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Jupiter (clearer) Nov 5th 2023 w/Mewlon 180c

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Posts Made By: walter sikora

September 25, 2009 03:25 AM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Red Blob near Andromeda?

Posted By walter sikora

Two Sunday nights ago. Near size of full moon. Indistinct edges. Not quite round. A very faint, deep red. Stationary like a star. Easily seen scanning with 7/35 binos.

It's been raining since.

Has anyone seen this, or know what it is?

Good Seeing, walt

October 4, 2009 01:45 PM Forum: Refractors

Pebbles of Sap inside TOA objective?

Posted By walter sikora

Pebbles of Sap inside TOA objective. What is it? How do I get it out?

Good Seeing, Walt

June 27, 2009 02:29 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Who Already has Their Dream Scope?

Posted By walter sikora

I lived in rural Kentucky where the skies were very dark in the 70's. As a farmworker and student, all I could afford was a used pair of B&L 7x35 binos. But they were enough for me to discover, on my own, the Great Orion Nebula.

I dreamed of having a 6" reflector, but that was completely out of my reach. I knew about 6" reflectors because a friend of my Aunt had used one to see that the 'UFO' that a National Guard P-51 pilot died chasing in the skies over Louisville in 1948, was actually a weather balloon. So I knew that a scope like that could do marvelous things. And provide esoteric knowledge. I believe the guy ground his own mirror. I think most people did in those days.

By the time Halley's Comet came around, I was living in the city with my new family. After studying the ads in Sky and Telescope for weeks, I ordered a Telescopics 6" 1/20 wave F5 reflector that came with a Televue 26 mm Plossl and a wooden Dob mount for $290.

I have a TOA 130 and a 11" Zambuto Starmaster now, but the Telescopics is still my dream scope. I have had more memorable views with it than the rest combined. Storms on Saturn, the quasar in Virgo, Jupiter looking like a plate of spagetti on a morning of extraordinary seeing, the Leo Trio in the same field of view, Mars' apparition in the Fall of '88, which I sketched, the bow waves of Hale-Bopp, and I believe I saw the flash of the comet impact on Jupiter. Certainly, the black eyes.

So, these incredible new scopes may come and go, but the 6" Telescopics was and always will be, though I seldom look through it anymore, My Dream Scope.

Good Seeing, Walt


larry thaxton said:

For years I tried various scopes looking for two or three - one could not do it all - scopes to cover the "perfect" planetary, travel/DSO and grab-and-go scopes. Looks like I have them, actually too many of them:

Planetary: TMB 175, Tak FS-152 and Royce Dall-Kirkham 10" F/20

Travel/DSO: 12.5" Portaball

G&G: Tak FC-78 on Vixen Great Polaris (soon to be an FC-100)

Now I have to cut back a little as I have more than I need and while I enjoy them all, can not use each enough to justify having them sitting around. It would be interesting to know who else has "arrived" and why?



July 1, 2009 03:51 PM Forum: Eyepieces

How good can an eyepiece get?

Posted By walter sikora

Yes it may be that technology will provide much more information at the eyepiece than glass affords now.

I saw a stacked CCD image of Jupiter here recently that rivaled the Hubble photos. If that kind of technology could be put into an eyepiece in real time, and if the technology were transparent, it would be a revolutionary advance.

At first I thought there was an analogy between digital optics and digital or electronic music. I would rather hear Chopin played on a $300 spinet than on a $30,000 digital piano. The digital pianos just can't capture the subtle nuances of the timber of an acoustic instrument.

But if an eyepiece, or scope for that matter, could digitally massage photons the way imagers do, then maybe we could think of it as an elaborate electronic filter, with real time photons coming out the eyepiece end, only processed to reveal much more information. Seems like this would require a couple of magnitudes more processing power than we have now.

Perhaps, then, there would be no more endless waiting for good seeing!

Good Seeing, Walt

August 18, 2009 12:16 AM Forum: Refractors

Celestron C6 R-GT 150mm GoTo Refractor

Posted By walter sikora

Rich,

Congrats on your new scope. Looks like a beaut!

Good Seeing, Walt

August 23, 2009 03:44 AM Forum: Astro-Physics

Soap Bubble

Posted By walter sikora

That is one of the most mind blowing astrophotos I've seen, including Hubble. Amazing!

Good Seeing, Walt

September 25, 2009 01:44 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Red Blob near Andromeda?

Posted By walter sikora

Judson Mitchell said:

could it be SAO36618?

Jud

Definitely not a star. Very extended, very dim, very red.

Good Seeing, Walt

January 3, 2010 02:05 PM Forum: Takahashi

The Joy of Taks

Posted By walter sikora

My TOA 130 showed colors on Jupiter this past apparition that I have never seen on earth.

Thanks for the tip about Mars. I'm gonna have a look first decent night. It is 10 degrees here in south Kentucky!

Paul Gruener said:

The Joy of Taks
Last week I took my 250 Mewlon out for a look at Mars and the Moon. I knew the seeing was not going to be good, but I was anxious to see Mars for the first time this year.

After 11 PM Mars was nice and high in the sky. The M250 mirrors were stable in the cold air. While I could not do much at 600x like I can on a steady night, I did manage to work at 375x with my trusty TV 8mm Plossl.

It took some patience, but the Mewlon delivered amazing views. The polar cap regions and darker red-brown features stood out clearly in moments of low atmospheric turbulence. The big deal was the color. The richness and clarity of color this scope delivered, even in difficult conditions, was simply wonderful. Sure, it was cold, but the joy of seeing so much on a planet millions of miles away was worth every second.

Happy New Year, clear and steady skies to all in the group,
Paul

January 24, 2010 06:53 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Power for out in the "field"

Posted By walter sikora

John Meiners said:

At home I have the luxury of 110v convet/12volt which powers my dew heaters and slewing demands, however I find that out in the field (Star party) my viewing time is limited to my "Power Tank" which usually flashes the yellow light after several hrs. of observing. does anyone have any suggestions to an alternative power source? thanks again, John M in Astoria, OR.

This spring, when I get my astronomy shed moved up to the observing location, I'm gonna put a solar powered battery charger on my Deep Cell Marine battery.

These solar chargers are available for around 80 bucks. Hoping to be able to just leave the battery up there and forget about it.

Good Seeing, Walt

April 8, 2010 02:25 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Finishing up my 10"f/15 and its pier

Posted By walter sikora

Rob Wiederrich said:

I've got some new pics of my homemade 10"f/15 refractor and it new 8ft steel pier.

This is the scope out of the shop doing some testing.

Those finder brackets are gorgeous. Your telescope is a beautiful and magnificent piece of work.

Good Seeing, Walt