Meade Infinity 102

[Mak the Night]

Yeah, it will make sense when you see it. It's pretty simple to use. When you use a diagonal without a helical focuser afterwards you really miss it lol.

[Ray of LIght]

5 minutes ago, Mak the Night said:

Yeah, it will make sense when you see it. It's pretty simple to use. When you use a diagonal without a helical focuser afterwards you really miss it lol.

Lol, I probably won't after this one! Supposed to come Saturday. Will report asap! Talk in a bit ✨

[Mak the Night]

Maybe it will stop raining Saturday and you'll see Mars with it. Think positive.

[Ray of LIght]

Forcast says rain, but they are wrong a lot, I hope! Would be a perfect night for me, no doctors for once ✨

[Mak the Night]

It should look like this soon for me:

Instead it is bound to look like this:

[Ray of LIght]

Lol, the Sod of it all! I like the first picture better, you are funny! Your weather has been better than mine so let's pray! 

[Mak the Night]

Someone's been praying to the rain gods that's for sure. Mother Nature knows best I suppose. I wish she'd go on holiday for a bit lol. I've just checked my BBC Weather app on my tablet for Saturday/Sunday. It's not looking good for the Opposition.

Tantalisingly, Mars is rising here, even though I can't see it.

Maybe we should pray to the aliens lol?

Even worse, according to KStars the GRS is visible! Sod's got a lot to answer for.

[Ray of LIght]

OMG, this is bad ?, I always liked Gary Numan. Thanks for the video!

[Dave In Vermont]

I think you'll find this enlightening - though I wish I could find a better copy:

 

They really do, you knew.....

Dave

[Ray of LIght]

MIB ?!

[Dave In Vermont]

Good news, Ray:

The Weather-Devils may be going on vacation. Nice, warm weather forecast for tomorrow and mostly clear skies for the nighttime (clearing out somewhat now, even...) So it might even carry over down to my South - as in the NYC-area along with L.I. - I hope!

What makes this all the more baffling - I just got in a new Grab & Go telescope! Making it possible & practical to always have a telescope with me! It's a 4 X 12mm refractor. What's this I'm babbling about now? 4 X 12mm?? ..... ? THIS!

 

 

Arrived yesterday, in need of a bit of fine-tuning, from the P.R. of China. It cost $12.94 (£9.00). I think I showed the ad to either you, or MTN. And - it actually works quite well! Coated-lenses, smooth helical-focuser, no detected reflections, and a nice clear & crisp image quality! I guess this is a paradoxical-conundrum: Upsizing by downsizing my telescopic-stable!

Amazing what you can get from China sometimes.

'til later -

Dave

 

[Mak the Night]

I like the little scope Dave, what kind of mount are you getting for it lol? I think the weather gremlins have overslept today as it's sunny here at the moment.

[Ray of LIght]

The weather gremlins are Sod, lol! Yeah Dave, you showed me that, weren't they on eBay? Looks nice for the money. Looks like it might make little finder maybe? Or something to take to the range, even though I have a pair of Nikon binos for that purpose. How does it work?

[Ray of LIght]

I don't know guys, my local weather just forcast cloudy for tonight (after a beautiful day of course) and then rain for Saturday and Sunday. OMG. I hope your weather guy or app is correct but as of now I have no idea what he's talking about, lol! My WO diagonal should be here tomorrow, so at least that's something!

[Ray of LIght]

I don't know guys, my local weather just forcast cloudy for tonight (after a beautiful day of course) and then rain for Saturday and Sunday. OMG. I hope your weather guy or app is correct but as of now I have no idea what he's talking about, lol! My WO diagonal should be here tomorrow, so at least that's something!

