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MARCH 21ST - FIRST QUARTER MOON


paulastro

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Well, close to it anyway, 8.39 days old and illumination 52.2%.

Observed with the Tecnosky 102ED F7 from 7.20pm to 9.30pm.  Very good seeing at times, the best I've had on the Moon since buying the Tecnosky last December.  The views were superb at times, excellent sharpness and contrast,reminiscent of a flourite doublet.

Deslandtes was placed well as was the Straight Wall nearby where the sun was rising.  The Alpes and Apennines were spectacular as usual along with the E  half of Mare Imbrium.

Single frame below with a couple of crops taken at 7.45pm with the Olympus E-M5 Mk11, 1/160 at 200 asa - though alas far inferior to what could be seen visually.

1243782427_P3211992Moon.thumb.jpg.e25596e0171e6b0532376d128ab58545.jpg

272101589_P3211992AlpesApenninesB.jpg.205c3864fdbec9fe0dec9a410c47f6be.jpg

441140648_P3211992DeslandresRupesRecta.jpg.7814cfaddee2f660c7fda8198a80e17d.jpg

 

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Very nice!  Yes, the seeing was truly good last night.  I had a think about it and thought it could be down to it being cloudy all day, meaning that the sunshine didn't warm the ground and there were no thermals coming off the land..then it suddenly cleared.  I had some of the best lunar viewing for about a year and spent some time counting craterlets in Ptolomaeus.

A really nice evening.

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Great single frame Paul.. 

I have to say, i've been following your progress with the tecknosky 102 ( i have the AA variant) you seem to be enjoying it.. 

I was very impressed with views on offer, Ptolomaeus cratlets really popped out last night, didn't ever manage to catch them before in the F11 achro, the  Rima Hyginus area really contrasted well, being slightly darker, you've picked that up in your image..  I thought Birt took on an almost fluorescent quality in the shadow of the great wall with just the embankments of the crater illuminated from the dark shadows. 

seeing was ok, considering im not far from you, local thermal i suspect, but 5mm EP gave 140x bit wobbly but very crisp in between.

Feel like I've not been out in ages with one thing and another, but I've had two nights in the past week, with a bit more effort on my behalf.

hoping for clear again tonight.. Stadius Range should be well placed.

 

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47 minutes ago, Fozzie said:

Great single frame Paul.. 

I have to say, i've been following your progress with the tecknosky 102 ( i have the AA variant) you seem to be enjoying it.. 

I was very impressed with views on offer, Ptolomaeus cratlets really popped out last night, didn't ever manage to catch them before in the F11 achro, the  Rima Hyginus area really contrasted well, being slightly darker, you've picked that up in your image..  I thought Birt took on an almost fluorescent quality in the shadow of the great wall with just the embankments of the crater illuminated from the dark shadows. 

seeing was ok, considering im not far from you, local thermal i suspect, but 5mm EP gave 140x bit wobbly but very crisp in between.

Feel like I've not been out in ages with one thing and another, but I've had two nights in the past week, with a bit more effort on my behalf.

hoping for clear again tonight.. Stadius Range should be well placed.

 

Thanks Fozzie, it was good to hear about your session.  I use a binoviewer with Orthos for Lunar and planetary sessions and find it a big improvement over any single eyepiece I have ever used -  irrespective of cost or reputation.

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12 minutes ago, paulastro said:

I use a binoviewer with Orthos for Lunar and planetary sessions and find it a big improvement over any single eyepiece I have ever used -  irrespective of cost or reputation.

I have to admit, last time i used Binoviews was with the F11, I enjoyed them, but keping the mag usable was an issue, with a GPC in play, you're obviosuly finding the use of BV's friendlier at F7..  do you mind me asking what the set up is, GPC/barlow nose piece and focal length of EP's..  

ta

Fozzie

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3 hours ago, Fozzie said:

I have to admit, last time i used Binoviews was with the F11, I enjoyed them, but keping the mag usable was an issue, with a GPC in play, you're obviosuly finding the use of BV's friendlier at F7..  do you mind me asking what the set up is, GPC/barlow nose piece and focal length of EP's..  

ta

Fozzie

Certainly Fozzie.  I use a Baader Maxbright Binoviewer, a x2 Celestron X--Cel LX barlow, 24mm Kyson Orthos and 16.8 Kyson Orthos.  Because of the binoviewer factor, the magnification of each pair of eyepieces is x4 that of using them as single eyepiece.   I sometimes use x3 barlow of the same make, but only if I need more magnification and the seeing is very good - not very often with the seeing I generally have alas 🙂.  

PS Forgot to mention.  I use a Baader T2 BBHS prism, with 2inch nosepiece which gives a far more secure connection - particularly when using the binoviewer angled out at the side.

https://www.baader-planetarium.com/en/baader-t-2-stardiagonal-(zeiss)-prism-with-bbhs-r-coating-(t-2-part-01b).html

Edited by paulastro
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I missed out last night but got out just before dark for a session on the moon this evening, binoviewing with my dobsonian. Very nice views as the moon is so high up this time around.

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15 hours ago, paulastro said:

Certainly Fozzie.  I use a Baader Maxbright Binoviewer, a x2 Celestron X--Cel LX barlow, 24mm Kyson Orthos and 16.8 Kyson Orthos.  Because of the binoviewer factor, the magnification of each pair of eyepieces is x4 that of using them as single eyepiece.   I sometimes use x3 barlow of the same make, but only if I need more magnification and the seeing is very good - not very often with the seeing I generally have alas 🙂.  

PS Forgot to mention.  I use a Baader T2 BBHS prism, with 2inch nosepiece which gives a far more secure connection - particularly when using the binoviewer angled out at the side.

https://www.baader-planetarium.com/en/baader-t-2-stardiagonal-(zeiss)-prism-with-bbhs-r-coating-(t-2-part-01b).html

Cool Paul ! Can you show us your setup with bver attached ? ( Send us the setup while you observe the moon not to make my request hijack your thread 😎 .)

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4 hours ago, Voyager 3 said:

Cool Paul ! Can you show us your setup with bver attached ? ( Send us the setup while you observe the moon not to make my request hijack your thread 😎 .)

Here's a couple of pics I took before my observatory roof blew off as a storm swept through!

20210222_184036.thumb.jpg.70037051508bbfca7804709d1f649be2.jpg20210222_183958.thumb.jpg.ad666e59b3207c697138b4072066d767.jpg

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Lovely image Paul, indeed an iconic view.  I  too managed consecutive nights observing the moon, rare these days. Superb detail along the terminator through 155mm F9 Starfire. Although seeing wobbly at high power, especially when moon above the rooftops,  numerous  craterlets visible on the floor of Clavius and much more.  Cheers  Chris.

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