Image of the day

Captured by
Herb Bubert

Rosette nebula

About Astromart

My Account

New to Astromart?

Register an account...

Need Help?

Posts Made By: Dan D DuBal

July 14, 2003 03:02 PM Forum: Pictures of Me and My Telescope and........

1st homemade scope

Posted By Dan D DuBal
Hi David.
Great mount. I like the modular design -- that multiple scopes can share the same hemisphere.

If this particular application of the hemispheric mount came from your own noggin, then please seriously consider applying for (or researching the possibility thereof) a patent. I'm thinking this puppy might be quite marketable.

Best wishes.
-Dan

July 14, 2003 04:43 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Unencumbered by Knowledge II

Posted By Dan D DuBal
I find M101 to be a stubborn target under ~5.5 magnitude skies -- at least in a longer scope (i.e. moderate-to-high magnification).

Luna's brilliance will impact M101's visibility, for sure. Now that she's waning, you might have better luck before midnight.

M101 is indeed huge -- you're hunting a faint fuzzy that's about the same diameter as Luna herself. (M57, by comparison, is *tiny*.) I usually start with low magnification (to find M101), then try to move in for a closer look.

Best wishes and luck.
-Dan

July 15, 2003 05:32 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Spider Identification

Posted By Dan D DuBal
Is there a pond or creek nearby?

I'm thinking it's a variety of either a Fisher or Wolf.

Cheers.
-Dan

July 16, 2003 09:44 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

I need help with 2X 2" Powermate & Parac orr

Posted By Dan D DuBal
The Powermate is not a Barlow, so Tele Vue's recommended installation -- Paracorr into Powermate -- is valid.

When Tele Vue uses the term "Barlow," they do not mean Powermate.

Best wishes.
-Dan

July 18, 2003 02:58 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Can O Worms

Posted By Dan D DuBal
I, another fella, hereby counteract and respectfully (though emphatically) disagree with that other fella's notion that the C9.25 might be at a disadvantage under suburban skies.

So now you're even.

Use a shield/baffle on the front end of that C9.25, and it will perform darn well.

Best wishes, and good luck in your decision.
-Dan

July 22, 2003 04:22 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Good Quality, Budget Barlow Recommendations

Posted By Dan D DuBal
As Eurvin noted the Shorty-Plus is very good -- it's equivalent to Celestron's Ultima Barlow (same manufacturer, same design).

Best wishes.
-Dan

July 22, 2003 05:06 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Heep Cracks the Globulars

Posted By Dan D DuBal
Another nice report, Darren.

And hey, here's another chart which might help with M11:
http://www.utahskies.org/deepsky/constellations/scutum.htm
(might need to scroll to the right, once the page loads)

My own method is to find that "C" -shaped asterism to the left (east) of M11. It's fairly visible, most any night. Just "follow it around" (as if you were writing the "C") and you should run right into M11.

As always, best wishes. -And Heep(s) of fun :-)
-Dan

July 23, 2003 05:16 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Your first scope?

Posted By Dan D DuBal
40mm f/15 Skilcraft "Satellite" Newtonian with two 20mm-barrel quasi-Huygenian eyepieces yielding 40x & 80x (~15mm & ~7.5mm), a unit finder (i.e. lensless tube), and a rectangular diagonal which may or may not have been a 2nd-surface mirror (I think some were 1st-surface; some were 2nd-).

Second scope: Pentax 75 EDHF
Third: Photon 90mm Maksutov
Fourth: Intes MK67
Fifth: Stellarvue A1002 (1st generation)
Sixth: Jason (Tasco) "Explorer" 60mm f/13 achromat (with mahogany case, alt-az yoke, mahogany tripod, & accessories)
Seventh: replacement Skilcraft 40mm Newtonian (in a fit of nostalgia)

I still have #s 2 through 7.

Eighth scope: a "player to be named later"

Cheers and grins.
-Dan

July 24, 2003 09:12 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Infinity Focus

Posted By Dan D DuBal
I think Mitch's "Second" answer relates to the heart of your question.

Basically, telescopes often require refocusing for different eyepieces.

A given lens/camera system woud be analogous to a given telescope/eyepiece system. Switching eyepieces is similar to changing the spacing between two or more lens groups in a camera lens. If you could set the camera lens to infinity, *then* move one of the elements or groups within that lens (while the ring is still set at infinity), then you'll likely end up focused at something *other than* infinity.

Hope that helps.
-Dan

July 24, 2003 09:34 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Milky Way view...first time in about 10 years!!!

Posted By Dan D DuBal
Don't think you're alone in that "lost in the sky" feeling. I've had similar reactions after long absences from stargazing. -Heck, even after not-so-long absences!

My first encounter with the night sky at a high altitude locale (~11,000 in SW Colorado) -- at least 50 miles from any sizeable town -- literally dropped my jaw. It took me a moment before I could even recognize a particular large, bright asterism -- one we've all known since early childhood. Which asterism was it?...

The Big Dipper.

I didn't spend time trying to estimate limiting magnitude, that night, but my hunch is that it was right around 8.0.

I *never* tire of the humbling and awe-inspiring experience of the onset of deep darkness from a remote and rural location. It blows me away, every time.

Call it "grinfinity." :-)

Enjoy those humbling moments.
Best wishes.
-Dan

Funding Member

Telescopes, Astronomy, Binoculars

Sponsors


View all sponsors

Search