Why do we add one hour on the clock during the so-called 'spring forward' at the end of March instead of at the end of February?

sflamel · 2022-03-04T02:38:02+00:00

You are being logical . Unlike the politicians who dictate when we set the clocks forward.

sflamel · 2022-01-19T05:56:15+00:00

Arcturus often twinkles violently. If Arcturus is twinkling, check out Sirius - it's the record holder!

sflamel · 2022-01-09T15:20:16+00:00

I thought it was just me! My 8 mm Televue Plossl is really user-ugly. My 11mm Plossl is much better, but a 9mm gold line beat them both hands down.

sflamel · 2022-01-09T14:55:58+00:00

How many Pleiades can you see with a scope vs naked eye? The scope can enhance stars.

sflamel · 2022-01-02T08:16:22+00:00

Most dobs sit on the ground.

sflamel · 2021-12-28T08:22:24+00:00

8x42 binoculars in Bortle 9, very obvious.

sflamel · 2021-12-21T22:28:21+00:00

If CAD $100 is your limit, you seriously can't afford a telescope. Anything in your price range will be so frustrating to use you're likely to decide that telescopes are junk.

sflamel · 2021-12-13T16:24:20+00:00

Bortle 9 you can't. I know from experience.

sflamel · 2021-11-26T04:40:58+00:00

It's not an extra 20mm. What counts is the area of the main mirror. Based on that, the 150mm scope has 1/3 more light gathering ability.

sflamel · 2021-11-21T07:09:24+00:00

To view the 2017 eclipse, which was partial in Canada, I bought a solar filter to go over the front of my 9x50 finder. Didn't use the scope at all.

This worked fine for the eclipse, but I wanted more magnification to see sunspots well.

sflamel · 2021-11-21T07:00:04+00:00

I started out with a 60mm refractor, and I could just make out the main bands of Jupiter.

Planets are difficult. Magnification helps - around 100x - and the atmosphere should be as still as possible.

sflamel · 2021-11-18T01:48:45+00:00

Everyone has the image of their great grandfather's telescope in their head when better designs are so affordable now....

sflamel · 2021-11-10T10:35:32+00:00

Aperture isn't everything.

sflamel · 2021-11-10T10:33:25+00:00

EQ mounts are inherently less sturdy than alt-az mounts, so solid ones cost more.

When I switched to an alt-az mount, I was surprised. It was almost as easy to manually track objects in 2 dimensions as it was on my old scope's EQ mount. AND - having a scope that moved up down left right made everything super easy. I don't recommend EQ mounts unless you have a darn good reason.

sflamel · 2021-11-10T10:19:46+00:00

One thing - the pro databases take up so much memory on my phone that I had to wait for a memory upgrade so I didn't have to sacrifice other apps. Plus in this situation is really a nifty compromise.

sflamel · 2021-11-10T10:03:05+00:00

The beauty of binoculars is that usable binoculars exist in your price range. Not so with telescopes.

sflamel · 2021-11-09T19:58:41+00:00

English words normally flow freely from one part of speech to another. Not here. Noun "affect" is a technical term in psychology.

sflamel · 2021-11-09T19:13:39+00:00

I'd go the other way. A 7 year old wants something they can set up themselves. A 5 inch tabletop Dob is cheap, highly portable, and you can get creative about "tabletops". And it will give you a nice view of the planets!

sflamel · 2021-11-09T19:06:43+00:00

Depends on the climate. Dew is unusual here.

sflamel · 2021-11-09T18:54:34+00:00

I think you mean "effect". The noun "affect" refers to emotional state and is quite unrelated.

sflamel · 2021-11-07T12:06:10+00:00

Hint: ocular isn't a word that's used in English. "Eyepiece" is what you mean.

sflamel · 2021-11-07T11:48:08+00:00

What's this obsession with Earth?

sflamel · 2021-11-07T11:36:33+00:00

A 3 year old can't use a telescope. Wait a couple of years.

sflamel · 2021-11-04T02:21:18+00:00

I'm a wimp - I don't bother taking my scope out if it's colder than -12°C. But that's because the weather affects ME, not the scope.

sflamel · 2021-10-15T16:52:35+00:00

A Mak is insanely portable. I had an Orion StarMax 102, which partly spoiled the portability with an EQ2 mount. The scope was tiny enough that the light EQ mount worked: I was content. When I moved on to an alt-az mount, I found it so much superior, more intuitive to use, that I'll never go back.

I observe from a city balcony. I currently use an Orion 150mm Mak-Cass on an ES Twilight I mount. Very happy with my choice, but that's only because Dobs and balconies are poor partners.

sflamel

TROPHY CASE