cajen2

Yes, same for me, DS, though I did set up. The transparency seemed very patchy here - sometimes I'd struggle to see all four of the main stars in the Trapezium (72x mag) but ten minutes later, they were clear. For doubles, I had a quick look at Mintaka - easy enough, but Rigel wouldn't split for me even at 150x, something I've managed several times on other nights. I gave up in the end as I wasn't seeing anything very clearly.

Ah, ok, thanks for the clarification. I was confusing it with the DX 130 AZ newt.

Wow, quite a session, Magnus and shows how persistence can be key! I think I'd have been able to view about a tenth of what you managed.....😥 That newt of yours sounds a bit tasty, btw!

I'm not familiar with this scope but isn't it a 102mm Newtonian? The OP may have problems with dark images on a small newt with a UHC filter?

They're obviously more 'switched on' in Wolverhampton! 😆

Exactly the same for me. I set up the scope as we had a visitor coming (a somewhat boring friend of my partner's) and, especially with blokes, it gives me something to talk about. So I focused on the moon at 125x, and called him outside to take a look. He did, shrugged and went back inside. No pleasing some people....

Mmmmmm, it's the waiting that's so difficult...!

My problem is that I've been spoilt by my Pentax XWs.....I can't afford to keep buying those!

I also bought the Astronomik UHC filter and found it somewhat of a disappointment on M42. The view was rather dark and I didn't find the nebulosity much improved - the Baader did a better job. I need to try the UHC on other nebulae, but I feel it needs a larger scope / better light-gathering abilities than mine.

I bet the author of the article would be mortified to read this. He had to use complex maths to do the same thing! 😄

.....and they should loan you a 20" as a "courtesy scope"! 😆

Cheers, Daf. I already have a case full of EPs from my previous scope, so I'm hoping not to have to buy many more! I asked Flo if they would exchange the 30mil for a 20, as I already have a Vixen 30mm. It'd be in their interest to agree, as the 20 is cheaper! 😄

Wow, it certainly looks the business inside! 👍

@Louis D , would you expect any significant improvement in EOF aberrations for the Nirvana in an F/6 scope?

No! No! Get thee behind me, Satan! 😡👿

What would the sun look like if viewed from other solar systems? I found this article, giving its magnitude and location in the sky as seen from other systems. Fascinating! https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-blogs/explore-night-bob-king/see-the-sun-from-other-stars/ The article also shows how our familiar constellations would look in other skies.

An update if anyone's interested: I've still got all the EPs I mentioned - Svbony 6mm, BST 8mm, Pentax 14mm, Vixen NPL 30mm and OVL Hyperflex Zoom. I still like and use all of them. I of course love the Pentax XW 14, so I broke the bank and got the 5mm for my high-mag EP. It's wonderful too.... As a consequence, the Svbony is a bit surplus to requirements, so I'm going to donate it to my daughter, who's beginning to take an interest in astronomy. I've bought her a SW Heritage 100p dob as a starter scope. I 've weakened and ordered an upgrade for myself as well: a StellaLyra 8" dob, ❤️ so looking forward to seeing how well my EP collection does in that! It's an f/6, so should be even better.

Nice report, Daf. I'm hoping to take delivery of my new scope this month: a StellaLyra 8" dob. How are you finding it? Any tips?

Hi Daf and welcome. Are you going to the Spring Astrocamp at Cwmdu in April? Nice and handy for you and a good chance to meet people (if there are any places left).

There's a street light right outside my front garden, where I do all my observing. It's been off, presumably broken, for well over a year. Sometimes, council inertia or incompetence isn't so bad.....! (....and no, I didn't break it!) 😆

Ooh, sexy! 😄

And of course the PDS would be much nicer and more accurate to focus...... I'm afraid, Redmike, the advice will be to go for the larger scope and the most expensive mount....such is the way of the astronomer's life....😥 One other thing, RM, is if you aren't particularly fussed about astroimaging, an alt/az mount is a lot easier to set up and use than an EQ.

Come on, folks, help this guy out! I have no experience of those mounts, so can't comment, but I can see the problem!

Yep, good advice from Alex. I also have an OVL Hyperflex Zoom but, rather like a Barlow, there may be downsides. You need one EP with a low mag / wide field of view as a way of centring on your target and viewing large objects like the Andromeda galaxy. All zooms tend towards a narrow FOV at lower mags, so they're no substitute. Personally, I use a Vixen 30mm NPL - great EP for the price. The 25mm BST would do the same job. So I'd consider a zoom as an adjunct to fixed f/l EPs, not a replacement. Other people are of different opinions, of course!😄

Do remember that cheap Barlows can degrade the image somewhat, especially by making it darker, so buy the best you can afford. A nice compromise on quality and expense would again be a BST Starguider one. Obviously, all three EPs can be improved upon, but not without spending some serious money. The BSTs are that good