StarGazingSiouxsie

Hi Steve - and thank you VERY much. Funny - I am Brit now living in the USA and just happened to be looking at First Light Optics website last night for the first time ever - and then you pop up here Nice bit of synchronicity as they call it. Back to astronomy - and I hope this info helps any prospective future owners of this particular telescope (specific Celestron model 12098) - this telescope does not come equipped with the NexStar hand controller (HC) from the factory. It only comes with the Star Sense HC which comes, of course, in the Star Ssense box with the camera. This may nopt seem a big deal - but it is. The StarSense HC has a different telescope menu and it cannot access the same 'PERIPHERALS' menu that the NexStar HC can. ( See page 17 of the Celestron Evolution Manual for reference https://s3.amazonaws.com/celestron-site-support-files/support_files/CELESTRON_NexStarEVOLUTION_Manual.pdf ) This means that the StarSense HC cannot check things like battery status nor adjust the lights on the telescope (the WIFI logo light & the small red LED light that shines down into the azimuth clutch area / upper accessory area of the mount. It seems that this specific telescope model does not come (thanks Steve) with a battery status light (AKA Celestron Power Logo). Not having the NexStar HC also means that the user cannot access the telescope's goto functionality without using StarSense, which I think is wrong. Supposing if I wanted to, for whatever reason, use my telescope's goto without the camera? I don't think I'd be able to without the StarSense HC (of course I could still use the telescope in manual mode, using the cluches). Also, it means I cannot readily check battery status; again, you cannot check this with the StarSeense HC. You can check battery status and adjust the WIFI logo light and accessory tray light by using the Sky Portal App on a smarty phone. Howver, I am perhaps unusual these days in that I am not a Smart Phone owner. My phone belongs in the Science Museum in London. So I don't have any way at all of checking my battery status nor adjusting my lights without the NexStar HC. (As far as I know, anyway. I am not am not an expert on this but have done a ton of research into it. If anyone knows differently, please share.) In summary - 1. This telescope does not come equipped with a battery status light AKA Celestron Power Logo as the regular Evolution models do. (Thanks Steve). At least now I can stop stressing that mine was broken, although my gut said it wasn't. 2. The telescope does not come equipped as standard from the factory with a NexStar HC, only a StarSense HC. 3. The StarSsense HC cannot check battery status nor adjust the telescope's lights. You need the NexStar HC for this. 4. The battery status and mount lights can be accessed by connecting to the telescope via WIFI using Sky Portal APP on a smart phone (Btw I have updated all the firmware on the StarSense HC & camera and the telescope's mount.) I have written to my supplier in the USA - BH photo & video - asking them if they will provide me with a NexStar HC due to reasons I mentioned above. I am otherwise really happy with this telescope - and I am fussy!!! The build quality is exceptional, the carbon fibre OTA beautiful and all the one off decals really very attractive. It's a great buy. Question - Is it possible - somehow - for the StarSense HC to be adapted such that it can access the same utility and peripheral menus as the NexStar HC can? I doubt it and even if it were possible I think it would be scary but thought I'd ask.

Hi, I have just taken delivery of this telescope. The 'Celestron' logo on the side of the fork mount arm (above the WIFI symbol indicator) does not light up under any circumstances. (The WIFI connection symbol light and tray accessory light work fine. ) On the regular 'Evolution' models (IE not this limited edition model) this 'Celestron' logo serves as a battery indicator light and power light. It pulses when the battery is charging and it is illuminated when the mount power is switched on. The regular 'Evolution' user manual refers to this light as the 'Celestron Power Logo'. To be clear - I am not talking about the WIFI symbol light, which is working fine. So my question is - does this Limited Edition model actually have a working 'Celestron Power Logo' light? The design of the Celestron logo on the fork arm on this limited Edition model is quite different from the regular Evolution models and I am wondering if it is actually meant to light up on my model?? Otherwise, how am I meant to be able to see if the battery is charging, etc??? (See "Appendix C L.E.D. Status" of the regular Evolution manual where it confirms about the Power Logo lighting up during charging, etc) So, right now, I don't know if my Celestron Power Logo light is broken or if this precise model does not have one?? Please only respond if you are SURE of the answer to this question. I don't mean to sound rude, I just want to know if I have a defective mount or not I dont have a smart phone to check battery status, so it's very important for me to have a working battery status light. (Celestron must agree with me, because they designed the regular Evolution model with this light, right?! ) I will phone Celestron and ask when their office opens. I just wondered in the meantime if anyone knew the answer to my question. Thanks for any help you can give me in solving this mystery. Siouxsie

@happy-kat Thank you very much, I appreciate your insights on this.

