Thread: Paracorr
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Old 29-08-2006, 09:42 AM
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Satchmo
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Sydney
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AstroJunk
I borrowed a Parracor for an evening and was very impressed using my 20" f5. My 17mm nagler was greatly improved (though the 13mm made only a little difference). Most surprising to me was a marked increase in contrast that I wasn't expecting - the Homunculus of Eta Carina took a fabulous mottled appearance (confirmed by the others) that had never been so prominent and the coma was beutifully corrected.
Aside from all the theory, this was my impression too. Even at F5 , coma blurs the star images bigger than the Airy Disc , quite close to the centre of the field , so contrast and sharpness is improved even near the centre with the Paracor.

This also means that if you are looking at a subtle small object like the Humunculus, you don't have to have it sitting exactly in the field centre to get the best detail. As one of the US reveiwers posted here said, the Paracor is a device that people gradually decide to buy as they have more exposure to it and increase their observing skills.

Its nice to know there is still one bit of kit left that can improve the view in most of your eyepieces, beyond having a good mirror.

Mark