Amateur astronomy: Space is pretty awesome

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AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Without looking at the exact procedure you're using, it would be hard to tell you what's going wrong. First, are you importing it into registax as an avi? If it starts out as mpeg like off a smartphone, you need to convert it to avi first. Also, try doing stuff at lower resolution like vga just to practice.

# ¿ Sep 3, 2013 20:34

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 20:47

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Yup. Take a video instead of long exposure stills. That's really what Registax was made for. When you select the file to stack, select the video and the software will automatically parse out all the frames. Then it can set alignpoints automatically. Also, I'd recommend setting it to only use the 50% clearest frames.

After the stacking is done you can use the wavelet adjustment sliders to clean it up. You should wind up with a decent result.

# ¿ Sep 4, 2013 05:50

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

A goon who prefers to remain anonymous for personal reasons asked me to post this on his/her behalf:

Great job, anonygoon!

In other news, does anybody else here read The Reflector (the quarterly publication of the Astronomical League)? In June they put out a special issue about how we need to do more to bring more young people into the hobby and why amateur astronomy community is "graying." Ever since, the letters to the editor page has been full of crotchety old fucks waving their canes in the air and blaming everything from video games to facebook to hippityhop music. It's hysterical. I felt a rant coming on while reading it.

quote:

Dear Editor,

The responses in the letters page to the June 2013 issue have chilled me and given me very little hope for the survival of amateur astronomy as a hobby. I feel I have to be very blunt; this lack of hope isn't for the reasons given by other concerned astronomers. In fact, it's the attitudes many amateur astronomers have towards the �distractions� in the modern world that are more at fault than the distractions themselves in driving nails into our beloved hobby's coffin.
In the last year I have seen blame for the decline of amateur astronomy placed on social networking sites, sports, video games, television, popular music, iPods and smartphones. The problem is there will always be new forms of media, and amateur astronomers face a choice; to embrace the new media and use it as a tool to promote the hobby, or retreat into an angry, insular self-pity spiral that will drive away young people with a budding interest in space science.
A little background; I'm 30 years old, and I got into amateur astronomy when I was 10. My �gateway drug� that triggered an initial interest in space science was deeply rooted in the popular media. Specifically, it was one of the most iconic and heavily watched TV shows from 1986 to 1993; Star Trek the Next Generation. That show captured my imagination from the time I was 5 years old, and got me interested in space exploration and (later) observational astronomy. Media can be a powerful tool, and unfortunately it has been deeply underutilized in the last few years for this purpose. Sadly, the people who have the most power and responsibility to do so are also shunning media and technology.
A startling example of this was recently apparent on the Cloudy Nights astronomy forums. As you are probably aware, early next year a remake of Carl Sagan's �COSMOS� will be airing on Fox network and the National Geographic Channel. It will be hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and written by Tyson, Ann Druyan, Stephen Soter and Seth McFarlane. The amount of negativity aimed at the series on Cloudy Nights has been utterly staggering. Everything from the way the trailer was edited to the choice of network has been slammed by belligerent astronomers on a nostalgia trip. All of them are failing to recognize some fairly important points:

1. If you were to place a modern-day COSMOS series on PBS today, the only people who would wind up watching it are people who would be watching the original COSMOS anyway. It would reach a much smaller audience than the original and would instantly fade into obscurity. I know this is a blunt way of saying it, but it's the truth.

2. By placing it on a major network with a reputation for exciting programming and advertizing it broadly to the masses, it will gain an enormous audience far greater than the original. Also, many of these individuals fail to recognize the programming differences between Fox NETWORK and Fox NEWS which are actually managed in a significantly different fashion despite sharing a parent company.

3. The new COSMOS, if successful, could attract a vast amount of fresh interest in astronomy. It could easily be the biggest draw to the hobby in the last 30 years.