@Capstone55 Thank you, that's great info

@John Thanks John, that's the clarity I needed. I think I ODd on reading too many articles and my poor brain got very confuddled.

(Thanks for your reply Freddie ) So - I will still be able to track planets & stars on an altaz mount with goto motors, correct? I'm getting confused reading articles about altaz mounts Vs equatorial mounts and they say stars will drift out of view on an altaz mount; but they're referring to non motorised, non goto altaz mounts, right? If I get a goto motrised altaz mount I'll still be able to look at planets and stars through the eyepiece without constantly having to (manually) adjust the telescope - correct? I am getting quite confused and a little distressed about this. Any advice / help gratefully received, thanks.

Hello Firstly, thank you to all the kind people here who have thus far given me help and advice, I really do appreciate it. I come to you again, humbly seeking advice, opinions and to draw on your collective astronomical experience. My order of Cubble, a 9.25 SCT coupled with a Celestron AVX (eq) mount is backordered indefintely. This has given me time to reflect on my purchase. I do still really want to upgrade my telescope - that much I am 100% sure of. I already have a 5" Newtonian (altaz non motorised mount) and I don't want to waste money by purchasing a 6", for example, when I already have a 5". I really have set my heart on an SCT for a long time now, I am very sure I want one. But do I need one on an equatorial mount?? Celestron (as you probably all know) do a range of SCTs mounted on alt az mounts in their Nexstar and Evolution ranges. The Evolution range basically being a Nextsar, except it has an internal battery and built in wifi. The thought of not having to polar align my telescope everytime is very appealing, possibly the biggest draw for me to an altaz mount, as well the reduced cost. I am not planning on doing any astrophotography anytime soon, except whacking in my Celestron Neximage 10 camera now and then to (try to) capture some Jupiter & Saturn video action. So do you think, if I just want to enjoy a motorised goto alt az mount that my enjoyment wouldn't suffer not having an EQ mount? Weight and portability is also a big consderation for me, and, as far as I can tell, an altaz mount would be lighter. Any thoughts, opinions, and experience you can share with me will be very gratefully received. I am here to learn and to be enlightened. Thank you

Hello James Thank you very much for your reply, I learnt quite a bit there. I'll probably do what I normally end up doing - look for a target for a while and then start slewing around til she gets sick Then, I'll find soemthing else to look at and pretend that's what I was looking for all along But who knows, I might get lucky!!! Thanks again

Hi Chris, No, I haven't got one of them. Probably something I'll collect down the line Thanks for your insights and I'm gl;ad you managed to get some pictures of Neowise!!🤩

Thanks James, I appreciate your reply. Cassie has a 650mm focal length, f5 focal ratio. This may sound like a real stupid question - but - what sort of magnification does the camera have? I mean, is it like using a 10mm eyepiece or siomething? Or ??? Thanks I will do my visual observing first and then give it 10 mins or so with the camera to see what it will see. I just wish my finderscope was better - totally useless so far.

Just as an aside, I've got my best views of the comet thus far through my 10x50 binoculars. I'm just wanting to use the telescope tonight to be able to use my camera and hopefully get some video and / or stills.

Hi, sorry for short notice!! I'm contemplating using my NexImage 10 Celestron camera to try and get some stills or video of Comet Neowise this evening. I've confirmed the camera does work with Cassie (my 5" Newtonian) by experiementing with daytime terrrestrial video. I am using Sharpcap software. I am a total novice at astroimaging and using a camera in a telescope. I have not used my camera for nightime viewing thus far but what an opportunity I have with this comet!!! So, do you think I'll be able to get some stills or video? I mean, do you think the comet will be too faint for the camera to pick up? I can see the comet clearly and quite bright through my eyepiece. I have been told and have read "If you can see it through the eyepeice you'll be able to see it (image it) through the camera". Do you think that's a generally true statement?? I have been able to see the comet through Cassie on previous evenings this week, using a 23mm eyepiece. Will I need to use a Barlow lens, or would using one give me a better image through the camera? Cassie is not on a goto mount, she is on an altaz mount with manual fine adjustment controls. So I am thinking of getting the comet in her FOV first, sighgting it with my 23mm eyepiece, enjoying a bit of visuial observing and then puting the camera in. I'll have my laptop running Sharpcap in real time on a table beside Cassie so I can see whatever images I get and make focus adjustments etc. I wonder if putting the camera in will mean a massive amount of having to re-sight the comet in Cassie's FOV?? Any and all advice, tips, suggestions or ideas gratefully received, thank you. Siouxsie

