6263 replies to this topic

[j.gardavsky]

Would something like this Color Correction Light Gel set work? Or would it not be specific enough?

Fiske,

 

the color gell filters are loosing some transmittance, if compared with the interference (CCD) filters.

Regarding the blue(RGB)CCD filters, in the middle price segment is:

1. Baader https://www.baader-p...ter-(blue).html

2. Astronomik https://www.astronom...ur-filters.html

 

The Astronomik cuts the UV/violet up to 420nm, which may be even better for the galactic nebulae.

 

Best,

JG

[Fiske]

Thanks, JG!

[MT4]

I just saw a nebula for the first time ever in my life.  It's the Great Orion Nebula and it's totally worth staying up late for!

 

It had four instruments set up on balcony:  Canon 15x50 IS (handheld), Maven B5 15x56 on a SIRUI monopod, Nikon 18x70 on another SIRUI monopod, and last but not least 50x82 Kowa Highlander Prominar on a Manfrotto CF tripod + 608 video head.

 

The Orion constellation looked fantastic in all four instruments.   I had never seen that many stars in a small region of space before.

 

The Orion Nebula was a big WOW moment for me, simply because I had never before seen such a thing in real life.  I had thought that I would need an expensive night-vision eyepiece to see a nebula under my Bortle-9 skies.  Tonight the Gods must've taken pity on me and showed me such beauty!

 

In my big Kowa, the Trapezium was easily resolved into 4 component stars.  That was another first for me.

 

Of the four instruments I had with me tonight, the one that gave me the most engaging and enjoyable experience was the Canon 15x50 IS.  It didn't have the sharpest optics.  It didn't have the highest transmission rate.  Furthermore, the other instruments were all on steady monopods/tripod and hence gave steadier views.  Despite all those disadvantages, the Canon won the short round handily tonight because it just felt absolutely fantastic to simply hold the Canon up to my eyes and take in the view.  For me, nothing beats a steady hand-held wide-angle bino when it comes to feeling connected with the night sky.

Edited by MT4, 06 November 2021 - 03:48 AM.

[celestronlover57]

I just saw a nebula for the first time ever in my life.  It's the Great Orion Nebula and it's totally worth staying up late for!

 

It had four instruments set up on balcony:  Canon 15x50 IS (handheld), Maven B5 15x56 on a SIRUI monopod, Nikon 18x70 on another SIRUI monopod, and last but not least 50x82 Kowa Highlander Prominar on a Manfrotto CF tripod + 608 video head.

 

The Orion constellation looked fantastic in all four instruments.   I had never seen that many stars in a small region of space before.

 

The Orion Nebula was a big WOW moment for me, simply because I had never before seen such a thing in real life.  I had thought that I would need an expensive night-vision eyepiece to see a nebula under my Bortle-9 skies.  Tonight the Gods must've taken pity on me and showed me such beauty!

 

In my big Kowa, the Trapezium was easily resolved into 4 component stars.  That was another first for me.

 

Of the four instruments I had with me tonight, the one that gave me the most engaging and enjoyable experience was the Canon 15x50 IS.  It didn't have the sharpest optics.  It didn't have the highest transmission rate.  Furthermore, the other instruments were all on steady monopods/tripod and hence gave steadier views.  Despite all those disadvantages, the Canon won the short round handily tonight because it just felt absolutely fantastic to simply hold the Canon up to my eyes and take in the view.  For me, nothing beats a steady hand-held wide-angle bino when it comes to feeling connected with the night sky.

When I first began to look for deep sky objects the Orion Nebula was my first as well.  I first saw in in a 60mm refractor during the late 70's.  As I went to larger instruments my views improved.  Even in my old 7x35 binoculars it was still an easy object.  It is also a worthy target for astrophotography, especially if beginning.  My first attempt to photograph it was in the late 80's using a 100mm f 2.5 piggybacked on an equatorial telescope.  I used Kodachrome 200.
 

