PeterW

Interesting. I achieved something similar using stickyback foam that I stuck to a bit of thin card. The card gives stiffness and can grip onto the thread of the filter. The foam diameter is a little big so it can grip the rubber eyecup…. My first ones had a habit of falling out when observing at high elevations, needed to be a little larger. I find that you also need to make sure you block all straylight around your eyepieces as it can really affect the view when you are using strong filters. Peter

I was slightly surprised recently to find Microglobe have a physical shop in central London, https://www.microglobe.co.uk 3 Galen Place (off Bury Place) London WC1A 2JR Not open Sunday. I’ve not visited (not been into London since lock down). Nowadays online is the easiest option. Peter

How far away is it, what sort of brightening might a merged result in? Peter

Beat me to it! Wonder if Heavens Above can give re-entry predictions?? Those vids (one linked to from SpaceWeather.com) look way cooler than the “string of pearls” we get when they’ve just been launched. At least with this light show we won’t have to worry about them endlessly photobombing astro images. They are “demisable”… which means designed to burn up so that nothing gets down to the ground… though maybe we should be buying hard hats just in case…. Peter

Remember that it’s not just the transmission and width of the 656.3nm you need to worry about, there are a lot of nanometers of photons out there that you want to keep out! Very few companies provide transmission spectra in optical density units…. You want the biggest OD everywhere apart from 656nm. Chroma are rare in providing this data, most only give % transmission…. making it very easy to hide small slightly less blocked bands. You can always stack filters together, thus massively driving down the photons you don’t want, with little effect on the ones you do. Peter

… I’d rather some big binosxopes on a decent mount than those 20x60! I have the 10x50ED from APM and they’re very nice. Steve has some reviews that might help, https://binocularsky.com/binoc_reviews.php Peter

I agree that ones choice of targets and equipment change with the years. I had had aperture for years and thought binoculars were for “amateurs”, not so now! I haven’t yet been attracted to double stars, maybe it’s an acquired taste… like whisky? Peter

the Americans already had a rapid repeat satellite accelerator decades ago… last bits are rusting in Barbados. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_HARP Basic, reliable and functional, I’m sure new tech could improve the capability even further…. Peter

There are countless examples of serious money being outed into totally infeasible ideas…. It depends on how well you can convince people to put their money into. Some fail as they can’t run a business and some fail as the idea is undeliverable. Peter

Doesn’t look like a realistic option…. Peter

A friend found the following product, not sure how it would help? https://www.bathandbodyworks.com/p/stargazing-meditation-body-lotion-026129470.html peter

DryRobe (or other similar long swimming changing cloak) does a pretty good job, just the feet and hands to protect and you’re good to go. The big pockets are handy too. Peter

Contemplating the scale of things and the knowledge that 50% of those dots have planets of some sort going round them. Let’s your mind go on trips to wonder what they’d be like. I also like the silence of clouds when patches of them drift across the stars briskly at night. You sort of expect them to make a sound (which you expect as the daytime is so noisy in comparison). For the ideal chair, it would have to the a full length recliner (“zero gravity”/sunlounger), so you’re totally supported and can go horizontal, but with the ability to rotate it without getting up to observe in a different direction. Would make for an awesome meteor spotting set-up. Might be a problem if it was too comfortable as you could easily drift off…. I often lie in a ground mat with a pillow, achieves the same, but isn’t quite as comfortable. With some 2x”constellation binoculars” to help your eyes see that bit deeper (more stars for us urban types), but without the weight or constraint of binoculars. This time of year you also need to be warm or the fun runs out as your extremities freeze up. Thankfully someone invented the DryRobe, only the feet and hands to worry about now. PeterW PS I’d add some insulated pockets to the sides of the chair to hold observing “stuff” and keep it from getting cold/dewy. Beats fumbling in pockets or resting stuff on you that then falls off onto the ground. An insulated mug holder would be welcome too.

I have relatives who are green sensor blind, so not anomalous red-green. peter

The colour disc arrangement test, like this one or larger ones are more detailed in their diagnosis…. https://www.color-blindness.com/color-arrangement-test/ peter

No numbers in the circular image above reported by a certified deuteranope, not sure which type you’re looking to diagnose. peter

Reiner Vogels comment on the relative sensitivity difference ofnrod and cones being about 5 mags..: …” This reduction in sensitivity by about 5 mag can be easily verified in practice. Under good rural skies, the dark adapted eye can see stars down to about mag 6. They are detected with the rod cells (and peripheral vision, another topic) and appear gray, no color. In order to see star colors, we need our cones. With the 5 mag difference in sensitivity, we should be able to see star colors for stars of mag 1 and and brighter, which is confirmed in practice.“…. Hence you’re only likely to see colours in the very brightest objects. Peter

I am not colourblind and there’s no numbers present in that picture. In low light everyone is colour blind, only the brightest objects can stimulate the coloured cone cells. Reiner Vogels physiology of vision makes for a good read. http://www.reinervogel.net/index_e.html I have heard they there are tricks for making star colours more obvious, though I am not sure of the details, maybe a little refocusing. Peter

I use some heavy 10x50 using the monopod method above. Would work fine for the 15x70 I have too. I have a bracket to provide a bit of extra height and to keep the binocular centre of gravity over the monopod… but these are extras. A decent parallelogram takes up space and is heavier. Peter

…used to add belt loops to my (rather too big) milsurplus extreme cold “marshmallow man” trousers. Not a pretty mod, but in the dark no one will care or notice! Used to use braces to stop them falling down… no more! PEter

Get reputable lasers, I once bought a cheap one and got 10x the light I paid for…. Should be happy, but I value my sight and made a filter holder for the front so I am always operating safely. A heater is probably the best option. Peter

Last week I popped the pointer down my leafy glove, slightly in the way, but kept it toasty. A warm pocket is also good. I’ve got the scope stuff one too, but rarely mount the laser. Maybe someone needs to make a self heating laser with a USB power input, so it doesn’t get cold. Peter

@Photonic Nightswhats the balance and motion locking like in the APM centre mount, I’ve heard that it’s not brilliant? with 2eyes you also get a smoother more contrasty image. Peter

More better…. that tube is likely a dozen times better than mine and infinitely better than it using NV (on many nebulae). Do post, it’s always nice to hear how’s offering people get on with different kit. Peter

Note I have the ED 70mm bins, so CA isn’t a concern, useful as I would get the semi-apo if I got a larger model. I had an ST120 and used to observe the moon with a yellow filter, didn’t do much star observing, I sold it ages ago (sometimes wish I hadn’t). Peter