Are you beginning to see the problem yet? Simultaneously complaining about the show and complaining about a lack of interest in the hobby exposes a deep and saddening level of cognitive dissonance, and the seeds of a vicious, self-defeating cycle begin to develop. First, complain about how new media is drawing attention away from astronomy. Second, when somebody finds a way to use the new media to astronomy's advantage, get angry and shut it down because �it isn't how we did things in my day.� Step 3; retreat into self pity because there isn't enough interest in the hobby.
This phenomenon isn't constrained to TV. Complaints are leveled against social networking sites, in spite of the fact that science advocates like Phil Plait, Adam Savage, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Elise Andrew (curator of �I ****ing Love Science�) have been using Twitter and Facebook to enormous effect to generate and maintain interest in a multitude of science topics. Elise Andrew's page has just shy of 7 million followers and is growing every day. She not only uses her page to publicize recent developments in science, but also to dispel common myths and misconceptions about science. It is a tremendous force for good on the social networking sites, in spite of the crude name.
The blame being placed on sports, popular music and iPods is utterly baffling to me. Sports and music have always been around. Also, iPods are no more a threat to amateur astronomy than the Sony Walkman was. To blame popular music and iPods on the decline in amateur astronomy is like blaming it on Irving Berlin and the phonograph. The less said about these absurd arguments the better.
When it comes to video games, it is very true that very few have anything in the way of legitimate educational content. Regardless, I have an anecdote that may change your perspective of the power of this form of media. Last month I was participating in a solar astronomy demonstration outreach event at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs. The event had activities for the kids, a meet and greet with former I.S.S. Commander Leroy Chiao, and a seminar for the grown-ups on how technology created for space exploration has been repurposed for the beer brewing industry. One surprise that came out of the event was talking to multiple parents who brought their kids to the event because the kids had developed an interest in rocketry and space exploration because of a video game, specifically �Kerbal Space Program.� Having since played the game, I can see why this fun and funny game can be a powerful draw, and its realistic depictions of physics are impressive.
Smartphones, tablets and similar devices are derided as well, but this misses the fact that they can be powerful tools in the hands of beginning amateur astronomers. Afocal adapters built for iPhones are ushering in a whole new generation of entry-level astrophotography. Modern computer-pointed telescopes can be connected by WiFi to iPads and iPhones. Some of our club members do amazing things at outreach events with an iPad to do an integrated telescope and multimedia presentation. In a way, they combine the power of all of the other forms of media discussed here into a tool that is greater than the sum of its parts, and can make the experience of beginning astronomy much more engrossing.
Technology and media are not enemies of amateur astronomy. They are powerful tools that can be used to bring newcomers into the hobby IF, and ONLY IF, we make the choice to use them effectively. Unfortunately the only barrier is the attitudes of the amateur astronomers themselves. Our hobby needs to evolve or die, and far too many astronomers are more than content to roll over and stop breathing. The interest is there. The tools are RIGHT THERE. Unfortunately, and I've seen this manifested by young prospective members who come to one meeting of an astronomy club and never come back as well as interactions with the public at outreach events, it's the stodgy attitude of the amateur astronomy community as a whole that's doing an EXCELLENT job of turning the potentially interested youth off of the hobby forever.
This cognitive dissonance and shifting of blame needs to end NOW or the hobby will be deader than a doornail. We have the tools, and we need to use them. Shaking our fists at the youth of today while ranting about the Pokemon and the Hippity Hop music does us no good whatsoever, and in time will only hasten the demise of amateur astronomy. It's time to wake up and smell the media

- (AstroZamboni's real name), Member of the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society

We'll see if they have the cojones to publish it.

# ¿ Sep 6, 2013 23:21

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Welp, my first ever feature article for S&T has been accepted and will be published sometime next year. Just signed the contracts.

poo poo just got real, son.

# ¿ Sep 13, 2013 20:03

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

My astrophotography shenanigans mostly consist of using my iPhone with an afocal adapter and taking HD video and stacking in Registax. I'm upgrading to a 5S in two weeks and getting a Magnifi afocal adapter to go with it. It'll be interesting to see what kind of results I get with the 120 fps capture at 720p.

I gravitate towards iPhone afocal photography for the same reason I like QRP ham operation. I like the challenge of using a bare minimum of equipment and seeing just how far I can push it.

# ¿ Nov 17, 2013 23:41

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

polyfractal posted:

The LCD is blinding and kills night vision...is there a red transparency cover I can tape to it or something?

http://www.optcorp.com/os-ruby-rubylith-red-masking-film-15inch-x-20inch-sheet.html

# ¿ Nov 22, 2013 23:58

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Boo-urns.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2013 00:41

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

I've been drinking myself into a stupor to get over the pain of losing ISON.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2013 01:37

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Schroedinger's comet. Made of pure spite. Dead, then not dead. Dead, then not dead. MAKE UP YOUR loving MIND, YOU GODDAMN COCKTEASE.

# ¿ Nov 29, 2013 20:08

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

USSMICHELLEBACHMAN posted:

Sorry this is low effort. I don't know the first thing about telescopes, but my dad wants one for Christmas. This is the one he picked out for himself:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNNQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=X47GHW3DRRWG&coliid=I3LJ0RGTCF596N

Any thoughts on it? He wants to spend around $500, plus more on accessories.

