globular

Louis, your comment above prompted me to look closely at my Celestron #93519 diagonal and I discovered the barrel does indeed unscrew revealing a 2" SCT female thread on the eyepiece side of the diagonal. I've ordered a baader 2" SCT female to 2" SCT male inverter ring that will then allow connection of a 2" baader clicklock SCT onto the eyepiece side of the diagonal - giving me the very nice clicklock mechanism I was after to hold my eyepieces in place. Thank you so much for your help.

May be something like this? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/baader-microstage-clickstop-digital-camera-adapter.html

My diagonal doesn't have a compression ring - just 2 screws that poke through the barrel and directly grip the EP nose. I'm pretty careful and haven't marked my EPs yet; nor had any fall out; but I know the time will come when I'm all excited to change by EP to take advantage of some perfect seeing and I'll have an accident. I've found a 2" Bresser 35mm Extension Tube that terminates in a compression ring or a 2" Altair 50mm Extension Tube that has a Positive Lock. But it doesn't feel right to add 35mm or 50mm to the light path when I don't 'need' to. Am I worrying over nothing?

I'm a newbie just getting to grips with my new equipment. I want to hold my 2" eyepieces in my 2" diagonal with a twistlock or similar mechanism - rather than the 2 screw method that came as standard because that seems less secure, harder to centre and might mark my eyepieces. Is there an adaptor that will do this? I've seen 2" to 1.25" but not 2" to 2". And if they do exist, will it add too much to the light path making focusing harder in some cases? Or is my only/best option to replace my diagonal with one that has a twistlock built in? And on that note, I don't know if my diagonal (that came with the scope) is any good anyway and maybe "should" be replaced? It's a Celestron 2” mirror diagonal #93519 that doesn't appear to be a current model so I can't find out anything about it. My scope is a Celestron 8" Edge HD. Advice gratefully received.

There are lots of trees at Brown Moss. There is a good clearing but it would be difficult to lug everything there from the car park. I wondered about Whixall Marina car park - but imagine you'd need permission and I'm not sure it would be forthcoming with nothing in it for the owners. Thank you all for your suggestions

Thanks G. I saw it - very inspiring!

I should let Steve reply... but as I google it earlier I can tell you that it's further west.... here.... https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/The+Bog+Mine/@52.5747041,-2.949946,17.94z

Fantastic - thank you for the tip-off.

Thanks Al. Shropshire is so large that it's about a 70min drive to there from me. Thanks for the tip though, I will venture out there if I can't find anywhere nearer.

Thanks Steve. It's well over an hour away to the hills from where I am. I'll head that way if all else fails, but I'm hoping to find somewhere closer to north Shropshire/south Cheshire/west Staffs border - around Whitchurch / Audlem / Market Drayton area. It's mostly bortle 4 but seems to be a bit of a 'dead' area for public car parks in open spaces.

Thanks Robin - very helpful. I've printout out some templates and I'll give it a go - still not sure how, but won't know until I try.

Thanks Tenor. I'm guessing from your profile pic that you venture onto the Shropshire Hills? I'm right up in north Shropshire, can you recommend any good safe spots? I've only done back garden viewings so far and trees block a lot of the sky here.

Hi All, New to astronomy and new to the forum. I can't wait for some clear skies and for all your help when I draw a blank. Hints on how best to document observations would be appreciated - I'd love to do some sketching but don't know how to go about it in the dark. Phil.