9624 replies to this topic

[dave253]

I had the vixen out last night, and prompted by the LV thread in eyepieces, put my 15mm in.

 

Wow! Compared to the 8-24 zoom, it was like going from an old CRT tv to HD. 
I had the Barlow in, before the diagonal so I estimate ~180x.

 

I was thinking the GRS should be renamed ‘the smallish salmon coloured spot’ 

 

The moons were presenting as tiny little discs though, seeing was great!

Since refurbishing the mount, I have a whole new appreciation of this beautiful little telescope. 

[Paul Sweeney]

Reporting in from Way-up-North, Sweden. I was out last night with some Zeiss binos. The moon was nice, but, man, was it low. Jupiter showed it's moons, and Saturn just a star. I spent some time just cruising the star fields. It was nice, especially as the sky is much darker than in Germany.

[CHASLX200]

I had to push myself to go out last night but I did so from 9:30 to 10:30. Both Jupiter and Saturn were fabulous! So was the moon. Last night had great transparency and atmospheric stability. Tonight looks good too!

Too many skeeters here. I am only before sunrise planet viewer anymore. Much better seeing and no bugs. My seeing is always bad at sundown.

[Jacques]

Reporting in from Way-up-North, Sweden. I was out last night with some Zeiss binos. The moon was nice, but, man, was it low. Jupiter showed it's moons, and Saturn just a star. I spent some time just cruising the star fields. It was nice, especially as the sky is much darker than in Germany.

I've scored a Carl Zeiss Jena 10x50W Jenoptem recently that I love for starfields and the moon (and everything else). 10x magnification with a FOV of 7.3 degrees, good (yet older) multi coatings...what's not to like. 

[steve t]

Yesterday did some solar observing and later in the evening chased a few variable stars.

 

If I did my time conversion correctly, Jupiter's GRS will be transiting tonight at 11:11PM EDT. 

[Paul Sweeney]

I've scored a Carl Zeiss Jena 10x50W Jenoptem recently that I love for starfields and the moon (and everything else). 10x magnification with a FOV of 7.3 degrees, good (yet older) multi coatings...what's not to like.

The binos I have are 8x30s Q1. From the 80s, I think. I'm on the lookout for some 10x50 Q1s, but up til now they are either overpriced or in rough shape.

[photiost]

I've scored a Carl Zeiss Jena 10x50W Jenoptem recently that I love for starfields and the moon (and everything else). 10x magnification with a FOV of 7.3 degrees, good (yet older) multi coatings...what's not to like. 

I have the Carl Zeiss Jena  7x50W Jenoptem version and they are amazing performers. 

 

Cant go wrong with Zeiss

[Piggyback]

Clear and sunny today so out came my 1975 Telementor 1 shod with Zeiss full aperture glas solar filter. Pretty nice sunspot group. Lots of atmospheric turbulence. Zeiss 10mm ortho. Handheld iphone pikky.

 

 

 

  

[Bomber Bob]

Took advantage of near-perfect planetary seeing last night.  On the Moon, I did a SxSxS with the C-80, FC-76, & TS-50, mainly comparing color correction, but noting contrast & resolution, too.  The Lunar Limb had the lest amount of blue / violet haze and/or yellow-green rind in the FC; the TS was very close to the same view, with the C-80 noticeable, but not bad for a moderately fast achromatic.  All 3 fracs at 100x.

 

Saturn... Bright White disk & rings in the FC, flat white rings & slightly yellowish disk in the C-80, both at 100x.  At 200x, the FC pulled ahead, with a paper white disk & rings, plus 2 belts; the C-80 cleanly resolved 1 belt on a pale yellow-gold disk.  At 300x, the FC stayed sharp & white; the C-80 was past its max -- darker yellow disk & rings that would not resolve a clean limb.

