MalcolmM

A new phone, even though one of the cheapest smartphones, has vastly improved what I can do with the Lunt. Lunt 50, Pentax 5mm and handheld Samsung Galaxy A13. Clear skies at last! Hoping they stay clear for tonight! Malcolm

Exactly right in my experience. I tried playing guitar for years and years and got so frustrated when I played with someone who had 6 months against my 10 years and they played so much better than me (not that that was very difficult 😀 ) It also frustrates me when the successful entrepreneur says it's easy, anyone can do it, or ditto the world class concert pianist. Everyone is different, different strengths, different weaknesses and that's OK. What some find easy, others struggle with. I think everyone has a talent at something ... I'm still searching 😀 Apologies; rant over 😀 Malcolm

Exactly what I was thinking Malcolm

As the great Sherlock Holmes kept reminding Dr Watson Some very interesting debate. I personally feel my own observing skills have a long way to go before I can get the best out of my scope. Malcolm

Mindful of the many posts and threads asking "which scope should I buy" that end up with us all basically advocating the scope that we own ourselves, I found the following quote by Thomas Romney Robinson, Astronomer and Keeper at Armagh Observatory in 1825. He was researching the best 'Mural Circle' to purchase and install in the Observatory while upgrading the Observatory instruments. "[I] had the advantage of consulting men who are justly considered the brightest ornaments of Science, and of inspecting the noblest instruments in existence" And he continues: "Each observer, as he becomes habituated to his instrument, learns to correct, to avoid, or perhaps to overlook its defects, while he perceives the inaccuracies of other constructions in too strong a light". I thought this was put brilliantly Quote from the book 'Church, State and Astronomy in Ireland. 200 Years of Armagh Observatory' by JA Bennett. Malcolm

The second picture (76DCUQ?) looks absolutely gorgeous in that guise @Stu Malcolm

For sure, and I'm hoping to progress to the 100DC soon 🙂 Malcolm

It's a Manfrotto 500 Pro Video Head on a Gitzo Traveller tripod. I love it, and it copes with the 76DCU I think you have? Malcolm

Now this is real grab n go 🙂 Malcolm

Only one word @Captain Scarlet ... WOW! Can't resist another three! That looks fabulous! Malcolm

Lovely shot. Really nice colours. Malcolm

I've used the Stella Lyra linear Binoviewers with a Lunt 50. They are the only Binoviewers I can achieve focus with on the Lunt. I like using them as I find binoviewing much more relaxing than mono. However, I find the linear Binoviewers much inferior to the Williams Optics ones and the Baader Maxbrights. The view is just not as sharp. I have done these comparisons in conventional scopes on the moon, planets and solar white light. I do not know whether this is to be expected due to their design, or if I have a poor example, or they just don't suit me! I had the option to return them, but kept them as it's the only way I could figure to binoview with the Lunt and whereas the view is not as sharp as with mono, they are much more relaxing to use for a long session. I put a review of them on SGL somewhere. I'll try and link to it if I can find it! Malcolm https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/397847-first-impressions-stella-lyra-linear-binoviewer/#comment-4271231

I had read this too and was very surprised to split Rigel in my FS60CB. I can't help feeling there is a big difference in splitting Rigel and splitting Sirius. I had a possible/probable on the Pup last year with my 100DC, very similar to your observation. Spotted something often enough in the same position to make me feel I wasn't just seeing things. After putting a description up on SGL it seemed to be in the right place to be the Pup. So I call it more probable than possible 🙂Well done on 'probably' getting it in the 76 @IB20, I think that must class as a very impressive observation. Your's, and @Mr Spock's Starfield observations give me confidence I should be able to get a more definite split with the 100mm. If only the clouds would let me try 🙂 Malcolm

Very very nice! The FS60 as a finder really gives an indication of the size. It looks enormous! Malcolm

