IB20

I’m looking at it now, it is simply staggering. Just wonderful. ☄️

Just in time for a break in the weather. Let’s see this ☄️ then.

A much lighter wallet. *quickly scarpers*

I recently purchased a 200p Skyliner and am delighted with it. I’ve added a telrad and have the full set of BST Starguiders. From the short time I’ve been able to use them they’ve really made a difference. Elevating it will really help and it’s something I’m looking into now. Along with a trolley platform so I can move it around my kitchen for indoor viewing of some lower targets. You’re going to love it! I was gobsmacked when I saw M57 for the first time.

Thanks to all the replies, none seem to think it’s a bad idea. I’ve decided to take a punt on them as they get good reviews for terrestrial viewing. Hopefully arrive for some good comet viewing later this week!

I managed 5 mins last night in tricky conditions with 3.2mm BST on the moon. Stunning views! I’m so looking forward for the opportunity to have a proper session when it’s higher in the sky.

I’d like to upgrade my naff 10x50 Celestrons I bought yonks ago with a pair with better optics. I have found 10x OK but there is a bit of wobble so thinking maybe reduce the weight and mag would help this? I was looking at these https://www.firstlightoptics.com/all-binoculars/helios-mistral-wp6-42mm-binoculars.html, probably the ED version if a decent improvement? I want them primarily for quick, wide field views of asterisms, easy doubles, constellations, meteor showers, coat hanger etc. Does anyone own a pair of these or should I try any other recommended pairs (similar budget +10%)? Thanks!

I have just fashioned up this for my 200p. It’s very scruffy but I’ll say it’s a prototype. Found it quite hard to keep the film completely flat but it worked and I got to see a complete white cue ball! ⚪️ The film flexes through air pressure when the lid and dust cap are taken on and off the scope so I’ll be extremely careful to triple check before each use. Doing this method means I have plenty of AstroSolar film from 1 x A4 sheet for replacing the filter however. Really don’t think you’d ever need the full aperture on this scope. Also the white mask is incredibly important as the lid will heat up extremely quickly without it!

@Dannomiss see above, as @ScouseSpaceCadet says it’s not overly rugged but aesthetically nice and houses them great with the pluck foam surround. Cheap as chips too. A great find from @Barry-W-Fenner. Apols for the tags!

😁 room for the 5mm too which is in the system. But yeah, it’s my fault for the clouds. 🙃

Nice one. Have just ordered too. 👍🏻

I added a telrad on my 200p, it made a huge difference in tandem with SkySafari, even for higher targets. I rarely use the finder scope now.

My new 15mm BST Starguider lens turned up last night for my 200p, so I thought I’d stay up for Jupiter and Saturn. Wow, I was not expecting it to tease out so much detail! Jupiter was stunning, clear orange banding and even the Great Red Spot which I’ve never seen before, breathtaking. Saturn was pin sharp too and looked incredible, occasionally through the turbulence I could make out the Cassini division. The stock EPs I had at 25mm & 10mm are ok but never got near revealing detail like this. So glad I took a punt and ordered all but the 3.2mm BST (no doubt I will eventually). Back out tonight hopefully!

