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Observing - A quickie report on tonight.



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 30th 04, 08:57 AM
Mark Smith
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Observing - A quickie report on tonight.

A full report tomorrow, but I thought I'd give some feedback on
information that people have given me:

1. Lens Flare and Dirty Optics - I decided to just use air and
nothing else. It was the right move. Slight lens flare early but it
went away after about half an hour. I had some great views of Jupiter
(was able to count 9 separate bands and see decent detail in some of
them) so I think the optics are OK.

2. Dewbuster - Tonight was the first night I've used it. It was one
of those nights that you just know is going to be damp when you are
setting up so...

It worked great. I had the "automatic" probes on the finder and
telescope and an "aux" port heating the telrad. Less than an hour
after sunset, I noticed dampness forming and by the end of my 3.5 hour
observins session, everything was soaked. Everything, that is, except
my optics. Dew was JUST beginning to form on the corrector plate and
the finder. No dew every formed on the Telrad. I kind of made a
mistake here though. In my first dewy session (cut short after less
than an hour of observing), I noticed that my Telrad dewed up first
and that my finder and corrector plate started to dew up at about the
same time. I should have put the second "automatic" heater on the
Telrad rather than the finder figuring that if the Telrad didn't dew,
no way was sht corrector going to dew.

In case you are wondering, the night's targets we

1. The Moon.
2. Jupiter
3. Mizar
4. M81/82
5. M13
6. M92
7. The Moon again.

A full report coming tomorrow.
  #2  
Old May 30th 04, 04:30 PM
Rank Amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Observing - A quickie report on tonight.

Hi, Mark,

What scope are you using??

Bill


"Mark Smith" wrote in message
...
A full report tomorrow, but I thought I'd give some feedback on
information that people have given me:

1. Lens Flare and Dirty Optics - I decided to just use air and
nothing else. It was the right move. Slight lens flare early but it
went away after about half an hour. I had some great views of Jupiter
(was able to count 9 separate bands and see decent detail in some of
them) so I think the optics are OK.

2. Dewbuster - Tonight was the first night I've used it. It was one
of those nights that you just know is going to be damp when you are
setting up so...

It worked great. I had the "automatic" probes on the finder and
telescope and an "aux" port heating the telrad. Less than an hour
after sunset, I noticed dampness forming and by the end of my 3.5 hour
observins session, everything was soaked. Everything, that is, except
my optics. Dew was JUST beginning to form on the corrector plate and
the finder. No dew every formed on the Telrad. I kind of made a
mistake here though. In my first dewy session (cut short after less
than an hour of observing), I noticed that my Telrad dewed up first
and that my finder and corrector plate started to dew up at about the
same time. I should have put the second "automatic" heater on the
Telrad rather than the finder figuring that if the Telrad didn't dew,
no way was sht corrector going to dew.

In case you are wondering, the night's targets we

1. The Moon.
2. Jupiter
3. Mizar
4. M81/82
5. M13
6. M92
7. The Moon again.

A full report coming tomorrow.



  #3  
Old May 30th 04, 04:30 PM
Rank Amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Observing - A quickie report on tonight.

Hi, Mark,

What scope are you using??

Bill


"Mark Smith" wrote in message
...
A full report tomorrow, but I thought I'd give some feedback on
information that people have given me:

1. Lens Flare and Dirty Optics - I decided to just use air and
nothing else. It was the right move. Slight lens flare early but it
went away after about half an hour. I had some great views of Jupiter
(was able to count 9 separate bands and see decent detail in some of
them) so I think the optics are OK.

2. Dewbuster - Tonight was the first night I've used it. It was one
of those nights that you just know is going to be damp when you are
setting up so...

It worked great. I had the "automatic" probes on the finder and
telescope and an "aux" port heating the telrad. Less than an hour
after sunset, I noticed dampness forming and by the end of my 3.5 hour
observins session, everything was soaked. Everything, that is, except
my optics. Dew was JUST beginning to form on the corrector plate and
the finder. No dew every formed on the Telrad. I kind of made a
mistake here though. In my first dewy session (cut short after less
than an hour of observing), I noticed that my Telrad dewed up first
and that my finder and corrector plate started to dew up at about the
same time. I should have put the second "automatic" heater on the
Telrad rather than the finder figuring that if the Telrad didn't dew,
no way was sht corrector going to dew.

