Quote:
Originally Posted by DougAdams
Man, you're pulling 416x with a 10" scope! How did you find the hand tracking? I tried all sorts of mods with my 12" but never got it satisfactorily smooth - never made it as far as Ebony Star though 
Four craterlets in Plato is great too! |
Yep 416x on the Tarantula was the clincher! The stars didn't appear as sharp as at 166x for example, but near the limit of the theoretical magnification limit for a 10" scope and with 5-6/10 seeing that was to be expected, but I tell ya, at 416x, the Nebula itself was far superior to the 166x view. I could trace swaths of nebulosity well beyond the main filaments - in bright moonlight
As for as tracking goes, the Alt motion is smooth and free from jerkiness, but the Az seems a bit stiff but this being my first large Dob I have nothing to compare it to thus I can't really jump to conclusions.
The Plato craterlets were remarkably easy at 166x. I could resolve the double craterlet without even trying
. At 227x, during breaks in the seeing the craterlets were even easier. In my 4.5", I don't think I've ever resolved it even in good seeing it and in that scope the view goes soft over about 200x.
Well, tonight looks semi-prommising, will make a sketch of Jupiter. Early morning tomorrow should be clear so I'll be tracking down M42 with the narrowband
