Astromart

February 27, 2003 03:39 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

M61

Ron:

Looks like you caught something moving real slow near the bottom of the frame just right of center.

Pat

March 9, 2003 01:47 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Hi:

Alan's comments are right on, but there is a couple of more things you may want to check before you start taking mirrors out, etc. Try turning the eyepiece in the focusser to see if the astigmatism is in the lenses of the eyepiece. Also, try switching eyes! You may have astimatism "built in" that you are unaware of. I used to have a 13.1 myself, and found it to be VERY critical of mirror "tightnesses" as Alan mentioned...

Good Luck...

Pat

April 4, 2003 05:59 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

You Don't Know What You Are Missing

Posted By Pat Plunkett

Kimball:

Don't EVEN look through the Fujinon 25 X 150s!!! I made the mistake at a star party last year and STILL haven't forgotten the experience (probably never will)...

Pat

May 27, 2003 12:38 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Has anyone tried???

Posted By Pat Plunkett

Justin:

I had one for about 6 months... The views are superb and the mount is great, but the scope is HUGE!!! Total weight probably approaches 300 pounds. That's why I got rid of mine. If you have a permanent spot for it, I don't think you'll do better for the price, but if you need to move it (at ALL!), get something else. I kept mine in my garage and rolled it out to view, but was very restricted by houses, etc. To move it up three steps into my back patio, I would have to remove the tube, disassemble the mount, carry the stuff up, and re-assemble everything. This took about 45 minutes (I only did it once!). For planetary work, you'd want to build an off-axis mask, but for DSOs it is superb! I don't think I've seen better views of M13 anywhere.

Good luck! Let us know what you do...

Pat

June 8, 2003 12:52 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Pls Help me find M57 (would a Telrad help?)

Posted By Pat Plunkett

Tom:

I see real possibilities here - why not merge the light paths of all the finders? You'd probably have the equivalent resolving power of an 18"!!! smile

Pat

August 4, 2003 12:28 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

3" unitron on "dennis the menace"

Posted By Pat Plunkett

There's a nice scope in Clark Kent's barn on "Smallville", but I've never gotten a clear look at it. It looks like it might be about a 90mm Celestron (AltAz).

September 7, 2003 03:05 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

NGC 281 in H-alpha

Posted By Pat Plunkett

Hmmm... Looks like the Eye of Sauron!

Pat

October 3, 2003 11:56 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

What did I see transit the moon?

Posted By Pat Plunkett

I've seen this myself and was amazed, until I saw it mentioned here on Astromart a few times...

It pretty much has to be something in the atmosphere (like a weather balloon) since the orbital velocity of something in a low orbit (about 250 miles or so) would have to be moving at around 1 mile per second to cover the moon's diameter (about 30') in 3 seconds. I think that's a "little" faster than a stable orbit speed.

Pat

October 13, 2003 12:26 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Refractor Astigmatism

Posted By Pat Plunkett

Got some good ideas from the group - thanks tons!!!

Pat

October 31, 2003 01:35 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Orion

Posted By Pat Plunkett

Nope - UHC might help, but I kinda doubt it...

Pat

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Posts Made By: Pat Plunkett

M61

Need help on a focus problem

You Don't Know What You Are Missing

Has anyone tried???

Pls Help me find M57 (would a Telrad help?)

3" unitron on "dennis the menace"

NGC 281 in H-alpha

What did I see transit the moon?

Refractor Astigmatism

Orion

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