Still in Old School
Posted 01 October 2024 - 11:48 PM
Hmm I wonder if its because this RV-6 focuser is cast iron, a pretty dark metal.
Or could it be my eyepiece selection. Old orthoscopic's that don't see much of
the focuser wall.
Robert
On my focuser the issue was the tight fit of the inner tube (the drawtube) in the outer one (the focuser tube proper with a rack cut into it). Both were brass. The brass would leave a smell on my fingers from grasping it so rightly in order to move it.
-drl
Surveyor 1
Posted 02 October 2024 - 02:04 PM
The Autumnal equinox has brought transparent skies again. The Saharan dust is gone for now. Yesterday the sky cleared up, with some scattered clouds now and then. Transparency was excellent and even though we had a northerly wind, the seeing was very good. I had the 57 years old Sears (Scope branded) model 2535 on the already 20 years old Astroview mount in no time. Everything was inside my "tarp observatory". My first object was Saturn. It was well placed and high. My best view was at 200x using the 6mm wide field SvBony with a 1.25" adapter on the original .965" diagonal. Saturn looked sharp with the closing rings and one atmospheric belt. Titan and Rhea were visible with Thetys observed using averted vision. Even at 300x (4mm UO ortho) the image was holding well. I decided to take some images and came up with one image obtained with a 2X Barlow and another with a 3X Barlow. The image shows the camera and setup. Everything was original in the optical path except the Barlows and camera. The scattered clouds cleared up after a while and allowed some more visual observations. These were the other objects observed:
-Gamma Andromeda- This double looked very nice at 200x with two well defined Airy discs, one orange and the other blue. This is a really fine pair.
- 36 Andromeda- I had no hopes for this close double but was surprised to find a small elongation at 200x that I confirmed at 300x with the trusty 4mm UO ortho. I had a bread loaf image.
-Double Cluster- It was so clear that even the north was showing dark skies. I star hopped from eta Persei to the double cluster using the original 12X40mm finder. I tested several wide field eyepieces and found that my old surplus 17mm Erfle did a great job. It accommodated the cluster in the field of view and allowed for a nice viewing experience with many stars showing up and even more with averted vision. I envy those that can see it with the naked eye.
- Eta Persei- Nice yellow and blue pair with colors showing well at 200x.
- 6 Trianguli- Surprised to see all the stars in the Triangulum asterism, I star hopped from 7 Trianguli to 6. This is also a yellow and blue pair that shows up nicely at 200 and 300x.
-Uranus- This planet was an easy find south of the Pleiades. At 200x I could see the little blue disc and even at 300x I could focus it sharply. Uranus is always a reminder of serendipity discoveries in astronomy.
-Gamma Arietis- This white-white pair of bright stars reminds me of Porrima. It should be a good test for a 60mm telescope.
-1 Arietis- I had the impression of seeing a yellow and blue pair. Norton's mentions this pair as a good test for a 2" telescope. I think it would be a good test for a very good 2" telescope.
Before ending the observing session at midnight I welcomed back the Pleiades looking at them with a 20mm eyepiece that can accommodate only the four stars of the little cup. Jupiter was coming up in the east. I could see at least the two main belts under heavy atmospheric dispersion.
The old 3" refractor provided an excellent night with the sharp optics from Astro Optical. It saw first light back in January of 67.
James Webb Space Telescope
Posted 03 October 2024 - 05:01 PM
It's been raining here for days. Last time I observed something with one of my classics was almost a week ago, when I observed some protuberances with the Quark on my Zeiss Telemator and at night I had my 85mm Zeiss apochromat out for a comparison with the TMB 100/800.
Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark
Thomas, I didn't know! How is that Zeiss APO?
Pete
James Webb Space Telescope
Posted 03 October 2024 - 05:02 PM
Amazing what a diff a detector/processor makes!
Sweet.
Pete
Hubble
Posted 04 October 2024 - 01:01 AM
More Saturn tonight.
I love the tiny moons with the rings near edge on dimmed way down.
It's starting to get cold here at night and the temperature is dropping fast while I observe.
Something I noticed tonight is with these present site conditions I think the insulating properties
of my RV-6 phenolic tube seems to be the best choice over my aluminum Edmund, I can see it
in the eyepiece. That's what happens when you take two telescopes out on a date together you
learn things about them you normally would never know.
Robert
Edited by clamchip, 04 October 2024 - 01:11 AM.
Still in Old School
Posted 04 October 2024 - 07:36 AM
More Saturn tonight.
I love the tiny moons with the rings near edge on dimmed way down.
