Skywatcher 40mm Aero brief review

[Blackheart]

Hi guys

I tried posting this on the equipment review page but I wasn't able to. Hope it's ok to post it here...

I just thought I’d give you my initial thoughts on the 40mm Aero eyepiece that I purchased from FLO a couple of weeks ago. Ordered Sunday, came on Tuesday, nuff said! The eyepiece was supplied in a sturdy cardboard box with foam inserts. As has been said previously it comes with rigid plastic lens caps that are easy to get on and off. The lower cap on this eyepiece was cracked and I could see a tiny corresponding dink on the rim of the barrel but apart from that the eyepiece seems absolutely fine.

Aero...hah! Someone’s havin a laugh!

For someone used to using 1.25” eyepieces the first thing that hits you is the sheer size of a 2” eyepiece. They are quite simply enormous. Just take a look at the photos comparing the Aero to a normal 26mm plossl and a can of beans. I also took a shot of the eyepiece in the hand. If we’re comparing this to a chocolate bar then this is not an Aero this is most definitely a Yorkie!

I do have one other experience of a 2” eyepiece. I once ordered a 2” 40mm Revelation eyepiece but I was so disappointed I sent it back immediately. Basically the sky was so pale and the contrast so poor that it was virtually unusable. The service from Telescope House was as good as ever however and I got a full refund but it did make me wary. Then, after reading Andrew’s excellent review comparing the 40mm to the 38mm Panaview, my interest was reignited. My motivation was embarrassingly simple... I wanted to see the entire Pleiades in the eyepiece! I also wanted to see the Andromeda galaxy to greater extent but what I didn’t want was more of those ‘stretched’ stars that somewhat detract from the view through a standard low power eyepiece.

Before I continue, I’ll just give you a brief idea of where I sit as an astronomer. Basically I’ve been observing for years but never to any great depth. I’m not one of those lucky people who can see spiral structure in m51 or m101 with an 8” scope. I have a 12” flextube dob and with that I can just make out spiral structure in these galaxies from my reasonably dark skies here in the Scottish Borders.

With a 26mm SW plossl in my 12” dob you can see about 75% of the Pleiades and the view is really nice but I was always frustrated at not seeing the whole thing. Likewise with Andromeda. You can see the core nicely, with a hint of a dust lane but I had the feeling that seeing the whole thing would put it in context and give a more pleasing view. Also, when sweeping across the milky way it is great to see the faint sprinkling of stars but the way they seemed to smear, or wrap around the outside of the field of view always detracted from the view. I had read that this effect was coma, an inherent characteristic of a fast newtonian but Andrew had also mentioned that this effect was somewhat reduced with the Aero. So, on that first night I waited for the thin clouds to clear...

First Light

Anyone with a new piece of kit will know the feeling of praying for a gap in the clouds, no matter how small and fleeting. That was me... standing on the patio looking at a sky full of thin cloud, thinking... is it getting thinner there... can I see the faint glow of a star. Then yes... a definite star. I swing the scope round eager not to miss this gap in the clouds and the first thing I see is M13, right there in the eyepiece. What a stroke of luck! It was your classic faint fuzzy. A small blob with just a hint of granulation. With a 6mm eyepiece in the 12” dob you can resolve M13 without averted vision and in moments of good seeing it really does take your breath away. In the 40mm Aero it was pleasantly visible but at 38x it was too small to see any great detail.

Now, this first quick view made me realise two things. First, that the Aero was a million miles away from the cheap Revelation eyepiece. The sky seemed just as dark as through my normal 26mm plossl even on this cloud veiled evening. My second realisation was that I couldn’t just switch to a different eyepiece to improve contrast and magnification. The Aero is big, and not so easy to pop in a bolt case and tuck in my jacket pocket. It also fits into the 2” adapter on the focuser. So switching eyepieces means switching adapters. Not a big deal but for someone like me who will switch eyepieces often as I move from object to object it will mean a change in habits. However, my viewing was then cut short as the clouds rolled in and I went back to scanning the sky for a break. Later, as luck would have it I caught a sneaky glimpse of the Pleiades shining through the clouds. This was it... would it fit. I’d read the specs and done the eyepiece calculation thing but I still wasn’t sure what to expect. Then... yes. Veiled through a mist of cloud I see the familiar kite shape of the Pleiades and despite the clouds I can’t help smiling. It’s all there. Just a shame the sky was so poor.

Second Light

The next night looked much the same. A veil of thin cloud! So, I put my scope out to cool down and went to watch some telly. An hour and a half later and I peep out to see stars between the breaking clouds. I nip straight out only to find that it has rained on my scope but as I had left the caps on there was no harm done. I wiped it down and looked up to see the sky slowly clearing. Oh, joy! First stop, the Seven Sisters. Yep, gorgeous... nice dark sky, beautiful bright bluish stars and definite nebulosity. I found myself picking out little details and features that I had never noticed before. Was it worth the admission fee? ...well almost. £135 for an eyepiece is a lot of money for me. I took a hand held shot through the eyepiece and after several attempts I managed to get it to focus on the stars. Not the best view of the Pleiades by any stretch but it does show all the main stars as you can see. Next, Jupiter, and despite its small size the view was really pleasing, nice and sharp. I then moved up to Andromeda and at first I was a little disappointed. There was the central smudge and yes I could see the nebulosity extending to either side, right to the limits of the field of view. And yes I can see the main dust lane but it’s not blatantly obvious. But then I notice first one satellite galaxy and then the other and the smile returns... m31 plus both satellites in the same field of view. I suspect that this is a view I will return to again and again and on nights of good transparency I suspect the view will be gorgeous.

I then did what dobsonians are best at, I just trawled back and forth across the sky. To be honest in some ways I preferred the view through my 26mm plossl. Maybe the sky is a little darker and the stars a little brighter but through the Aero there was virtually no sign of these ‘stretched’ stars around the edge of the field. Instead I found that the stars towards the edge of the field just seemed a fraction out of focus, slightly spiculated if you know what I mean. But then my appreciation grew. As with the Pleiades I began to notice little formations and groups in a way I had never appreciated before and I suspect that I will now spend even more time than ever just sweeping across the Milky Way.

The other thing that struck me was just how easy it was to find things. I always struggle to find the fainter objects. Even M51 and M101 elude me on some nights but I suspect that with the 40mm Aero they will be so much easier to find just because it shows such a large area of sky.

So was it worth it? Well, it seems that just like telescopes there is no such thing as the perfect eyepiece. The 40mm Aero is very nice and the view is as good as the reviews suggested but I miss the easy swap from one eyepiece to another. I toy with the idea of swapping it for a nice 1.25” eyepiece but then I might not get the entire Pleiades in the view and I know I would miss that. So, until I can afford the full range of Ethos eyepieces I think this big old Yorkie will remain in my collection.

[Pug]

Great review, looking at getting a 12" dob soon and was asking questions about EPs on another thread. The SW Aero was one that was recommended, I plan to get to a star party to try EPs out before buying but it sounds good!

Thanks for posting.

[Blackheart]

Thanks Pug (reference to Magician maybe!)

if you have any questions regarding the 12" dob just drop me a line...

BH

[Pug]

Just waiting for one to come up 2nd hand! There's 3 on astrobuynsell but they're all in the northwest, too far for me to travel! Used one at my local astro club though.

Pug has my nickname since I was 7, I was an ugly child, now I'm an ugly man!

[Blackheart]

lol

Glad to see you're spirit remains undaunted

[nicnac]

I was looking at the 35mm for my low power, nice review

Another Feist fan?