[castorpolu11]

First night out with my new Oberwerk 15x70LW binos. I was in a folding beach chair I find comfortable with the binoculars mounted on a monopod with ballhead. It's not the best setup but was good enough to get some very enjoyable views of the sparkly areas in Perseus and Cassiopeia. I don't have much experience with binocular astronomy, more with my scopes, so I'm just dipping my toes in with this set of OB's. What a blast! I have a parallelogram mount on the way but it's clouds for the foreseeable future so I'm impatiently waiting for the next time I can take them out. 

[SECTOR 001]

It's Tuesday, November 9th @ 8:40pm.  The clouds are thick in the SE, clearing to the SW, temps in the mid 40's.  As I peer through my 7x50 binos, the Moon is in it's final stages of descent as it nears the horizon.  It's dark yellow and with each passing minute turns more amber in color.  The Moon is smiling at me with a cheshire grin.  It tries to hide but in the faint Earth glow, it reveals it's dark side.  The whole Moon is visible to those who look hard.  As it sinks further into the sky, it seems to change shape.  It's now a chunk of watermelon, ready to be eaten down to the rine by some freckle-faced red headed boy.  I glimpse the last amber smile of the pocked face Moon as it slowly slips behind the horizon, never to be seen again this night.

Kenny

[Astronoob76]

Had a little bit of clear skies yesterday -- but clouds came in. It cleared up again later when the Orion nebula was high enough to have a look with my Tento 20x60. Rather impressive. Earlier I used my Steiner 8x30, the Nikon Aculon 16x50 and the Tento to just roam around the sky. Looked at the usual suspects like M31 and the Plejades (always a lovely sight). While the Tento is impressive I have to say the Nikon 16x50 kind of hits a sweet spot for me. Still not too much shaking when handheld and very clear views. Also saw 3 (maybe 4) moons of Jupiter.

[MT4]

The night sky was pretty decent just now and so I set up my Nikon 18x70 and Maven B5 15x56 on my two SIRUI monopods for a look at the half moon and Jupiter.   For the umpteenth time I tried to compare the two instruments side-by-side to see which was the better one and the end result was still the same which was that I simply couldn't decide which was better.  The Maven was perhaps a hair ahead in terms of raw optics but the Nikon had a wider apparent field of view and the mag/image scale advantage.

 

In the end what I ended up doing was to set up the instruments such that one would show me the moon and other Jupiter.   Each instrument was wonderful in its own right.  Having both side by side doubled the enjoyment factor.

 

While looking at the half-moon today, I got the distinct impression that the vast oceans of the moon looked metallic being so smooth and dark-gray in color.  Is it just me?

 

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[Fiske]

Where I would expect the Nikon 18x70 to outpace the Maven 16x56 would be observing fainter, extended objects. Which is not to say that they are not both excellent binoculars in their own right. I don't know what the 16x56 edge performance is like, but if it is significantly better than that of the Nikon, you might find a preference for the Maven roaming rich star fields in the Milky Way, where edge performance issues become more conspicuous.

 

It's okay to love them both, MT4. 

 

To a certain extent, the fascination with owning only one binoclar seems to me like trying to decide what one eyepiece you would use to observe everything instead of having multiple eyepieces that are optimized for different types of observation.

 

Fiske

Edited by Fiske, 10 November 2021 - 09:44 AM.

[Astronoob76]

To a certain extent, the fascination with owning only one binoclar seems to me like trying to decide what one eyepiece you would use to observe everything instead of having multiple eyepieces that are optimized for different types of observation.
 

Very true. If I could have only one eyepiece (for a scope) -- it'd be one with zoom .

It seems to be a common "theme" on most hobbyist forums. I am also a member of a few music-related and watch collector forums and the question "if you could have only one XYZ" seems to pop up quite regularly. Might be the quest for a "simpler life" or less clutter. I hope an image stablized bino might be "the one" for me. But I still cannot decide which one to get.

[Fiske]

With ten 10x binoculars in my collection (actually the number is currently 11 and will be 12 when the APM 10x50 finally arrives) , it should come as no surprise that I am not overly interested in the topic. 