It's starting to get cold here at night and the temperature is dropping fast while I observe.
Something I noticed tonight is with these present site conditions I think the insulating properties
of my RV-6 phenolic tube seems to be the best choice over my aluminum Edmund, I can see it
in the eyepiece. That's what happens when you take two telescopes out on a date together you
learn things about them you normally would never know.
Robert
No doubt the phenolic is thermally superior! A metal tube requires an insulating layer inside. Mine has a full-length rolled up cylinder of plastic flock board. Between the plastic and the tube wall is a thin layer of air. The classic solution was a layer of blackened cork.
-drl
Edited by deSitter, 04 October 2024 - 07:36 AM.
Hubble
Posted 04 October 2024 - 09:56 AM
No doubt the phenolic is thermally superior! A metal tube requires an insulating layer inside. Mine has a full-length rolled up cylinder of plastic flock board. Between the plastic and the tube wall is a thin layer of air. The classic solution was a layer of blackened cork.
-drl
I have an example of a cork lined tube, my Robert Plath 6 inch from 1959:
Still in Old School
Posted 04 October 2024 - 10:07 AM
I have an example of a cork lined tube, my Robert Plath 6 inch from 1959:
What an interesting mount! Appears maybe the DEC and RA axes can be interchanged so you can get to Polaris at any latitude.
-drl
Viking 1
Posted 04 October 2024 - 09:34 PM
Surveyor 1
Posted 05 October 2024 - 10:15 PM
Not my scope, but owned by all citizens of the City of Los Angeles, the Zeiss 12" Refractor at Griffith Observatory observing Saturn:
Gemini
Posted 05 October 2024 - 10:15 PM
Perfect night tonight! Clear, transparent, steady, no wind. About 45*F, so no bugs, but no frozen fingers. Opened the observatory and used the C14 and 6"f9, mostly with a 41Pan and 40 Konig, but broke out the 19 Pan for Saturn and Neptune at the end. With the insulation, the tubes had almost no currents (a little at the beginning)
Started with M27, which had a very clear hourglass shape in the C14, and was an elongated smudge in the 6. Then M56, M57, Alberio, M29, the components of the Veil with the 6" (it was harder to see nebulosity around 52 Cyg than the other sections), split Rasalgethi in the C14, and low contrast views of M10 and M12 near the horizon. M101 was also pretty low contrast. Then back to M13 (resolved to the core) and M92 with its dense center and more diffuse outer stars. Went to the Garnet star (so bright in the C14 that I had to double check) before crossing the meridian. Then to the double cluster, which is lovely in the 6" but can only really fit one at a time in the C14. A peek at the Heart nebula, then a stop at M34 before going to Almach.
Spent a lot of time on M33, as I always seem to do with the C14. Spiral structure nicely visible. NGC 604 was easy. 595 and 592 came through with averted vision. M32 in the C14, on the other hand, is just a massive white oval. The 6" was able to fit M32 and 110 into the view, and had enough context to make out the inner dust lane.
Then on to Saturn, which showed nice banding. Found Titan, Rhea, Enceladus, Mimas, Dione, Iapetus, and maybe even Hyperion with averted vision and putting the planet just out of view. Neptune in the C14 is an incredibly deep blue.
Incredibly rare and wonderful to have such a fine night. Wish I could have stayed out longer, but tomorrow will be a busy day.
Chip W.
Aurora
Posted 06 October 2024 - 12:41 PM
Took my 1973 C14 and fork to the SDAA BBQ yesterday and aside from a bit of smoke form a fire in Mexico it was clear, dry, and warm.
Showed a bunch of new folks some really nice views of Saturn, M13, M57, M92. one little girl was so impressed with seeing Saturn she gifted me a little glow in the dark plastic ducky I now have on the dash of my van. This old scope really impresses with its size and presence and as Rich (woodsman) attested, has really great optics.
Seeing ways a little softer than I would have hoped but I still had really amazing resolution of the globulars. NGC6826 and 6572 planetaries were really intensely colored. After Mars and Orion were up, I caught the North Polar Cap and hood on Mars, really intense and amazing view of M42 with a 50mm Axion and 32mm Wide Field. Jupiter was starting to snap to focus with a 16mm Nagler, nice garlands, festoons, barges, and a shadow ingress.
Also checked out Thor’s Helmet in Canis Major, NGC 2371-2 the Bipolar Planetary in Gemini, Hubble’s Variable Nebula, NGC7331, IC418:and M79 in Lepus, and then M81 and M82. Aside from a couple of 1 hour naps, I had the scope running until 5am.
