Nicola Hannah Butterfield

Mind you it has been pretty much like that since August here, bar the odd gap when I couldn't do anything anyway.

Because it is such a ride. Since I bought my ZWO, I haven't had clear skies or opportunity.

When I was living on Skye, I saw two amazing meteors, one a fireball that travelled E-W sometime about midnight, (not sure exactly as my work finished at different times), lit up the entire area for what seemed like several seconds, the other one exploded in the atmosphere approximately the size of the full moon. This is some 20 years ago, I haven't seen anything as bright since.

Never forget to wonder at the cosmos, so much we have to learn.

Does that include new bolts, never mind yes I know, it does.

Someone better able than me might hopefully explain to us both why, but I think it has to do with the meridian being so close that the software can't totally align the mount due north. dust my eye pieces off, they are only kit e.p. and living in a bortle 7 not the best combination, the Dark Star I had and those lenses everything I saw visually was wow, that was in Stockport in the 90's , D.S 10" I can't remember its focal length, I think this link it quotes 1,800mm which seems about right as i remember it being as tall as me, and I am 6ft, and the 10" just made it seemed like a canon (though not as heavy) in the old wooden wall ships of the line. Optics were amazing, once I found an object, (the following were viewed from Huddersfield circa 93-94) did see Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 impact remains with it, and Saturn and m13, tried to find M57 with it to no a vale. Then had to move sell stuff, family ect and only this really had the money to buy a cheap scope hoping to match those days, I can get better at the a.p. side, visually the scope isn't anything like the D.S.

My first real telescope, and boy/boi/gurl/girl best views I ever has of the dark skies at the time.

Same her from now to march, as mount will be fixed after being out for two weeks, not that you use a scope for the grandeur of Orion just need to see it. Just a visual aspect, as things on the horizon have a relevant reference point. Take a coin distance it so it covers the full moon at moon rise, do it again at midnight same distance for the coin and it's the same, you might need a really small coin though.

@F15RulesCould you not just be polar aligned and at home position disengage the clutches and rotate the scope manually, then return to home or am I missing something. @Jiggy 67I haven't done much visual astronomy since the early 90's apart from binocular views, I remember splitting the easy Albireo pair in my 10" Dark Star dob, and going wow, might do some more after reading your report though, once I have a few things sorted.

I would say consider the mount first, NEQ5 or EQ6, I have the EQ5 I got with a package I got cheap on eBay back in Jan, the mount had some damage, I think it had been dropped at some point, got it and a SW 200P for £150, played with that till I saved for the NEQ6 a few months later, and they are worlds apart in terms of stability, build from the ground up I believe the saying goes, NEQ5 for a little more portability. That said I learnt a little about stacking using very short exposures, 1/4's on the static EQ5 mount, and as @vlaivsays you want to keep getting better overcoming one obstacle at a time.

I will try next spring, if I remember. I am still getting my head around some hard wear things. I got a bit peeved off at having to have subs less than 30's at some points, back in the early summer and then well the cloud since the dawn of time, and a little mechanical during the recent clearer spell, you watch once back up and running cloud will be till Feb.

Maybe not in my case though.

I managed IC 4285 back in the spring when I first started at a Distance of 1,023 M light years, this as far as I know is the furthest smudge of light I have ever recorded, you know that wow factor when you see Saturn the first time, well when processed the image it was like that. When I explain to people how far it is, I have to explain that in the entirety of our solar system's life there would have only been time for 2 radio messages between that galaxy and our own solar system, that is 2 each way, then I generally find I have to explain the speed of light and radio wave's ect..... If this is not the sort of thing this post is about ignore the above.

I think so.

@RSharpyHope you both enjoy learning together.

@BrendanCI don't think colour would matter too much, though I would personally go white., what thickness though 3 or 5mm.

@Joe84you have also managed to capture the Lunar X and V, which has really only been visible twice this year during the hours of darkness from the UK So it does seem more a thermal or air quality issue than equipment. T slight C.A. is likely to be from the barlow.

@Astrid I managed this on an unguided 200P with a Canon 6D in January, before I got my new mount. It is a bit noisy, but I was using a high ISO and short exposures, so never say never. Have fun learning.

As @Adam Jsaid the skywatcher pds range are not bad, basically the same as my p version but more suited to photography, and yes air quality is very important to sharper images. There will be a half moon tonight virtually due south about 18:00, but if you can try mid week the moon will be higher, but later so the air may have had more time to settle, the thing is you never know till the day.

found this really wobbly with my 200P scope, the NEQ6 mount is far better than any image stabilization on camera or phone lenses. there is a rule of thumb in photography (not trying to draw a comparison with AP), but a stable mount always gives a better image, so in this respect a dob is the best

Seriously, it really is only audible within a small distance, try slewing from one side of the sky to the other nip inside, see if you can hear it.

Anything from a Eq6 up is probably intended towards a permanent mount, as they are not things you want to set up every day, and once set up the goto functions work well.

Worked for me

Probably why I got a good 5 min track.

This is what hooks many. I viewed Jupiter through my Skywatcher 200p with both the 25mm 10mm and barlow 2x all kit lenses (I mainly do A.P. these days), but had a few mechanicals this week, and it was an opportunity to show the lady I care for both of these planets, as the scope angle was at an angle her disability allowed her to view for a few moments. I digress, but we could see the clouds on Jupiter, and the rings of Saturn, but as both are low on our horizon I guess as good as could be, also in a bortle 7 sky, but this doesn't have much influence on the brighter objects. Once the steep learning curve is somewhat overcome things will get a little easier.