Sirius A and B

[John]

Of course I'll keep trying, but I  wonder if my subpar mirror compared to yours would be a step too far this kind of thing. That  has not stopped me looking though on several occasions to see what I am up against with this task to get an idea  a good ortho or something, a red filter and good site with steady skies there is a little hope one day perhaps.

My view of Sirius is not ideal really so if you have a nice clear view, perhaps over countryside, rather than the houses / school that I have to contend with, you could crack it.

Orthos certainly seem to be best for controlling the glare and light scatter from the brighter star. Good collimation is another factor that needs consideration I think.

I'm still hoping to spit this with my ED120 refractor as that gives really tight star images but no luck as yet.

[chiltonstar]

I think that maybe seeing (has to be excellent ++), sharp optics and very tight focus are the pre-requisites? Hence it being possible in the UK and even more so in the US with quite small scopes, on occasions.

Chris

[Stu]

I think that maybe seeing (has to be excellent ++), sharp optics and very tight focus are the pre-requisites? Hence it being possible in the UK and even more so in the US with quite small scopes, on occasions.

Chris

It's certainly impressive in a 5" mak Chris. Does your scope have particularly high spec optics or have you just fettled it to perfection :-)

From your reports, I suspect your eyesight is probably sharper than most too.

Stu

[chiltonstar]

It's certainly impressive in a 5" mak Chris. Does your scope have particularly high spec optics or have you just fettled it to perfection :-)

From your reports, I suspect your eyesight is probably sharper than most too.

Stu

I've never collimated the scope as it already gave nice, concentric diff rings when I collected it and, as they say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". It hasn't been moved around much either and has therefore stayed good, I suppose.

In "the day job", I've spent a fair amount of time peering through optical instruments looking for elusive detail  - perhaps that helps.

Chris

[Doley68]

Hello all,

Chris, wouldn't the east/west orientation through a mak with diagonal be the same as John's sketch?

Just checking as I've been trying for the pup with my 180 pro without success yet!

Chris.

[chiltonstar]

Hello all,

Chris, wouldn't the east/west orientation through a mak with diagonal be the same as John's sketch?

Just checking as I've been trying for the pup with my 180 pro without success yet!

Chris.

Yes, E and W the same, but N is at the top. I see the Pup as just before the E position, (and the field stars oriented differently of course)

Chris

[Jason D]

Observe Rigel companion first. Make a mental note of its location with respect to Rigel then move to Sirius. The location of the Pup with respect to Sirius  is 90 degrees rotated compared to Rigel and its companion.

Jason