Another comparison; Starwave ED-R 102 v Takahashi 76Q

[IB20]

Out tonight with both scopes again, seeing is good and I’m having a great time. A few findings from tonight:-

102ED-R showed Titan, Rhea and Tethys or Dione; the Tak only showed Titan.

The Cassini division more resolved in the 102 but the Tak cut the moon glare out better so the CD was also equally as observable.

I still prefer Saturn’s colouration in the Tak.

Jupiter is enormous and showing plenty in both scopes; both scopes showed two lovely bluish festoons just bulging underneath the NEB. The 102ED shows whites slightly more but there wasn’t anything I couldn’t see in both scopes.

In the 4” I could identify Ganymede and Callisto; the 3” it’s only possible to discern Ganymede.

I prefer Jupiter’s colouration in the Tak.

The moon is splendid in both. The shadows are jet back with wonderful ray striations showing in both. A shame there’s not a better placed terminator!

The GRS is now rotating into view shortly followed by a Europa shadow transit. Fingers crossed the conditions stay clear. 

A few 76Q iPhone snaps with the Move Shoot Move phone holder. 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2023 by IB20

[IB20]

Conditions stayed absolute clear and I was treated to wonderful views of the GRS and Europa’s moon and shadow transit at mags 136x and 142x (3” & 4” respectively).

A couple of things I noticed. Firstly, the colour in the GRS was richer and more saturated in the 76Q which I thought was surprising. It could be a reduction in brightness of image that allows me to pick the colour up as I’m pretty sure I’m fairly sensitive to brightness but a theme of the night was my preference for the colour displayed by the Tak.

The detail in the bands and area preceding the GRS was very similar in both scopes, but the area trailing the GRS was better defined and clearer in the 4”. 

At 11:41pm, a slight distortion was visible on the planetary limb in both scopes. Over time this developed into the jet black spot, again both scopes showing nicely but more easily resolved in the 4”. 
Europa itself brightened nicely as it began ingress across the planetary limb and face, again visible in both. 

After taking some phone videos through the 4”, I’d been out observing for nearly 4.5 hours. Final looks through both scopes revealed that some eye fatigue had set in and it was fairly more relaxing looking through the 4”.

A great night and one not even slightly close to the expected forecast.