Dave
Hubble
Posted 07 October 2024 - 12:48 AM
For the past week I've been observing Saturn's moons with my RV-6 and I keep going
back to a Edmund 8mm RKE. 150X seems to be a sweet spot right now for me with the present conditions.
Tonight I decided to go for broke and double it with 300 power (50X per inch) double the 8mm with a
Tani Optical Edmund 4mm orthoscopic. A little too much for tonight but I'll keep it handy. A nice eyepiece that
doesn't get used much around here with my collection of longsters.
Robert
Edited by clamchip, 07 October 2024 - 12:49 AM.
ISS
Posted 07 October 2024 - 08:11 PM
I was out on my balcony looking at Saturn with the same 60mm telescope my parents gave me for my birthday 59 years ago next Tuesday. Owing to its 29.5 yr orbit, Saturn is in the exact same position in the sky as it was then. And it's rings are again nearly edge on as they were in October of 1965. You can see Saturn in the picture above the telescope.
Edited by Terra Nova, 07 October 2024 - 08:13 PM.
Ranger 4
Posted 07 October 2024 - 08:18 PM
Seems Saturn is the object for viewing lately. Had my rig setup for the same, yeah the rings where certainly on edge. I caught Pleiades rising and got a nice view there too.
Cheers!
Gary
Surveyor 1
Posted 07 October 2024 - 11:08 PM
I was out tonight with my 1990s Celestar 8 (Scruffy). The sky was clear and the seeing was very good. I had Scruffy in the wedgepod in no time pointed at Saturn. The visual view was stunning. The image was sharp even at 444x using a 9mm eyepiece with a 2x Barlow. I could see the satellites Titan, Enceladus, Rhea, Dione and Thetys. The latter was hugging the rings. The planet showed several atmospheric bands. In the rings the Cassini division was clearly visible at the ansae and there was a hint of the C ring. It's a pity that we will not be able to see the rings fully edge on in March. I was able to capture several images like the ones below using a 2x Barlow and the ZWOASI224mc camera. Processing was done in PIPP, Autostakker and Registax 6. Collimation was checked using the star test (Folmalhaut) at 500x with a UO orthoscopic. It was right on the dot. By the time the session ended I was looking at Orion rising in the east.
ISS
Posted 08 October 2024 - 07:25 AM
I was out tonight with my 1990s Celestar 8 (Scruffy). The sky was clear and the seeing was very good. I had Scruffy in the wedgepod in no time pointed at Saturn. The visual view was stunning. The image was sharp even at 444x using a 9mm eyepiece with a 2x Barlow. I could see the satellites Titan, Enceladus, Rhea, Dione and Thetys. The latter was hugging the rings. The planet showed several atmospheric bands. In the rings the Cassini division was clearly visible at the ansae and there was a hint of the C ring. It's a pity that we will not be able to see the rings fully edge on in March. I was able to capture several images like the ones below using a 2x Barlow and the ZWOASI224mc camera. Processing was done in PIPP, Autostakker and Registax 6. Collimation was checked using the star test (Folmalhaut) at 500x with a UO orthoscopic. It was right on the dot. By the time the session ended I was looking at Orion rising in the east.
Great pics Guido! That’s just the way I saw Saturn last Saturday night with my 90mm triplet apo at 180X. Cassini’s division, normally a dominant feature was just visible in the nearly edge-on view of the rings, as was the black sky between the inside of the rings and the edge of Saturn’s orb. Last night, I was struck by just how much was still visible in my little 60mm Mayflower achromat! The seeing was exceedingly stable both nights and even last night, the rings themselves were quite sharp and the atmospheric bands as well as Titan could be seen at <100X. It’s higher now than it has been the past couple of years and that helps a lot!
ISS
Posted 08 October 2024 - 03:22 PM
Except for Saturn, last night was a BUST... Large popcorn clouds piled-up in the SW, and mostly covered the Crescent Moon. There was a cool effect around sunset, where the sliver sliver was touched with a faint rose color -- reminded me of Black Hills Rose Gold jewelry. A popcorn kernel burst overhead, and briefly looked like the Omega Nebula. Sure, it eventually covered most of the sky, but it was a cool effect...
Saturn in the FC-76 was darn near perfect -- very clear & calm patch! -- 240x (LV 2.5) was Tak Sharp, with hints of 2 cloud belts. Didn't get a clear enough view of Cassini to say for sure that I saw it.
Should be much clearer tonight, but the air is volatile. IF the Moon stays cloud-free, I'll turn my TS-65S / 1000 loose on it. I have my C8 on standby for Saturn, too.
