Beginners first few experiences with 127 MAK

[Merlin999]

Defocussing also helps as you can turn a small planet or star into a huge smooth doughnut - much easier to find and centre on!

Thanks for that Mike. Some great advice there.

One thing I noted from your original post is you said that it takes about an hour for the scope to reach ambient temperature. That is true, but it doesn't mean you can't use it during that hour. I tend to just take my scope outside as is, setup, and start using it immediately. I don't notice any problem with the views.

David

That's good to know David. Makes life a lot easier!

Hmmm..... it is a small aperture - maybe they dont have a smaller cap on the lid. If so then a filter is the way to go - although even they suffer on a full moon. Best to look at the moon when it's partial anyway - the terminator can be very interesting

Thanks brantuk. Yes, I am looking forward to that. I hear you can get some great detail at the terminatore.

[MikeWilson]

Thanks brantuk. Yes, I am looking forward to that. I hear you can get some great detail at the terminatore.

Yes. Yes, you can!

Take a look as soon as you can - it's breathtaking. Seriously, it's the best thing you can see on a Mak, in my opinion!

You may think of the moon as round, but in looking at the edges you'll see it's incredibly cratered surface and get to look across portions of craters from an angle that I can only describe as being "boot level to the ground"

With the movement of the moon compensated for (get your mount alignment running), the view at the terminator can look like you're flying across the moon on an approach to land.

[OzDave]

Yep, the terminator "rocks", if you'll pardon the pun!

I also recall my jaw dropping when I first looked at the Albireo double star with its brilliant Blue/Yellow component stars (have a look in Cygnus for this one), and also at the Double Double star (Epsilon Lyrae), which you'll find near Vega. These are harder to find seeing as they are stars, but shouldn't be too hard if you've got your finderscope properly aligned.

Also, I found them a good introduction to star hopping to find some basic things.

Hope you manage to find them and enjoy the views.

David

[Merlin999]

Yep, the terminator "rocks", if you'll pardon the pun!

I also recall my jaw dropping when I first looked at the Albireo double star with its brilliant Blue/Yellow component stars (have a look in Cygnus for this one), and also at the Double Double star (Epsilon Lyrae), which you'll find near Vega. These are harder to find seeing as they are stars, but shouldn't be too hard if you've got your finderscope properly aligned.

David

Thanks David. I am looking forward to leaving the safety of the moon and Jupiter and venturing out into the sky! I think it's going to be mind-blowing when I see my first double star. My only issue is I can't seem to make my telescope work in the rain. I can't think what I am doing wrong. I align the telescope properly and point it up at the sky and everything but I can't see any stars, just these weird moving liquidy drops. It's almost like there is something 'clouding' my view!

Seriously, the weather is completely rubbish at the moment and I am so itching to get outside. The forecast doesn't look to great for the next few days either. Oh for some clear skies....

[MikeWilson]

There's an easy-to-spot double star in the Big Dipper constellation. Not as pretty as the others OzDave mentions but easy to find and a good way to test your scope optics.

[Merlin999]

Thanks Mike. Once the clouds clear I'll be having a good look round.

[BazMark]

I'm at my sister's home at the moment in North Wales, about 5 mins from Caernarfon. Though the skies are much clearer hear than at home (Essex) I'm surprised by the amount of LP there is still. I can still see more with my 10x50s even with the moon in the sky however. Last night was a complete washout though. Heavy rain! Looks like much more of the same this week sadly.

[Merlin999]

I'm at my sister's home at the moment in North Wales, about 5 mins from Caernarfon. Though the skies are much clearer hear than at home (Essex) I'm surprised by the amount of LP there is still. I can still see more with my 10x50s even with the moon in the sky however. Last night was a complete washout though. Heavy rain! Looks like much more of the same this week sadly.

We were on holiday in the summer and stayed near Snowdon. It was cloudy every day: the clouds never lifted off the top of Snowdon. It was such a shame as we climbed Snowdon with our girls up the Pyg/Miners track and when we got to the top, it was all in the clouds so we never got a view. My girls were pretty cheesed off! At least I didn't have a telescope with me hoping to get some good viewing in or I'd have been even more disappointed!

[BazMark]

Somewhat off topic I know but we walked/climbed the Pyg track today too. Sadly we didn't reach the top as the weather was lousy this morning so didn't start till gone 2pm. However, this afternoon the weather was fine and afforded some spectacular views from the point we reached above the main lake. Well pleased we did it but my feet are killing me now.

[Merlin999]

The views across the lakes are pretty spectacular: worth the climb in their own right. but the clouds seem to love thay area around the second lake. Was that the first or second lake you made it too?

I was so stiff after our climb up and down I could barely walk for a few days!

[BazMark]

It was the second one, Llyn Llydaw. The long one with the path that goes across it.

Only the very peak of Snowdon was in the clouds so the view to the peak was enthralling too.

[Merlin999]

Yes, that's a pretty lake and the next one up where the PYG/Miners tracks meet above it, is also lovely. Gorgeous part of the world, though interesting you say there is still light pollutiuon there.nI would have thought round there would be pretty much dark sky.It just goes to show how much light pollution there is these days.

[BazMark]

There are quite a few small villages dotted about the area I can only assume the light from these must be causing it. I can remember a holiday we had near Dolgellau (about 40 miles south of here) when I was a kid and the night sky there was pitch. On a moonless night you could only tell where the mountains started and the sky finished because there were no stars just the odd light from cottages dotted about on the mountainsides.

The darkest place I've been in more recent years was a place about 10-15mins form Aylsham in Norfolk. Haveringland I think it was called. We had a caravan on this site in the middle of nowhere. The night sky was an astronomers delight. You looked up and the milky way just smacked you in the face. Fantastic! I'd love to take my scope there again. Even my 10x50s for that matter.

[Merlin999]

Sounds great. We're off to the New Forest in October. I am hoping we can find somewhere with some dark skies for viewing.

[MikeWilson]

New Forest sounds pretty cool. Let us know how it goes and if you find a nice (warm!) place to stay there that has darkish facilities

[BazMark]

Wow!

I take back what I said earlier about LP here in N Wales near Caernarfon. The clouds parted this evening after a day of wind and rain to reveal lovely black skies and NO MOON. Now I can't see where the sky starts. Out I went with the trusty 10x50s and within minutes had viewed the double cluster in Perseus, M34, M103 in Cassiopeia. I believe I could also just make out the anomaly that is the ring nebula in Lyra and M31 Andromeda WOW! Andromeda was HUGE. Never seen it like that back home.

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Just been out again (Midnight)

Now I can see the milky way clearly stretching right over. I can also see Andromeda and the double cluster in Perseus with the naked eye. Wonderful!