[hallelujah]

 

I hope an image stablized bino might be "the one" for me. But I still cannot decide which one to get.

Just for Fun!

 

https://www.zeiss.co...ls/20x60-s.html

 

Stan
 

[Astronoob76]

@Stan

Actually -- I was indeed thinking about that one (for a moment at least). They pop up on German ebay frequently in used condition (sometimes factory refurbished) for about 3k €. And I received a small inheritance this year. But in the end I'll probably "settle" for a Canon 18x50 or Sig Sauer 16x42 (it's so lightweight but not much info to be found -- already read the few posts on the forum and every review I could find).

[hallelujah]

Others seem to like the Sig Sauer 16x42.

 

https://www.opticspl...f5641d2a38.html

 

Stan

[Astronoob76]

Funny coincidende -- that was actually one of the reviews I read today. I wish there was some more info how they work for astronomy. Maybe I should get both .

[hallelujah]

Funny coincidende -- that was actually one of the reviews I read today.

I wish there was some more info how they work for astronomy. Maybe I should get both .

Sig Sauer is a relatively new kid on the block when it comes to IS binoculars.

Star gazers will more than likely take a little while to become acquainted with them.

 

 

[MT4]

Where I would expect the Nikon 18x70 to outpace the Maven 16x56 would be observing fainter, extended objects. Which is not to say that they are not both excellent binoculars in their own right. I don't know what the 16x56 edge performance is like, but if it is significantly better than that of the Nikon, you might find a preference for the Maven roaming rich star fields in the Milky Way, where edge performance issues become more conspicuous.

 

It's okay to love them both, MT4. 

 

To a certain extent, the fascination with owning only one binoclar seems to me like trying to decide what one eyepiece you would use to observe everything instead of having multiple eyepieces that are optimized for different types of observation.

 

Fiske

 

The Maven has better edge performance because it has a field flattener but the Nikon's edge performance is not at all objectionable for me given its wide AFOV.  

 

I go through periods when I slightly prefer one over the other and other periods when it's the opposite.  It's the same with my lower-powered binos.   So yeah you're right it's OK to love them all 

[Fiske]

The Maven has better edge performance because it has a field flattener but the Nikon's edge performance is not at all objectionable for me given its wide AFOV.  

 

I go through periods when I slightly prefer one over the other and other periods when it's the opposite.  It's the same with my lower-powered binos.   So yeah you're right it's OK to love them all 

We've gone pretty far OT here, but I will add one final comment -- edge performance is generally not a significant factor under light polluted skies because the star fields aren't that rich. From darker sites where far more stars can be seen, poor edge performance becomes much more apparent and distracting. Particularly in Milky Way star fields. This is part of the reason why the Nikon 7x50 and 10x70 SP binoculars are so magical when viewing the Milky Way under dark skies -- they are sharp to the edge of the field.

 

Fiske

Edited by Fiske, 10 November 2021 - 06:16 PM.

[duck2k]

BT 82’s, PM1 and TR3 tripod last night. Out on the back porch facing East. Was on a carbon star hunt. With the lights I had, I was lucky to bag two (I’ll keep on trying). 
 

WX Cas

WW Cas

 

both were deep red, and beautiful. Many on my list were +8 magnitude or more. I am going back to my list to see what ones are brighter (given the lights in town). I still am fortunate to not live in a Bortle 6 or above area.

 

I rounded up the usual targets I have mentioned before, and they never grow old. Session wasn’t bad.

[Fiske]

Duck,

 

Have you observed 19 Piscium recently? I am making an observing list for Pisces, following up on my recent HD 3167 adventure in that constellation. 

 

19 Piscium / TX
23h46m +03*29'

5.01 mag C7,2
According to Craig Crossen it's the eastern most star in the Circlet of Pisces, and could justifiably be called the "Jewel of the Circlet" (Binocular Astronomy, p. 51). The color is said to be a remarkable poppy red color, one of the brightest and closest of the red giant carbon stars. Other references don't actually include it in the circlet, but visually it is close enough to fit. Anyway, it should be glorious in the 82XL.