In case you are wondering, the night's targets we

1. The Moon.
2. Jupiter
3. Mizar
4. M81/82
5. M13
6. M92
7. The Moon again.

A full report coming tomorrow.



  #4  
Old May 30th 04, 08:16 PM
Mark Smith
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Observing - A quickie report on tonight.

On Sun, 30 May 2004 15:30:10 GMT, "Rank Amateur"
wrote:

Hi, Mark,

What scope are you using??


Celestron C 9 1/4 SGT (except I don't really use the GT functions).
  #5  
Old May 30th 04, 08:16 PM
Mark Smith
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Observing - A quickie report on tonight.

On Sun, 30 May 2004 15:30:10 GMT, "Rank Amateur"
wrote:

Hi, Mark,

What scope are you using??


Celestron C 9 1/4 SGT (except I don't really use the GT functions).
  #6  
Old May 30th 04, 08:36 PM
Martin R. Howell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Observing - A quickie report on tonight.

Mark Smith proclaimed:

(except I don't really use the GT functions).



And why not? You paid for them.
Are you now starhopping in an effort to become more acquainted with the sky
and plan to use them one day when the time is right?
Do you never plan to use them and regret the extra expense of buying a scope
equipped with the option?
Also, I noticed you said you "don't really use the GT functions." Is this
different than "I don't use the GT functions?"


--
Martin
"Photographs From the Universe of Amateur Astronomy"
http://home.earthlink.net/~martinhowell


  #7  
Old May 30th 04, 08:36 PM
Martin R. Howell
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Observing - A quickie report on tonight.

Mark Smith proclaimed:

(except I don't really use the GT functions).



And why not? You paid for them.
Are you now starhopping in an effort to become more acquainted with the sky
and plan to use them one day when the time is right?
Do you never plan to use them and regret the extra expense of buying a scope
equipped with the option?
Also, I noticed you said you "don't really use the GT functions." Is this
different than "I don't use the GT functions?"


--
Martin
"Photographs From the Universe of Amateur Astronomy"
http://home.earthlink.net/~martinhowell


  #8  
Old May 31st 04, 12:50 AM
Mark Smith
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Observing - A quickie report on tonight.

On Sun, 30 May 2004 19:36:24 GMT, "Martin R. Howell"
wrote:

Mark Smith proclaimed:

(except I don't really use the GT functions).



And why not? You paid for them.
Are you now starhopping in an effort to become more acquainted with the sky
and plan to use them one day when the time is right?
Do you never plan to use them and regret the extra expense of buying a scope
equipped with the option?
Also, I noticed you said you "don't really use the GT functions." Is this
different than "I don't use the GT functions?"


I got the GT primarily because it was only about an extra $75 above
what I would have paid to get the telescope with dual axis drive
motors. It seemed silly not to get the GT functions.

I don't use them primarily because I want to learn my way around the
sky and I find that I like "discovering" the objects on my own. It
just isn't as fun to just press a button and have the telescope "go"
there for me. That's just me. Besides, I tend to find other
interesting things in my searches.

That being said, I do use the GT to:

1. Jumpt to bright stars that I know to start my star hopping.

2. Jump to bright objects in the sky that I can pick out with my
naked eye (Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, M44, that kind of thing).

3. When Star Hopping, I will sometimes use the "identify" function to
tell me if I'm at least in the right area. For example, last night
was VERY bright here. After consulting both Planiscape and star
charts, I THOUGHT I could pick out the square of Hercules, but I
wasn't 100% positive. Because I wanted to see if I could find M13 in
these conditions (I'd already found it easily under dark skies), I
pointed the telescope to where I thought I should be, checked the
spotter scope and the viewfinder. No M13 but I thought I was in the
right area. To make sure (in order to keep from wasting my time if I
was in the wrong area), I used the Identify Messier function. The
telescope said I was 52' from M13 (gives distance but not direction).
Knowing I was, indeed, in the right area, I consulted the Star Charts
again, and started sweeping. I found it quickly.
  #9  
Old May 31st 04, 12:50 AM
Mark Smith
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Observing - A quickie report on tonight.

