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I struggled with the mount in the beginning. It wouldn’t slew to target from a basic alignment. I tried going to the moon and it decided it wanted to go straight down. The star alignment process is rather simple, you manually move it to the first star, then it slews to the second star, and you center it and your supposed to be done. However, it never wasn’t even close on the second star. When I parked it, it parked pointing to the south instead of the north and at a 45-degree angle, even though I powered on with it pointing north. Hmmm, I wonder. I read the docs again for the fourth time and finally found the section that said the scope needed to be on the right side of the mount as it’s pointed north, I had it on the left. Problem solved. Slewing to target once star aligned put the target directly in the middle of the EP, totally cool. However, several times throughout the night of times, I heard it making a popping noise inside the mount and the scope would shift up slightly, like something was slipping. I would press the slew button to recenter the target a couple of times and it would stop. Hmmm, another problem to solve.
First target of the night was M45 using the Baader 13mm Hyperion. Now I understand why Erica said it looked like a broom stick. The four stars across the top in my image back from September were across the bottom at the time we were looking at it back in November. It was neat to watch them rotate in the EP. I watched them rotate from about 6:00 to 7:30 them tried M31. Unfortunately, it was already behind the tree line to the west.
I moved on to the Beehive Cluster and switched to the 10mm EP. I removed the 1.25-inch barrel adapter on the EP. The 2’ inch view was much better. I counted about 40 stars in the FOV. I’m sure there’s more dimmer ones that the moon was drowning out.
I moved on to the Orion Nebula next. I managed to see it through a hole in the tree branches, summertime would have been a complete bust. I could make out the nebula with near vision using the 8mm EP. I didn’t stay there long, the trees got in the way, but I got to see it!
I thought it would be cool to see some of the stuff I had imaged over the last couple of months, so I went to the Christmas Tree, it’s in the same general vicinity as the Orion Nebula. Not a lot to see really, lol!
I checked out M47, an open cluster using the 8mm EP. There was a tree at that location, almost due south with the altitude at about 47 degrees at the top. I could see the cluster, now I know precisely what my southern view altitude is. From about 170 to 185 degrees my horizon is about 47 degrees. Then there’s a hole down to about 30 degrees altitude to about 210 degrees. Then the massive tree line on the west side to about 300 degrees with a horizon of about 70 degrees. Then the horizon drops to about 50 degrees with some spots going up to about 60 until I get to about 330 degrees. Then it drops to about 35 degrees. Then it slowly moves up across the north east to the south west to about 45 degrees.
Once I figured all that out, I moved on to Algieba, it’s a double star in the Leo constellation, using the 5mm EP. Depending on how I held my eye to the EP, the stars would separate into two distinct ponts.
I tried Bode’s Galaxy but there was nothing in the FOV. Moon was probably just a little too bright
It got a little nippy outside so I came in for a while to warm up when I realized I had been outside for close to four hours. So I decided to break everything down. I have to admit, the entire night was quite enjoyable as I was able to sit at the scope. The peer tripod puts it at the perfect level to sit.
I ordered a new scope today. The William Optics Z73 F/5.9 full frame, it should be here on the 16th. I’m looking forward to imaging and observing now at the same time!
Clear Skies!
Image Cam: Canon 6D (Ha mod), 600D (Stock), SVBony SV405CC
Image OTA: EvoStar ED80, WO Z73, C8-A XLT
Mount: EQ6-R Pro Pier, AZ-EQ5 Pro Pier
Guide OTA: Orion 60mm, WO 32mm, ZWO OAG, SV501P
Guide Cam: ZWO 120mm, 290mm mini
EAA OTA: Orion ST80
EAA Cam: SVBony SV705C
EP: Baader Hyperion Modular Set
Filters: L-Pro Canon EOS C, L-eNhance, L-Pro, Optolong Ha 7mm, Optolong Oiii 6.5mm, Optolong Sii 6.5mm, ES H-Beta
Session Control: Mini PC/Win11 Pro, APT 4.1, PHD2 2.6.10
Processing: PixInsight, DSS 4.2.6, Adobe PS CC, Astronomy Tools Action Set, Star Spikes Pro
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED102 APO, Sharpstar 61 EDPH II APO, Samyang 135 F2 (still on the Nikon).
Mount: Skywatcher HEQ5 Pro with Rowan Belt Mod
Stuff: ASI EAF Focus Motor (x2), ZWO OAG, ZWO 30 mm Guide Scope, ASI 220mm min, ASI 120mm mini, Stellarview 0.8 FR/FF, Sharpstar 0.8 FR/FF, Mele Overloock 3C.
