Hey gang, thanks for the warm welcome and speedy replies! I like you guys already
I had suspected as much re: the 2" fitting in a 1.25", but thought it would be worth the ask. I'm still a newbie at all this stuff, and would prefer not to make mistakes with my bank account.
David, per your questions, I have the following equipment:
- Orion XT10 IntelliScope (10" dob)
- 10mm and 25mm Sirius Plössl
- 5mm Orion Stratus (68-degree)
- 3x Meade Barlow
I've only had this for about 8 months. I also have a Meade 4400 (4.5" reflector) that I rarely used. After a trip to Space Center Houston a year ago (which I highly recommend if you ever come Stateside), I was inspired and invigorated to study the night skies more diligently.
At the moment I prefer to look at all things heavenly, although we've had some amazingly clear mag 4 skies lately and I've been astounded at the wealth of galaxies I've been able to see. My current favorite is the Sombrero, which has a very distinct core. But I love looking at the planets, especially Jupiter, and the moon as well. The Stratus is my only wide-angle, and I must say I am underwhelmed by its performance. The views are not very clear--I get as good or better views with my 10mm barlowed. I may get rid of it
My interest in the 30mm UWA is my desire to coax some more detail out of the galaxies and fit more "stuff" into the view. Right now they're your basic smudges--want to get to detecting hints of spirals, dust lanes, etc., if possible.
And janoskiss, you're right, it is a pretty big gap, but I'm sure it's intentional so you can fit in other UWA's in the range as time (and money) permit.
Thanks again for the help!