(Not sure if I've posted this in the place, please move it if not) Hello my fellow clear sky apostles Great opportunity to see Comet Neowise in NE USA this evening as high pressure is dominant and it should be clear around the time you'll be able to see him. From mid lattitudes, look about 15-20 degrees below Merak, the bottom corner star of the Big Dipper (or The Plough as us Brits call it) This article explains better than I can. https://skyandtelescope.org/observing/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-july-17-25-2/ Don't forget, once you've observed Neowise, turn to the SE and Saturn & Jupiter should be blazing away for you That's what i'll be doing!! I'll also be testing my new Tele Vuie Delos eyepieces but will be testing them in Cassie because Cubble is still stuck in a backordered Universe somewhere. Enjoy your evening and enjoy this thrilling comet! 😍

Very cool, Geoff. I did some observing last night and saw my best viwes of Jupiter & Saturn ever. Near perfect conditions, plus I got to see Newwise. Very lucky. If I can get som e images down the line with Cubble half as good as yours I'll be very happy!

Just had the MOST amazing observing session of my life!!! I am staying / living in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the moment and am blessed with very dark skies. About an hour after sunset, appx 9.50pm, I saw comet NeoWise motoring - could literally see it moving as I watched - upwards in to the NW twilight and then watched (10x50 bins & Cassie) it disappear over the top of the mountain.............. completely, totally, surreal. I saw comet Hale Bopp in 1997 in London and whilst that was spectacular, what I saw tonight was just absolutely surreal. Most comets 'just' appear to hang in the sky, whereas I could actually see Neowise moving. From coming into view to disappearing over the NW horizon must have taken only 20 minutes or so. There were a lot of helicopters up over the mountain watching it. Then, at about 10pm heading north was what I believe was the ISS. I've yet to check for sure but it was nearly as bright as Venus and moving slower than a satellite. Then I saw numerous DSOs, globualr clusters and nebulas. Then turning to the SE I saw Jupiter and Saturn, Unlike the other evening when the image was very blurred (atmospheric turbulence?) tonight's images were clear and beautiful. Could clearly see Jupier's cloud belts and the 4 biggest moons. (108x 9mm + 1.5 Barlow) Saturn was the best I've ever seen him. Crystral clear ring definition and I am sure I saw one of his moon at about 7 O'clock to his position - maybe Titan? I'm not an experienced astronomer (telescope wise) but I have followed this subject all my life. I don't know much but I do know that not many people will ever get to see what I did tonight all in the course of 2 hours. I am very blessed and thrilled beyond belief!!!! Everything tonight viewed through my trusty 5'" Newtonian, Cassie 😍

Thanks, Geoff I'm getting the Barlow to use with my video camera that I'll be using to enable stacked images of Jupiter / Saturn (hopefully) with Cubble (the 9.25 SCT) Plus it gives me some options with Cassie (5" Newtonian) I did purchase some binoviwers a while back. I get a pair made by Willams Optics. I have not tried them out on Cubble yet. I did on Cassie but I was unable to achieve focus, even when using a 1.5 Barlow. So another reason to see if a 2x will help in that regard. The ADC sounds intresting. Are they straightforward to install? I was observing Jupiter & Saturn (or trying to ) with Cassie a few nights back. They were both at appx 20 degrees up at the time. I was not able to get focus very well, although I was using low end eyepieces. Maybe turbulence in the atmosphere affected my efforts? I was very disappointed. So maybe the ADC will help when observing at those altitudes.

So, you know that feeling when you've just spent a load of money and you're thinking "I hope I did the right thing at the right price", etc. I'm old enough now to know that 'right' is subjective and a very moveable term, definition wise. Last time I felt like this I was 17 and just bought a pair of leather thigh-high boots up the west end. But then, like now, hopefully, turned out to be worth every penny (or Cent in my current circumstances). Like most purchases, my shopping bag contains an element of compromise. This is what I ended up buying: * Tele Vue Delos (72° FOV) 17mm eyepiece with 20mm of eye relief and adjustable eyepiece viewing height. Standard 1.25 barrel fit $350 * Tele Vue Delos (72° FOV) 8mm eyepiece with 20mm of eye relief and adjustable eyepiece viewing height. Standard 1.25 barrel fit $350 * Tele Vue 2x Barlow $120 So I ended up spending under my budget which is always good. I would have liked to have got a 22mm 0r 24mm eyepiece for lower maginification tasks but the ones available didn't offer me the eye relief I need nor the minimum 72° FOV that I wanted. Plus, both eyepieces will work in both my telescopes. Whilst the 5" Newtonian, Cassie, has her limits, one thing massively in her favour is her portabality; she is mounted on a lightweight altaz mount that is light enough for me pick up and move anywhere at a whim and no realignments etc needed. So I'm happy with what I got, am lucky to be able to get them and I very much appreciate all the advice I received, thanks.

