Well, That Was Fun!

[Geoff Barnes]

Just finished having a play with the 12 inch Dob on a cool clear twilight into darkness. I decided to use my new Baader 8-24mm zoom with my Celestron Ultima 2x Barlow just to see what it could do, and I must say, WOW! Mostly viewing Jupiter which was at very high altitude and shining brightly, I started at 24mm and gradually zoomed in (needed slight adjustment to focus), and observed at each click stop for a few minutes taking it all in. I settled on mid range zoom, somewhere around 12mm-14mm (so 6mm-7mm with 2x Barlow) giving me the best views. A bit of atmospheric wobble coming and going, but at times the image was as sharp as a tack, really brilliant with detail and colour in the bands that I'd never seen before. What was interesting was that even though there was still a slight glow in the sky, through the Barlowed EP the background sky was inky black.

I decided to get out my new Explore Scientific 4.7mm 82 degree EP for a direct comparison with the Baader+Ultima combination. I was shocked! The image through the ES was to my eye inferior to the Baader/Ultima zoom combo. Don't get me wrong, the ES 4.7mm gave a very good image, but the Baader was simply sharper and brighter.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Baader zoom is going to be a keeper, and the only EP I will use for the time being, it is that good with the 12 inch Dob.

I had a quick look at Omega Centauri and zoomed right into the centre of the cluster at 4mm equivalent, 375x magnification, amazing! Felt like I was surrounded by millions of stars, more than my mind could comprehend!

Wanted to look at Saturn and Mars but too many trees blocking the view to my east, will try again in a week or two when they'll be rising higher earlier.

I've attached a photo of my Dob pointing directly up at Jupiter around 7pm this evening, I hope all you lot in the UK will sympathise with me having to stand on tiptoes to reach the eyepiece, you've got it so easy over there with your lowly planets! ?

 

[cuivenion]

it's a good job we have a sense of humour over here! You Aussies with your fancy high in the skies planets. ?

[Patbloke]

Brilliant stuff... That southern hemisphere stuff is so lovely, the stars always seem so colourful. Ha ha get a beer crate to stand on, plenty down there ?

[DeepSkyBagger]

Yeah, well M31 is circumpolar for me so yah boo! ?

[Macavity]

I have often wondered (academic question) whether it is better to be "Antipodean"
or Podean(?) maybe? lol. Perhaps best to be Equatorial? Not TOO much hotter? ?

The Polar Skies (both hemispheres) are often said to be "rather barren" though. ?

[Paz]

Great report. When comparing to the es4.7mm were you zoomed in to the same equivalent focal length with the zoom eyepiece. If you were comparing 4.7mm to 6 or 7mm the longer focal lengths will have an advantage in not pushing the limits of the seeing or the scope so much and the contrast won't be as thinned out by the magnification.

[Geoff Barnes]

Hi Paz,

To the best of my knowledge I was comparing equal FL, but it was hard to be completely sure as the zoom was between click stops. I will need to do further viewing and on different subjects to confirm, especially as I say the seeing was inconsistent. 

I might add that I find the click stops on the new Mk. 4 zoom are very indistinct, I can barely feel them as I zoom.

More reports to follow in due course.