Jump to content

  •  

CNers have asked about a donation box for Cloudy Nights over the years, so here you go. Donation is not required by any means, so please enjoy your stay.

Photo

What did you observe with your classic telescope today ?

  • Please log in to reply
11754 replies to this topic

#26 Astrojensen

Astrojensen

    James Webb Space Telescope

  • *****
  • Posts: 17,933
  • Joined: 05 Oct 2008
  • Loc: Bornholm, Denmark

Posted 01 February 2016 - 04:19 PM

 

I'm in, and I can quickly swap between the Mayflower 815 & Space Scope for the 60mm.  For the 3" class... I'll go with my Questar & my Mogey.

Allright! I'll go with the Zeiss C63/840 on the 1b mount, both white light and H-alpha with a Quark Chromo. In the 3" class, I'll field the 85mm Zeiss on the EQ-6. 

 

We should make a separate thread about it now. 

 

 

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark


  • Corcaroli78, member010719 and Bomber Bob like this

#27 Bomber Bob

Bomber Bob

    ISS

  • *****
  • Posts: 24,431
  • Joined: 09 Jul 2013
  • Loc: The Swamp, LA (Lower Alabama)

Posted 01 February 2016 - 04:37 PM

"We should make a separate thread about it now."

 

As we say Down South, you name it, you claim it.  I'll be happy to litter your thread with my observations!  Honestly, I haven't thought about the Transit, because odds are it'll be weathered out.  And, I just made arrangements with Majestic to recoat the Tinsley's mirrors, and I get tunnel vision.

 

But I do think a 60mm Classics thread is cool - small scopes doing big work!


  • member010719, Orion68 and Flyboy718 like this

#28 AllanDystrup

AllanDystrup

    Vanguard

  • *****
  • Posts: 2,416
  • Joined: 27 Sep 2012
  • Loc: 56N 12E, Denmark

Posted 02 February 2016 - 02:42 AM


Interestingly, such singlet refractors with +1D spectacle lenses were the usual beginner's scope here in Denmark
for many years, only ending in the 1950'ies with ...The eyepiece was often a 10x loupe, which, as we know,
has 25mm focal lenght, giving 40x.

 

That's right - I've been there, done exactly that, back in the early '60ies (age 10).

I remember Jupiters moons and the very colorful moon craters..., --

and then my decision to start saving up for a 3" Unitron refractor ;)  (took me 3 years).

 

 

I would like to make a question to everybody : do you have any plans to observe with your classic telescopes 

the transit of Mercury across the Sun , going to happen on 2016 May 9 ?

 

Sure, I'll be out there (weather permitting) with my Lunt 60mm Ha-refractor

plus my Vixen 80mm + white light Zeiss Herschel wedge.

Maybe take an .AVI with the 60mm.

 

Allan


  • photiost, Corcaroli78, member010719 and 1 other like this

#29 DMala

DMala

    Apollo

  • *****
  • In Memoriam
  • Posts: 1,455
  • Joined: 02 Jun 2015

Posted 02 February 2016 - 11:12 AM

http://www.cloudynig...izar/?p=7032534


  • photiost likes this

#30 photiost

photiost

    Soyuz

  • *****
  • topic starter
  • Posts: 3,549
  • Joined: 14 Dec 2006
  • Loc: Montreal, Canada

Posted 02 February 2016 - 03:18 PM

For the May 09 Mercury transit I am taking the day off ..

 

Our club is also discussing/planning a public event - of course this is weather dependant

 

For imaging I will setup my 100mm ED refractor.

 

For  (public) I will probably use the Monolux 4380  on the Omni XTL mount for tracking.



#31 DMala

DMala

    Apollo

  • *****
  • In Memoriam
  • Posts: 1,455
  • Joined: 02 Jun 2015

Posted 02 February 2016 - 11:11 PM

...and here is the sketch of the observation above, did I get the cardinal directions right as they appear in a refractor with prism diagonal? Thx

Attached Thumbnails

  • Jupiter 1 Feb 2016.jpg

  • Mr Magoo, BarabinoSr, Carl Kolchak and 5 others like this

#32 Flyboy718

Flyboy718

    Explorer 1

  • -----
  • Posts: 85
  • Joined: 13 Dec 2015
  • Loc: Dallas

Posted 03 February 2016 - 05:20 PM

 


Interestingly, such singlet refractors with +1D spectacle lenses were the usual beginner's scope here in Denmark
for many years, only ending in the 1950'ies with ...The eyepiece was often a 10x loupe, which, as we know,
has 25mm focal lenght, giving 40x.