Gotta stay flexible in the Fall.
ISS
Posted 09 October 2024 - 12:17 PM
Clear & cloud-free last night; and, in the calmer moments, my '86 C8 delivered some fantastic views of Saturn at up to 500x.
While I waited on Saturn to climb higher, I remembered to sky test my restored BORG 76 achro. Crescent Moon is lovely up to about 100x -- above that, and the CA gets too distracting (I guess my APOs have spoilt me!). Loaded the Turret with LVs 20 / 10 / 5 / 2.5; smooth rotation, with a positive "click" at the diagonal mirror. Despite all the plastics, it's no slouch.
But my rebuilt Carton 101 F5 whips it in SxS's -- that extra 25mm aperture turned M39 into a richer cluster. And, with the Paradigm 8mm & 3.2mm, the Carton is a fine double splitter, too. IOW: My Mizar GT-80S stays a Keeper. I could see the BORG down at The Gulf with one of our children / grandchildren.
Rather than dodge tripod legs, I loaded my C8 on the Short Pedestal Meade StarFinder EQ. Had to use my shortest lawn chair; and, its canvas has gotten so stretched that my posterior was maybe 4" above the concrete deck. The SF tracks well, so my hands were free for sketching... and... occasional sips of Bitburger -- my artistry improves with relaxation, ya know. I alternated between 250x & 500x with Radians 8 & 4. Best visual night at The Swamp in months!
Edited by Bomber Bob, 09 October 2024 - 12:17 PM.
Still in Old School
Posted 09 October 2024 - 12:43 PM
Clear & cloud-free last night; and, in the calmer moments, my '86 C8 delivered some fantastic views of Saturn at up to 500x.
While I waited on Saturn to climb higher, I remembered to sky test my restored BORG 76 achro. Crescent Moon is lovely up to about 100x -- above that, and the CA gets too distracting (I guess my APOs have spoilt me!). Loaded the Turret with LVs 20 / 10 / 5 / 2.5; smooth rotation, with a positive "click" at the diagonal mirror. Despite all the plastics, it's no slouch.
But my rebuilt Carton 101 F5 whips it in SxS's -- that extra 25mm aperture turned M39 into a richer cluster. And, with the Paradigm 8mm & 3.2mm, the Carton is a fine double splitter, too. IOW: My Mizar GT-80S stays a Keeper. I could see the BORG down at The Gulf with one of our children / grandchildren.
Rather than dodge tripod legs, I loaded my C8 on the Short Pedestal Meade StarFinder EQ. Had to use my shortest lawn chair; and, its canvas has gotten so stretched that my posterior was maybe 4" above the concrete deck. The SF tracks well, so my hands were free for sketching... and... occasional sips of Bitburger -- my artistry improves with relaxation, ya know. I alternated between 250x & 500x with Radians 8 & 4. Best visual night at The Swamp in months!
Interesting info on the Borg. I had assumed it would be premium performance.
-drl
ISS
Posted 09 October 2024 - 05:18 PM
Interesting info on the Borg. I had assumed it would be premium performance.
For an F6.6 cemented achromat, CA isn't too bad. Before I got all these APOs, I would've been fine with it. Yes, the Moon's bright limb has a neon yellow-green thin rind, but high spots along the Terminator aren't tinged with yellow or violet.
I don't know much about BORG, but this model seems to be more entry-level. ZEN has a fancier 125mm BORG achro that, based on its focuser & adapters, is better built -- and intended for imaging. If this one had the Kenko KDS 63 helical focuser, I'd be happier with it. Odds are, BORG built that very nice OTA for Kenko.
Naturally, the BORG FL (fluorite) Series have better hardware. While I have it, if a BORG FL or ED lens kit pops up for a low price, and is compatible, I'll have to try it... With so many relatives down at The Gulf, it makes sense to station a Classic Rig or two down there -- my fantastic C80 Premium is already on that list.
ISS
Posted 10 October 2024 - 11:01 AM
I remembered last night to nab Neptune -- first time with my C8. Tougher to find than I anticipated, but transparency was down from TUES night, and the upper air was disturbed by Milton. Stars were twinkling like crazy!
My AT UWA 10mm pairs very well with my Carton 101 F5 -- hairline split of Epsilon Lyrae @ 50x. And, the field is wide enough to sweep with. Comfortable eye relief, too. Gotta get some more of these!
Whereisclearsky - Today, 05:10 PM
Beginning Deep Sky Imaging
rhannequin - Today, 02:42 PM
Equipment (No astrophotography)
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