For a bit of fun last night, instead of dragging out my 8 inch newtonian and G.E.M., I thought I'd flash back to my early teens and before and quickly set up my recently purchased, second hand ($25
)60mm TASCO LUMINOVA on altazimuth mount and wonky aluminium legs.
I observed Venus, The moon (medium power and high power-no barlows!) and then some deep sky on low power with a reasonable Plossl.
I expected heaps of chromatic aberration and a dull crappy image.
I got the opposite...........the moon was crystal clear and for a pathetic aperature of 2.4 inches, deep sky was surprisingly ''creepy''..........jet black with pin point stars and clusters.
I guess that there is a lot going for refractors that many of us ''mirror boys'' have bypassed in the aperature fever years.
I think my next purchase will be a 6 inch refractor?..........or bigger?