That's the same OTA as the Orion Spaceprobe 130. Decent optics. A little on the heavy side for that mount (or more accurately the tripod. The mount head itself is sturdy enough), but a decent scope with a nice GOTO system.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2013 05:15

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

USSMICHELLEBACHMAN posted:

So it looks like the Spaceprobe 130 is only $250 from Orion's site. If both scopes have the same optics, does that mean that with the Celestron he's essentially spending $250 for the tracking unit?

It seems like it would be smarter to get something with a better OTA and no computer for $500, and then add a tracker later on.

The spaceprobe 130 can't be retrofitted with a GOTO system unless you put the scope on a whole new mount. I suggest getting the Spaceprobe 130 and a good star atlas and learning the night sky, then eventually working up to a higher end goto scope if you stick with the hobby.

# ¿ Dec 18, 2013 00:00

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Almost any scope can be converted to GOTO just from buying a new mount with that capability, but it'll cost a lot when you choose to go that route.

I think a much better non-computerized scope for the 500 bucks would be the Celestron Omni 102 XLT refractor. It's also more easily remounted than the Spaceprobe 130 because it has a Vixen standard mounting rail.

# ¿ Dec 18, 2013 02:38

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Apart from the EQ8 having the edge in capacity and being a known quantity at this point, I would have some trepidation about being an early adopter on the CEM60. It's such a radically non-traditional design that I suspect it'll have a longer shakedown cruise working out minor kinks with early adopters. I wouldn't want to get a 2K+ mount and wind up in a similar situation to early adopters of the LX800 or LX80.

# ¿ Jan 13, 2014 16:04

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Phanatic posted:

Floaters. Imperfections in the vitreous humour inside your eyeballs.

This. No earth-based telescope has the resolving power to make out swirling gases on other stars. You need at least a $600 expenditure to even see that on the sun.

# ¿ Jan 14, 2014 04:40

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

John Dobson died today. I was lucky enough to meet him in 1999. Chance encounter at an In 'n Out Burger while on a high school trip from Phoenix to California. I recognized him, and was sad I didn't have my telescope with me for him to sign. He was amused that a random 17 year old not only recognized him but was asking for his autograph.

Sad day for amateur astronomers.

# ¿ Jan 16, 2014 07:28

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

EpicPhoton posted:

I'm almost sure there's no way I'd be able to see this in the city with my 90mm Cassegrain, even if it was clear and not cloudy, but I'm excited nonetheless.

Supernova in M82

Depends on which city. Brightness hasn't peaked yet and it's expected to reach 8th magnitude. I've seen M82 through 90mm scopes under some reasonably light polluted skies.

# ¿ Jan 22, 2014 23:07

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Also, a Galileoscope is going to be realistically limited to around 40x max. Not a premium piece of kit by any means. You won't really be able to see detail on anything other than the moon.

# ¿ Jan 24, 2014 15:42

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Saw the supernova tonight. Very easy to see, even in moderately light polluted skies (Colorado Springs). Was observing with with a member of my club who lives right in my neighborhood and hauled out his C8. Kept me from having to drag out my dob.

Absolutely loving amazing.

# ¿ Jan 25, 2014 05:49

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

In H-alpha this group is best described as "a swirling vortex of doom." Terrifying and beautiful, with frequent flashes of m-class flares. Lots of fun to watch.

In other news, I got some information from Bob Naye at Sky and Telescope. They have a backlog of observing articles right now, but my article will be published sometime between June and November. Pretty excited over here.

Considering it's the first time I've submitted anything for publication and it got accepted on the first try (along with a decent check for my effort) I'm rather pleased. I've been writing how-to articles and reviews for Cloudy Nights for years, but this is the first time I've gotten paid to write about astronomy. Feels good, man!

AstroZamboni fucked around with this message at 21:01 on Feb 3, 2014

# ¿ Feb 3, 2014 20:56

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Your recommendations are spot on and I doubt any diehard amateur astronomers would disagree.

One more thing I would suggest is the Pocket Sky Atlas from Sky Publishing. One of the best all around sky atlases on the market. Small and easily manageable, but comprehensive and will serve you well for a long time.

Also: adjustable height observing chair. You can build one yourself for about 30 bucks (google "denver observers chair" because there are lots of variations and online blueprints). Your back will thank you.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2014 23:06

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Nice. The Merope reflection nebula is even visible. Can't wait to see what you do with it on a non-windy night with good alignment.