 

That's right - I've been there, done exactly that, back in the early '60ies (age 10).

I remember Jupiters moons and the very colorful moon craters..., --

and then my decision to start saving up for a 3" Unitron refractor ;)  (took me 3 years).

 

 

I would like to make a question to everybody : do you have any plans to observe with your classic telescopes 

the transit of Mercury across the Sun , going to happen on 2016 May 9 ?

 

Sure, I'll be out there (weather permitting) with my Lunt 60mm Ha-refractor

plus my Vixen 80mm + white light Zeiss Herschel wedge.

Maybe take an .AVI with the 60mm.

 

Allan

 

I vote for a vintage 60mm refractor thread. that would be cool.


  • photiost and member010719 like this

#33 Terra Nova

Terra Nova

    ISS

  • *****
  • Posts: 32,642
  • Joined: 29 May 2012
  • Loc: Kentucky, just south of the Ohio River

Posted 03 February 2016 - 07:53 PM

I would like to make a question to everybody : do you have any plans to observe with your classic telescopes  the transit of Mercury across the Sun , going to happen on 2016 May 9 ?
If yes ,which gear ? Method? Resources,books,links ? Any special project ? Is it possible a group project ?

I do plan to observe it, if it is clear. Equipment not yet decided upon. No special projects planned.
 
Maybe we could make it a "60mm Club" observing event? Any ideas?
 
 
Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark


I watched the Nov. 1999 Transit of Mercury in white light with my 60mm Mayflower. I will watch the next one with it too and watch it in h-alpha with my Coronado scope.
  • photiost and member010719 like this

#34 AllanDystrup

AllanDystrup

    Vanguard

  • *****
  • Posts: 2,416
  • Joined: 27 Sep 2012
  • Loc: 56N 12E, Denmark

Posted 04 February 2016 - 04:17 AM

After another row of overcast and stormy nights (sigh), there was a break in the clouds this morning :D ;

Here's my fast sketch of the planet align, as observed naked eye and with my GG 50mm Teleminor.

 

PlanetAlign.png

(Click image for better view...)

 

After ½ an hour, the clouds closed in, and anyway Dawn was already stretching her rosy fingers
up towards Luna, so no chance of spotting Mercury and Venus this time.

 

Allan


Edited by AllanDystrup, 04 February 2016 - 04:39 AM.

  • Mr Magoo, BarabinoSr, photiost and 4 others like this

#35 DMala

DMala

    Apollo

  • *****
  • In Memoriam
  • Posts: 1,455
  • Joined: 02 Jun 2015

Posted 04 February 2016 - 08:35 AM

Allan did you use some type of program for that cool sketch? And you say it was fast! 



#36 Chuck Hards

Chuck Hards

    You don't know Swift from Astrola

  • *****
  • Posts: 27,730
  • Joined: 03 May 2010

Posted 04 February 2016 - 08:58 AM

I'm "observing" the paint wrinkle as it sets, on another set of Manon castings.  Clear skies yesterday but overcast and snow predicted today.  Keeping my fingers crossed for the weekend.


  • photiost, member010719 and SpaceNetworks like this

#37 TOM KIEHL

TOM KIEHL

    Fly Me to the Moon

  • *****
  • Posts: 5,380
  • Joined: 17 Nov 2012

Posted 04 February 2016 - 09:22 AM

I observed my telescopes


  • photiost, DreamWeaver, Terra Nova and 1 other like this

#38 AllanDystrup

AllanDystrup

    Vanguard

  • *****
  • Posts: 2,416
  • Joined: 27 Sep 2012
  • Loc: 56N 12E, Denmark

Posted 04 February 2016 - 09:23 AM

Allan did you use some type of program for that cool sketch? And you say it was fast! 

 

Well, for the sketching : just 2 sheets of white paper + a pencil. Took maybe 20 min.

 

PlanetAlign-0b.png

 

Afterwards I patched the two sketches together and inverted most of the image (not the Moon),

-- et voila! :)

 

Allan

 

PS: for the patching, yes: I used the Photo editor : PaintShop Pro


Edited by AllanDystrup, 04 February 2016 - 09:30 AM.

  • Mr Magoo, BarabinoSr, photiost and 5 others like this

#39 photiost

photiost

    Soyuz

  • *****
  • topic starter
  • Posts: 3,549
  • Joined: 14 Dec 2006
  • Loc: Montreal, Canada

Posted 05 February 2016 - 02:49 PM

Very nice sketches Allan.

