IB20

First time I’ve really looked at the bumps and mountains from the lunar limb as they eat into the solar disc. Stunning!

Yay! Getting lucky for once… 😃😃

Be interested if you can focus in your current set-up, click lock etc. May revisit the range if you have success.

Excellent image of Mare Crisium; nice capture of the three pyramids too.

I’m dropping £1800 a year on petrol, my mortgage could be up by £400 a month next renewal. I think the Pentaxes, TOEs, Morphei and Delites of the world are actually incredible value. That’s not to say the BSTs and cheaper ranges aren’t, it’s actually amazing what’s currently available in EP ranges. I certainly think there is a difference, I’ve compared my BSTs to the XWs and TOEs, I can tell but the BSTs are awesome EPs too. Is it worth the difference in cost? To me it is, even for these small margins. I can totally understand why others may not agree though.

Excellent EPs. 👍🏻👍🏻

It’s the only non-regular thermal aberration I have ever seen in this particular scope though. No other eyepiece I own has ever shown similar. The XWs don’t seem to show it and they are only 6° smaller than the Morpheus.

I have noticed some form of aberration (I’d say it would probably fit under the astigmatism description) in the 17.5mm Morpheus when paired with my 3” refractor but it was after <10 minutes acclimation and soon disappeared when the OTA was better cooled.

Sharpest views at 81x in the 7XW. Some nice detail visible in the SEB at 114x but cloud coverage thickened quickly after the shadow crept onto Jupiter’s face.

Conditions not great, slight breeze and a lot of moisture in the air. On the other hand though there’s a thin hazy cloud cover which is dampening some of the brightness helping to show detail in the Equatorial belts.

Another Io shadow transit is just about to begin.

The 17.5mm Morpheus is a beaut. Works amazingly well in my 3” frac & 200P. A certain +1.

0.53mm 😅😅

One of these? It would be good to know what to get if it happened again. I was thinking about clicklocking eventually too. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/baader-m48-extension-tube-75mm.html

You’re dead right, I did have to pull it up slightly to focus. That set my OCD off though and it was one of a few reasons I got rid; eye relief mechanism was another. It was a fantastic EP though but I think the XWs are better.

Yes I use the Tak prism too. I have used Ultimas, Orions, BGOs, BCOs, XWs, Morphei, NPLs, BSTs, VT orthos, Starbase Orthos and TOEs. They all come to focus, the only EP that didn’t was the Delites… 🤷🏼

I had you down as an ortho man!

Wow, that’s great to know. Don’t get me wrong I know it’s the Tak that’s at fault here but every other eyepiece I have comes to focus in this configuration. So what gives?

Well I was thinking more Nagler/Deloses even the Radians but not the Apollo 😅

That’s a very nice looking EP. Is it 2” only? I want to try some more Televue gear as enjoyed the Delite, I felt I had to sell it when it didn’t come to focus in the 76DC though. Bit worried other ranges will yield a similar result.

What is the best eyepiece you’ve looked through? I don’t have many years in the eyepiece game but have quite a nice selection at the minute and have tried some of the classics. I’m sure for most, myself included, it will depend on scope and target but I’m thinking overall in your collections or experiences. For me, each time I use the Takahashi TOE 4mm it never fails to impress me. Every session I enjoy using it more and more. I find it so comfortable to look through even for very long periods, the eye relief is perfect for me and the views are just the best I have ever had, particularly on the planets which are my main interest. The views always seem to be larger than its stated 52° too. It’s super light, compact and very aesthetically pleasing, it even has its own blue box for the collectors out there… 😉. So what’s the eyepiece you would let go last or maybe even want back in your collection after letting it go?

I like this description of them and it’s a fantastic image. The three pyramids! https://www.cloudynights.com/gallery/image/158894-mare-crisium-pyramids/

Yes globular clusters look great in the 200P. M5 and M13 in particular, M5 is one of my favourite all time objects. Planetary nebula in this scope work really nice too. M57 is a doddle to find.

Correct @Stu, those are the features that really caught my eye last night. I looked at SkySafari but it has an overwhelming amount of information on the moon, it doesn’t tend to represent the terminator in real time quite as accurately either. Can’t find anything on the three little domes.

I thought about getting the Nagler zoom but when I’ve used zoom lenses in the past I fiddle around with the zoom too much and spend no time observing. With FL EPs I plonk it in and spend a good 20-30 mins just observing with no faff. The 4mm TOE for me is perfection. If there were 5 & 6mm TOEs I would buy them in a heartbeat.