Camera/Filters/Software: ASI 533 mc pro, ASI 120mm mini, ASI 220mm mini , IDAS LPS D-1, Optolong L-Enhance, ZWO UV/IR Cut, N.I.N.A., Green Swamp Server, PHD2, Adobe Photoshop CC, Pixinsight.
Dog and best bud: Jack
Sky: Bortle 6-7
My Astrobin: https://www.astrobin.com/users/Juno16/
"I am more than a sum of molecules.
I am more than a sum of memories or events.
I do not one day suddenly cease to be.
I am, before memory.
I am, before event.
I am"
Nice first light Chris! Great that you managed to figure out scope's position. I had the same experience with SW AzGTi. Why my mount is trying to look down?!
A bit puzzled by your statement: "Depending on how I held my eye to the EP, the stars would separate into two distinct points." Algieba separation is 4.8". With 5mm EP (120x power) you should be able to split and it should not depend on the eye position.
Bigzmey wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 5:51 pm
Nice first light Chris! Great that you managed to figure out scope's position. I had the same experience with SW AzGTi. Why my mount is trying to look down?!
A bit puzzled by your statement: "Depending on how I held my eye to the EP, the stars would separate into two distinct points." Algieba separation is 4.8". With 5mm EP (120x power) you should be able to split and it should not depend on the eye position.
My eyes like to twitch sometimes. I had muscle surgery a few years back done to them, I also don't see 20/20 even with glasses,
Image Cam: Canon 6D (Ha mod), 600D (Stock), SVBony SV405CC
Image OTA: EvoStar ED80, WO Z73, C8-A XLT
Mount: EQ6-R Pro Pier, AZ-EQ5 Pro Pier
Guide OTA: Orion 60mm, WO 32mm, ZWO OAG, SV501P
Guide Cam: ZWO 120mm, 290mm mini
EAA OTA: Orion ST80
EAA Cam: SVBony SV705C
EP: Baader Hyperion Modular Set
Filters: L-Pro Canon EOS C, L-eNhance, L-Pro, Optolong Ha 7mm, Optolong Oiii 6.5mm, Optolong Sii 6.5mm, ES H-Beta
Session Control: Mini PC/Win11 Pro, APT 4.1, PHD2 2.6.10
Processing: PixInsight, DSS 4.2.6, Adobe PS CC, Astronomy Tools Action Set, Star Spikes Pro
Bigzmey wrote: ↑Sat Feb 12, 2022 5:51 pm
Nice first light Chris! Great that you managed to figure out scope's position. I had the same experience with SW AzGTi. Why my mount is trying to look down?!
A bit puzzled by your statement: "Depending on how I held my eye to the EP, the stars would separate into two distinct points." Algieba separation is 4.8". With 5mm EP (120x power) you should be able to split and it should not depend on the eye position.
My eyes like to twitch sometimes. I had muscle surgery a few years back done to them, I also don't see 20/20 even with glasses,
Got it! My progressive eyeglasses combined with EP astigmatism sometimes make doubles out of single stars on the field periphery. But then if you move it to the center it becomes single. I need to watch for that, this is why I asked.
Nice first light experience and congrats on winning the VROD for the day!
-Michael Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50 Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl Camera: ZWO ASI 120 Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs Latitude: 48.7229° N
Scopes: Astro Sky 17.5 f/4.5 Dob || Apertura AD12 f/5 Dob || Zhumell Z10 f/4.9 Dob ||
ES AR127 f/6.5 || ES ED80 f/6 || Apertura 6" f/5 Newtonian
Mounts: ES Twilight-II and Twilight-I
EPs: AT 82° 28mm UWA || TV Ethos 100° 21mm and 13mm || Vixen LVW 65° 22mm ||
ES 82° 18mm || Pentax XW 70° 10mm, 7mm and 5mm || barlows
Filters (2 inch): DGM NPB || Orion Ultra Block, O-III and Sky Glow || Baader HaB
Primary Field Atlases: Uranometria All-Sky Edition and Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas
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"Astronomers, we look into the past to see our future." (me)
"Seeing is in some respect an art, which must be learnt." (William Herschel)
"What we know is a drop, what we don't know is an ocean." (Sir Isaac Newton)
"No good deed goes unpunished." (various)
“Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don't you think?” (Scarecrow, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
Thanks Chris for the report on your new mount and congratulations on the VROD!
Steve Yates
Astro-Tech AT102ED, 102 mm, F/7, ED Achromatic Refractor Astro-Tech AT80ED, 80 mm, F/7, ED Achromatic Refractor Bresser AR102s, 102 mm, f/4.5, Achromatic Refractor
Explore Scientific Twilight I Alt/Az Mount
Bresser Nano Alt/Az Mount