Hi Dave & All,
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Originally Posted by Dave47tuc
Julian and I have basically the same background when it comes to viewing the night sky. We can find our way around with out the Argo navis, meaning we can find objects with a star map and finder. But hey its a new era in armature astronomy and I don't mind using the tools of today and the AN is fantastic, and when time is short it makes viewing more objects much easier ...
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Absolutely true. It just makes time spent under the stars much more productive. Only my opinion and I know not everyone sees it this way, I don't own a big-'scope to spend most of my time peering at maps in the dark and through a finder.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave47tuc
The scope is as I said an 18" Obsession when it comes to viewing the night sky size does matter (SDM!) for all you beginners don't let anyone tell you it does not. The bigger the scope the more light it gathers and the more you will see and the brighter the object. It's that simple. They don't build little scopes on top of mountains do they!!
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Absolutely truer! There is no substitute for
quality aperture!
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Originally Posted by Dave47tuc
With the 26 Nag and filter I scanned the LMC and it has so many thing to look at to catalogue them would take many nights. But time was short and I just wanted to hover over all the galaxy and just let my mind go thinking I'm in my Star ship approaching from afar and admiring its beauty. As great music fills your senses and mind also does viewing like this. 2070 is just beautiful like a full plume rose in spring, people say its more like a spider but I think its more like a rose!!
Also some of the open clusters and other nebula are fantastic. Take your time and fly over the LMC you wont be disappointed.!!
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This is one of the very best tricks the ArgoNavis/Servocat combo can perform. I've had dozens of people do this flight with my 'scope from dark-skies and uniformly they all just say repeatedly wow ... Wow ... WOW etc etc. Centre on the Tarantula and plop in the 26mm T5 and a UHC filter and then hit the spiral search button and the scope moves in a spiral-pattern outward from the Tarantula in a circle up to 3 degrees wide. It is just amazing. The amount of detail is just wild and you do feel like you're crusin' in a star-ship looking out the porthole. The right music playing makes it all the better!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave47tuc
We observed a few planetary nebula with the 8.8 mm and 0III filter. One of my favourites is NGC 2438 next to M46. At high power and a filter its like a small smoke ring similar to M57. Use high power and the 0III if you have it and see this nebula in a whole different light.
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Love it!
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Originally Posted by Dave47tuc
So quickly onto 47Tuc no observing night is complete with out looking at this super Globular. It is a super object and most scopes but in the 18" holy molly stars are resolved to the core. It is so beautiful I loose myself in the object, love it. NGC 362 got a visit, never overlook this one it is very nice globular.
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Yep, yep yep!!
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Originally Posted by Dave47tuc
I ended the night with Galaxy 1365 very fine object with spiral arms easily seen. many people take wonderful photos of this one but there is something about seeing it live in the eyepiece and wondering who maybe looking at me!! light to travel all that way is unbelievable.
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A man after my own heart!
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Originally Posted by Dave47tuc
Hope I did not rattle on to much and hope to see some of you under the stars some day.
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I assume you mean "some night"!!
Not at all -- much enjoyed!
Best,
Les D