Ags

Isn't that the NASA motto?

I am certainly greatly encouraged by the positive feedback! I have poured days and weeks into this one, and I can say that I have been finding the book helpful, but of course always a bit apprehensive about the wider reception 🤣 So thank you all for your kind comments.

Thanks for the information.

I saw this on FLO and I think I am in love. The OTA has decent aperture and weighs less than three kilos, the tube breaks down for transport, the focuser looks good, only drawback (especially for a travel scope) is the freakish price. Does anyone know next week's lottery numbers?

I have learned a lot from this thread, thanks!

The Venus capture stands out for me too. Great progress!

Honesty is the best policy 😀 ...unless you really, really want something!

I have been working on a book about double stars for light-polluted skies for northern observers, but now that the book is available for download I am starting a new thread so I can put a link to the book into the opening post. I have uploaded the first public version of the book for feedback. I would greatly appreciate hearing what people think of my efforts, and I am very open to making any suggested improvements. I have not made the book available for print yet as I want it to accumulate a bit of feedback first. In terms of print formats, I am thinking about a spiral bound versions for budget color printing for use in the field, and a hardback version with premium color and some pretty pictures for my bookshelf. EDIT: The first version of the book (version 2021.1) is now available as a print version from the below URL. Note the the PDF is prepared for printing, meaning that blank pages have been inserted to ensure that overview charts start on even pages, so the facing odd page will be either the second part of the overview chart, or the first couple of stars from the overview chart. Of course an online-only PDF does not need the blank pages so I will get round to producing an online version as well. Information about the book and download links are available from here. As you can see, my company Transtextuals does special editions of public domain English Lit books (definitely NOT a get-rich-quick scheme 🤣), this is our first astronomy book. https://transtextuals.web.app/discovering_doubles.html

Da da dum! I have uploaded the first public version of the book for feedback. I would greatly appreciate hearing what people think of my efforts, and I am very open to making any suggested improvements. I have not made the book available for print yet as I want it to accumulate a bit of feedback first. In terms of print formats, I am thinking about a spiral bound versions for budget color printing for use in the field, and a hardback version with premium color and some pretty pictures for my bookshelf. Note the the PDF is prepared for printing, meaning that blank pages have been inserted to ensure that overview charts start on even pages, so the facing odd page will be either the second part of the overview chart, or the first couple of stars from the overview chart. Of course an online-only PDF does not need the blank pages so I will get round to producing an online version as well. Information about the book and download links are available from here. As you can see, my company Transtextuals does special editions of public domain English Lit books (definitely NOT a get-rich-quick scheme 🤣), this is our first astronomy book. https://transtextuals.web.app/discovering_doubles.html I can't put a link to the book in the opening post of this thread, so I have started a new thread with the book title:

I have had some nice views through my 50mm finder. One of my current favorites is Vega, Zeta and Epsilon Lyrae in on one view, with both doubles split nicely. (To avoid any confusion, Epsilon is only split in two, not four - I wish my finder was that good!). It also shows the moons of Jupiter nicely. It is better then binoculars, it has a diagonal and no shakes!

That's a terrific shot.

Welcome back!

"Neighbour Shouted Out of Window About Camera Noise!" Have you tried a cooled camera?

I reached a major milestone this morning when I finished the writing part of the book. Word count is around 12,500 words (and a further 6000 words of generated content), so more words than a long short story but not quite the length of a novella. Not much eye candy to share, but I have made the icon bullets much more pretty. Aside from the final proof read, I have a few small doc generation issues to address. Firstly, add all Caldwell, Messier, NGC objects mentioned in the text to the index. Secondly, index both Sigma Cas and Cas, Sigma. Thirdly, deal with some labels that are too long. Fourthly, some TOC entries reference the wrong page somehow.

I am surprised too. I would have that that hot and dry part of the USA could be self-sufficient in dust and wouldn't need to import any from Africa!

Not all astro purchases are expensive. Accessory tray for the CF tripod.

Well, at least now I know how to power my obsy, when I get one 😀

Poor little Delos. I can look after it for you 🤣

It is really good, but I am not sure about the green area top right.

My cheapo battery arrived.

Talentcell power pack. AZ-GTI switched on without pops and sparks and smoke 😄

No argument, I enjoyed the views but knew there were better options. Now I have a ZS66.

For less money, just buy an ST80 as a daytime spotter. It works well, unless an object is silhouetted against the sky, when CA wrecks the view.

The 3.5 nm filter will reduce broadband sources vs the 6.5 nm. Broadband sources include the Moon, light pollution and stars, so the narrower the Ha filter the smaller the stars are in the final image. Both filter options let through the same Ha signal. So the same amount of light comes through from the nebula, but the 3.5 nm is less likely to be swamped by non-nebula light.

Prototype all-terrain dob deployment device?