chiltonstar

I agree with Michael (fate187); looking at Ganymede at the moment without the ADC (180 Mak, 10mm and 6mm Baader orthos) I can't see the dark patterns I would expect to see under better conditions as the disk is blurred vertically by the AD. With the ADC, Ganymede becomes a disk once again with detail. Maybe I'm more aware of AD than some because I have very good colour vision apparently (according to the workplace optician I went to when using high power lasers in the lab) but ppoor steroscopicity. Use of a smaller aperture refractor will of course reduce the amount of AD in line with theory, but of course will also reduce the amount of available resolution - no way around the laws of physics here I'm afraid. I see using an ADC as maximising the amount of resolution potentially available with more aperture. Chris

Lovely little scope - I borrowed one last year for a holiday in Darkest Cornwall, and it was very impressive. I certainly could hardly bear to hand it back! Chris

The macro description you quote is another way of saying close-focussing so they should work for astro, but it is worth looking at test reviews to see how far you need to stop it down to get best performance. I have a 28mm Nikon lens that is close focussing (not described as macro though) and does a good job for wide field imaging. Chris

An additional point: you mention "macro of bugs around the garden" - generally short-focus macro lenses are not good for this because you need to get so close to the insect that you frighten them off (most people tend you use macro lenses around 100mm fl for insects). Chris

Good that some club groups have managed to assemble! Lovel report. Chris

Absolutely agreed. I did the same comparison again the night before last with and without an ADC on a Mak 180. The increase in detail was very significant, and the contrast with Jupiter's belts very obviously improved. Looking at Saturn, Cassini really showed well with the ADC, barely without, and I'm sure the moon count was better as well. Adding a Baader Nd filter did make a modest improvement overall as well, but of course at the expense of colour verity. I had another look last night as well, but the seeing was seriously rubbish, so I gave up and admired the comet from a nearby darker site. Referring to some of the above posts, I've never had an issue with adjusting the ADC; I just make sure that the spirit level is roughly aligned with the horizon, and then set the levers nearly at the max position at about the same angle above and below horizontal. If you have the levers on the wrong side, it is obvious by the orange and blue fringes on Jupiter. For my scope (mirror diagonal), the levers are on the LHS visually, RHS for imaging (without a diagonal). Chris

I go for simplicity...... (sorry about the image quality, my head torch as light source two evenings ago..) Chris

I do find mine very useful for visual observing with my 180 Mak although I bought it originally for imaging. As I do most observing at 23:00 to 01:00, the altitude of both J and S are quite low, and my sight line is over a house - presumably radiating heat. With Saturn, the most obvious effect is that it looks less "muddy" - more its natural peachy-cream colour, and Cassini pops out more clearly. With Jupiter, the belts look more contrasty and detailed - I assume less orange or blue is bleeding into the darker areas. Chris

Very nice! Chris

...but when it is clear here, it is often superb! Chris

...and yet another Neowise! Taken at 23:30 last night (through light cloud) with a 300mm Nikon prime - stack of 5 images. Interesting that you can see on this image and several others a stream of material emitted near the nucleus, seen as a shadow (absorption of light) first of all, then as a bright line further out. Chris

Interesting view of Jupiter last night with the GRS nicely visible despite the low altitude, and a field star looking just like another moon! Skysafari screenshot. Chris

It was nicely visible here at 23:30 last night with the 15x70s. After ten minutes or so dark adaptation, it was visible without the bins, although nothing like Hale-Bopp of course! A stack of 6 frames with a 90mm macro lens:- Chris

Absolutely! Sounds like a good session. Chris

A very nice, and honest report. I am often surprised by how well my 80ED will perform on Mars as well. Small fracs are great! Chris

Wow, prospect of a naked eye comet! I hope the view isn't obscured by the clouds of flying pigs...... Chris

How did the 130mm perform John? I had another look last night (180 Mak) while I was waiting for Jupiter and Saturn* to rise enough and it is indeed a nice pair, although it needs the right mag with a Mak - x300 seems to give the best view I would say to sort the secondary out from the diff pattern. Pi Aquilae is indeed a superb double - I used the pair a couple of years ago to test the collimation of my 102mm frac after I disassembled the air spaced doublet and cleaned off deposits various before reassembly. When correct, the view was stunning, although it is obviously more impressive with the 180 Mak because there is more dark space between the two nearly matching stars, and the Airy disks are smaller. The pair really do look like car headlamps from a distance. Chris * First decent evening (24:00) view I've had this year, with some good belt detail on Jupiter with the ADC in place, and Cassini just beginning to show on Saturn, despite the very low altitude.

Quite a nice one. With the 180 Mak last night, the pair were clearly separated with dark space between them, with the secondary appearing as a bright point in about the right place. The colours looked to me whitish yellow. I struggled to separate them with my 102mm f13 achro though - definitely a double, but with the two disks touching. Always fun to look at these close, uneven doubles - Sissy H is gathering data on 6 Ser at the moment, which is worth a look. Chris

One to try this evening with my 180 Mak and 102mm Vixen achro. Chris

Personally, I love Summer and its long, hot days. Plenty to see in the heavens (even if it's not quite as dark as Winter), and moths and bats for company! Chris

Maybe also your comfortable field of view. When my eyes were tested for high power laser working a few years back, the optometrist commented that I shouldn't drive a fork lift truck (I never had that ambition anyway) and that I had slight tunnel vision - that maybe explains why I've always found 50 to 60 degree eyepieces a lot more comfortable to use than anything wider. That was a major consideration when I upgraded from a 25mm plossl a month ago, as this FL is one I use a lot with my 180 Mak. Chris

I measured mine a few times on an optical bench with a point source placed at the focal point, and the mean value of the projected disc of light was 179 mm in diameter - close to 180mm by my standards. Whatever the effective aperture, it's a lovely scope though when it's insulated and the Seeing Gods are smiling down on us.... One negative point about the Bresser 127 I've seen raised (eg CN) relates to the effective obstruction, which comes out at about 40% because of the baffle. If so, it must surely lower the contrast?? Chris

The frac and Mak combination is a good one. I use the main side position for a 180 Mak (about 10kg or so) on a better saddle, and quite often the top position for an 80ED frac. The frac gives me a lower mag view of larger objects and acts as a second finder. Rock solid mount, but a little agricultural as someone has already said! Chris

My main scope was a 102mm f13 Vixen objective refractor for 20+ years, and I always dreamed of a bigger one until I visited a professional observatory in the Alps and saw some pretty huge refractors, which were not actually that big in aperture terms....... At that point, I decided that Maks were probably the way to go (for me) and bought a 127 and then 180. A compromise, but nearly refractor like viewing, but without the back problems! Chris

Yes, Plato is always fascinating the way the floor craterlets pop in and out of view as the Sun rises. Nice images. Chris