11875 replies to this topic

[TonyKing]

I finally got a couple of hours of quality time visiting with old Sol today.

 

Nice setup

[member010719]

Hello 

 

I have an ex-military lens of 45mm aperture and 300 mm f.l.

After searching the net for a while ,  I found this  informations on ''historicacollectible.com'' site :

 

 http://www.historica...mmandogert-3638

 

I have good reasons to believe that my 45mm lens was the objective of such a ''Richtfernrohr 10x45mm Carl Zeiss  FLAK Kommandohilfsgerate''.

Such right angle monoculars were used by antiaircrafts bateries and even by Kriegsmarine on their range finders.

I paid respect to the Zeiss lens by mounting it in  an OTA with a pull-push cell.

What I got is a ''one foot achromatic'' , very suitable for my  reenactment and small telescope experiments.

 

One of the authors dear to me is William Kitchiner.

In his book ''Economy of the Eyes.II '' ,at pages 206 -207, he describe the observations made by him ,and other people , with a ''one foot achromatic''.

The small refractor , having the aperture of 1.1 '' and one foot focal length , was used to observe Alpha Geminorum or Castor.

The magnification used was 80x and it was obtained with a ''Pancratic Eye Tube''.

The ''Pancratic Eye Tube'' was invented by William Kitchiner and ,in my opinion, it is the ancestor of zoom eyepieces.

The observers  included of course Kitchiner , ...'' Mr. Pierce the Optician... Mr. Wm. Brockedon the Painter and Mr. Charles Turner ,the Mezzotinto Engraver in Ordinary  to his Majesty...''.

All have seen Castor well resolved in the 28mm aperture at 80x magnification.

 

I wished to reenact this observations.

The one foot achromatic was at hand. I reduced the aperture by using aperture stops of 40mm , 30 mm and 20mm.

I made my reenactment observations on 16-th of February.

Not having a ''Pancratic Eye Tube'' , I just simply used a Kasai 4mm Orthoscopic ocular to achieve a magnification of 75x.

 

At full aperture of 45mm , Castor is quite a show , splendent split , with large black space between component stars and bright Airy discs and embracing white-blueish diffraction rings.

 

At 40mm aperture ,the view is very similar just the image is a  bit darker.

 

At 30mm aperture , the image was overal darker but Castor was still split ,the black space between the stars becoming narrow yet at the limite of visbility.

 

At 20mm aperture , no split ,actually it was hardly about two stars.The companion is half overlaped by the main star and it have a ghostly appearance.

 

The changing aspects of the image was expected.

But I wasn't sure if Castor will be split at 30mm and the positive result was a pleasing surprise.

My reenactment fully confirm the ditto  results reported by William Kitchiner.

And is saying even more :

I'm not sure , just have reasons to believe my ''one foot'' lens is a Zeiss military lens,so presumably a high quality item.

However , the report of Kitchiner is showing the quality of the lenses available in England around 1800 was not bad at all.

Actually was quite good.

Mircea

[Bonco]

With my 4 inch f/15 I had sweet views of Alnitak and eta Orionis. Perfectly clear splits. Best I've seen in years. The 4 stars of Sigma Orionis were excellent too.

Bill

[Bomber Bob]

Last night was Jupiter Part One, with the Mogey 3" & cheap Orion SS2 imager.  Tonight is JP2 with my favorite scope, the mighty Edmund 4" & Philips 900 imager - and the Great Red Spot.  NWS says clear skies, and you better believe I've been checking the GOES/NOAA satellite page all day!

 

The Mogey gave me 4 belts @ 61x and nicely contrasting polar regions.  Its very best views were @ 122x with an OR9, which broke out thin belts from the poles, and patterns in the SEB.  If the GRS had been visible, it would have clearly shown it, and I haven't put baffles in this old scope yet.

 

The Orion Nebula was on the meridian before Jupiter got above the trees, so I had to check it out.  Brilliant Trapezium @ 37x.  M42 extended beyond the FOV, and I was surprised at how large M43 was at 61x with the Vixen KE18.  This scope has very good glass!  I noticed that my nebular filter gave some subtle shapes of light & dark in M42, and while it made stars A-C brighter, D was dimmer - haven't seen or noticed that before.

