40° 06' 58" N
87° 46' 42" W
Oakwood, Illinois in the side yard.
High humidity and rather warm tonight.
Seeing was above average.
Transparency below average.
I am testing some new-to-me kit tonight.
I first mounted my CG4 with a Skywatcher Evostar 72 ED f6 and then an Orion 110 F6 Eon. The 12.5 doctor with and without a 3X barlow. This optical train performed very well with max mag of sbout 100X with the 72mm and about 160X with the 110mm.
Views of Saturn were spectacular for sky conditions. Cassini division bold defining the A ring. The C ring bold against the belly of Jupiter giving nice definition to B ring.
Both telescopes give similar quality and detail in the view with the difference being scale of course and a brighter view with the 110 Eon. Jupiter was also very well defined with a moon transit in process and a faint
And finally I played on the more or less 90% moon with the same kit configurations.
Both kits were very fine. Scale of course was somewhat different. The SW72ED showed a very very faint, thin green line along the bright limb, but no color showed in thr bright crater areas. The 110 was color free and the contrast in both telescopes was brillient.
The twist lock focuser coupling on the Eon is a wonderfully convenient mechanism. I took a hand held cell phone snapshot of the moon just for kicks.
I think I have found my personal ideal observing kit.
These two telescopes for everythig, and although I did not deploy the 6" Rumak Maksutov will by my go to for high magnification views of the planets.
I do not do
The Orion 110 has very solid, smooth focuser. It is the best I have ever used.
Only three objects but for a side yard outing it was very satisfying.
Cheers to all.
Peace and clear skies !