 

Jupiter was lower, so the C-80 maxed at 260x, but the FC was sharp at 300x, with a white disk, and 6 light-gray to black belts.  Surprisingly, the GRS Notch was bolder in the C-80 @ 200x than in the FC at the same magnification.  Dropping the FC down to 160x put a faint hint of red-pink in the GRS -- no such hints in the C-80.  At ~ 260x, both fracs displayed the Galileans as perfect Airy Disks -- beautiful.  If I only had the C-80, I'd use 180x / 200x for sketching on similar nights, and zoom up to ~ 260 to confirm the smaller barges & ovals.  The largest & darkest barge was easy in both at just 80x.

 

In terms of accessories, I got the overall best views on Jupiter in the C-80 with my old Brandons, followed by the Radians.  The FC was about as good with the AT Paradigms as it was with the Radians.

Edited by Bomber Bob, 06 October 2022 - 11:51 AM.

[Terra Nova]

JW, I had very similar results when I compared my 1997 FC76 to my C80. My C80 was a wonderful achromat but it just couldn’t keep up. Both weighed about the same and had similar mounting requirements, so I sold the C80 as nice as it was.

[dave253]

I had a first look at Mars just about on the meridian at 5am. The seeing was not good, maybe 2/5, and SkySafari says it’s 12.5” at the moment. Still a pleasant view at 180x, some detail visible. Vixen 80mm 

[steve t]

Clear and sunny today so out came my 1975 Telementor 1 shod with Zeiss full aperture glas solar filter. Pretty nice sunspot group. Lots of atmospheric turbulence. Zeiss 10mm ortho. Handheld iphone pikky.

 

 

sunspots Zeiss T-1 10mm orthoscopic 2022-10-06.jpg

 

Zeiss Telementor 1.JPG

Great Image, thanks for sharing. 

The Zeiss Telementor 1 looks like a great solar set up.

[Bomber Bob]

Aaawwwwwright!  Ole BB is tired of messing around.  Seeing tonight may exceed last night, so.... I checked then rolled the Tinsley 6 F20 out to south patio; then did the same with the Meade 826.  Give the Big and/or Very Old Reflectors a crack at Saturn & Jupiter.  Got the spectros Big Kellners prepped, too.  600x?  No sweat for the Meade.  Atmosphere from surface to space is February calm & clear.

 

Saturn:  Started observing at 0015Z.  By 0030, both scopes at ~ 80x, the 826 showed 3 belts, and Titan + 4 moons (Enceladus / Saturn gap almost as tight as Cassini); Tinsley didn't resolve Enceladus until 150x, otherwise pretty much the same view.  Started seeing belt colors in both at about 200x.  Best views at 300x in the Tinsley, and 375x in the 826.

 

Jupiter:  Stole the show!!  SO much to see, from 200x to 480x in the 826; 200x to 375x in the Tinsley.  Overall, the oranges & browns were better in the Tinsley, while reds to blues / lavenders were better in the 826.  826 showed more of the smaller ovals, and longer festoon tails than the Tinsley.  But honestly, either view is stunning, and has more detail than I can sketch.  Quarter-sized Jupiter disk in the old Meade -- Love It!!

 

I spent more time at the Tinsley for Saturn -- much more comfortable, SEATED observing.  I got the 826 positioned better on Jupiter, and could use my bar stool.  Too Bad it's a W-O-R-K Night...

Edited by Bomber Bob, 06 October 2022 - 09:51 PM.

[Jacques]

The binos I have are 8x30s Q1. From the 80s, I think. I'm on the lookout for some 10x50 Q1s, but up til now they are either overpriced or in rough shape.

Good luck with your quest Paul

[Jacques]

I have the Carl Zeiss Jena  7x50W Jenoptem version and they are amazing performers. 

 

Cant go wrong with Zeiss

 

[ccwemyss]

I worked on collimating the C14, after getting the optical axis of the main cell re-centered on the secondary. It wasn't as far off as I expected, so I tried viewing Saturn and Jupiter before adjusting it. Cassini was very clear on Saturn in moments of good seeing, and I even caught glimpses of the Encke division. On Jupiter, the GRS was just finishing a transit, and was nice and red, with a white eyebrow. But in both cases, I wasn't able to push beyond about 244X with the 16mm UO Konig. I need to get a less dense ND than a moon filter, to tame Jupiter's brightness without squashing it. 