On Sun, 30 May 2004 19:36:24 GMT, "Martin R. Howell"
wrote:

Mark Smith proclaimed:

(except I don't really use the GT functions).



And why not? You paid for them.
Are you now starhopping in an effort to become more acquainted with the sky
and plan to use them one day when the time is right?
Do you never plan to use them and regret the extra expense of buying a scope
equipped with the option?
Also, I noticed you said you "don't really use the GT functions." Is this
different than "I don't use the GT functions?"


I got the GT primarily because it was only about an extra $75 above
what I would have paid to get the telescope with dual axis drive
motors. It seemed silly not to get the GT functions.

I don't use them primarily because I want to learn my way around the
sky and I find that I like "discovering" the objects on my own. It
just isn't as fun to just press a button and have the telescope "go"
there for me. That's just me. Besides, I tend to find other
interesting things in my searches.

That being said, I do use the GT to:

1. Jumpt to bright stars that I know to start my star hopping.

2. Jump to bright objects in the sky that I can pick out with my
naked eye (Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, M44, that kind of thing).

3. When Star Hopping, I will sometimes use the "identify" function to
tell me if I'm at least in the right area. For example, last night
was VERY bright here. After consulting both Planiscape and star
charts, I THOUGHT I could pick out the square of Hercules, but I
wasn't 100% positive. Because I wanted to see if I could find M13 in
these conditions (I'd already found it easily under dark skies), I
pointed the telescope to where I thought I should be, checked the
spotter scope and the viewfinder. No M13 but I thought I was in the
right area. To make sure (in order to keep from wasting my time if I
was in the wrong area), I used the Identify Messier function. The
telescope said I was 52' from M13 (gives distance but not direction).
Knowing I was, indeed, in the right area, I consulted the Star Charts
again, and started sweeping. I found it quickly.
  #10  
Old May 31st 04, 12:57 AM
Jan Owen
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Observing - A quickie report on tonight.



--
To reply, remove the "z" if one appears in my address
"Mark Smith" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 30 May 2004 19:36:24 GMT, "Martin R. Howell"
wrote:

Mark Smith proclaimed:

(except I don't really use the GT functions).



And why not? You paid for them.
Are you now starhopping in an effort to become more acquainted with the

sky
and plan to use them one day when the time is right?
Do you never plan to use them and regret the extra expense of buying a

scope
equipped with the option?
Also, I noticed you said you "don't really use the GT functions." Is

this
different than "I don't use the GT functions?"


I got the GT primarily because it was only about an extra $75 above
what I would have paid to get the telescope with dual axis drive
motors. It seemed silly not to get the GT functions.

I don't use them primarily because I want to learn my way around the
sky and I find that I like "discovering" the objects on my own. It
just isn't as fun to just press a button and have the telescope "go"
there for me. That's just me. Besides, I tend to find other
interesting things in my searches.

That being said, I do use the GT to:

1. Jumpt to bright stars that I know to start my star hopping.

2. Jump to bright objects in the sky that I can pick out with my
naked eye (Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, M44, that kind of thing).

3. When Star Hopping, I will sometimes use the "identify" function to
tell me if I'm at least in the right area. For example, last night
was VERY bright here. After consulting both Planiscape and star
charts, I THOUGHT I could pick out the square of Hercules, but I
wasn't 100% positive. Because I wanted to see if I could find M13 in
these conditions (I'd already found it easily under dark skies), I
pointed the telescope to where I thought I should be, checked the
spotter scope and the viewfinder. No M13 but I thought I was in the
right area. To make sure (in order to keep from wasting my time if I
was in the wrong area), I used the Identify Messier function. The
telescope said I was 52' from M13 (gives distance but not direction).
Knowing I was, indeed, in the right area, I consulted the Star Charts
again, and started sweeping. I found it quickly.


You need not explain why you bought what you did. It's nobody's BUSINESS
but yours why you made the choice you did. Enjoy!!!


 




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