Show us your set up in action at night.

[Peter_D]

Imaging the Moon yesterday evening..

[johninderby]

The new SW Evolux82 and prospect of a clear night. 🙏🏼

SW claim that the Evolux is positioned between the Evostar doublets and the Esprit line and initial impressions are that that seems to be so. 👍🏻

[Robindonne]

9 hours ago, johninderby said:

SW claim that the Evolux is positioned between the Evostar doublets and the Esprit 

 

a nice clean instrument!

Edited June 11, 2022 by Robindonne

[johninderby]

From Optical Visions website.

“Building on the foundation of the popular Evostar line of doublet ED refractors, Sky-Watcher has developed the all-new Evolux ED series. Designed for the discerning astrophotographer looking for a lightweight scope that still packs a punch. Naturally, Evolux ED models offer excellent performance for visual use too. Evolux ED models have key upgrades in the optics and the mechanics,”

[Stu]

Nice views tonight through the Tak FC76Q on Unitron 114 Altaz mount.

[F15Rules]

I love those little Unitron altaz heads..

Simple, elegant, robust engineering that just works. 👍

Dave

[Victor Boesen]

Got my 102 out last night on my, still new, Berlebach Castor II. The seeing was just amazing, and the craterlet A in Plato was not even a challenge, double stars showed perfect concentric rings and tight center stars! However, with the 4" I will probably need to find a counterweight for the Castor. The AZ axis seems to stick slightly at higher elevations.

And oh, it was also the first time using my new Baader VIP barlow! Spoiler - it works great Did a brief comparison between the TeleVue 2X barlow and the VIP, which I will address more in details in another post.

EDIT: Comparison here: 

Victor

Edited June 12, 2022 by Victor Boesen

[Stu]

12 hours ago, F15Rules said:

I love those little Unitron altaz heads..

Simple, elegant, robust engineering that just works. 👍

Dave

Lovely aren’t they 👍

[MalcolmM]

14 hours ago, Stu said:

Nice views tonight through the Tak FC76Q on Unitron 114 Altaz mount.

I'm envying that cloudless sky! How do you choose which of your telescopes to use?

Malcolm

[MalcolmM]

4 hours ago, Victor Boesen said:

Got my 102 out last night on my, still new, Berlebach Castor II. The seeing was just amazing, and the craterlet A in Plato was not even a challenge, double stars showed perfect concentric rings and tight center stars! However, with the 4" I will probably need to find a counterweight for the Castor. The AZ axis seems to stick slightly at higher elevations.

And oh, it was also the first time using my new Baader VIP barlow! Spoiler - it works great Did a brief comparison between the TeleVue 2X barlow and the VIP, which I will address more in details in another post.

EDIT: Comparison here: 

Victor

I really like the look of that Castor mount; it looks great!

Malcolm

[AstroNebulee]

On 03/06/2022 at 03:14, mcrowle said:

Imaging the Milky Way, with a modded EOS 600D and Vixen Polarie star tracker, at a local beach:

Lovely image and set up 😍, do you or anyone else feel like this is an excerpt from HG Wells war of the worlds though 😬

[Victor Boesen]

43 minutes ago, MalcolmM said:

I really like the look of that Castor mount; it looks great!

Malcolm

Thank you Malcolm, so do I! 

Victor

[mcrowle]

4 hours ago, AstroNebulee said:

Lovely image and set up 😍, do you or anyone else feel like this is an excerpt from HG Wells war of the worlds though 😬

Thanks, Lee! 🤣 Yes, War of the Worlds crossed my mine at the time, and others have said so since.

However, it takes more than a Martian invasion to derail my astrophotography session  . Here's the resulting image (16 x 2-minute exposures at f/4 and ISO 3200. Astro-modified Canon 600D and Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens on a Vixen Polarie star tracker).

Regards, Mike.

[AstroNebulee]

1 minute ago, mcrowle said:

Thanks, Lee! 🤣 Yes, War of the Worlds crossed my mine at the time, and others have said so since.

However, it takes more than a Martian invasion to derail my astrophotography session  . Here's the resulting image (16 x 2-minute exposures at f/4 and ISO 3200. Astro-modified Canon 600D and Sigma 35mm f/1.4 lens on a Vixen Polarie star tracker).

Regards, Mike.

Absolutely stunning Mike 👌, is it Carlyon Bay? 

Cheers 

Lee 

[mcrowle]

2 hours ago, AstroNebulee said:

Absolutely stunning Mike 👌, is it Carlyon Bay? 

Cheers 

Lee 

Many thanks. Not Carlyon Bay, but very nearby - Spit Beach, close to Par.

You have the light dome of St Austell to the West, Fowey to the East and industrial lights at the old port to the North, but pretty dark and very unobstructed views to the South - ideal for the Milky Way core!

Regards, Mike.

[AstroNebulee]

Just now, mcrowle said:

Many thanks. Not Carlyon Bay, but very nearby - Spit Beach, close to Par.

You have the light dome of St Austell to the West, Fowey to the East and industrial lights at the old port to the North, but pretty dark and very unobstructed views to the South - ideal for the Milky Way core!

Regards, Mike.

Always beautiful on the South Coast for milky way images, not so great on the here on north coast. 

Cheers 

Lee 

[badhex]

Had a couple of mostly clear nights so far in a darker location than my usual. My ZS73, Scopetech mount Zero and Gitzo at work. 

[markse68]

Beautiful evening! Waiting for the moon with the Tal 200K

Meanwhile, 3 floors up, what a nuisance! First time out taking snaps in ages and not ideal- it only really got dark enough to polar align half an hour or so ago. But it’s clear, little wind and pleasantly warm

 First time on M57 - it looks a bit small 🤔 Will try for the Crescent neb later.

Mark

Edited June 14, 2022 by markse68

[Saganite]

 The Berlebach Planet arrived this morning and this evenings sky looks beautiful.    I am already amazed at how solid is the tripod with my 6" refractor aboard.  The proof will come when I can start observing, but so far it just feels right.  I might even see  how well it carries Andromeda later.

[Piero]

My home made 16" f4 dob, called "Nunki" (1st photo), next to my home made astro-chair.

My Lukehurst 12" f6 dob (2nd photo) redesigned to what is now called "Phoenix" (3rd photo). 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2022 by Piero

[Dave scutt]

I thought it was more like a climbing frame then a chair🤣

[Sunshine]

A new scope and I’m loving starsense!

[Piero]

Not at night, but still in action!

My little feather touched Tak FC-100 inspecting the Sun.  

 

[CCD-Freak]

Waiting for nightfall at SRO.....ES 127EDT on my AP900GTO on the Todmorden pier I recently built.

 

[F15Rules]

Got the old Vixen SP102 out tonight on my Tak mount..trying out various binoviewing pairs ahead of my Scottish holiday later summer, with hopefully some clear, Bortle 2 skies🤞..

A nice clear view of Luna just past first quarter with a pair of Meade Japan 3000 25mm to begin with..

Clear skies..

Dave