5 replies to this topic

[WheezyGod]

Had my first observing session of the year yesterday looking at Cygnus and then the Milky Way. The weather here in New England has been terrible this year. Last night I had decided to only do a handheld session at f/1.8 and 4x.

I started with my 6.5nm Baader HS filter and saw the different nebula in the MW. I was surprised by how big the lagoon was at 4x. Swung over to Cygnus and got a cool experience. Switched out the 6.5nm filter for a 685nm one and went over to the Milky Way and wow! Now I see why you guys prefer a magnified view, there’s so much more to see at 4x! At first I didn’t realize the right side of the MW was actually the MW, but it made the experience that much more interesting.

For me, I thought the Milky Way view was more interesting than Cygnus. Maybe it was because I had already seen a lot of Cygnus through my telescope. Maybe it was because I was using a 6.5nm ha filter instead of a 3nm that I don’t have. I had observed the MW at 1x and at ~19x or more last year, but I didn’t realize how much detail there was to see throughout it. This is at bortle 5/6x so I can’t imagine what I’ll see at bortle 3. Luckily tomorrow will be clear for my astronomy club’s bortle 4/5 star party where I’ll get an even better view. I’ve also ordered a 642nm to get those ha nebula to show at the same time. I just hope the rest of the details I see don’t take much of a hit.

Which of the two do you find more interesting to observe between 3-5x?

I also had a separate question; do any of you observe with both eyes? I don’t necessarily mean at the same time, but switching back and forth. I hardly ever do because the vision in my left eye is quite poor compared to my right, but I noticed the view through NV was a bit brighter and slightly more blueish. I did a lot of testing thinking it might be differences in dark adaptation, but it seems to be real. I was already thinking of getting glasses and now the possibility of seeing more with my weaker eye is intriguing.

[SMark]

I observe exclusively with binoculars, so I always use both eyes at the same time. I tend to observe most of the summer between Scutum & Sagittarius, and then I will spend more time in Cygnus as the summer wanes. Once I buy a pair TV 67mm for both eyepieces I will be observing afocally as low as 3.5x, but for now it's 5.5x. But all lower magnifications offer great views with H-alpha filters and without. I especially like the Milky Way area below the Lagoon where it almost appears as a folded curtain in places. Dark nebula also stands out really well. The Milky Way offers a lot that will hold my attention.

[WheezyGod]

I observe exclusively with binoculars, so I always use both eyes at the same time. I tend to observe most of the summer between Scutum & Sagittarius, and then I will spend more time in Cygnus as the summer wanes. Once I buy a pair TV 67mm for both eyepieces I will be observing afocally as low as 3.5x, but for now it's 5.5x. But all lower magnifications offer great views with H-alpha filters and without. I especially like the Milky Way area below the Lagoon where it almost appears as a folded curtain in places. Dark nebula also stands out really well. The Milky Way offers a lot that will hold my attention.

Thanks for responding. Thought it was odd not to get any responses on a fairly high level, open ended topic. Perhaps there aren’t as many active members in this section as there were a year ago.

I think at around 3-5x I find the Milky Way more interesting. The dark nebula and vastness of the MW seems more obvious at lower magnifications. Of course other details can be seen at higher magnitudes so this isn’t really an either or, just different perspectives and preferences.

On the other hand, I really love scanning Cygnus around 20x since there’s so much to see. If I pan around in the right direction I continue to bump into different objects vs. the MW does not provide that kind of experience.

[Jethro7]

Which of the two do you find more interesting to observe between 3-5x?
 

Hello Wheezygod,

The Milkyway is by far and away my favorite playground, whether handheld at 1X or using a scope at around 14X. The Summer Milkyway towards the Sagitarius region to Cygnus is about as target rich as it gets. This makes the Summer my favorite time of the year. First light with a light intensifier the most amazing thing that I realized just how big these Nebulae actually are and you can hardly fit the Cygnus Nebulae complex into the field of view even at 1X. Even at 14X with NVA and TV67mm Plossl I can just fit the Lagoon and trifid Nebulae in the field of view. Yep these Nebulae are huge. For several years I have been using a 6nm Ha filter but on the advice of Gavster, I purchased the Antila 2.5nm Ha narrowband filter and the difference gained in clarity and definition of Nebulae with the 2.5nm Ha filter over the 6nm Ha filter is significant under my Bortle 8 skies. All starry objects, I use a 685nm IR long pass filter.  

 

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

 

Simple hand held NVD configuration

 

Edited by Jethro7, 01 August 2024 - 07:29 PM.

[WheezyGod]

Hello Wheezygod,
The Milkyway is by far and away my favorite playground, whether handheld at 1X or using a scope at around 14X. The Summer Milkyway towards the Sagitarius region to Cygnus is about as target rich as it gets. This makes the Summer my favorite time of the year. First light with a light intensifier the most amazing thing that I realized just how big these Nebulae actually are and you can hardly fit the Cygnus Nebulae complex into the field of view even at 1X. Even at 14X with NVA and TV67mm Plossl I can just fit the Lagoon and trifid Nebulae in the field of view. Yep these Nebulae are huge. For several years I have been using a 6nm Ha filter but on the advice of Gavster, I purchased the Antila 2.5nm Ha narrowband filter and the difference gained in clarity and definition of Nebulae with the 2.5nm Ha filter over the 6nm Ha filter is significant under my Bortle 8 skies. All starry objects, I use a 685nm IR long pass filter.

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

Simple hand held NVD configuration

Thanks for sharing. At some point I also want to get that 2.5nm filter even at my bortle 5/6 backyard. I wonder if they’ll make them in 1.25in even though I’d mostly want it at 2in.

I still sometimes think about what I’m seeing with NV and how long it would take to see the same level of detail with EAA. However, cruising around Cygnus or the MW, whether that’s at 3-5x or 15-25x and seeing so many different objects live is nothing that EAA or AP can achieve without many many hours of creating a montage. Even then, it would be a disconnected experience for them.

[Jethro7]

Thanks for sharing. At some point I also want to get that 2.5nm filter even at my bortle 5/6 backyard. I wonder if they’ll make them in 1.25in even though I’d mostly want it at 2in.

I still sometimes think about what I’m seeing with NV and how long it would take to see the same level of detail with EAA. However, cruising around Cygnus or the MW, whether that’s at 3-5x or 15-25x and seeing so many different objects live is nothing that EAA or AP can achieve without many many hours of creating a montage. Even then, it would be a disconnected experience for them.

Hello WeezyGod,

At first I was hesitant to purchase an extremely narrow Ha filter, figuring that my PVS14 would be light starved. Gavster, informed me that if I had a decently spec tube this would not be the case. The Antila 2.5nm Ha as these ultra narrow band filters go is priced pretty well for this class of Ha filters. Gavsters advice was correct that there is plenty of light to work with and Nebululae will just pop so much better than they will with the 6nm Ha filter, and they do. For a visual comparison, viewing Nebulae using the 2.5nm Ha filter with my FS 76 DS, I get the same nebulae detail and brightness that I had with my Tak TSA 120 using the 6nm Ha filter. Using the TSA 120 and the 2.5nm Ha filter Nebulae are much brighter and more detailed. However The best combination that I have for Nebulae is the 2.5nm and my Apertura Carbon star 150 F/4 Newt and that is a whole new ball game.

 

Relating EAA image times with NVA real time images. With my Seestar S50 is about 5 or 10 minutes to get there. The big issue is you don't get that immersion feeling with EAA that you do with a light intensifier but you get color and eventually much more detail over time with EAA so there is a place for both Genres. 

 

HAPPY SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro