globular

I'm struggling to get a handle on what you are all on about

Nicely done Cloud kept rolling past here and the jetstream forecast said it was right over head - so I didn't even set up. Kudos to you for making the effort.

I got my C8 from them just a few months ago. Very helpful couple of phone calls with them sorting out some minor issues - they even helped me convince Celestron to update their firmware which was done remarkably promptly. I chose them for the purchase, being the official Celestron distributor, figuring it was the safest route if I needed any ongoing support. I guess I'm going to be on my own now unfortunately 🤔 Wish them well - sounds like a well deserved retirement.

Nice sketch and very nice birthday present!

First and last time that will ever be said? 🤣

And after that the C8 lived long and prospered

I know you're only joking - but there is some maths that shows why this can't happen. Don will correct me if I've got this wrong; but there is a formula that links fov, fl and barrel size (actually field stop (fs)). fov = (fs / fl) * (180/π) so if you want fov=68 with a fl=28 then you need fs = (fov * fl) / (180/π) = 68 * 28 / 57.3 = 33.2 and a 33.2 field stop can't fit inside a 1.25" barrel, which is only about 28mm usable, without bad vignetting caused by the barrel.

Is there a 28mm XW? Or did you mean XL?

I've pondered getting a filter slider... ...so you can slide a filter in and out while looking through the eyepiece. Trouble is it will need a slight focus tweak too so won't be as immediate as we'd like. I might still try it though..... ? Don't give up on your 2 filters trick - I often find some nights are better with and others better without filters - so keep trying for a while longer.

Solid cloud here so I called the whole thing off.

Very nice

Nice sketch Mark - some interesting details. Looks and sounds like you had a good session after your patience with the clouds. I had more cloud than was forecast but I persevered too and had some good clear spells. However very little surface detail was revealing itself despite nice rock steady images. I got nothing but the south polar cap, some whiteness at the north fringes and a squareish star shaped darker smudge filling the southern hemisphere. Amazing how seeing conditions vary from place to place.

+1 for easy plonk and go set-up to take advantage of every available, however short, opportunities. I've still had a frustratingly small number of those in recent weeks. Setting my alarm for 2 or 3am for an all too brief early morning session has been my only sniff at 2 sessions in over a month. Still loving it though... so no hint of giving up for me. And tonight is looking very promising here ........ [once I've finished watching Leicester City win 😇 ]

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No one buy anything in Shropshire for the rest of the day please. Clear skies forecast: And clear jetstream at 3am (just about): Bed early and set the alarm for 2am

+1 fan of 7.2 - 21.5mm. Loving it on Mars where I can dial in to the best viewing magnification and where the narrow FOV doesn't matter.

Nice sketch Mike. Cloud here, but looking at your sketch I can imagine I'm looking through my eyepiece.

Nice report

Glad it sort of worked. Maybe give it another go in a day or two and it will improve further? I have no hair at all (think Matt Lucas) but I have heard about such things 🤣

Presumably it has a velcro seam? I'd try undoing it; rolling it up the wrong way, a little bit tighter than normal; apply some heat from a hair dryer for a while; let cool; then reconstruct.

Fantastic sketches I'm making the most of my very infrequent clear skies to study Mars mostly at the moment - but you've inspired me to try sketching the veil next. I've had some good(ish) views of the eastern veil - helped by a DGM NPB filter - but not anything decent of the western. I think I might need an OIII to tease them out ...? I'm bortle 4/5 so I should get some good views on the right nights.

If dark adaptation is the problem and you're mono-viewing then you could try keeping your viewing eye closed when it's not at the eyepiece. Getting used to doing everything else with only your non-dominant eye is the hard part.

Thanks David. It was an 8" Edge HD SCT F/10.5.

I didn't spot it no - but, I'm ashamed to say, I don't really know the Mars features so didn't know it was there to be found. I've consciously avoided learning what should be there in case it influences me - I want to sketch what I see not what I think should be there. I figured I'd gradually learn through my observations. I would say that, on reflection, I think it was impacting on my perception of that area. I sketched an egg shaped brighter area but sometimes it looked much flatter and more horizontal - I think sometimes Olympus Mons integrated in that splodge and other times not. I chose the 'integrated' view for my sketch because it was like that more often. If I'd known it was there I'd have gone with the 'sometimes not' final sketch instead - which would have been more 'correct'; so may be it would be beneficial to learn the features. <shrug>. I got that effect too - as the clouds rolled in to end my session the brightness dimmed and the darker areas were highlighted more. It was a bit like the effect I got with the Baader ND 0.9 half an hour earlier.

An image posted by @astroman001 from about the same time as another comparison. (Hope you don't mind astroman?) Amazing detail on the image. Makes me happy I'm seeing at least some of the details that are there to see.