 

I came across HD 21465 in Camelopardalis while roaming in the region of Gamma, Tau, and Eta Persei a few evenings ago (23, 18, and 15 Per). Not quite a carbon (K spectral class) but a fine orange color and a nice contrast with the bright white, 5th magnitude HD 21447, which is close enough to make a nice binocular pair. Plus, HD 21447 is actually the primary component of STF 390 (5.09/10.02 14.6" pa 159*) which I did not realize viewing it with 10x binoculars. So I will be revisiting it with the 100XL, but it should also be easy with the 82, I should think. I also noticed South 436 in the region, a fine, bright double star easily seen with smaller binoculars.

 

S 436 Cam

03h49m +57*06'

6.46/7.17 58.3" pa 76*

[duck2k]

Duck,

 

Have you observed 19 Piscium recently? I am making an observing list for Pisces, following up on my recent HD 3167 adventure in that constellation. 

 

19 Piscium / TX
23h46m +03*29'

5.01 mag C7,2
According to Craig Crossen it's the eastern most star in the Circlet of Pisces, and could justifiably be called the "Jewel of the Circlet" (Binocular Astronomy, p. 51). The color is said to be a remarkable poppy red color, one of the brightest and closest of the red giant carbon stars. Other references don't actually include it in the circlet, but visually it is close enough to fit. Anyway, it should be glorious in the 82XL.

 

I came across HD 21465 in Camelopardalis while roaming in the region of Gamma, Tau, and Eta Persei a few evenings ago (23, 18, and 15 Per). Not quite a carbon (K spectral class) but a fine orange color and a nice contrast with the bright white, 5th magnitude HD 21447, which is close enough to make a nice binocular pair. Plus, HD 21447 is actually the primary component of STF 390 (5.09/10.02 14.6" pa 159*) which I did not realize viewing it with 10x binoculars. So I will be revisiting it with the 100XL, but it should also be easy with the 82, I should think. I also noticed South 436 in the region, a fine, bright double star easily seen with smaller binoculars.

 

S 436 Cam

03h49m +57*06'

6.46/7.17 58.3" pa 76*

19 Picsium was one of them I wanted. I could not see Pisces at all last night which is crazy because I know where the constellation is. The Kiwanis ballgame field is in that area. It has those bright lights. Must have been an event. Try again tonight.

 

The others I will definitely look for tonight.

[celestronlover57]

Just a quick look at the waxing gibbous moon through breaks in the clouds.  Used Pentax 10x25.

[ECP M42]

... it's been a while since I've seen a lot of clouds! Tonight it rains heavily ...

[duck2k]

I had the APM 120's out and the 24 and 12.5 mm eyepieces.

I was not able to bag 19 Piscium because of the moon, but I was able to bag Eta Persei and STF 390. Both of these are an impressive site of you enjoy variable, double (or multi) stars. I was on a carbon star hunt and these other stars came highly recommended (thanks Fiske). The moon hampers a lot of my desires objects, so I did view objects that were brighter as well.

I am doing casual observing tonight since most of desired objects are washed out.

[Fiske]

Hey, Duck.

 

While giving the 10x team a workout last night on the Perseus Moving Group aka Melotte 20 aka Collinder 39 I came across the following lovely.

 

S 445 Per

04h21m +50*15'

7.31/8.19 71" pa 328*

 

Most carbon stars look orange to me, rather than red. The primary of this double, even though it is not technically a carbon star (spectral type K2), really does look red. The secondary orange. And at the center of open cluster NGC 1545. I put the APM 20x80 to work for a closer look at the area around the double and honestly only saw a few additional stars. Nothing too cluster like. Of course I was observing from my yard (Bortle 7ish) with a waxing gibbous moon. I suspect even on a good night from a darker location the cluster will be sparse at best based on what I am seeing in simbad. The nearby cluster NGC 1528 seems more promising. I didn't take a look at it last night but have added it to my Perseus observing list.

 

Fiske

Edited by Fiske, 14 November 2021 - 08:37 PM.