[Mak the Night]

At 00:30 BST there was a slight break in the clouds so I grabbed the little Mak and headed to the garden. Of course, by the time I’d set up, Sod and the gremlins made sure the clouds came back so I had to wait it out. Eventually, after nearly getting vertigo watching clouds race across the Moon and even seeing an owl pass across it in the viewfinder, I managed to get some observing done. The Moon was Waxing Gibbous, Descending Phase. 96.6% illumination, 405,475 km distant, azimuth 12.2° south at an altitude of 25.4° (Libra). I forgot how much the Terminator moves in 24 hrs and Schroter’s Valley wasn’t as close to it as I thought it would be. Anaxagoras in the northern pole very was very prominent. To the western limb: Grimaldi, Pyroclastic Cavalerius, Hevelius and Hevelius A were very distinct and a fair bit of detail could be seen inside the crater formations. Cruger and Darwin were also easily discerned, more so than in this VMA screenshot. Due to transparency I rarely got above 52.6x (19mm Panoptic) and even went down to 40x. There were moments that I got 66.6x, 77x and 91x though.

Mars was an impressive big red blob but Saturn surprised me at 01:30 BST (Transit 02:08) azimuth 350.6° S, 16.4° altitude, 10.027 au distant (Ophiuchus). I first saw it at 40x (25mm Vixen NPL) but I found that even with the dodgy transparency I could push to 77x and 91x. I got 77x with a Celestron (GSO) 13mm Plossl as it fills the gap between my 15mm Antares UPL and 11mm TV Plossl. Considering it costs less than a quarter of the cost of either of the other two it accounted for itself very well. What surprised me was that the rings were much clearer and distinct, and looked much more like I saw them with my 102mm Mak around this time last year. I was very tempted to set up the Explorer as I also got some great views of Saturn with it last year, but it was a tad late and I was knackered by then.

It’s cloudy again here ...

[Ray of LIght]

I was wrong, I may be able to get out tonight. My back has been pants since that Cardiac Catheterization so that may ruin things for me but I will see. I will use the moon maps you sent me as an aid in finding some of those great features, thanks so much! Leaving Pulmonologist now so will check in later ✨

[Mak the Night]

Catheterisation never sounds good! You might find this online interactive lunar map useful Ray.

[Ray of LIght]

I always take my iPhone when i observe and have some very useful apps. I never take my laptop so if that tool is not an app also it won't be something I can use real time. Of course I can use it as a learning tool, which would be great. I am not home right now but I believe that my WO diagonal was delivered already! Will let you know. Agena has fast delivery it seems!

 

[Mak the Night]

11 minutes ago, Ray1103 said:

I always take my iPhone when i observe and have some very useful apps. I never take my laptop so if that tool is not an app also it won't be something I can use real time. Of course I can use it as a learning tool, which would be great. I am not home right now but I believe that my WO diagonal was delivered already! Will let you know. Agena has fast delivery it seems!

 

I'm pretty sure you can just open it in the phone's browser. It's got fantastic resolution. I've been looking for Apollo 11 lol!

Look at this zoom into Mons Pico from 2000 metres per pixel to 0.5 metres per pixel.

[Ray of LIght]

That's crazy! Will give it a try, thanks!

[Mak the Night]

Screenshot the Lunar Excursion Module if you find it. Apparently it's bright silver and appears to be made out of tinfoil!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Lunar_Module#/media/File:Apollo16LM.jpg

[Ray of LIght]

 Wow, the WO diagonal is beautiful! Better than I thought. Looks easy to reach neutral and is very solid. That thing isn't going anywhere! Can't wait to use. The weather changed to pants tonight so hopefully soon. Telescope looks totally different from when I first got it. Thanks for everything Mak!

[Ray of LIght]

I guess with no scale it is hard to find neutral but I have to get used to it. Very pretty piece of gear. Talk in little while ✨

[Mak the Night]

47 minutes ago, Ray1103 said:

 Wow, the WO diagonal is beautiful! Better than I thought. Looks easy to reach neutral and is very solid. That thing isn't going anywhere! Can't wait to use. The weather changed to pants tonight so hopefully soon. Telescope looks totally different from when I first got it. Thanks for everything Mak!

Very nice!