[Chuck Hards]

After clear skies for the last few days, when I need to get to bed shortly after dark, the weekend dawned overcast.  Partly cloudy now, tonight isn't looking good as the next round of storms approach.

 

So I'm observing nothing this weekend, and working on a clock-drive project for a classic mount, instead.  

[Bomber Bob]

Lots of reasons the old Edmund 4" f/15 is my favorite scope.  Tonight, I saw pink @ 60x, then red @ 125x, and rust @ 170x - an angry Cyclops stared me down across the AU's.  Thought I saw an oval, and confirmed that on the monitor while imaging.  I only shot 4 AVIs - wanted to see as much as I could on a short work night.  After all these years, I'm still amazed at what a few pieces of glass can do!

[Kasmos]

Briefly took the Mighty May 814 out. First clear night for awhile. It rain last night and will rain again this morning (we really need it in socal). The sky was very transparent, but breezy and mostly unsteady. Viewed Jupiter at 56x yet still surprised how large it looked. Had a few good moments especially with one of it's moons just peeking out from the limb. Tried out a couple of 1.25" oculars for the first time with this scope and enjoyed the larger field. The Orion Nebula and neighboring stars at 16x and 35x were stunning even in my light polluted skies. Overall not the best conditions, but it's so quick and easy with this scope, it made me think I should do it more often anyway.

[davidmcgo]

I took advantage of some sucker holes in between storms last night and did some quick handheld observing with two of my classics, 1st was my Nikon 10x70 Wide Field binocular.  These are the model with the huge prisms, fat erfle eyepieces, and a 6.5 degree field.  Very immersive and very heavy.  I managed to spot Canopus low in the murk and glare over the shopping mall to the South of me and also spotted Gamma Velorum with its companion close by.  Also had nice views of the Pleiades playing hide and seek behind some patchy clouds.

 

After that, I grabbed my re-mirrored Coulter CT-100 for some sweeping up of open clusters in Monoceros.  I snagged this scope off ebay a few years back for a low price, but decided the original mirror was crap, close to spherical.  So I got one of the Carton Optical 4.25" f4.5 mirrors form Sheldon Faworski off one of his ads in the CN classifieds.  The new mirror is way nicer and does things like split Castor and the Double Double that the original wouldn't dream of.  The focal length is a little on the long side so I use a Borg Helical focuser with 1.25" nosepiece to make up for the dovetail bar being a little short, and it also lets me use eyepieces other than the crappy binocular Kellner that came with it.

 

With a 26mm Celestron Silvertop and a rubber eyeguard like the one Edmund sold with the 28mm RKE, it makes a really nice hand held sweeper and I got very nice views of NGC2244, M47, M41, M44, the Christmas Tree, M45, M35, M36, M37, and M38 plus the sword of Orion all in about 30 minutes.  Aiming is a challenge but the views are surprisingly steady at 16x with the bottom of the tube resting on my tummy (beer belly mounting?).

 

Dave

 

PS there are a couple of CT-100s on ebay right now for decent prices.  Just budget for a better mirror if you want to go over 25x or so.

 

 

 

[bremms]

I tried to catch the distant old (2 BYR!) open cluster NGC 2158 yesterday, close to M35.

I believe I succeeded, but it was not easy. Report ->here<-

 

My scope was my 3" Vixen refractor. Anyone else have observed this with a comparable classic scope ?

I found The Crab (M1) much easier in the same conditions last night...

 

Allan

Allan,  The Crab is easier for me. My skies at home are pretty bright. There is no way I can see 2158 with a 3" from my back yard. I have spotted JUST with a 4" Jaegers and a 5.5" Mak with a faded mirror. Transparency was very good though. It is visible in an 80mm form a dark site. Still faint, but there.

[combatdad]

Captured Sirius A-B last evening at 6:30 EST, with my 4 inch, f/15 Unitron (on UA Unistar Super Deluxe Mount) using a 10mm TV Radian EP at 150x, also did some other double/multiple star observing to include: Rigel, Sigma Orionis, Alnitak, Trapezium, Beta Monocerotis, Zeta Cancri, Eta and Iota Cas.