# ¿ Feb 13, 2014 07:41

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Welp, got my tax refund and went on a buying spree. All my red dot finders and red flashlights have crapped out on me so I got a good Rigel flashlight and a Telrad, Astrosystems dew shield for the Telrad, 6mm and 9mm Orion Expanse eyepieces, Agena 15mm Wide Angle HD eyepiece, Cheshire collimator for my dob, #82A pale blue filter and #8 pale yellow filter. Also an enema bulb with rocket fins.

Apologies to anybody in Colorado who planned on doing any observing this week.

Edit: Added a Zhumell OIII Filter too. They're not on par with Lumicons, but they're on sale for $17 right now. Can't beat the price, yo!

Edit2: Still not done shopping. Got replacement dome light bulbs for my jeep. They're red LEDs, so I can open my car at a star party without ruining other's night vision. I am going to be SO ready for Star Party Season, bizznatch!

AstroZamboni fucked around with this message at 18:23 on Feb 19, 2014

# ¿ Feb 19, 2014 02:48

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Welp, I ordered red LED dome light replacement bulbs for my jeep from superbrightleds.com and they sent me the wrong ones. Turned out they didn't have the right ones, so they just sent me "whatever" and the crap didn't fit my Jeep. Now trying to find an alternative source for red LED interior automotive lights that will fit my jeep. Not going well. Luckily they're issuing a refund since I called and raised holy hell.

loving shitbags.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2014 19:51

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Jeep is exactly what it sounds like. I was replacing my dome lights with red LEDs so I can open my car at star parties without blinding people.

# ¿ Feb 21, 2014 21:19

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Well, my gear buying spree is continuing unabated. Just a heads up; telescopes.com has all of the Zhumell gear at massive discounts. Looks like an inventory clearance, which makes me wonder if Zhumell is going bye-bye.

Anyway, in addition to the $17 O-III filter, I also got a $40 2" UHC filter and an $18 variable polarizer. They'll be arriving Friday. The O-III arrived yesterday and it looks pretty decent.

They also have 2-speed SCT crayford focusers for $80, Z-series planetary eyepieces for $40 (which are excellent, btw) and all sorts of other poo poo. If you need to get some gear, you may want to check it out before everything disappears.

# ¿ Feb 25, 2014 17:22

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

The primary mirror in my 16 year old 6" dob has seen better days, and some tests showed it to be down to around 72% reflectivity. Not entirely surprising since I've had the thing since I was a freshman in high school. So a couple of days ago I packaged up the mirrors and sent them off to be stripped and recoated and a catseye center spot is being applied too. I should be getting them back in about a week.

The shop doing the work is a small operation in NJ called Majestic Coatings. They have a really good reputation and they do all the coating work for Teeter Telescopes and D & G optical. That alone is about as good of a recommendation as you can get. Also, their coatings are about 6% better reflectivity than the mirrors had when they were brand new.

While the mirrors are gone I'm upgrading the mirror cell and the secondary spider, tweaking the focuser and improving the bearing surfaces. When all is said and done it'll be like a brand new scope. Woot!

# ¿ Mar 22, 2014 23:06

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Welp, I've got a publication date locked in for my article! "Making the Case for Structured Observing" by Tristan Schwartz (AstroZamboni's real name) will be appearing in the July issue of Sky & Telescope.

The timing couldn't be more perfect. It'll be hitting newsstands about 3 weeks before Rocky Mountain Star Stare, where I'll be giving a talk based on it. I'll also be receiving my freebie copies and getting paid for it RIGHT AROUND MY BIRTHDAY.

The timing is beyond loving excellent.

# ¿ Apr 3, 2014 22:59

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

The Omni 127 is a loving excellent scope. I've used them several times and came away impressed each time.

# ¿ Apr 15, 2014 02:33

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

I was going to be photographing it, but it's 20 degrees with lots of moisture in the air. My equipment is now covered in an impressive layer of frost.

# ¿ Apr 15, 2014 07:06

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

The 10x50s would make a significant difference, but only under dark skies. For some urban observing, the 42s ought to do well.

# ¿ Apr 20, 2014 00:43

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Just got my advanced author copies of the July issue of Sky & Telescope. My first published work is in print!

It's so exciting that I've pretty much been cumming my pants all morning.

# ¿ May 16, 2014 21:47

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

And the hits just keep on coming. I've been making do with just 6" of aperture for 16 years. No more. I'm picking up a used XT8 from a club member on Tuesday for $75 bucks. It even includes a Telrad and an improved handmade dob mount.

He's clearing out a storage unit and getting rid of scopes he no longer uses. Awesome score. Also, considering Tuesday is my birthday it makes a perfect gift to myself.

# ¿ May 18, 2014 21:45

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Beautiful!

