globular

I'm still not sure where you mean (I'll have to look it up properly).... I think that is what I was following when NGC 6974 caught my eye.

Nice sketch Wasn't it a lovely target last night? I often view it but last night was the best ever. Previous notes I made have said "fuzzy blob" or "more like a spinning top" but last night was "crisp and clear an just like a (B&W) photo".

Yeah I followed that last night... lovely combination of nebula and stars... but I didn't note how far it went. Do you mean the "top bit" than curves round and points towards Pickerings Wisp? Or the other direction? I used my Pentax XW40 at 53x 1.25° and 3.8mm exit pupil. I can't get any more FOV than that in my scope, but I have a 56mm Plossl arriving from FLO tomorrow that will give a bigger exit pupil (38x 1.25° 5.4mm). I measured mine at roughly 5.75mm ish so hopefully it will work ok... if my skies are dark enough.

Is that the triangular shape in NGC 6974? Funnily enough I stumbled on this tonight as I was sweeping around the western veil with my oiii strapped in. I made this note: "OIII in: Stumbled on this drifting around the western veil and this looked better. Not as good as the eastern veil tonight though which was rather impressive." with the intention of looking up more about it.

I enjoyed looking and am please I could see them. Thanks for the setting the challenge.... I like having something specific to aim at. Yeah, B142 and B143 next.

Finally had a clear night tonight and had a very enjoyable 3.5 hours. (Jupiter was stunning!). I dedicated about 50 minutes of that to NAN. I had a lovely time surfing around the (bright) nebulosity and going over the target area and trying to spot any dark nebula. The two areas in question were darker but, no my eyes, they were darker due to less bright nebula and fewer stars rather than anything I could call dark nebula. Conditions were pretty good for my back garden - it's the best views of NAN I've had in my limited time observing - so I suspect I need a darker site and some wider views to find the illusive stuff.

I NEEEEED one of these...... Get voting to make it happen

I heard there are three of them..... I'll get my coat.

Impressive Love the matching EP caps

Ah ok, makes sense..... you never really said what your plan was. Thanks for the reply

Hi @Ags Can I ask if you went anywhere with this? In particular the Astro Essentials 56mm in your f10 C6? I have measured my dilated pupil at 5.75mm and I'm thinking about one of these in my C8 f10.5 for filtered nebula viewing in dark skies with exit pupil of 5.3mm. I know it won't show any more sky than my 40mm EP, but it's the bigger exit pupil I'm after. Thanks

I'd add APM 24 UFF into the mix. It claims 65° but I've heard it measures more like 63°. (There are other brandings of EP this too.) If you need long eye relief for glasses then this is the one I'd go for. If not it still might be

I don't want take this thread too far off topic with a long explanation of my choice of Edge HD over a stock C8, but Stu's answer is part of it re flat field and better stars. Cooling is pretty good in my version too as it's carbon fibre (no fans). My main belief / delusion that it is a "good one" stems from reading a lot of negative stuff on here, over the year or so I've been here, about lack of sharpness, lack of contrast, slow to cool, etc. etc. and not recognising a lot of it in my experience with mine.

No arguments from me I'm not knocking my scope.... I know people can get a little 'deluded' that they have 'the best example' of their telescope.... and I'm no different.... I think I have one of the better ones knocking around

No. Just the skies generally with large exit pupils in less than ideal conditions (and my telescope). It's really a combination of exit pupil and magnification.... as you were saying above.... but unless you have lots of scopes to choose from you don't get to change one without the other. I will get another scope that is better at these things eventually.... once I've run out of good stuff to point this one at

+1 for the DGM NPB... I love it.

Dusts off credit card....

I got the Astronomik one as the bandmate was not available at the time (and I was impatient). I understand they are the same filter, both made by Astronomik, but Tele View test them themselves for compliance with the stated specifications before accepting them, so you are less likely to get a dud one. (Not that the Astronomik ones are riddle with duds... )

Indeed. If only manufacturers would publish 'usable' ER figures it would be much easier for everyone.

What sort of exit pupil do you find works best with OIII filter @jetstream? Or don't you think it matters? I find over 2mm exit pupil is 'needed'.... and the larger the better..... But with more light polluted skies the views get washed out with larger exit pupils.... particularly >3.5mm The OIII does help to darken the sky (given it's cutting out all but the intended light bands).... But I find it only seems to work "well" on the few very dark nights I get in my garden.

Does that mean the FOV is 71°? Or do distortions push it back out to 77° or so?

Thanks @Louis D. It looked from the design that is was very recessed so I hoped someone would say that. I know the 30mm works ok both with and without glasses with it's reported 22mm eye relief. I guess the 24mm is recessed about an additional 7 to 10mm or so... so they're similar in use.

@ScouseSpaceCadet I've been mulling over this EP. But the reported 29mm eye relief puts me off somewhat. Sounds great for glasses... but what about without glasses? Do you end up hovering above the EP... even with the rubber in the up position?

Telescope focusing corrects for most problems in your eyes - except for astigmatism. So if your glasses are correcting for that, and it is a relatively strong correction, you may need them at the eyepiece. If you need correction you have two main options: * wear your glasses and pick eyepieces that have long eye relief. How long vary from person to person - but around 20mm is a good guide. * get a dioptrix corrector and pick eyepieces that can take them. e.g. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/tele-vue-eyepieces/tele-vue-dioptrx-astigmatism-corrector.html The other thing worth noting.... if you share observing with a friend or partner and one of you needs correction... then you should wear your glasses so that it is perfectly focused for both of you. I add this because it's the situation I'm in. My wife loves to look through the eyepiece but "can't be doing with the faff of focusing" so I set it up with my pretty good eyes and she observes with her glasses.