Posts Made By: Dmitri Kulginov

Here are my observation statistics.

My Northern location accounts for the large share of double stars (due to the lack of darkness on summer nights), almost a quarter, and the small share of planets. My real observing passions, galaxies and open clusters, came second and third, respectively. The relatively large amount of global clusters is due to my regular astro-travel. I definitely need to improve the share of Moon observations. As to diffuse and planetary nebulae, I've never really cared for them...

Dmitri

Dave's post has reminded me of an outstanding experience I had after our local star party during one of the last dark nights here, on April 13. The party was very successful, I had looked in a 20" Obsession at many galaxies that took completely new appearance in it. I also had my 10x50 and 15x70 binoculars with me. At one point I checked NGC7000 in 15x70, it was rather low and the view was OK, but not much more.

The party was over around 2 a.m. I was among the last to leave, very tired and worried about one hour of driving in the dark I was facing. On my way to the car I looked at Milky Way in Cygnus and didn't find the familiar glow - instead, the sky was sown with small stars. I've never seen anything like this before, so I took my 10x50 bino from the back seat and checked the area. Indeed, there were many small stars there. I looked at NGC7000 - it was bright, it was like a photo! I put the bino back, started the car and drove away. Perhaps it was a big mistake of mine . . .

Recently I've found a citation in one of O'Meara's books where someone (I don't remember who) described how on one or two occasions Milky Way in Cygnus was transformed into miriads of small stars. I checked the magnitudes in Cartes du Ciel, and most of the stars there seem to have magnitude around 8.

What do you think? Have you experienced something like this? Or did I hallucinate?

Dmitri

I'm back after three weeks on Curacao. Transparency is usually bad there, but I had a couple of relatively good nights. I had my 10x50 binocular (mounted) to plug some holes in its Messier survey. I have observed some 20 Messiers. The most striking were M8/M20/M21 in the same field of view, and M24 which is perfectly framed in a 5 degrees FOV, with some streaks of dark nebulosity. Omega Centauri looked very large and grainy in the binocular, and was easy to spot naked eye (while relaxing on a beach chair after a barbecue on the sand). Crux was at the meridian right after the sunset. Both Jewel Box and Northern Jewel Box also looked very nice! I saw four planets every evening without optical aid.

I also did a lot of snorkeling and diving, and also some work - for a change.

Dmitri

Does anyone know which glass is used for mating element in Takahashi FS series?

Dmitri

Let's see how long it survives now.

Dmitri

Is there any alternative to Takahashi cross hair illuminator that will fit their 7x50 finder?

Dmitri

La Palma is an excellent place to hone one's observing skills. I am definitely a better observer now than I was before the trip. DSO are so bright that a quick look is obviously not enough. Prolonged studying reveals more and more detail, and the active use of different degrees of averted vision brings immediate rewards. Strongly averted vision for the most tenuous light at the edges of galaxies and large interstellar clouds of nebulosity, very slightly averted vision for the minuscule details in planetary nebulae. Changing magnification makes dramatic changes in the view, and only experimentation can show how far you can go. Add slight movements of the telescope and allow objects to drift in the field of view, and you can see a lot!

Inge is an excellent mentor in this respect. He finds tens of objects per night (including objects new to him) without a map, or with maps memorized, which works best with large aperture and dark skies. He shares eyepiece time of his optically excellent Portaball generously! He never asked 'Do you see the dark lane' or 'Can you see the hole in the middle', he most often asked the same question: 'What do you see?' That is exactly the question any observer should ask him- or herself again and again. It immediately triggers active looking, studying, scrutinizing. And when you are reasonably sure that you have seen all you could see, it's time to relax and enjoy the synthetic view at the best magnification found. For example, to try to see all the five galaxies of Stephan's Quintet at the same time. Or to soak all the detail of M42 without loosing the whole huge loop of nebulosity.

Dmitri

Here are the statistics of my observations, types of objects versus months. My astronomical year starts in June, because there is no darkness and practically no astronomy. I manage to find some planets though, and some double stars - with the help of GOTO.

The real observing starts in August. I observe double stars, probably because of mere inertia, and everything else, beside the Moon - I just don't need it. September is even better, but October quickly brings observing almost to nil - because of the weather.

In December the weather seems to improve - even though it is hard to believe right now. Globular clusters are gone, but the winter darkness promotes observation of diffuse nebulae. There are plenty of them in our own spiral arm of Milky Way (the Orion arm), which the Earth faces during the winter nights. Also the Moon and the planets are high in the sky during the winter.

The spring brings hordes of galaxies and hides the open clusters from the view, but that happy time abruptly ends in May when the darkness disappears again. Out of pure desperation I proceed with observing of double stars and planets - until the next season.

Dmitri

Oh yes...if Roland should chance to read this...the thought on SCT user group is that the "Florida C14 with triangular stars" was suffering from secondary mirror astigmatism caused by overtightening the collimation screws. This is a known thing-that-happens.

Roland has probably dissected more SCT than the whole group, I don't think he is so naïve as to not have thought about this.

The folder contains an interferometric result indicating a .89 strehl and another Roddier result indicating a .92 strehl.

They should not be trusted. Neither interferometer result interpretation programs nor Roddier program do not take into account the small scale roughness that is characteristic for SCT corrector plates. I don't think that mass produced diffraction limited SCT exist.

Having said that, I'm extremely happy with my C8 that proved itself very well in the Canary Islands, where the temperature does not change throughout the night and seeing is often sub-second.

Dmitri

A fellow amateur astronomer made me an adaptor plate that allows accommodate a quick release bracket from BT Technologies on my C8. He has done it on his CNC mill. Now I can use my Takahashi 7x50 finder scope both on TSA-102 and C8 - very cool!

Dmitri