ScouseSpaceCadet

I have Opticron Adventurer T WP 10x50s and v. happy with them: https://www.opticron.co.uk/our-products/binoculars/adventurer-t-wp-binoculars/adventurer-t-wp-10x50. and I'm also happy with my Oregon Observation 15x70s but use them with a monopod or tripod: https://www.opticron.co.uk/our-products/binoculars/observation-binoculars/oregon-observation-15x70 You may wish to consider downsizing to 8x42. These are 170g lighter than the 10x50s and shorter in length, so shakes are reduced significantly. https://www.opticron.co.uk/our-products/binoculars/adventurer-t-wp-binoculars/adventurer-t-wp-8x42

Being a Sky at Night fanboy I'm not one to complain but as an end of year finale I found last night's episode somewhat lacking. Streaming services are chocca with Multiverse documentaries and I don't think the team brought anything new to the table. More amateur astronomy please lads and lasses.

'Payload Capacity: 10kg Total Payload, 6kg Total Side Payload.'. Definitely interesting. Although they are still using the same naff saddle clamps. I've tried an L-bracket mounted small Mak on the current AZGTI. Functional but a little bouncy! Is that also a new beefy extension tube in the pics or just for show? Hopefully manufacturing hiccups have been sorted for this version and two returns won't be required to get a good one. 🙄 Edit: I answered my own question about the 'beefy' extension tube. Included in the kit is a shorter and wider tube than the original separately purchased tube. A nice addition.

One of those, "I should have set up the telescope" nights here. Contrary to the forecast, seeing is OK despite the 85% waning gibbous moon contributing to the light pollution. Still, I wasn't ready for bed and the wind had dropped sufficiently to consider sitting out in my observing corner with the Opticron 10x50s. Keeping to a chunk of sky between Aries and Lunar picking out the Orion Nebula, rather lack lustre Auriga clusters, Pleaides, & Hyades which always shows quite well in the binoculars despite the light pollution. Mars was, well round and pink... I was quite pleased to triangulate the position of Uranus using the stars Botein and Epsilon Arietis. The planet was very faint but definitely there! Toward the end of the session I deviated from my chosen area of sky to check out M31 and was rather surprised to see a slight elongated shape rather than just a bright round splodge of core. Finally I finished on Lunar. Quite the wonderful sight in binoculars. Observing several of the larger 'old familiars' along the terminator. A nice hour out. Very peaceful in between cars and scallies using up their remaining fireworks!

A 102mm f7 refractor, mount, tripod and accessories are more awkward to carry than you might think... However for their size, they are amazing instruments under dark skies especially. More aperture allows one to go deeper but these 4" scopes show you enough to keep you busy for a long time. If you want to shave several hundred quid off the cost but get going with a quality refractor: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/starfield-telescopes/starfield-102mm-f7-ed-doublet-refractor.html £899 https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-az4-alt-az-mount.html £198 https://www.firstlightoptics.com/diagonals/SWdiagonal-20967.html £89 Zooms are like Marmite. I don't like them so.. BST Starguider 5,8,15 and 25mm eyepieces £220. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html https://www.firstlightoptics.com/finders/astro-essentials-deluxe-red-dot-finder.html £49. The lot will fit into this bag you can sling over your shoulder. Assuming you are relatively fit the weight (around 15kg) will be just about manageable for a short walk. Throw in some more padding for extra security: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescope-bags-cases-storage/oklop-padded-bag-for-small-telescopes.html £55 If you envisage two people carrying the kit then pick up separate bags to share the load. Everyone needs a starter book: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/turn-left-at-orion-book.html £23 £1533 inc. VAT. Plus Brucie Bonus red light head torches - £18.99 for two. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vekkia-Flashlight-Headlight-Adjustable-Resistant/dp/B08YYBP86N

It is... and a smoke particulate haze until very late around here probably... 🙄

Not the postman directly... a little birthday gift from my kids...

Not a case.. definitely an Oklop Bag for Small Telescopes... Various cables, notepads, a compass, spirit level, hand warmers, monopod/trigger grip, spare diagonal, USB dew band, RACI finders, RDF, batteries, pencils, sky atlas, etc etc... If going to a star camp and I pack it all nicely in one side, the bag will also fit an AZ5 and steel tripod.

I set up the Celestron AVX mount on my observing area at 5pm straight after work, came in for tea, then went to bed. Rising at 11pm after a coffee around midnight off I popped outside to a dew soaked garden and obvious dense atmospheric moisture which around these parts also has the effect of intensifying the city light pollution, thus brightening the sky. Sod that I thought. Instead I quickly dismantled the mount and chucked out the AZ5 & Altair Ascent 102ED outside the conservatory door. Mars was terrible, like it had been dropped into a glass of water! So I had a slow tour of the brighter dsos; the Auriga clusters, Pleiades, Hyades, the Orion Nebula and back in for a hot chocolate. By approx. 0330 the temperature started to drop and seeing improved enough as Mars crossed the meridian to observe the same Martian features as IB20 and Pixies. I sat back for a while just taking in the dubious delights of a naked eye urban sky and was actually rewarded with a nice meteor. Starting to feel the cold, I finished off with Sirius the Scintillating Blue Kaleidoscope of Wonder. No pup for me. 🙄

Although the sky is "clear", humidity is very high here. Observing Mars is literally like looking through water... Added to that, the water droplets accentuate the light pollution so the sky is very bright. I've consoled myself with this season's first look at Orion. That's one target that never fails to impress. I'm just having a warm and going back out for a bit.