 

Inverting the images gives it more of a "night view" 


  • AllanDystrup likes this

#40 member010719

member010719

    Messenger

  • -----
  • Posts: 437
  • Joined: 17 Aug 2012

Posted 09 February 2016 - 04:38 PM

Hello

 

Saturday ,  6 of February , I made observations again with the one foot refractor of 15mm aperture F/ 32 at 9x / built in Keplerian ocular.

I started with Messier 41 in Canis Major were I saw four stars out of about one hundred in this cluster.

The most conspicious of the four visible stars  is a red giant of spectral class K3.

Comparing my drawing with the Toshimi Taki-Wehner ''Double Star Atlas'' I recognised the star located at South-East as being 12 Canis Majoris and a pair of stars located to the West of the cluster.

The four stars visible with direct vision were seen immersed in a well visible haze of light , an indication of the many stars not resolved by the small telescope.

 

At Pleiades I counted 30 stars , this being the best star counting yet made with the primeval refractor.

You remember a triangular asterism consisting of three stars close to the brightest star in Pleiades ,which is Alcyone.

To my delight , the brightest star in that asterism was visible also .

 

In the ''Praesepe '' M44 star cluster I counted 18 stars and a translucent glow showed there should be more ,unseen stars.

 

Next was on the list Messier 37 in Auriga ,seen as an hazy object ,without clear shape and structure except a slightly brighter center.

However ,with averted vision , the core of the cluster seem to be brighter on the S-W to N-E direction.

Latter , when I visited the same cluster with the 60 x 828 mm refractor I learned that brightening of the core was due to two bright stars.

 

On every occasion , when I;m rambling through the clusters of Auriga , I don't forget to pay tribute to Giovanni Hodierna.

In a time when for most astronomers to observe  the Great Nebula in Orion seemed something awesome, Hodierna discovered scores of Deep Sky objects.

The only one telescope  used by him we know about is a Galilean refractor with a magnification of 20x.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia...ttista_Hodierna

 

http://messier.seds....r/hodierna.html

Many of his deep-sky objects proved to be just asterisms and others are impossible to identify with certainty.

But 20  highly celebrated deep-sky objects ,if not 25 , were discovered by Hodierna.

Of the ones observed by me on Saturday , Messier 41 , Messier 45 , Messier 44 and Messier 37 were all discovered or listed for the first time as deep-sky objects by Giovanni Hodierna.

This seem natural to me .

And this is the reenactment purpose for which I built and use such small singlet telescopes.

I had a look also to Jupiter were I noticed two Galilean satellites  to the East of the planet.

One dimmer ,at two Jovian diameters distance , was Ganymede.

One slightly brighter , at about seven Jovian diameters distance was Callisto.

 

Messier41 L15mm

Messier37 L 15mm

Jupiter 6.02.16 L 15mm

 

 

 

Clear sky to all , Mircea


  • davidmcgo, BarabinoSr, photiost and 5 others like this

#41 DMala

DMala

    Apollo

  • *****
  • In Memoriam
  • Posts: 1,455
  • Joined: 02 Jun 2015

Posted 09 February 2016 - 06:14 PM

Great post Ziridava, thanks! And nice sketches.



#42 DMala

DMala

    Apollo

  • *****
  • In Memoriam
  • Posts: 1,455
  • Joined: 02 Jun 2015

Posted 09 February 2016 - 06:19 PM

A more extensive biography, but youv'e got to read Italian!

 

http://www.treccani....io_Biografico)/



#43 davidmcgo

davidmcgo

    Skylab

  • *****
  • Posts: 4,475
  • Joined: 09 Oct 2004
  • Loc: San Diego, CA

Posted 10 February 2016 - 08:16 AM

Still jet lagged after my trip to Japan and Taiwan, I gave up trying to sleep at 03:00 am this morning and set up my 1975 sand cast C8 on the C10 pier.

 

Skies here in San Diego are really clear and dry and I was able to see M104 very nicely complete with dust lane, a glimpse of the brighter core of NGC4565, decent views of M65 and 66 in Leo.  I also looked at M3, M5, and M13 and all looked great with really nice resolution on M5 and M13.  M3 is more dense and less well resolved at 100x with my 20mm Erfle.

 

Moving on to the planets, Jupiter looked great and with my 12mm and 9mm Kellners, I had a nice view of the shadow of Io and the transit ingress for the moon itself, seen as a little pearl against the darker limb of Jupiter.

 

Mars at 7 arc seconds showed a hint of the polar cap but not too much else and was low over my house roof.  Saturn was nice with the rings wide open and Cassini's division seen, but it was low enough for atmospheric dispersion to be very noticeable.

 

I also played around with the Nikon 16x56 Monarch 5s I picked up really cheap at Yodobashi in Osaka.

