telescopes large and small! - back from Heathcote

[janoskiss]

I'm back from the ASV starBQ.

I had a great time observing with the society's 25" Obsession with Tim Williams as our guide. First the big and bright faves like 47Tuc, M42, Tarantula, then galaxies: ngc 253 (silver coin), 55 (cigar), 1365 (barred spiral in Fornax), lots more in the Fornax cluster - how good was that!!? so many galaxies and many of them showing detail! -, Grus trio + guest, some planetaries I forget where, the horsehead, and last but not least eta Carinae and friends. Wow! :eyepop: There's no substitute for aperture! :)

Thought I'd share this photo with you featuring Tim standing next to the 25" Obsession and my very own 8" truss dob made for airline travel. :)

I did some observing with the 8" too and it performed very respectively considering its stature. Spiral arms of ngc 1365 NP. :) Nice little preview before climbing 3 metres up to the EP of the 25" beast. :D

[h0ughy]

wow, an appetiser and the mains on the one plate! nice!

[Striker]

Steve I like your little 8" it's far more practical.

Boy thats a huge scope.

[janoskiss]

Tony, I was surprised how easy it was to use the 25". Sure you have to use a ladder and normally have to reposition it for every object but other than that it's very easy to point with the telrad reticle visible from the ground. And because you see so much, you tend to spend more time exploring in one small patch of sky.

[iceman]

Wow that photo is a classic! Nice report Steve, sounds like a great time was had.

[Starkler]

:lol: thats a cute picture

Glad you had a good time :)

[leon]

You can just about hear the little scope saying, when i grow up, i'll be that big, nice photo Steve.

Cheers Leon

[janoskiss]

Here's another photo, perhaps even more dramatic, with Tim bringing the ladder for the 25".

[ballaratdragons]

My God! they are breeding!!!! It's a pic of Daddy Dob and baby Dob.

I can hear the pitter patter of little mirrors :lol:

[ving]

that pic would have been great for last month photo comp :)

[jjjnettie]

Very clever piccie.

[erick]

I couldn't get the ladder in my car, let alone the scope!!:eyepop:

[danielsun]

That is a great shot Steve!!!