@Mick H Thanks, Mick. I will have a good look at that. Reminds me a bit visually of the Eagle series control boxes.

Thank you very much to everyone who has replied and offered their thoughts, advice and opinions. I really do appreciate that. I have some follow up questions which I will be posting soon. The lattitude where I currently live and am observing from is 38.5254"

The last piece of the puzzle for me achieve my goal of a completely wireless / cable-less set up will be the camera. I will have my Star Sense Auto Align camera atop Cubble, with that and the focus motor plugged into the aux ports (AVX mount). I will have the Sky Portal WiFi module plugged into the bottom of the Star Sense hand controller. For power I will be using a Celestron Lithium Powertank (Celestron item 18771). I also have a Celestron GPS unit but I'm not sure if I need it now, or if I'll have a spare aux port to plug it in. I am getting an aux splitter anyway. Until I become more expereinced, I am uising my USB cabelled Celestron NexImage 10 which I thought was a good entry level camera to get. So, as far as I can see, the only cable I willl have coming into Cubble Control will the camera USB cable. Eventually I would like to have a set up whereby the camera is wireless / cable-less, too. Thoughts / comments?

@Shimrod Thank you very much

Wow that is very cool, thanks. I will be defs looking into that!!

Hello there My budget for eyepieces is $1,000. I started off thinking I would get a Celestron eyepiece kit for about $200, for example. After trying a few out, I soon realised that I wanted eyepieces of higher quality. My mindset is that I'm investing $2,000 in my telescope, a Celestron 9.25 SCT, and I want to be able to extract from that scope the very best views that I can. Wishlist - I'm looking to buy 3 eyepieces maximum (not including a Barlow) Ideally - if possible - I would like to get eyepieces that I can use on both my telescopes, but my priority is toward the 9.25" as that is the bigger investment. Both my telescopes have 1.25" barrels. * Cassie - A Celestron Newtonian. Aperture = 130mm, FL = 650mm, FR = f5 Max useable magnification between 250x and 307x * The Cubble Space Telescope - A Celestron SCT. Aperture = 235mm FL = 2350mm, FR = f10 Max useable magnification between 460x and 550x I don't feel comfortable spending more than about $300 on each eyepiece I want these eyepieces to last as long as possible. I try to look after thinbgs if I can. Decent eye relief if possible I will purchase a Barlow separately Field of view - something 60% + Usage - My observing will be probably 80% solar system planets & moon, 20% deeper sky objects I'm not that in atsrophotogarphy. I have a little Celestron NexImage 10 with which I am hoping to make some videos and stacked images of Jupiter, Saturn and detailed imaging of Pluto ( ) I really just want the WOW factor right now. Enjoying the thrill of Saturn;s rings, tracking Jupiter's 4 main moons, detailed lunar observing etc. Questions - So what would be your suggestions or advice, please? I have been looking at the Tele Vue Delos & Delite range. The Nagler range looks nice but I'm note sure if I need 82' field of view. A bit pricey, too. Explore Scientific's offerings are a possibilty. What's the deal with zoom eyepieces? Does that mean you can have an eyepiece that will do the job, for example, of a 6mm, 7mm, 8mm and 9mm eyepiece all in one? Is there a trade off?? What's the catch?? Regarding Barlows, I was thinking of just keeping it simple and getting a decent 2x lens without spending crazy money. Something in the $150 range. Or would I need a high end Barlow to complement the better eyepieces I am hoping for??? Overall, I'm looking for 2 or 3 eyepieces and 1 Barlow with a $1,000 budget. Any thoughts, ideas, advice or opinions all gratefully received, thank you.

Could you tell me more about that, please? Are you saying you can have a portrayal of the horizon as seen from your location on the screen, with the night sky around it? I was wondering about this possibility over the last few days. I was thinking if it were possible to, say, interface Google Earth from one's own location with one of the astronomy apps such that the horizon as seen from one's observing position could appear on the image of the app.

Thanks Mick. Sounds like you're connecting via smart phone or tablet (?) I will be connecting via a laptop and won't have access therefore to either of those apps. But I will have access to Starry Night Pro (which comes with my telescope, apparently). CPWI is also an option. The advantage of CPWI is that they have built in remote access to the Celestron focus motor, which I will be installing. Stellarium is another option, but I've heard mixed reports about that (for remote access via laptop). I'll probably end up trying all of them, collapse on a heap on the floor, then draw straws to chose one. That's my usual routine