SEESTAR S50, FIVE MONTHS ON AND IT STILL AMAZES ME.

[paulastro]

Out last night with my SS last night after an early session with my 8inch Dob on the Moon.  I waited until midnight for the sky to darken  enough, though with haze around and an 87% illuminated Moon it was far from good.  As usual, I was amazed at the results in no better than 4th mag stars visible at any time.

The Cocoon Neb, IC5146, Caldwell C19, is at the end of a 2 degree long meandering dark nebulae, Barnard 168, which shows up well in the full frame.  James O'meara describes it as one of the N sky's most visually stunning dark nebula.

The Wizard Nebula, SH2-142, contains a young star cluster NGC7380.

 

It was after 2am and I wondered if I could capture the dark divisions within the Trifid Nebula, M2O. It only culminates at around 20 degrees from home and I couldn't see a single star between the horizon below its position and as high as Altair. The exposure wasn't completed until just before 3.30am, and we'll before this I couldn't see how the S50 continued to stack frames when it was clearly getting light.  I need not have been concerned, amazing!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 19 by paulastro

[JeremyS]

Very impressive, Paul.

After 5 months, have you found out where your eyepiece goes? I’m sure @mikeDnight will tell you 🤔

[DaveL59]

35 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Very impressive, Paul.

After 5 months, have you found out where your eyepiece goes? I’m sure @mikeDnight will tell you 🤔

well, if you heat the metal collar so its glowing cherry red, then press it firmly at location... 😉 

Of course if you wanted to do that, you'd probably want a diagonal to save the crick in yer neck too 🙂 

Edited May 19 by DaveL59

[paulastro]

55 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Very impressive, Paul.

After 5 months, have you found out where your eyepiece goes? I’m sure @mikeDnight will tell you 🤔

Thanks Jeremy.  I daren't ask Mike,  I'm a very sensitive person. 😅

[John]

It's great that you have found something that really enthuses you Paul 🙂

Looking at what can be produced, newcomers to the hobby must wonder why folks ever bother using glass and mirrors to try and see DSO's. 

I'm starting to wonder that myself !

Do you still use the dob in your avatar ? 

Edited May 19 by John

[paulastro]

6 minutes ago, John said:

It's great that you have found something that really enthuses you Paul 🙂

Looking at what can be produced, newcomers to the hobby must wonder why folks ever bother using glass and mirrors to try and see DSO's. 

I'm starting to wonder that myself !

Do you still use the dob in your avatar ? 

Thanks John.

I'm still just as enthused with my two Dobs, three refractors and C5.  In fact the 8inch dob is used the most - it's easier to just lift it out of the garage and get it into action quicker than the others.  I can use them all with Starsense too which I'm also  still enthusiastic about 😊.  By the way, it's a 10in inch Starsense in my Avatar, but I've now swapped back with my 8inch Starsense - its easier to use following the heart condition I now have and my second hip replacement.

I am using tbe Seestar for various projects such as monitoring faint comets, and capturing dark nebula which I'm particularly interested it - and the odd pretty pic of course. Also for deep sky too for nights like last night when visual observing is limited mostly to doubles and open clusters.  Still visual most of the time 😊.

[jjohnson3803]

On 19/05/2024 at 11:55, paulastro said:

I am using tbe Seestar for various projects such as monitoring faint comets, and capturing dark nebula which I'm particularly interested in.

IF I ever go the S* route,  I was thinking it might be quite handy for monitoring variable stars.