I don't see why you need a bigger scope!

[eid]

Yes, don't be put off. M13 in my 9.25 is absolutely beautiful.

eid

[Moonshane]

the way I look at aperture is that it will improve the vast majority of targets no matter where you live and I agree with Umadog that the comparisons are about right (ask Spaceboy after he looked through my 16"). however, I'd sooner be observing with less aperture than not observing.

therefore, buy a used version of the 8" scope of a well known brand and continue to save you can then (when you have the funds for a bigger scope and still feel you want/need one) buy a bigger scope. at least that way you get the benefits of a scope now too.

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Thanks guys, sound advice. I think i was overcome with temporary aperture madness.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The 8" impression of M13 is a bit misleading, as it does depend on exit pupil, to some extent anyway, and a lot on sky quality. Of course I want that 25", but how much use would it get compared to my little C8?

[Manok101]

The difference between a 4" Dob, and a 10" Dob speaks for itself. I was amazed at the level of detail I was able to get out of Orion's nebula, I can even see some of the stars in the nebula. With my small scope I can just barely see that there are stars. and they just look like one star. In the nebula I mean.

[Spackbackle]

I think you may have just given everyone reading this thread Apeture fever!

[eid]

I think you may have just given everyone reading this thread Apeture fever!

Pfft, like they needed my help...

I still cant believe how bright they are. It makes me giggle when I look at the 25". I think I'm hysterical, someone slap me!

Imagine what that 50" Orion monster must be like. You'd need sunglasses!

eid

[umadog]

The increasing brightness is because they're simulating the same magnification across all those scopes. The result is that exit pupil increases with aperture so apparent brightness increases too. The aperture at which the exit pupil diameter equals your dilated pupil diameter the image brightness will stop increasing (if magnification stays constant).

That graphic is wonderful for inducing aperture fever, isn't it?

[swamp thing]

Good as those comparison photos are they don't really do justice to the actual views. When observed from a dark site.

As the centre of the cluster in the images apears overexposed to me and not as nice as it actually appears. The way the stars seem to give a ball look through the eyepiece is lost.

The image seems flat and two dimensional in comparison.

So I would say the actual view is better than whats there.

Plus no star can be reproduced in an image to appear as beautiful as it does when viewed directly with the eye, so for me the view through the eyepiece is a country mile better.

Sorry if this gives anyone more aperture fever than they already have:evil6:

Regards Steve

[RikM]

I agree completely Steve. The eyepiece view beats the graphic but they are about right for a 'best case' example.

The galaxy sketch links Umadog posted are about right too, at least for observing from a dark site. My 10" view slots in nicely between the 8" and 12.5" sketches in both galaxy detail and number of stars but the galaxy is not that bright.

Viewing from home I don't get that sort of detail though. LP is big factor in how much you can see. This is sketch I did from home with mag 4.5 skies on a good night.

[terrym2002uk]

Now I want a 25" 'scope.

Yup, the bigger the scope the bigger the cloud look

[JoLo]

Shoes are very serious business; I have a couple of noggin lumps to prove it, when my comments got a little too harsh.....

Gonna risk another with the expanding universe / bigger telescope / shoe comparison, can't help myself.

[Ags]

Shoes make no sense to me. You can't look through them, and they don't fit a standard vixen dovetail.

Reputable manufacturers like Televue don't make shoes, so you have to question why the market is flooded with them.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Shoes make no sense to me. You can't look through them, and they don't fit a standard vixen dovetail.

Reputable manufacturers like Televue don't make shoes, so you have to question why the market is flooded with them.

:D:D

[sunoficarus]

I get the same with cars… why do you want a car that can do 145mph when the speed limit is 70?