Ciaran Meier

Yep, I've been spending a lot more time on the doubles lately, and enjoying it. Was out a few nights ago with a recently "de-mothballed" refractor. Bresser Messier 102mm supplied with an EQ5 mount which was bought in a local Lidl store about 15 years ago. Loads of CA on Venus etc but a cracker on doubles. Quick setup too. Took me a while to come to terms with the different viewing arrangement but really enjoying it now. Cheers all and let's hope we're over the worst soon. Ciaran.

Cheers. Quick google search on "wobbly stack" returned some very interesting threads here on SGL. Have to say it's a new concept to me.

Hi JTB I rinced the mirror with a little distilled water. Held the mirror up to drain off the excess water that pooled in the concave hollow. Then gently with the corner of a lint free cloth I flicked away the remaining water working from the centre of the mirror to the edge. Then with a fresh piece of same material I gently dried the mirror working in a circular motion from the centre outwards. Will take a while so be patient. If the mirror is really bad and has actual gunk on the glass then a bit of washing up liquid may be needed. My advice would be not to apply it directly from the bottle but dilute it first and apply with a bit of cotton wool. Then rince and dry as above. As for cleaning the tube I'd advise removing all the optics and give it a good clean with warm water. Don't be tempted to scrape the inside of the tube as it's probably coated with a black non reflective paint that mustn't be damaged. All the best Ciaran.

The other half does a bit of sewing (quite a bit actually) and I'm pretty certain she's got some heavy duty canvas fabric tucked away somewhere. If I"m well behaved I could convince her to put together a decent sized tailored light proof shroud. Perhaps incorporate a bit of ventilation as well. I'll drop a wee hint tomorrow 😀. Cheers and keep safe Ciaran.

I've a Bresser Messier 102mm refractor which has been mothballed for over a decade. Decided for no real reason to get reacquainted with the scope and compare it with the 8" newt which replaced it. Bit of a horlix to be honest. I couldn't get my head around the mirrored AND rotated image I was seeing in the EP. With the newt it's all second nature, star hopping through rarefied low mag starfields to get onto even fainter DSO's. Tonight with the Bresser I couldn't even differentiate Castor from Pollux !!! Anyhow, kept at it and enjoyed the scope. The optics seem very good and was really nice splitting a few doubles. Castor was really nice, AB, C and D no problem. Capella nice as well. A few in Auriga too, STF764 and 653. Was nice also to be sitting at the EP, more relaxing and less "work". I think I'll bring it out of retirement after all. Hang in there folks. Ciaran.

If there're all regularly bad my first suspicion would be collimation. Get onto a close double and see how you do. Also, give the scope plenty of time to cool down. Get it set-up at least a few hours before the session starts, that can really make a big difference in image quality. Does your aspect cause you to observe over the top of neighbouring rooftops ? They'll be cooling down and introducing quite a bit of thermal agitation into your immediate environment. (Even on cold days) . Ciaran.

That's a nice list there. Just back in myself from a doubles hunt in Auriga. Always a good option on mooney nights. Like your drawings, nice addition to the obs log. Ciaran.

Oh wow, what an introductory paragraph !! Really nice to hear the myths and beliefs of other cultures. One World Astronomy right here on SGL.

Nice report there Dr Strange 😀. Read a bit of Robert Heinlein many years ago. Literary folk tend to look down on us sci-fi fans but reading good science fiction can lead one to question the "norm". It causes us to look for another perspective on what we are given ( told ) to believe. What are you reading at the moment ? All the Best and keep safe. Ciaran.

I see three galaxies so I'm guessing it's the Triplet . Great shot.

Nipped out for a quick look with the 15x70s. Beautiful. Quick snap with the phone.

This one perchance ? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mobile-Phone-Camera-Adapter-Smartphone-Capturer-Telescope-Clip-Mount-Univeral/233453131852?hash=item365ae4184c:g:CK4AAOSwIHpeDatP

Cheers. Got it. Searched S571 (tried South 571 earlier) and up it popped from the Bright DS catalogue. It's listed in the WDS catalogue too. Checked it on the star map and turns out it's one I've noted before. It really stands out lovely in the big bins. Tempted ?😉 Ciaran.

What catalogue is this from ? I'm using DSO planner and its not listed. DSO planner has got all the main star catalogues and a few pretty obscure ones too. South 571 looks like it's worth tracking down.

Yep, bodged a DIY monopod from an extendable window cleaner and a retired camera mount. It ain't no manfrotto but it works a treat. The first time I had the 15x70's on the Beehive it just took my breath away. I've an 8" newt but the view through this doesn't compare with the bins. The bins are the Helios Stellar II from Flo, I'd say they're great value for money and probably not far optically from a set of Apollo.

Nice one. Love the Beehive with the 15x70's.

Didn't notice. Put it down to senility 😀.

Cheers. My 12mm gives me 100x, half the 200mm diameter.

The forecast has certainly been hit and miss lately. The usually quite accurate Met Office forecast has been somewhat unreliable. However, as you mention, seeing is good. Last night I thought the same. Nice session and sounds like you got the most from that 130 refractor.

Hi Russ I've a set of Stellar II 15x70's and they're great. Optics seem superb to me and they are light enough to hand hold for a short while. The image brightness they produce is excellent and give great views even from heavily light polluted skies. First time I had them on the Beehive Cluster from a dark site it took my breath away, absolutely beautiful. I was considering buying the Apollo but opted for these instead. No regrets. Ciaran.

Wow, awesome !!!

Had a quick scan at the doubles list, alpha Cvn is a tight one for the bins at 17". Hopefully get a clear patch tonight to give it a go !!!

That list of mine might not be the best for colour contrast. Was more about the challenge of finding them. STTA80 was really nice though, going to get the scope on this next session. Ciaran. Here's a list of general targets I've been building this last few years. There's a few doubles listed on it which would probably be the the showcase examples. Astro Targets V12.pdf

2 mm approx.

Hi Neil I have an Orion Optics 8 inch newt. I had the main mirror out recently for a clean so needed collimation after. I just collimate by visually lining up the mirriors using an old 35mm film canister with a small hole punched through the centre. Results seem good on close doubles and there's a nice uniform airy disc.