with it's ability to put photons on a sensor - that process was explained earlier in the thread. Speed has only one meaning - no need to be more specific than that.

Hi Chris, welcome to SGL

Hi, welcome to SGL

Excellent set of objects. Very well presented too.

Hi Alison, welcome to SGL

Hi Beth, welcome to SGL

I can't see the Veil from my location - too much LP. A couple of years ago at a star party, I had a look through someone's 100mm scope, low power, with a filter. It was a mesmerising sight; so clear and full of detail. Dark skies are the way to go. Aperture can't make up for LP.

Hi, welcome to SGL

When red stars expand their light shifts into the infrared. This is why Mira type stars vary so much in brightness.

Hi, welcome to SGL

Hi Bryan, welcome to SGL

Hi, welcome to SGL

I used to have a 250mm fl 1200 Newt. My experience of various eyepieces was this: 42mm LVW (72°). Background too light; also, the shadow of the secondary could be seen - very disconcerting. 22mm T4 Nagler. With a coma corrector, it doesn't get much better than this. For most deep sky objects, however, I favoured a 13mm LVW (65°). It gave just the right combination of magnification, object surface brightness and sky darkening. A 250mm Newt is never going to be true wide field due to its size, but, with a good 30mm eyepiece you are going to be at about the best it can do.

Hi Norbert, welcome to SGL I'me not familiar with that mount but if you ask a question in the mount discussion forum https://stargazerslounge.com/forum/125-discussions-mounts/ I'm sure somebody will be able to help.

At that size, for high powered viewing, a Mak takes some beating. As long as you are comfortable with the possibly extended cool down period (depending on where you store it).

Hi, Welcome to SGL For the finder, aim the scope at something distant in daylight. Then adjust the three screws on the finder until the object the main scope is looking at is centred in the finder. Are you using the tripod as it looks there? If so the legs aren't fully spread. They need to be wide to give stability.

Hi Tom, welcome to SGL

Nice pics. Nice looking scope too.

I've found twilight to be the best time. Sometimes daylight is good too. Just after the sun drops below the houses here is perfect. As long as you know where to look the it's an easy to see object against a brightish sky.

Hi Peter, welcome to SGL

SCTs don't have tight stars like refractors, but they work just fine. My C9.25 makes 0.7" look easy and well separated. Use a power suitable for the target. Stars look better at lower powers, but, sometimes for tight doubles you have to push it a bit more than normal. I sometimes use a 6mm eyepiece which gives x392. As long as the seeing is reasonable, otherwise you'll just see fuzzy blobs.