So last night I had a bright, hazy but clear night to observe so I decided to focus on doubles! I only discovered a few days ago that the double double was actual a double double, rather than a single double, which kind of blew my head a bit. After checking my collimation with a 25mm and 10mm (stock EPs, I have new EPs on order...) on Arcturus, I swivelled straight round to my "home" constellation. People say Lyra is boring but I have a huge affinity for it; my 8" dob arrived just as Vega and M57 were dominating the views from my doorstep. I did check out M57 cos I always do, feels like my part piece, still ring like and visible two days before the solstice, what a beauty. I was determined to resolve the double double into a double double rather than the single double and using the stock 10mm EP (which I think is fairly average), I had success. Viewing was kind and in between turbulent wobbles I could make out two doubles, exhilarating but annoying that I hadn't paid as much attention before. I'm a bit of a careless viewer, I do things quickly and thus miss detail. I'm learning that patience in viewing is as important as locating, cooling equipment, lenses etc. Then ignoring what I've just written I switched on SkySafari double star observing list and I went on a spree of double hunting. I've never really been that into star viewing but last night I loved it. It was awesome. Albireo was absolutely stunning, real definition of colour. Then to my favourite constellation; zeta and delta lyrae beautiful colours. Next onto Omicron1 Cygni, just wow, stunning. Being a scientist I've always appreciated what the universe is, yet I've looked up for 30 years and never really appreciated its visual beauty before. On a roll now, next 16 cygni, quite hard to find then boom, but less impressive than the majestic colours I'd just seen. Why not try and find the blinking planetary nebula? Nothing, maybe too bright, maybe I'll save that for when my upgraded lenses and filters arrive?! Ha! Then to Al Fawaris; nope not a chance, maybe darker skies and better gear?? Now I'm all over the shop, back to my home constellation and Sheliak... stop. A double? a triple? a quadruple? Just majesty, incredible, it's made me love Lyra even more, I'm team definitely team Lyra. Then I can see Altair and still using Skysafari I find Alya. Again, I'm amazed at how beautiful it is. Next onto Raselgethi, again just wow. It really is impressive. Getting later now, and Cepheus is showing up, even after all this viewing, observing delta cephei still made me smug, it looked fantastic. As it was near the elephant trunk nebula, I wondered if I could see it, but alas far too light for such viewing. Yet I did stumble upon the Garnet Star it looked sensational. I've viewed it more than once but it really took my breath away last night. I thought my moments of wow would be DSOs, but star viewing has really impressed and I'm looking forward to splitting trickier doubles than what I've described. Just hurry up FLO with the eyepieces!! Who said summer viewing wasn't any good??! #teamLyra

So last night I grabbed an hour or so window to view low hanging Jupiter and Saturn. I decided to pack up about 2:30am and started to break my equipment down. I’m not exaggerating here, I can’t have turned my back for more than 1 or 2 minutes but when I turned around to give them one last look, fog had completely closed in and the whole sky had taken on a strange orange glow. It was so, so strange and quite eerie. I’ve never seen anything like it before. At first I assumed something was on fire close by but there was no smell and no incoming sirens. I then spent another 30 mins looking at this spooky, orange, hazy fog. Anybody have any ideas what on Earth it could be?

I have found hercules cluster M13 and ring nebula very easy to locate and view in hazy May night skies, M5 has been a bit trickier but I saw it one night and it blew my socks off, defo my favourite so far!

Is autostakkert “better” to use than registax?

Processed through GIMP as B&W image.

Had my 200p Skywatcher Dob for all of 2-3 weeks and I was slightly struggling with the straight 9x50 finder scope. Despite still being relatively supple at the grand age of 40, it wasn't comfortable locating objects that were slightly higher in the sky or in busier areas. So the decision to aid my object location was right angled finder scope, rigel quikfinder or telrad. After reading the odd comparison review thread (again on this site, becoming quite invaluable!) I decided to purchase the telrad from FLO. After a very easy alignment and installation with the foam tape (yes I went in straight away 😬), I can honestly say it's made finding objects incredibly easy, coupled with skysafari+ it's taking me seconds to locate stuff, I'm delighted. I rarely use the finder scope now but like the aesthetics so will keep it; I may replace it with a RACI if my back goes...

Managed to take this early yesterday evening with an 8” skyliner, standard 25mm EP and iPhone 11.

Hello all, Are colour (planetary), light pollution and lunar filters any cop? Do they make a difference? Are cheap ones a complete no-no and if so, what would more experienced observers recommend? This is with an 8" dob with maybe the odd botched iphone image. Thanks

Thank you! I have the solid tube and luckily the wife agreed (with bribes) to me keeping it in a cupboard. The ground sheet is a great idea and yes, the 90° spotting scope is on the "to purchase" list, but I have been impressed by the straight spotting scope, much better than my naff 10x50 binos and may even use it as a monocular when I get a replacement. I'm kinda wondering if I could have pushed it to the 10" now... ­

Hello all! Just a quick hi and thanks as my 8” skywatcher dob turned up on Monday. I chose to purchase this on the back of information I got from this site from FLO (who seem great btw). It is big but I’m very happy I picked this over the 6” (footprint probably not much bigger mind!). Incredibly easy to set up and I’ve used it both Monday and last night in ok viewing conditions. In two short nights, I’ve seen so many double stars, variable stars, open clusters, 3 globular clusters and a planetary nebula (something I have never seen before, despite having an interest in astronomy for a long time). My only problem now is that I used to navigate by high mag stars with my old scope and binos but it’s difficult now as I can see too many. 😂 I’ve already bought an upgrade to the lenses too, again info that I got from this site so yes this is where all my covid refund money is going right now! Cheers again!