cajen2

Or folded back for people whose eye 'hovers' over the EP, like me.

Great report, Magnus and you're getting some very impressive gear! With the Stellarvue to add and some excellent seeing, you have plenty to look forward to.

Thanks for that, though I wanted a go-to alt/az mount which is easily portable. As above, an alt/az mount. The AZ5 wouldn't be man enough.

I had the same a couple of months ago except that the field star was in exactly the same plane as the moons. I had to check on here that it wasn't a fifth moon! 🤣 Well, it was a night of remarkably good seeing.... 😛

Yes, I've looked into this myself. The 102ED is 4.2 kg, but you have add the weight of a finder, diagonal and EP, so the AZGTi's limit of 5kg would make it very iffy, even if only for visual use. The AZGTIX might be possible. Anyone got another recommendation for a grab&go go-to mount that would take it without spending thousands?

Any ideas what scope your friend has?

Just to throw another 18 mil EP into the mix, the StellaLyra 68° LER/WA is a good, solid one with no obvious aberrations in my scopes. The new SL UFF is the same as the APM but even cheaper.

Yes, the SL 8" is a great dob - I have one myself. If you want a push-to system, making it easier to find stuff, also consider the Celestron Starsense Explorer range: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-starsense-explorer-series/cel_starsense_exp_8_dob.html

It's handy to have something in the garden which permanently points north. I have a sundial and a windvane, which have been quite handy if Polaris is covered by cloud.

Gorgeous result, Stu. Do you know how long the exposure was?

I wanted to stick to an alt/az. It's what I've always used since I started astronomy and I'm comfortable with it. The trouble is, that's difficult to square with a 5+ kg weight scope without spending thousands. The X version has a 6 kg limit on one side (10 kg altogether).

I understand completely, GM. Oddly enough, I was also looking at the Starfield, initially as a grab&go and eventually to replace my 8" dob - I'm gradually getting more feeble as I age. I also concluded that a go-to would be very useful given the LP where I live (I can see the main stars in Ursa Major and Orion but not much else). The obvious mount choice is a SW AzGti but the Starfield is only 0.8 kg below its weight limit and by the time you've added a diagonal and finder, probably over it. I was thinking about the AZGTiX as it'll take a kilo more and can also accommodate two scopes. If anyone has another recommendation, I'm sure both of us would love to know!

Nice, Stu...welcome to the dark side...😉

Last night was the same for me. Took a look, shivered and came back in! 😱

Ok, possibly not the world's most exciting delivery - not quite up there with a new Obsession or Takahashi - but hopefully useful nonetheless. A pair of parfocal rings for 2" EPs: It was irritating me that to achieve focus on my 2" 30mil Celestron Ultima Edge, I had to ease the EP out of the focuser slightly. Using one of these means I can choose exactly what focus suits me and leave the ring on the EP for next time (there are two Allan screws to keep it fixed). So much easier than swapping backwards and forwards with an extension tube. Anything for an easier life....😉

Excellent! Actually, thinking about it, you could get all that for less than the price of a triplet frac.....

Wow! Have you won the lottery? 😄 Two new scopes plus all this gear! Not that I'm jealous or anything.....😉

Perhaps a photo of how it's set up would help?

I think you'll be pleased with that, John. I have the same EP (but branded Celestron) and it's excellent. It really is flat and clear to the edge, too.

I've already started a thread on this in the Lounge ("Yet another freedom lost"). This insidious and gradual removal of rights makes my blood boil.

Have you tried it with the standard bearings, Ian?

There's also plenty of width to cover my RACI/RDF and focuser.

You might be ok, Ian. There's a bit of spare material at the bottom....it covered my scope on its EQ platform easily.

Depends. The dimensions are 75 X 75 X 135 cm, so if you measure yours, you should be able to work it out. The 10" is, I think, the same length as the 8", so I wouldn't be surprised.

I only need mine about four times a year, for four nights each (star parties, etc) so it's still quite pristine.