JAN 21ST - BYE BYE CHRISTOPH, HELLO MOON

[paulastro]

Nice to have a session on the Moon. The first for about three weeks following some challenging weather, including Christoph!

I started about 5.30pm, but had to curtail it around 6pm when the bitingly cold wind brought in a sudden intense hail storm.  Followed by a degree of panic while trying to get the equipment out of the tempest 🙂.

Before this, I did have some good views with the Tecnosky 102mm f7.  It was a fine terminator and I took a few single frames with my Olympus E-M5 Mk11.  The frame below was taken at 5.53pm, 1/320 at 400asa with a couple of crops from the same frame.

Apologies if the pics are rather large, I'm using my phone and dont know how to make them smaller - my computer is throwing a wobbly at the moment 🤨

  

[Alan White]

Lucky you Paul, we did not clear until much later and by then a warm dinner and sofa had captured me for the night.
Thanks for sharing your images, most enjoyable.

Am I turning into a fair weather Astronomer?? 

[paulastro]

Many thanks Alan, that's very kind of you.  I had planned to go out again later myself, but luckily it was cloudy 😁.

[Sunshine]

Very nice contrasty moon shots!

[Alan White]

47 minutes ago, paulastro said:

Many thanks Alan, that's very kind of you.  I had planned to go out again later myself, but luckily it was cloudy 😁.

Something about being warm, that keeps you inside, well it does me now.

[John]

Nice report and pics Paul

The moon did look very nice last night as your photos show.

 

[Mr Spock]

Nice pics. The moon did look tempting last night - until the rain came down!

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, John said:

Nice report and pics Paul

The moon did look very nice last night as your photos show.

 

Thank you John.  As usual, my visual observations showed far more of course,  but I do like to have a momento to remind me of the lunation.

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

Nice pics. The moon did look tempting last night - until the rain came down!

Thank you Mr Spock.  Yes, the weather has been so changeable and variable hasn't it.  At this time of year especially, my sessions tend to be short and sweet when there is an all too brief window of opportunity. 🙂

[mikeDnight]

5 hours ago, Alan White said:

Something about being warm, that keeps you inside, well it does me now.

I've felt the same lately. I think its something to do with being out shone by all these  102mm & 103mm apo's. Tonight however, I mustered up the courage and got wrapped up, then set my puny 100mm refractor on its mount in the obs'y. Honestly, it was like a sudden oxygen overdose as I felt my red cells come to life. The Moon tonight was beautiful, and although there was a mild undulation of the image,  I still enjoyed a very nice and detailed view. Anyone care to hazard a guess at the magnification? I was using my 100mm F8 FC100DZ with a 1.6X extender -Q making the system 1280mm and a 2X Ultima barlow with a binoviewer and paired 16.8mm orthoscopics. 

[Peter Drew]

Too much!

[paulastro]

3 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

I've felt the same lately. I think its something to do with being out shone by all these  102mm & 103mm apo's. Tonight however, I mustered up the courage and got wrapped up, then set my puny 100mm refractor on its mount in the obs'y. Honestly, it was like a sudden oxygen overdose as I felt my red cells come to life. The Moon tonight was beautiful, and although there was a mild undulation of the image,  I still enjoyed a very nice and detailed view. Anyone care to hazard a guess at the magnification? I was using my 100mm F8 FC100DZ with a 1.6X extender -Q making the system 1280mm and a 2X Ultima barlow with a binoviewer and paired 16.8mm orthoscopics. 

🤔  X 609 🙂 ?

Certainly too much for the conditions I had Mike, I was limited to around x170.

I agree with you that you really should consider upgrading to a full four inches aperture though Mike - it would make a huge difference🙂

Edited January 22, 2021 by paulastro

[mikeDnight]

22 minutes ago, paulastro said:

🤔  X 609 🙂 ?

Certainly too much for the conditions I had Mike, I was limited to around x170.

I agree with you that you really should consider upgrading to a full four inches aperture though Mike - it would make a huge difference🙂

Thanks Paul,   I got the same mag but had doubts because the view was remarkably steady and still relatively sharp. 

I'll give some thought to upgrading to a full four inches, as having only three point nine inches is giving me an inferiority complex.  

Pathetic isn't it!

[paulastro]

Look and tremble Mike 🤣

 

[BRADLEY 1953]

A lovely iconic image of first quarter moon.