 

All in all, a nice early am session, but time to get ready for work now.

 

Dave


  • BarabinoSr, photiost, Terra Nova and 1 other like this

#44 apfever

apfever

    Cosmos

  • *****
  • Posts: 8,551
  • Joined: 13 May 2008

Posted 10 February 2016 - 08:55 AM

Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, Mercury - and Earth, in a Meade 320, 80mm by Mizar. This was a test for the scope since being refurbished. I chilled it in the garage for the night, it was freezing this morning. The mechanics worked excellent since I worked in a few drops of light machine oil on the Dec and RA axis. Slo-Mo floppies were great, axis locks held with smooth action and no shift in position when turned. The Mizar mount is a nice piece of work.  I had to rush the view to get them all in, and since this was a test I only used two eyepieces, a Meade (nostalgia) series 4000 Japan 32mm and 6.4mm for a push. Best views would have been about a 10 to 13mm.  I had to slam these as I used both eyepieces on each, back and forth a couple of times, and wanted to do a sweep from Mercury back to Jupiter before closing which worked.

Jupiter was a matter of clear banding with only two moons in the field with the 6.4mm.   Clean break on Saturn rings which were surprising considering the skies, certainly no division. The rings were pretty nice. Mars tried to do some caps but I'll only go so far as to say averted imagination for the whitey edge. Venus and Mercury were both in a wash and since they are both gibbous they didn't give much form. However, I did get distinct disc compared to focused stars. 

A star test with the 6.4mm gave a distinct diffraction ring at focus but it was broken and wavering from the seeing. Inside/outside focus wasn't going to reveal much.

I'm pretty darn happy with this scope. What a great morning experience with 6 planets.


  • BarabinoSr, photiost, madeline and 5 others like this

#45 rcwolpert

rcwolpert

    Gemini

  • *****
  • Posts: 3,186
  • Joined: 13 Aug 2012
  • Loc: South Hutchinson Island, Florida

Posted 10 February 2016 - 10:26 AM

I tried to split Struve 750 with my 60mm x 700mm Mayflower 814, but with most of my eyepieces in FL, I only had a Nagler 13mm for 54X and the 8.5 mag secondary was at the very limit of my visibility from San Jose with this setup. In mid-March I'll try again from FL with the Unitron 114 and the 5mm Nagler (or Pentax XO ).

However, I did get a lovely view of Jupiter before carrying the scope to the elevator and back up to my flat. That got me over the disappointment! :)

 

- Bob


  • photiost, Terra Nova and DMala like this

#46 member010719

member010719

    Messenger

  • -----
  • Posts: 437
  • Joined: 17 Aug 2012

Posted 10 February 2016 - 01:25 PM

Thank you for your appreciation !

 

Thank you DMala for the link ,it is very good article , I read currently Italian.

 

Hodierna, that's my man ...

At age 21 ,after reading the book ''Meteore'' by Agostino Nifo  and after building a simple quadrant following instructions in the book ''Sfera del mondo'' by Alessandro Piccolomini,

Hodierna made observations of three comets in two years (1618 and 1619) from the tower of Saint Nicola church in Ragusa.

 

(By the way , this is reminding about my DIY quadrant ... haven't used last year at all...)

 
Quadrantum
 
Ziridava

  • BarabinoSr, photiost, Terra Nova and 2 others like this

#47 photiost

photiost

    Soyuz

  • *****
  • topic starter
  • Posts: 3,549
  • Joined: 14 Dec 2006
  • Loc: Montreal, Canada

Posted 10 February 2016 - 01:42 PM

Wonderful classic observing reports everyone ..  :waytogo:

 

Keep them coming !! 



#48 starman876

starman876

    Nihon Seiko

  • *****
  • Vendors
  • Posts: 26,559
  • Joined: 28 Apr 2008
  • Loc: VA

Posted 11 February 2016 - 03:02 PM

I have observed a room full of Unitrons
  • photiost and Terra Nova like this

#49 photiost

photiost

    Soyuz

  • *****
  • topic starter
  • Posts: 3,549
  • Joined: 14 Dec 2006
  • Loc: Montreal, Canada

Posted 11 February 2016 - 03:14 PM

Post some pictures !! :grin:



#50 starman876

starman876

    Nihon Seiko

  • *****
  • Vendors
  • Posts: 26,559
  • Joined: 28 Apr 2008
  • Loc: VA

Posted 11 February 2016 - 03:52 PM

they would be pcitures of boxes.


CNers have asked about a donation box for Cloudy Nights over the years, so here you go. Donation is not required by any means, so please enjoy your stay.


Recent Topics






Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics