First light with new XT8!!!

[Josh Wilson]

My Orion XT8 finally arrived yesterday at about 4pm--3 days ahead of expected delivery and I immediately started setting it up in my garage. During the 30 minutes it took, my whole family came in at least once and from everyone of them I heard "That thing is frickin' HUGE!!!" every 10 minutes. Each. After setup, I took it outside to start cooling for first light.

My first viewed object wasn't really Saturn but I'd like to say it was. My true first light was Vega. I chose that just because I needed to sight in the viewfinder. But Saturn was better than ever. It's rings were pin sharp and I wished I had gotten the scope when it was higher in the sky. I didn't see any of its moons because it was still early twilight. Oh well. Please Saturn, just don't explode.

I decided to revisit some old friends that I never got to know very well with my ETX. First was M57, which popped right out. Then was M13, which I'd never been able to resolve any stars with. Next were M22 and M8. I would find it to show to my dad and I would get so lost in the view I would forget why he was standing next to me. M31 never ceases to amaze me. Just seeing it doesn't really do much but when you think about how far it is, you can't help but wonder what is looking back at you.

I got up at 5 this morning to get a view of Jupiter, Venus, and the Orion Nebula. Wow!!! I have never seen Jupiter or the Orion Nebula in such amazing detail. I was able to spot Jupiter's GRS with a 13% Transmission Moon Filter. With my ETX, all I saw was a ball with a pale red stripe on the top and bottom. With my new scope, the stripe on the bottom split in to two clouds and I saw a wave like cloud extending out of it and connecting with it again. The cloud that was extending out was the GRS. The top cloud also split into two by a darker lane of clouds.

I plan on viewing the moon with the moon filter later this week when the moon is waxing in to 1st quarter. Can't wait to take it to a DSS. Here I come Kitt Peak!!!

[KevUU]

Damn it, I'm trying not to spend money on more aperture here - you're not helping!

Enjoy your new scope, it sounds like you're well set up there

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Great first light report. An 8" is a real step up from a 4.5". I went from 6" to 8" 16 or 17 years ago, and still find it a most satisfying aperture to work with. The difference between even a 6" and an 8" on big globulars like M22 is stunning. Have fun with the new scope!

[estwing]

well done Josh,nice report..clear skies!

[space3]

good luck with the new scope,

[sam mayo]

sounds great cant beat 1st light just wish saturn was viewable atm havent seen it in my newish scope yet

[rory]

enjoyed reading that report, thanks.

[swamp thing]

Nicely written, good report, that was an enjoyable read. Your great enthusiasm for the new scope really came accross.

Mid sized scopes 8"-10" really are the workhorses of this hobby. They'll get through so many objects tirelessly, giving great view after great view.

Enjoy