Lukehurst 14" dob first light report

[Ally8446]

Afternoon folks

Well, last night was the inaugral outing of my DL Dob. I collected it from David 5 weeks ago and have been waiting patiently for first light. 

Having a hubble optics mirror set I was expecting great things.......it didn't let me down.

I'm very fortunate in that my place of work is in the grounds of an old quarry, so no access to the public. Being the Transport Manager has a few advantages, namely, I have 24 hour access. The downside is to the south is a slight light dome from my home town of Welshpool. Other than that it's fairly dark. When I tell you what I was able to see perhaps you'll agree. Maybe you won't. I'm all ears.

I arrived at 8pm with sunset due at 20:47. On the way there I ran over a pothole which made my stomach turn. I was correct, collimation was way off. Secondary was appearing as an oval and as I'm used to the set screws on a Revelation or Skywatcher dob it took me a considerable time to get the secondary even close to being a circle. Let me explain further. The set screws on my old dobs have been push screws only where as the set screws on the DL are push/pull. I managed to be able to see 2 clear mirror clips with a hint of the 3rd one. For the time being I was happy with that. Then came the big'un. It was so far out it was in another county. Now I don't trust lasers, so in went the cheshire. If I went to and fro between the eyepiece and the primary collimation bolts less than than 15 times I'd be surprised. Finally I got to a collimation level I was marginally happy with.

First up Venus, only because it was still fairly light. It was a little hazy but that was due to it's closeness to the horizon. It showed almost full phase with maybe a 15% loss on the west side (I think)

I concentrated my entire night on Ursa Major/Canes Venatici with short venture into Leo. In saying that my 'goto' favourite is M57 so naturally (now it's pretty dark) that was my next quarry. I started off with ES 24mm 68° which I use as a finder. It was startling at first, clearer than I'd ever seen it before. Swapped to BST 12mm which gave a hint of bluey green with averted vision. Couldn't quite make the central star, I'm hoping that was just down to atmospherics. Feel free to let me know your thoughts on this.

M51  I've only ever seen this in an 'is it there/is it not' frame of mind. Last night......IT WAS THERE. Again started with the ES and switched down to BST 12. I'm certain I could just make out the spiral arms but again only with AV. Mind = blown. I also had NGC 5195 in the same fov which i wasn't expecting. I'm not even sure why 

M63 Sunflower. Quite small, grey fuzzy (aren't they all)

M101 Pinwheel. Again my past experiences with this mirror M51 but last night I must've spent a good 15-20 minutes just drinking it all in. A fraction of structure with AV.

M94 Cats Eye - failed to find  

M109 once I moved Phecda out of the fov it was a lovely site. It showed as an elongated hazy patch at first but after a minute or two I realised i could make out the core and maybe a tinge of structure.

M97 Owl & M108 I felt like i was being watched. I'm not sure if it was down to mirror quality or just a freak few moments when the atmospherics were dead still but it was a beautiful thing to behold, especially after adding a UHC filter. And to have M108 in the same fov was just ace.

Onto Leo now. I had always been a little disapppointed with the views I've had of The Triplet in the past but it was fairly special last night. All 3 just popped straight out. Obviously NGC3628 was considerably dimmer but I marveled at all 3 for at least 15 minutes, after all it could be months before they show themselves to me again.

M96 pretty faint, pretty fuzzy and pretty.

I finished off the evening with The King of Planets which of course never fails to impress. I swear i could've reached out and touched it. Both northern and southern equatorial belts easily distinguishable between the tropical zones. It's always a good day when you can get a view of The Big Guy.

Last thing to mention is - can someone please tell me how I tell swmbo I need to spend at least another grand on new EPs and a coma corrector, not to mention a battery for the secondary heater....oh and a light shroud. Then there's the Argo Navis blah blah blah  

It was a fantastic night.

I LOVE ASTRONOMY.....IT ROCKS 

Ally

[Doc]

Lovely report Ally, it was a great read and very well presented. You saw some nice targets, as for the Argo Navis, why don't you try a wixey encoders, I know it isn't in the same league but it's cheap and in conjunction with planetarium software amazingly accurate. I have them on altitude and azimuth axis and it works great.

[Stu]

Lovely report, a nice read  

It’s a fab scope you have there, it will give you years of pleasure.

I would go with an Astro Devices Nexus and connect to SkySafari, so much more useful than the Argo Navis. 

[swamp thing]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

 

I would go with an Astro Devices Nexus and connect to SkySafari,

I agree.

Nice report Ally. 

 

[ollypenrice]

A good read and David Lukehurst is a great guy. I met him only once but he made an impression!

14 inches is plenty in so far as seeing spiral structure in M51 goes, at a good dark site. When everything is right on the night it is straightforward in direct vision - and my eyesight is on the poor side. But low elevation or slight haze will kill it.

My own large Dob, with a mundane-grade F4.1 mirror, has never had a CC and nobody using it has ever asked for one or suggested I should buy one. I do use premium EPs in it though, 13 Ethos and 26 Nagler by default. Some say why bother with premium EPs with a basic grade mirror. My reply is that they do wonders for the edge of field. I don't remember the last time I used anything other than those two EPs in our 20 inch Dob so I wouldn't fret about budgeting for lots of great ones. Two seems to be fine!

Have fun - or rather have more fun...

Olly

[CraigT82]

Very well written report... a pleasure to read! My dream scope is a DL dob. Very jealous 

[NGC 1502]

Late to this party but just enjoyed your report, thanks.

Constant access to a good and private dark site is a super bonus. Enjoy your DL........

In 2002 I saw the best sky ever from not far from your site. It was at Madogs Wells when Michael and Ann Reed ran an astronomy centre B&B. It had rained all day, then cleared to a fabulous transparent sky.......

Then home to SE Essex........?

Cheers from Ed.

[Eastman]

Great report Ally, nice firstlight.

Had to google lukehurst dobson, nice looking truss-tubes.

Must be great to own such a special dob.

[barkis]

A very nice, and honest account of your first outing with what is without doubt, a very fine instrument.
David's reputation is well established, and you can look forward to some exciting nights at your eyepieces.
There will be more reports from you I hope. There's nothing more stimulating to SGL's  amateur astronomers, than 
the successful reporting of a nights adventure under good skies.
I think your "Astronomy Rocks"  about sums it all up .
Thanks for sharing it with everyone.

[wookie1965]

Brilliant I must get to a dark site thanks for sharing. 

[Charic]

On 07/05/2018 at 17:18, Ally8446 said:

.......grounds of an old quarry, so no access to the public.......

What about fellow members  would love to view through a larger scope one day,  especially at Ursa Major, as thats about  the limit I see above my observatory ( draw a circle to encompass Ursa Major and Cassiopeia - thats my zone! ) thats all I have from my garden, and  many street lights.

Its possible this Year I'll be visiting nearby Oswestry, who knows? I'd even help you set it up 

 

[Ally8446]

1 hour ago, Charic said:

Its possible this Year I'll be visiting nearby Oswestry, who knows? I'd even help you set it up 

 

You'd be more than welcome @Charic. Give me a shout nearer the time. 

Ally