IB20

Last night I spotted an opportunity to try and split Antares as it had drifted between two houses. Whilst setting up and finding bright Antares I stumbled on what looked like a three star system at nearly a right angle. Upping the mag with 4mm TOE @ 143x, I was pleased to see a lovely binary star at the middle and brightest of the three stars. After a search of SkySafari and Google I came across a sketch from an observer on CN, which was exactly what I’d observed. Turns out it was Rho Ophiuchi, which is a very much a favourite region for the imagers. It’s a cracking double at 2.9” separation and not one easily accessible from my latitude and time of year, but if you get the opportunity I very much recommend a look! Credited CN member sketch below:

So last night I had a go at splitting Antares which required the tripod to be extended and the scope fairly horizontal. Being short, the 5XW and the 2x barlow in combination meant I couldn’t actually reach the EP. 😳 Being a horses for courses I’m going to have to get both the 3.5XW and the 3.3 TOE aren’t I? 😝

Yeah a big old spider, think I’d prefer the psychopath! At times it felt like Australia was just a lot of creatures that were trying to kill me.

I can’t help you with that. The Pentax 5XW pretty much lives in my diagonal. It’s the best eyepiece I’ve ever used. 😃The 7 & 10 are equally as good too. Look on the bright side, they’re “only” £279 currently…

Was using the 4mm TOE and 5mm XW last night on Zeta Herc and other doubles. Got some views of the companion in Zeta Herc with both but by far the best was a barlowed 5XW. The seeing wasn’t upto it for barlowing the TOE but I found viewing through the barlowed TOE wasn’t as easy as without, where the XW it was a doddle. I think I prefer the colouration of the XW too which seem more vivid, the TOE is more clinical and “icier” but I will say it controls light scatter a bit better. I absolutely love the XWs, I think next purchase is the 3.5 rather than the 3.3 TOE but I really want to get them on the Jupiter and Saturn which may give a different result!

Absolutely stunning. I’ve been to Undara in QLD, it’s pretty much what I remembered. The trip was sullied though by having a massive Huntsman drop in our camper van at some point in road trip.

A brightish night of doubles tonight, will write up a report tomorrow but the highlight was observing Zeta Herc’s companion (elongation no split) with the Tak 76DC and 2x barlowed Pentax 5XW. Extremely satisfying result!

Neither. Get a Tak 76DC 😃.

Looks ace that. Hopefully stays clear tonight, enjoy!

Been after one of these for a while. My first cautious ABS purchase too. Needn’t have worried though as think I unwittingly purchased from a SGLer. Superbly packaged, can’t wait to give it a go. Sun’s out too! 😃

Seeing is good at times but transparency a bit poor. Still, first views of this huge AR3014 were stunning. There is so much detail on show, particularly in the top right section, where there are two large umbral regions next to each other. There’s also a really interesting double horseshoe archipelago of small sunspots in AR3017 too. Got some fab views with the TOE 4mm at 142x; think the seeing would’ve allowed the 3.3mm. All about early morning starts. 😃

PSTs are back. 🤸🏼‍♂️ Think now is the time I acquired a little Ha scope.

Blimey, this is perfect. Thanks Jeremy!

If it helps to lessen the masness I absolutely love your old 5XW. It’s one of my most used EPs. 👍🏻

Can any SGLers recommend a good resource for a list of observable Algol variables or eclipsing binaries?

Have really struggled with a wedge and the Tak 76DCU, the light path is too long. It has worked in my Starbase though, but the high mags with a GPC with 15mm meant the image was very soft. I need to get some 30mms to try.

Yep, have just this minute managed to get some time to observe WL solar. The heat output from my patio and surrounding surfaces is pretty intense and made the local viewing quite poor and turbulent. My experiences of best seeing is usually earlier in the morning, sometime in the evenings I still suffer with some high heat transfer. Similarly if it’s ever sunny in late autumn and winter, these can be good times to observe. I do make more of an effort to place my tripod on turf when I observe these days, both day and night. I struggle with the dob though as my garden isn’t very level. Pity really, as it’s the larger tubes that struggle the worst from this effect.

Seeing isn’t great right now and some wispy cloud about; it’s warming up quickly too and a lot of heat radiating from most surfaces. Still some lovely views though between 57-81x, faculae popping all over the solar face. AR3011 on the NW limb looks extremely interesting, look forward to its rotation onto the front.

Really enjoy any planetary nebulae, especially ones that show slight colouration, blue snowball etc. Similarly love viewing giant red carbon stars, they are they most stunning coloured objects in the night sky. Lastly, have a soft spot for globular clusters as M5 was one of the first objects I saw through my dob. Being able to resolve individual stars and see the depth of the clusters is mesmerising.

Early session today as clear blue skies. Seeing seemed good to excellent at times; used the 4mm TOE at 142x surprisingly easily. Wonderful striations showing in the huge 3004 region penumbra, the clearest I’ve seen. Lots going on in the small accompanying archipelago region. Couple of iPhone grabs attached for documentation. This solar maximum still providing plenty. 😃

I quite like seeing satellites bomb through the eyepiece. I imagine they must be infuriating for imagers though.

Something that has only just started annoying me - it’s pollen! 😡

The 10mm BCO. It’s the best value for money to performance eyepiece on the market. It barlows superbly too. edit - sorry have just seen you’ve found it. Still, the 10mm BCO is a fantastic EP…

Consider my interest piqued. I’ll be spamming the refresh in the ‘for sale’ thread.

Handheld single iPhone 11 image of WL solar disc captured on 1st April. Equipment used Tak 76DCU, Pentax 10XW and baader continuum filter. Captured on Halide app as RAW image and processed in Adobe Lightroom.