Bino resolution

Started by tomdisco, 02/09/2005 03:24AM
Posted 02/09/2005 03:24AM Opening Post
In keeping with Don Wyman's timely suggestion I am introducing a new thread.

Without identifying my brand of bino (heaven forbid) I would like to know how many bino users with SCT's in the 10"-11" range are actually able to resolve the E and F stars of the Trapezium under about #4 seeing conditions.

I am using a pair of high quality binos, 19mm and 24mm Panoptics, and a properly collimated Nexstar 11. Under #4 skies and moderate transparency I am unable to resolve E and F. I do have mild to moderate stigmatism and do not use eyeglasses when viewing. Are my aging eyes the problem?

Just curious if others experience this degree of difficulty.
Posted 02/09/2005 09:39AM | Edited 02/09/2005 09:40AM #1
James I am a little unclear about your #4 conditions.
Did you happen to notice how many stars were visible in the Little Dipper at the time you were observing the Trapezium. I observed E and F on a few occasions in my 15in. F5 dob at about 200x. Wisconson sucks in the winter time and I haven't seen them at all this season. Resolving them in a binoviewer shouldn't be to big a challenge regardless of the binos used. I suspect seeing conditions were probably worse than you thought they were in the area of the sky you were
observing Orion in. Also was M42 as close to the zenith as it could be. Just a few more degrees toward the horizon depending on the Latitude you are observing from can make the difference between resolving E and F or seeing mush. Clear Skies, Scotty
Posted 02/09/2005 12:30PM #2
I was just looking at the Trapezium tonight, with a C11 and a pair of Nagler 16mm T5's in a binoviewer. For the first time in my short observing career so far, I could resolve the E and F stars with direct vision quite well, though they were both faint. I have mild astigmatism in both eyes, but don't wear glasses for observing. Both my eyes are 47 yrs old. I don't know the seeing scales, but I would say transparency and seeing were both "good". I have the feeling that if the seeing had been only a little less steady, I would have had trouble resolving them. A final tweak to get collimation dead-on certainly made it easier to resolve them, especially F.
Hope this is of some help.
Regards
Ian
Posted 02/09/2005 12:46PM #3
James,

According to the weather forcast I might only get partial clouds on Saturday and again next Thursday. So it maybe be a while before I can do any resolution testing. sad

Don Durbin