Brilliant! I can recognise lots of features on it. Malcolm

I have the 45mm and I am very pleased with it, with the following caveat; I am relatively inexperienced having only been in this game for a couple of years and have not done any comparisons with equivalents. I have recently got a Masuyama 32mm which has a virtually identical FOV, but have not been able to do a side by side comparison yet. That being said, the 45mm feels like a good quality eyepiece, is relatively cheap and, to my eyes, provides a good view. Malcolm

Thanks for the chart @Nik271. Saw this tonight with the help of your chart. Much fainter than I was expecting and quite startling with the traffic light red colour! Lovely! Malcolm

I used some sticky backed felt for covers for the extender module for the 60CB. It turned out to be quite hairy and moulted all over the module. I ended up using this (link attached, velvet material) which is quite nice but needs gluing and is tricky to work with, but doesn't leave my lenses covered in hair! https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07PZ1DXZD?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_image Malcolm

Great report @CraigT82, I really enjoyed reading it. You captured the 'magic' of a good 4" refractor perfectly! Like @mikeDnight, I've occasionally been lucky enough to get to a dark site with mine and with a UHS filter have had stunning views of M42. Malcolm

I took a picture of M46 a few nights ago and managed to capture NGC2438 the planetary nebula. I tried with the 100DC to see it a couple of nights later. I could barely see M46 let alone the embedded planetary nebula! So tonight I kept watch for the clouds dissipating and tried again with the Mewlon and a Tak Erfle. M46 was feint but visible, despite a milky haze and mucky smoke coming from a neighbour's chimney. But despite knowing where to look (having studied my pic), I could not see it. I then tried a UHC filter, and there it was! Visible with direct vision as a feint smokey disc, no hint of a donut shape and no hint of any colour. Very exciting all the same A quick go at M42 with the filter and I was stunned at the sight! What an improvement over not using a filter! Lots of detail, very obvious shape, very bright core and wispy tendrils further out. I could still see the 4 stars of Trapezium despite the darkening of the filter. I was just getting into studying it in more detail when the clouds arrived but a very interesting short session and the first time the benefits of a UHC have been so obvious to me. Malcolm

Here's a hand held picture from yesterday which, if you zoom in, you can see a hint (I think) of the orangey/brown colouring I was seeing on the north edge of the umbra. Typically, it looks more obvious in the original pic! Did anyone else notice this? Is this a thing or is it some sort of optical artifact in my system? Malcolm

Super detail in NI too. I'm seeing an extra dark sideways V inside the umbra, lots of penumbral filaments and the north edge of the umbra is an orangy brown colour, something I have never seen before! Not sure if it's real or an optical effect. Using FOA60Q plus Lunt wedge plus 9mm Abbe. Malcolm

Thanks @JeremyS, though it's more a 'snap' than an AP image 🙂 I think I will try with the CQ extender some time to 'zoom' in a bit; that'll test my rudimentary aligning and guiding! Thanks @Neil_104, it makes for a lovely picture. @geeklee I tried to see it visually last night in a 4" scope but could barely see M46 let alone the planetary! Malcolm

Thanks @geeklee, no I didn't see it visually last year, in fact when I was observing M46 I didn't even realise there was an embedded planetary nebula! I intend to have a look for it visually next time I'm out! Not sure what size of scope would be needed to see it, or how dark a sky; I'm in Bortle 5 or 6 I think. Malcolm

Very occasionally I attach a DSLR on to the back of a Tak FS60CB and try my hand at very low tech AP. Roughly polar aligned by eye on a Vixen Advanced Polaris. 40 x 10s shots at ISO 800 automatically processed in Sequator. I love relatively wide field shots as you can see the objects in context but I have cropped this one a bit so the little planetary nebula is more obvious. I was looking for M46 and M47 last year to 'tick them off' (visually) and was intrigued to learn about the planetary nebula. So I have been waiting a year to try and see if I could capture it. Very pleased with the outcome albeit very noisy and compressed quite a bit! Malcolm