# ¿ Jun 1, 2014 21:57

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Get a manual scope and add aftermarket tracking. If you want to stick with an equatorial reflector, one I would strongly consider would be a Celestron Omni 150.

Another option if automatic tracking is important to you is to get an 8" dob and then build a poncet platform further down the road. You can get an Apertura 8" dob which comes with a great accessory package for 400, and you can build the poncet table fairly easily for less than $100. There are lots of blueprints online.

# ¿ Jun 2, 2014 03:15

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

DaveSauce posted:

What's a good option for aftermarket tracking? I'm wondering if I could go that route with my current scope and then upgrade the scope at a later date. Not ideal, I realize, but if the tracking is cheaper than a scope I think that might be a good stopgap solution. I'm even contemplating a DIY solution to tracking.

Again, I'm not attached to the eq reflector, it's just what I know and am familiar with, so I'm partial to sticking with it. Though from what I read, it's one of the better options from a cost and quality standpoint.

If you have a small spindly EQ reflector now, there really isn't a good option for aftermarket tracking. If you're looking for a new scope, skipping GoTo will allow you to get a much more robust scope with better optics where aftermarket tracking is more feasible. Just be sure to get either an equatorial scope for which the manufacturer offers a RA drive unit for the mount, or get a dob and build a poncet platform like the one linked below:

http://astroshake.com/2012/10/diy-equatorial-platform-in-pictures/

# ¿ Jun 2, 2014 20:19

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

It's seriously undermounted, the finder and focuser are garbage, the tripod is way too spindly for a scope of that aperture, the overall unsteadiness of the system makes it nearly impossible for the computer to hold a good alignment... Need I go on?

Edited to add: My general rule is to avoid any goto scopes costing less than a thousand dollars. Invariably you're sacrificing stability and optics for a snazzy gadget which is rendered useless by the fact that you sacrificed stability and optics. You will, without exception, be better off getting a manual scope that will actually allow you to SEE something while you sock away the money to save up for a goto scope that will actually be useable.

AstroZamboni fucked around with this message at 06:39 on Jun 3, 2014

# ¿ Jun 3, 2014 06:17

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

A CG5 is good if you get one without corrupted firmware. The NexStar computers sometimes go wonky, so be sure to meet with the seller and test it thoroughly before you buy.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2014 17:07

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

The collimation stability can be improved by swapping out the springs in the mirror cell. Properly sized stronger replacements can be obtained cheaply from Opticsmart and Bob's Knobs.

# ¿ Jun 3, 2014 18:28

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

Bob's knobs are a pretty great upgrade, and the laser collimator is nice to have. I say go for it.

I picked up a used XT8 last month for $75. Really love it.

# ¿ Jun 11, 2014 04:30

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 20:47

AstroZamboni: Mar 8, 2007; Smoothing the Ice on Europa since 1997!

DaveSauce posted:

Well I went for this. Just arrived yesterday. Hopefully the sky will be clear enough tonight to use it.

So, I have a few questions about setup.

First, I've seen the pole alignment eyepiece for the CG-4 mount. Is this worth the $40? I suppose I should practice pole alignment before I get something like that, and there seem to be plenty of guides out there to line things up without this eyepiece, but I'd hate to waste time if this thing is going to change my life or something.

Then I noticed that the eyepiece holder doesn't attach to the legs...the legs just kind of free-float. So am I supposed to crank the nuts down to keep the legs in place, or is the assumption that if all 3 legs are firmly on the ground, they're not going to budge? As it is, the legs aren't "loose," but it doesn't take much effort to move them. The whole thing is pretty stable when standing, though. I don't want to over torque the nuts, but at the same time I'd hate for one of the legs to just flop out mid-viewing and send the whole thing crashing to the ground.

Also, as far as planetarium software, it comes with The Sky Level 1...or something. I have Stellarium on my computer and Sky Safari Pro on my phone. Any reason to install this stuff, or am I already doing better?

The Sky Level 1 is small potatoes compared to SkySafari Pro and Stellarium. Not really worth the trouble.

As for the eyepiece tray, it does brace the legs if it's used the correct way. The legs will only spread out to a certain amount, and when the spreader tray is tightened upwards to the correct amount it braces by pushing outward. Adds a fair amount of stability to the setup, but it doesn't attach directly to the legs.

As for the polar alignment scope, I don't really think it's worth the money. It's a pain in the rear end to collimate with the polar axis, and you can get perfectly acceptable alignment for visual observation by parking the axes in the home position and adjust the latitude and azimuth while eyeballing it through the regular finderscope.

# ¿ Jun 14, 2014 21:43

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