Examples - Low to mid power for those deep sky objects requiring a wider field of view like open clusters. Mid to increasingly high power for splitting double stars, darkening a bright background sky and resolvng the likes of globular clusters, planetary obervation for instance a Jovian moon shadow transit can benefit from those higher powers around 180x. 200x+ (with the barlow mentioned below) on a good night and a lunar cratelet feels just beyond your reach. Having incremental steps also helps maintain the optimum view dependent on seeing conditions. i.e. on a night with good seeing and transparency I'll pop in a 4mm for Jupiter @ 179x. If the conditions are not conducent then maybe the 6mm @ 119x will provide a better view. At lower powers the steps become less tight. So my eyepieces are 4/5/6/7/8/9/12/16/24(and a 30mm plossl that gives around the same fov as the 24mm but is very much lighter in weight and doesn't upset balance depending on what mount I'm using) plus a quality 2x barlow when conditions allow and I feel 200+ would benefit.

The forecast across three apps tell me Liverpool will be cloud free all night starting from between 11:00pm to midnight. Therefore I shall be havin' a kip early, setting the alarm for around 10.30pm and erecting the AVX for a good session because tomorrow I have annual leave. Whoop! Good luck all. 🧐😀

I own a 102/714 refractor so my answer is as above plus splitting doubles. Also certain deep sky objects do benefit from higher mags under urban light pollution. M57 for instance.

Similar threads every year result in the same, (sometimes ferocious!) debate you read here. Personally if I had £100 or so and was buying a child relative a first telescope I'd look around for a used Heritage 130-150p newtonian and be on hand to help them out. If I was in your position I'd buy a https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/sky-watcher-mercury-707-az-telescope.html. The best option though, to avoid trying to decipher an answer from the debate these questions invariably cause, would be to email First Light Optics explaining your budget, child's age etc and ask for advice. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/contact.html

I don't know... $24.95 for the book and... $16.66 postage!

Mine was delivered quite recently for £39.21 from Sky Publishing... At the time of purchase the Paypal exchange rate was rubbish at £1.00/$1.04. (Thanks KK and LT 👊).

The Vixen SLV 4/5/6mm I have for primarily (but not exclusively) planetary use paired with my refractor are quite superb. Having gone through various low to low-mid range eyepieces leading up to their purchase, I've no qualms about recommending them, especially if you're lucky enough to find them used. The increased clarity over my previous purchases was immediately obvious at first use. I've tried much more expensive eyepieces since and was not convinced they improved the view enough to justify the £100s extra outlay.

Very nice Paul. They're not a well known brand or particularly swanky looking, but they are really comfy for those of us with huge craniums and work really well. Some of the red light torches people use at camps are ridiculously bright and unnecessary. Also this brand is dirt cheap so no biggie if they get lost...

You found a great way to keep a log of your observations that suits you. Keep it up and good luck with the sketching. Being talentless (and probably a little impatient and a tad lazy), I look on in awe at some of the great sketching people do.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Torch-Headlamp-Headlamps-Adjustable-Resistant-Batteries/dp/B019MK6DX6 Cheap and cheerful. Independent red and white light switches. Lightweight and plenty bright for astronomy. Mine's two years old, has been camping with me half a dozen times since purchase and is used for back garden astronomy every session.

Undoubtedly these relatively cheap Maks have great optics for the price.The narrow field of view does restrict one's choice of targets though and a pointer alone is not enough if exploring beyond the solar system. An optical finder is necessary. I've owned a 102mm and own a 127mm. My first travel kit was a 102mm Mak but I sold that eventually because I found I used my binoculars a lot more when away. Eventually adding to 10x50s, some 15x70s and a monopod. The monopod takes some practice but once used to it, the monopod is comfortable to use and hold the view steady. Although not ideal for sharing with others.

Not knowing what your budget is I'll assume you don't want to spend much. An 80-102mm f-5-f6 achromatic refractor will do the job. I'll also assume on hols you will not be too bothered about solar system observation considering the darker skies are the astronomical equivalent to having the keys to a sweet shop. Chromatic abberation is not really an issue when using these scopes for widefield observing. The Startravels come up regularly for sale and relatively speaking, cheap as chips. Something like a Startravel 102 and an AZ4 mount will keep you entertained all night at a dark site and will still be cheaper than a new Apo/ED refractor ota alone.

I feel for you Alan. Similar happened to me a few weeks ago and I nearly had a heart attack! Lucky the telescope somehow escaped unscathed and a snapped in two RACI finder is as good as new after a being glued back together. Sorry for your loss. ☹️

I've had the 7mm and 16mm a couple of years. The 7mm being my go to lunar eyepiece and the 16mm is great for widefield. Showing its worth at Astrocamp, although to be fair, a 17mm Nagler did beat the 16mm slightly on brightness and star colour rendition but so it should, considering the price difference! The 10mm and 13mm are on my radar but I'm waiting for you first adopters to do reviews... Enjoy testing them. 😀

Cheap, keeps things dry and orange. A triple win! 😀