 

Collimation turned out to be a challenge because, as soon as I would remove the insulation wrap to access the secondary, tube currents would start up and persist. I took it up to 1000X on Altair, and though it was fairly well centered, but turning over to Caph, to put the tube current in a different orientation, I wasn't so sure. To really get it right, it seems I'll need to make a shorter jacket that just wraps the OTA itself and doesn't extend up the dew shield. 

 

As clouds were moving in, I went back to Saturn, but seeing had deteriorated. Jupiter was also starting to suffer, but I felt that I was seeing more detail in the SEB and some bands to its south. A quick look at the moon showed a lot of very fine grained turbulence.

 

Even though it wasn't a DSO night, I turned to M13. Despite being washed out, it resolved to the center. The C14's narrow view barely fit the double cluster in a 41mm Panoptic, which gives 95X, and even then the barrel distortion of the eyepiece made it less pleasing than in scopes where it's more condensed in the view. M31 exceeded the FOV. It wasn't possible to center it and still see M32. M110 required moving fully away from the M31 FOV. That's why I normally put the 6" AP beside the C14, to cover those fields. But I will say that it was much more comfortable to move around the observatory without the long refractor nearly reaching the wall in some positions. The view of Alberio at 95X showed the pair sparkling, and nearby stars were pinpoints, so I think the collimation was better than when I started. 

 

Chip W. 

[Terra Nova]

Head’s up for Jupiter late tonight. A transit of Io begins around 1:30 AM EDT (01:30 for ole’ Bomber Bob). It ends around 3:40 AM. The GRS enters the scene around midnight and exists shortly after the transit of Io ends.

 

Be sure to tell me all about it.

[steve t]

Head’s up for Jupiter late tonight. A transit of Io begins around 1:30 AM EDT (01:30 for ole’ Bomber Bob). It ends around 3:40 AM. The GRS enters the scene around midnight and exists shortly after the transit of Io ends.

 

Be sure to tell me all about it.

We were clouded out this morning. 

How was it on your side of the river?

[Terra Nova]

I went to bed at 11:30 and it was mostly clear. I got up around 7:30. It was sunny and it must have remained clear in the early morning hours as we had a light frost.

[norvegicus]

When I went to bed last night about 11:30 I observed with my classic eyes that there was a big halo around the moon and Jupiter, which were close to each other, which was kind of cool.

Edited by norvegicus, 08 October 2022 - 08:51 AM.

[Terra Nova]

When I went to bed last night about 11:30 I observed with my classic eyes that there was a big halo around the moon and Jupiter, which were close to each other, which was kind of cool.

No halo here. The moon was very bright and almost full. Tonight it will be full, (Hunter’s Moon).

[clamchip]

We have ash fallout from wild fires.

I'm not excited about exposing my optics to it so armchair astronomy for me.

I'm reading a big book on double stars but it's putting me to sleep.

I've been busy working on a mount so I'm okay, for now.

I have been having some naked eye observing, in fact I'd like to make a list

of naked eye targets.

 

Robert

[Terra Nova]

We have ash fallout from wild fires.

I'm not excited about exposing my optics to it so armchair astronomy for me.

I'm reading a big book on double stars but it's putting me to sleep.

I've been busy working on a mount so I'm okay, for now.

I have been having some naked eye observing, in fact I'd like to make a list

of naked eye targets.

 

Robert

Might be a good time to dust off a pair of your binoculars Robert!

[Jehujones]

We have ash fallout from wild fires.

I'm not excited about exposing my optics to it so armchair astronomy for me.

I'm reading a big book on double stars but it's putting me to sleep.

I've been busy working on a mount so I'm okay, for now.

I have been having some naked eye observing, in fact I'd like to make a list

of naked eye targets.

 

Robert

I look forward to your list Robert

[Bomber Bob]

Io Transit last night in the FC-100... Perfect end to a day & a 5 hour road trip!