If you were asked, “what is the best car?”, how could you give a recommendation without knowing if they were planning to use it to take the kids to school, drive up dirt tracks or go racing? Ultimately the best telescope for you is the one that you use The Dobsonian is the ideal telescope…
Month: March 2021
Finding dim objects
How to Star Hop Sometimes a dim object like M1 (Crab Nebula) can be difficult to locate as it may take a long time looking through the eyepiece before it becomes visible. This is the method I used to find M1 or even dimmer objects like M97 or M108. Usual Method in a nutshell Search…
Finding and finder-scopes
With its high magnification and apart from the moon, finding objects can be very difficult for new and experienced observers. Technology can help but a finder will be essential for most telescopes. I use a combination of a non-magnifying finder and then a right-angle magnifying finder (RACI) to locate objects. Most telescopes will come…
Telrad Fitting Adapter
The Telrad is a great straight-through, non-magnifying finder. It’s not so useful for star hopping if you suffer from light pollution. That is why the right-angled finder (RACI) is so useful because unlike the Telrad it allows you to see fainter stars. Not having to bend your neck is great for comfort but can make…
Essential Accessories
This is my essential list of accessories when observing. The aim is to maximise comfort with the minimum amount of carrying. I am assuming that you already have a copy of “Turn Left at Orion” Collimation cap and Cheshire eyepiece/sight tube combination tool Eyepatch – worn half an hour before observing to ensure my eyes…
Observing Chairs and Stools
I find a height-adjustable chair or stool an essential accessory when observing. The longer you look through the eyepiece the more you see. This is especially the case for clusters and galaxies. I would also find sketching impossible without a chair. The Lybar Simple, lightweight and cheap, the Lift Your Butt and Rotate seat is…