Tim2723
The Moon Guy
Reged: 02/19/04
Loc: Northern New Jersey
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How High the Moon? Stupid High!
#5484355 - 10/22/12 09:20 PM
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Beautiful night out this evening under my patch of the nitrogen ocean, so for fun I hauled out my old C-102 on its (oft maligned) AZ-3 .
Watching sunrise over Alphonsus is a favorite for me. As the shadows of the terracing developed and the floor slowly revealed, I suddenly got a bit giddy.
Being a perfectly lovely night out - very good to excellent seeing (a solid 200x night) and astoundingly comfortable needing only a light jacket - I dug out an old Orion Epic ED 3.7mm. I don't remember why I bought it or what its original purpose was, but I'd put it away several years ago and nearly forgotten it.
At any rate, in it goes for 270x on the C-102, a bit more than the manufacturer recommends. I now remember why I'd put it aside: Black out and kidney-beaning. But nevertheless the image holds together when I can stay still enough and there's surprisingly next to no CA.
OK, so let's have fun. In goes a 2x Barlow for about 540x (crazy high). The old girl is holding her own.
Alright, let's get stupid! In goes an Orion Tri-Mag 3x Barlow for a whopping 800+!! It took a bit of twiddling to get a focus and my own pulse caused tremors, but it was working. That's an absurd 200x per inch. Not the best I'd ever done, but very respectable for a 4" achromat.
Now,to all newcomers reading along, I don't recommend anyone run out and dump a lot of money to get these magnifications. This is just something Lunartics do on good nights when they already own a bucket full of eyepieces.
But what a great night to get stupid! Anybody else been stupid high lately?
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azure1961p
Postmaster
Reged: 01/17/09
Loc: USA
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: Tim2723]
#5484406 - 10/22/12 10:16 PM
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I was at 200x with my 70mm... perilously close to silly but not stupid. There was a great night a year ago i put in 300x which straddles stupidity and silliness. I regret that my brief venture tonight was mired in practicality but in order to keep in step with gross excesses in the name of fun and humour I will stack my barlows which will yield 540x and that translates into 200x per inch. I will don a ridiculous hat and sport a silly shirt to insure maximum silliness throughout.
Again my apologies for magnification conservatism.
Pete
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Kutno
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/17/09
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: Tim2723]
#5484546 - 10/22/12 11:49 PM
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Tim,
My stupid highs come from viewing at the highest magnifications possible, when weather cooperates to bring such plans to fruition.
Opportunities to enjoy the heavens have been scarce this year, and Sunday night's sky was pretty steady in our Northeast corner of the nation. When I then maxed out at 231x with my 6" rack and pinion Dob, spending a great deal of time with such features as Crater Maurolycus and Rima Ariadaeus, I had no desire to break the spell and go for magnifications that were not going to be achieved.
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rathbaster
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 03/21/08
Loc: East Bridgewater, MA
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: Tim2723]
#5484903 - 10/23/12 09:03 AM
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Back in September we finally had the new scope (C14) set up at the University I work at and trained a whole bunch of students on it. The next night was exceedingly clear so I went by, expecting many of the students to be there. I was alone so I took a tour of the Moon and eventually popped in the 6mm Brandon in a 2.4x barlow. I achieved a little over 1400x magnification. The image was dark (tiny exit pupil) but not unpleasant. I spent a long time enjoying the Moon that night.  
-Joe
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HellsKitchen
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/05/08
Loc: Melbourne Australia
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: rathbaster]
#5503098 - 11/03/12 10:18 PM
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I've used 600x and 720x on the moon with my 8" while still maintaining *good* image quality, infact it was fascinating tracing the hills and mountains along the limb and the amazing arrowhead-shaped shadows of mountain features at the terminator with such magnification. Ofcourse, it was a rare night of near perfect seeing.
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Asbytec
Guy in a furry hat
Reged: 08/08/07
Loc: La Union, PI
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: HellsKitchen]
#5503294 - 11/04/12 01:18 AM Attachment (35 downloads)
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Seems we've all done "stupid" things. I once looked at Arcturus at 900x in my 6" scope (collimating and looking for astigmatism.) It was a high as I could go, and it really wasn't a bad image. Airy disc and first ring still well defined in very good seeing.
Same with the moon, gone up to 100x per inch just to look. Not bad, really. A bit dim and less sharp, but doable. Features were still well within the realm of being discernible.
Try stupid power on Ganymede, you might be surprised to see albedo features. I have at upwards of 70 to 80x per inch during great seeing. No distinct craters, unfortunately, just brighter and darker regions.
Oh, sketched it!
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azure1961p
Postmaster
Reged: 01/17/09
Loc: USA
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: Asbytec]
#5503595 - 11/04/12 09:07 AM
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Ha!! I was wondering how long it was going to take to see the first sketches of *planet* Ganymede. Thats excellent Norme.
Pete
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Asbytec
Guy in a furry hat
Reged: 08/08/07
Loc: La Union, PI
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: azure1961p]
#5503672 - 11/04/12 10:04 AM
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Ha! Not long. 
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azure1961p
Postmaster
Reged: 01/17/09
Loc: USA
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: Asbytec]
#5504193 - 11/04/12 04:26 PM
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It isinteresting how the smallest orbs redefine what acceptable magnification is needed. Either its large eniugh to see or its not.
Pete
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azure1961p
Postmaster
Reged: 01/17/09
Loc: USA
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: azure1961p]
#5504200 - 11/04/12 04:31 PM
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And yes another android post.
P.
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Asbytec
Guy in a furry hat
Reged: 08/08/07
Loc: La Union, PI
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: azure1961p]
#5504666 - 11/04/12 10:00 PM
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Ganymede is extremely tiny even at 480x, but it is still a disc large enough to discern some albedo variations. Tried it last night just for kicks in so-so seeing to no avail. Really, the timing has to be just right so that it's major features with the highest contrast are within view. If so, then it is possible to glimpse them. It's not easy, and it helps if seeing is very good and the scope is tuned up.
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67champ
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/03/06
Loc: Ohio, USA
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Re: How High the Moon? Stupid High!
[Re: Asbytec]
#5509808 - 11/08/12 11:38 AM
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Like This Thread.
dana t
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