 

Jupiter was also looking pretty spectacular at opposition; pushed it to 250x using a 6mm TV Ethos EP.

 

Dave

[Bonco]

Dave,

That's what i call a fun/productive night. What's nice is all those objects can be good views even in the city.

Bill

[Terra Nova]

It was fairly clear last night more than a week of clouds and rain, so I had two hours of observing time out on the deck before clouds rolled back in. More rain and clouds through Tuesday. I took out one of my smaller Newtonian reflectors (an old Meade 114mm F8) that I have been restoring for the first hour. I had flocked the tube and collimated it yesterday and wanted to cruise Orion. M42 was quite nice. 4 stars in the Trapezium. The second hour I had this beauty out. It is a custom made Sheldon Faworski 4" F6.4 refractor with classic glass- a Fujinon objective. I had it up to 233X on Jupiter with a barlowed UO orthoscopic and it held quite nicely. It was good to get out for a bit. It was a very nice night.

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[John Higbee]

Had six hours of clear skies last night, so set up the C8 at a neighborhood "pre Saint Patrick's" party last night, again along with the Zhumell 25X100 binoculars.  Main attraction last night was Jupiter, with Io, Europa and Ganymede on one side of the planet, and Callisto "way out" (precise astronomical term) on the other.  

 

Once the seeing settled down, we got the best views of Jupiter I've ever seen through the C8.  Using a Meade 5000 series 20mm (100 degree AFOV), both with and without a 2x barlow, we saw 4 to 6 belts, along with some edge detail on the main belts.  Darker greenish shadings towards the poles was particularly apparent.  All four moons showed tiny disks.  

 

Lots of gasps and "wows!" when folks saw that sight in the eyepiece...along with spontaneous comments about what a shame it was that there were "so many lights" in the neighborhood degrading the sky.  One of the viewers took this picture with their smartphone:

 

 

This was the first time I used the Dewbuster controller with Dew-Not heat strips...worked like a champ!  Not a trace of dew on the collector when we shut down observing around 1:30AM.

 

John

[Astrojensen]

Yesterday, I managed to get a super crisp view of the crescent moon just above the treetops, in my 63mm Zeiss, using an 11mm ES82 for 76x. The air was unusually clear and calm and the view was superb. The Moon was hanging in the wide field of view, and the view was so clear, it was as if there was nothing between me and the Moon. An awesome sight. 

 

Tried to get a similar view today, but while the air was clear, the seeing was not good and I could not get a sharp image. I left the scope outside, while I was eating dinner, so I could take another peek later, but a heavy fog rolled in before I could get outside again. 

 

I'm using the 63mm Zeiss on a Zeiss 1b mount, a combination never sold by Zeiss, but one I'm getting really fond of, despite it being quite heavy, as it is extremely solid and steady. 

 

 

 

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

[Astrojensen]

I tried to catch the distant old (2 BYR!) open cluster NGC 2158 yesterday, close to M35.

I believe I succeeded, but it was not easy. Report ->here<-

 

My scope was my 3" Vixen refractor. Anyone else have observed this with a comparable classic scope ?

I found The Crab (M1) much easier in the same conditions last night...

 

Allan

I find M1 to be somewhat easier than NGC 2158 in my 20x80 binoculars, but in my 63mm Zeiss at somewhat higher magnification, the difference is marginal, from what I remember. Either is very easy in the 63mm under reasonably dark skies. 

 

 

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

[rogue river art]

Nothing. My scope has been boxed up since Oct. Too cold,damp and cloudy. SOON.  I have had my 60 mm scope out once for its first light since building it but that's all. I injured my rib cage and don't think I can handle my 4" refractor so I might be using my 60 mm one for a little while after the weather turns.

[Terra Nova]

Believe it or not, the very first time I saw M1 was with a 3" F6 Edmund kit Newtonian reflector that I built when I was 15. The skies were so much darker and transparent then, even in suburban southern California.

