Here they both are set up in my backyard. I use the swim spa to set my cases on (and yes, I swim 6 days a week for an hour a day). In the second photo is my Starbound chair that I use with both scopes as I find it easier to set up then hauling out my ATM observing chair or the Catsperch that I have.
I began by using the XT10 on the moon, and focusing on the Moon. I spent my time observing the Craters Guttenberg, Montes Pyrenees Goclenius Magelhaens and the area around them. I made a sketch and will include it below. The contrast was outstanding and I really enjoyed taking my time on this object. I used the Pentax XW 10mm and 7mm to view and loved doing this. I did not use the Paracorr 2 in the XT10 that night.
What I love about observing the moon when it is waxing is the terminator and looking at the contrast along the terminator. Looking at these craters provided details with ridges and hills casing shadows as the Sunlight hit upon them. Unfortunately I think with the weather since Friday, I was really hoping to observe last night or tonight as the moon is in first quarter but the weather here in northern Utah isn't cooperating. We need the rain so that is a good thing.
After that I traded with my friend Shane and let him use the XT10 after I spent some time in Ursa Major and Virgo. Shane went to observing Messier 37 which was beautiful in the 10 inch. He also went to Leo looking at some of the brighter galaxies. I had looked at M51and it was there with the companion but using the 14 and 10mm Pentax XW they were just faint specs. No structure was seen. The Leo Triplet showed the 3 galaxies in the 27mm Panoptic faintly. I needed averted vision to see them. I moved to, the 22mm Nagler which bought out the faint fuzziness of the the three galaxies. Finally I put in the 14mm Pentax XW and the inner bright stellar core became oblivious.
That is a good point to share with those just starting out. We often want to use a wide field eyepiece to identify a target(s) that we are hoping to observe. However, brining higher magnification on the object really helps to bring out details that if you don't do, you won't observe. It is why I like working down usually from the 22mm Nagler down to the 10mm or 7mm Pentax. Then IF I really want to see details, I use my 6mm and 4mm University Orthos. It is a minimum glass approach and yes, I do see more details in them though the field of view is narrower.
I spent my evening looking at several double stars and trying to view them in the AR102. I then compared some of them in the XT10 with the Zambuto primary. As expected the XT10 did a much better job at splitting, showing color than the AR102. The AR102 was fun to split some of doubles I went after and I enjoyed that. However, I realized this night if I really want to split doubles, look at open clusters
Here are the view of three of the double stars of this session
I have really thought about purchasing a new 4 inch refractor and had nailed it down to the Askar 103 or the AT 102mmED from Astronomics. I really thought I was going to go for the Askar 103. However after viewing in the AR102 I didn't mine the chromatic aberration and with it I could still see the the bands in Jupiter and the polar ice cap on Mars. For wide field views it was great and when I put in the Pentax XW 30mm, all I can say was WOW! It did a tremendous job.
So this session accomplished the following for me. I am quite happy with using the XT10 solid tube that has a Zambuto primary for my grab and go scope. It won't cool as quickly as a refractor but the views in it I prefer over a refractor. The AR102 is not a horrible scope, it has issues but the chromatic aberration was cleared up using filters and I did enjoy the views in it. I also felt that in my 19.2 (with the moon up) to 19.6 skies when the moon is down, the XT10 is the better choice. The AR102 I'll keep using for wide field views at dark sites with items like the North America Nebula or the California Nebula or the Veil Nebula.
I guess my on-going strategy of using what I have and maximizing it. Instead of spending money on a refractor, I've put it toward night vision items and I'll be saving it for a new dob for this fall or next spring. I've also purchasing the Astronomics XWA 20mm, 13mm, 9mm and 7mm and 4.8mm instead. I will have a review of what I think of those shortly after I can use them during my next new moon trip.
On Friday, May 2nd, I set up my LS35 solar scope and spent time observing with my friend Shane. I haven't used my solar scope in awhile, and I want to get it out several times a month now. Here are the images I made and a digital sketch I made using an app on my iPad called SketchBook. I am really getting to enjoy using that app to create digital sketches and will do a post on that also shortly, a review.
Here is my friend Shane observing on the LS35.
The prominence on the bottom of the Sun was incredible with several filaments easily seen.
More detail here.
After adjusting the view, here is sunspot AR4079 easily seen.
A close up of the prominence with filaments observed.
Finally, here is the sketch I made on the photos I took from my iPhone.
Finally finally, here is a quick movie I made of the observation. LS35, 7mm Pentax XW.
Here is an image that puts into perspective the earth compared to AR4079.
I am hoping that as the weather clears by Wednesday to pull the LS35 back out and take a look at what is happening to AR4079 over the rest of this week.
