Rather pleasant but slightly worrying evening

[Ambermile]

So. Left home about 8.30 still cloudy but threw the APM and a beaten up old GEM in the car along with newly-acquired 2" EPs and set off to Seething for the society weekly club night. Several others there with various scopes waiting for Jupiter to pop into view but there was a bit of cloud around. Not good so time for chat and tea. There was a 16" dob, an NP101, an Intes 6", a ZS80FD, a TV80 and my 102APM so if it cleared it was going to be fun.

Now then, all my EP's are for the new dob so not that well suited to the little refractor so there was colour on Jupiter when it finally popped out. Was amazing in the 16" though (a fairly common occurence during the evening)

As it got darker it got clearer and, with the help of others I actually began to find stuff without drives and to look at stuff without a camera M13, M92 - both rather nice, M57 - rather small, M27 - very cool, Coathanger - nice, and later on, M2 nice too. Got M31 with M110 hovering too - nice surprise. Found the Veil with the ALP filter in, not so good but could see both parts though not in the same FOV. Having said that, Adrian Orr (NP101) had a 35mm Panoptic with an OIII filter and you could see both the broom and the lion in the same FOV - truly awesome sight for 4". Of course the Veil in the 16" was unfairly nice (as was Snowball, Blinking, etc. etc. etc.)

Having a nice group of people with not a hint of electricity being used and a beautifully warm (shorts and T shirt) night meant we were still there at 2.30 as the sky lightened and the Moon popped up but even that couldn't ruin the night.

As for all those eyepieces? Strangely enough the most enjoyable views with the APM were through the little 1.25" Antares W70 19mm. Go figure

So what was worrying then? Well, this was the first time I have ever spent an evening actually *looking* through scopes instead of taking piccies and I sort of actually enjoyed it. And with no drives or goto either. Scary, no?

Arthur

[GordonCopestake]

We'll make a visual observer of you in no time! Next you'll be starhopping hehehe

It's a (CHEAP!) downward spiral!

Oh, apart from all those naglers you have to buy!

[Ambermile]

I think though that the main thing to come out of the evening is that the litttle 6 x 24 finder is about a much use sa a chocolate fireplace. Will be fitting the Rigel to the APM today :roll:

Arthur

[OXO]

So what was worrying then? Well, this was the first time I have ever spent an evening actually *looking* through scopes instead of taking piccies and I sort of actually enjoyed it. And with no drives or goto either. Scary, no?

Mmmm doing Astronomy rather than Astrophotography?

Sounds like a wicked night Arthur.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

So run that by me agin, its possible to look through these things then is it?

Whooda thunk?

Maybe I could modify the Skelescope so that I could look through it.

BTW eyepieces? What's that then?

Captain Chaos

[daz]

There you go Arthur, just imagine what you'll see through the 22"

[Ambermile]

Just set up the Vixen for tonight if it clears... That's going to be fun! Beaten up old GEM is looking, well, beaten up but it's a great piece of engineering - maybe take a piccie of it for later so you can all see what a *proper* mount looks like

Arthur

edit - piccie then...

[GordonCopestake]

Is that your "mobile" setup!?!?!?!?

[Ambermile]

Well, 'til I get another GEM yes - but not with the Vixen thouhg. The APM102 is a bit more sensible

Arthur

[GordonCopestake]

I have an EQ1 for sale if you like