[rcwolpert]

Nothing. My scope has been boxed up since Oct. Too cold,damp and cloudy. SOON.  I have had my 60 mm scope out once for its first light since building it but that's all. I injured my rib cage and don't think I can handle my 4" refractor so I might be using my 60 mm one for a little while after the weather turns.

 

I can relate. All my scopes are packed up for my move across the country and I'm having serious Photon Withdrawal Symptoms. I can't wait until we finally get to our Florida island home on the 20th and can get out under the stars again with my scopes. In the meantime, I love reading about what other CN members are seeing!

 

- Bob

[Terra Nova]

That's what I love about my 4" Faworski-Fujinon, it is so capable for its small size and light weight. The Porta II handles is so well and the 'color' is so well controlled. It is more versatile than the ST120 and just as easily taken out and set up.

[Bonco]

 

Nothing. My scope has been boxed up since Oct. Too cold,damp and cloudy. SOON.  I have had my 60 mm scope out once for its first light since building it but that's all. I injured my rib cage and don't think I can handle my 4" refractor so I might be using my 60 mm one for a little while after the weather turns.

 

I can relate. All my scopes are packed up for my move across the country and I'm having serious Photon Withdrawal Symptoms. I can't wait until we finally get to our Florida island home on the 20th and can get out under the stars again with my scopes. In the meantime, I love reading about what other CN members are seeing!

 

- Bob

 

Best wishes and welcome to Florida on the 20th. Florida observing can be difficult but also has some very steady sub arc second skies. What part of Florida are you moving to?

Bill   Tampa area.

[Astrojensen]

Did get another superb view of the Moon with my 63mm Zeiss today. The seeing was absolutely perfect in the small scope at 76x and the details were etched. The air was crystal clear. Fortunately, I had taken my 6" f/8 Sky-Watcher newtonian out for cooldown as well and I quickly set it up. The view was staggeringly good, the best lunar view in months. I almost let out a scream, when I saw how good it was at 109x (11mm ES82). I changed to my barlowed Maxbright binoviewer with two 40mm TS Superviews. The magnification was around 100x. There was only a very slight turbulence. I changed to ~160x and was rewarded with a super crisp view of the rille system in the crater Atlas. I've never seen it so clearly before. It was a spectacular view. I ran up and down the terminator and picked out lots of rilles and myriad craters in the ejecta blankets of larger craters. 

 

Sadly, it was cut short by incoming clouds and I had to give it up after just half an hour under the most amazing seeing. 

 

 

Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

Edited by Astrojensen, 13 March 2016 - 03:15 PM.

[rcwolpert]

 

 

Nothing. My scope has been boxed up since Oct. Too cold,damp and cloudy. SOON.  I have had my 60 mm scope out once for its first light since building it but that's all. I injured my rib cage and don't think I can handle my 4" refractor so I might be using my 60 mm one for a little while after the weather turns.

 

I can relate. All my scopes are packed up for my move across the country and I'm having serious Photon Withdrawal Symptoms. I can't wait until we finally get to our Florida island home on the 20th and can get out under the stars again with my scopes. In the meantime, I love reading about what other CN members are seeing!

 

- Bob

 

Best wishes and welcome to Florida on the 20th. Florida observing can be difficult but also has some very steady sub arc second skies. What part of Florida are you moving to?

Bill   Tampa area.

 

 

Thanks for the welcome, Bill! I'll be living on South Hutchinson Island, over the bridge from Fort Pierce or Jensen Beach. I'm hoping for some pretty dark and steady skies.

 

- Bob

[Bomber Bob]

Welcome to The South!  So... When can we call you Billy Joe-Bob Wolpert?

 

Speaking of steady skies:  Between clouds the Space Scope gave me spectacular views of Jupiter tonight - 150x for the poles, and 225x for the two EQ belts.  Too humid for the Tinsley, but I don't feel cheated.

[rcwolpert]

Welcome to The South!  So... When can we call you Billy Joe-Bob Wolpert?

 

You can call me that anytime, but I still have my NY accent so nobody will believe it!

[Bomber Bob]

Luckily, no accents on our CN posts, and I look forward to your Florida observing reports.  We're favoring the Gulf Coast for retirement, it's just a question of where - and the observing conditions are a factor, too.