PeterW

But I got a few more carefree years for my 12x36II(probably pushing 20yrs old then), then I’ll have to decide if I get a newer model. Interesting to see the 15c and 18x are not going anywhere soon.

thanks

peter

Had a quick bit of visibility, so I know where to look from a few local areas, will help over the next fortnight.

Peter

Anyone got a narrow sodium filter and going to go looking for the sodium tail - 11-16april should be the right part of the orbit for it be visible.

Peter

For helping match to what is there at this moment, with correct shadows etc, nasa dial a moon is very helpful.

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5048
 

Peter

Depends on the glass. Went to Rye Nature Reserve recently, lovely big visitor centre with seats round the edge. Tried using my spotting scope through the window… ugh, not crisp at all, had to go back out into the wind to get the best views.

However I’ve enjoyed lunar views with my 12x binoculars whilst lying on the sitting room floor through a window.

peter

Ouch, spending too much too quickly. Good to hear that the UK space activity seems to be in much better overall health. Be interesting to see what happens in the coming years

Peter

Anyone making large aperture etalons already has the kit and skills for getting the flatness sorted…..

Peter

Great to hear you found the jelly, for extra challenge there is more nebulosity “behind it”.. find a deep image, looks like a clawed hand. 
I’d give Lowers Nebula a look if you’re “in the area”.

My toes felt cold just looking at that image… 

Peter

7 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

@PeterW?

Happy to ask, not sure what’s currently used, think Dave has retired.  They measured some ultra flat ceramic disks I had some years back on a zygo. You can use a liquid surface if it’s big enough. Met a chap from PTB once who had an autocollimator that could measure the earths diameter from the curvature on a cup of water…..

Peter

Uses the same LRO data as the 21st century atlas. My only grumble is the contrast/brightness level chosen can make some rima/wrinkle ridges hard to see. Look for rupes/rima Cauchy for example. The hand drawn ones do better here, but fail on the actual, realistic detail. 
the duplex is a solid, useful atlas to have.

Peter

Been active all day, those aurora pulses correspond to the AuroraWatch magnetic spikes.

Peter

It’s not bad, my only gripe is the contrast level chosen makes some rimae and wrinkle features very hard to spot. Eg look for rima and rules Cauchy.  Whereas the Rukl derived ones are much clearer, but lack detail. Of course changing the contrast scale would make other things less visible. On the whole a very welcome addition!

Peter

The 18x50 are a pretty sizeable brick, came across one being used for birding, so don’t know what its night time performance is like. For daytime use I’d prefer a much lighter binocular and a light spotter instead as trying to combine in one ends up with hard to find things and not enough power at the same time. 
 

peter

… and trying to find the sun by minimising the shadow area is just frustration!

Peter

Or the California that’s nice and high and “quite bright”.

Peter

As noted it isn’t a compete loop, the top left bit is missing. There is another big nebulae (angelfish/lambda Orionis) covering most of the lambda Orionis cluster, giving orion “a head”. (M42 is quite titchy). Another one at the edge of the visible realm and demanding great transparency.

Peter

Nice one, I made something similar…. In black and it got rather warp and warpy in the sun.

Peter

If you want a 10x50 then the APM is a very good option. What you’ll see will depend on skies and the binoculars magnification/aperture. 10x50 is a common size, but others may be better for different things.

regardless the more steady you can get the binoculars the better the views.

Peter

APM 10x50ED, essentially as good as the mythical Fujinon for a lot less money. Quite weighty, so best used with a monopod to give steady views. Very nice and sharp views across the field.

Peter

What sort of light pollution and exposure settings did you need?

peter

The swan band is a little longer wavelength than normal OIII or UHC pass, maybe a wider CLS will have some transmission, not a lot of mention of the swan filter or others on comets.

Peter

…. We still envy your skies… but it gives us encouragement to seek better skies as there are rewards to be had!!

Peter

“Imaging vs Observing”… I think this is the key point. There have been many attempts to define EEA and what is “allowed”, how long exposures, how much manual adjustment etc. I feel that if you’re out to “observe stuff” and using the camera to help that, rather than being out to “collect data” to process later then it’s EEA. How long exposures you take, how much you stack and how much tweaking in the field is really up to you. Personally I am too impatient and waiting eg. 5mins to see something would drive me nuts…. But then maybe I’d then see stuff I’d not be able to otherwise… maybe I need to be more patient? Do whatever you get the enjoyment from whatever the label.
 

Peter

Nice on 10x50 and 15x70 (but shakier), nothing as obvious with 7x50 tonight.

Peter

36 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Didn’t take any photos, but yesterday was very busy. Widescreen, FLO (and to a lesser degree RVO) stands dominated proceedings on each floor - all three now pushing their own in-house  telescope ranges. Nice to spend some time with the night vision contingent - including Peter and Steve in this thread. 
 

The younger Peter in the thread that is..😉 I think the median and modal age was probably a big higher than the mean than was suggested above. I still seem to be on the “younger end” even after 30yrs…

Peter

PS here’s another, lots of short red/green refractors and plenty of harmonic drives too.