Lunar Scope, Which Of These Is Best?

What do you think would be a better instrument for observing the moon? I'm curious to get some opinions.

Altough I know they're all factors in a way, disregard overall physical size, ease of setup, cooldown, collimation, diagonal quality, atmosphere, seeing, etc.

Utilizing the same UO Orthoscopic eyepieces for viewing, would you choose a 10" f5.6 run-of-the-mill Dobsonian (a standard model Discovery) or one of the new, cheaper 80mm ED refractors like the Celestron or Orion 80mm ED's on an alt-az mount?

Between these two scopes, what optics would provide the best resolution/contrast on the lunar surface? What's your opinion?

Even though we are comparing "apples vs oranges", I can most certainly tell you that the DOB will win hands down...


Clear skies!

>>>Between these two scopes, what optics would provide the best resolution/contrast on the lunar surface? What's your opinion?
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Eric:

I own both an ED-80 and a 10 inch F5 GSO DOB. Both scopes are a joy to use viewing the moon but like everyone else, there is no doubt in my mind tha the DOB provides the most detailed views of the moon.

Jon

Not even close. While the 80EDs win for lots of the factors you say to disregard, in terms of performance on the moon it isn't even a contest. A halfway decent 10 inch reflector will wildly outperform the best 80mm scope in the world.

When you say disregard all that, it kinda makes the question into something like "not counting size and gas mileage, which can carry more of a load, a Honda Civic or a full size Ford F250 pickup?"

Alex

Yes, it's true these two instruments are, as Mr. Moreno put it, "wildly disparate." I asked that size, cooldown, collimation, etc. not be considered because they are not factors for me with my 10". It stays outside permanently in a kind of removeable-top "observatory," made just for it, so it would actually be "more work" to carry another smaller instrument outside.

I know these factors could make a huge difference to somebody else in choosing between such different scopes, but not to me so that's why I asked that all discount them. I suppose, though, for practical purposes, "atmosphere" should not be disregarded.

As far as comparing the view through both scopes, does anybody have any thoughts on what views might be more, shall I say, "pleasing to the eye?" Would you be able to view a bright moon, say 3/4 full, for 10-15 minutes through the ED scope without any kind of filter to cut down on the light coming through, which I find to be impossible in the 10"?

With no chromatic aberration and no need for a filter, would the colors through the smaller ED scope be more "natural" than the larger reflector and allow one to pick up on color nuances on the surface besides shadows that might be obscured or "washed out" in the larger, but filtered, reflector.

I'm curious about any "intangibles" like this that I might not have thought of.

Thanks again for all your opinions, guys.

Since I really can't see how one of these smaller ED scopes would improve my observing time in the back yard, I think I'll just pass on the novelty of getting one and use the money instead to get a medium-power Nagler eyepiece I can use for lower-power lunar viewing and also globular clusters and smaller DSO's with the trusty 10" Dob.

Again, thanks for all your opinions and information!

Eric