cheers FA.

Well, the contender for "Comet of the Centtury", Comet ISON, is almost here, and brightening nicely. If it continues at this rate, it might even be visible in daylight in late November and might be the brightest object in the night sky between Nov-Jan. That would be cool. it is only magnitude 10 at the moment (naked eye visibility starts around magnitude 6) but it is already easily found with small telescopes.

If you want to keep up-to-date there's a page [urlhttp://www.cometison2013.co.uk/[/urlhere with all the latest info, images etc. Those who've downloaded the excellent free desktop planetarium software Stellarium can download the comet's details and auto find where it is at any given time. You can also follow @cometison2013. It's accelerated to over 80,000 mph now but will whizz by the Sun at approaching 1 million mph

And ISON will be around so many weeks, the good news is that it can't be clouded over on every single night. Can it?

Comet ISON by Jeremy Hunt. 4 x 5min exp's at ISO800. Canon 300D / William Optics ZS80, 0.8x reducer / EQ6 Pro. 10 Oct

Comet Ison - it's green

Google sky map app, just aim your phone at the night sky to see what you're looking at.

I prefer Night Sky 2, it has a better 'look and feel' and some excellent features, such as sky viewing, visibility, moon and weather forecasts for your specific location for a week in advance, a monthly summary,But these sort of apps are an excellent resource for the casual observer.

Another great app is GoISSWatch, which tracks the movements of the International Space Station and gives you full info on when you can next see it (tonight around 18:35 if you have a clear sky)

And now astronomers have broken the record for the most distant galaxy yet found - it's z8_GND_5296 and it is 30 billion light years away. That is 176,354,994,510,000,000,000 miles (176 quintillion) www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24637890

And now astronomers have broken the record for the most distant galaxy yet found - it's z8_GND_5296 and it is 30 billion light years away. That is 176,354,994,510,000,000,000 miles (176 quintillion) www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24637890

One of the loveliest, and most thought-provoking space images ever taken www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/det ... d=PIA17172 www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24913141 Earth/moon is the tiny blue dot just below bottom right of the planet, as in this detail

One of the loveliest, and most thought-provoking space images ever taken www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/det ... d=PIA17172 www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24913141 Earth/moon is the tiny blue dot just below bottom right of the planet, as in this detail

Does anyone have any experience / thoughts / to offer about this, please …

[urlhttps://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thursday-28th-november/product-detail/ps/p/dobson-telescope/[/url

[iETA: I've just seen and understood FA's detailed answer to Cornish's question in another thread about a Lidl scope and although the one I asked about is from Aldi and looks different, I'm sure that FA's points are generic.[/i

But, just out of curiosity, I'd still appreciate info on my supplementary question ...

Also, will it interface with a DSLR? If so, how?

That scope looks an utter waste of time.

A Dobsonian is what is called in the trade a light bucket, that is, a comparatively huge looking scope which works well due to the sheer size of its mirror. They present a way to have an enormous powerful scope which is very portable, very quick to assemble and thus loads of bang for your buck. This item says it has a "lens diameter" of 76mm - I presume they don't know any better as a Dobsonian doesn't have an objective lens. But 76mm is tiny, a light pinhole rather than a bucket, and so there is no point to it.

Dobsonians mostly use a simple alt-azimuth mounting (that is, the base rotates around the horizontal and the scope pivots up and down) and most (certainly not this one) do not have any form of tracking or guidance system, the reason being that they let in so much light and have a comparatively large field of view, so you don't need to move the scope that much. But the lack of tracking makes even a proper Dob pretty useless for astrophotography (not that it can't be done; but is very much a specialist area with a proper Dob)

Sorry folks, looks like Comet Ison bought it as it whizzed around the Sun. Show's off.









Or, is it?

… followed by details explaining why.

Many thanks for your answer.

I'll study the link to "my first telescope" you gave on Cornish's thread and delay any purchase until I have some idea what I'm doing.

In the meantime I'll content myself with battling light pollution, cloudy skies and the cold night air in an attempt to capture some star trails (using a camera that I DO understand how to use!).

Good luck, and I'd only repeat what I reckon is my single most useful piece of advice, that is to drop in on your local amateur astronomy society meet. Seeing for yourself, and having people that do these things show you, is worth a thousand words.

I’ve no idea who referred to it as the “Comet of the Century” maybe somebody off The X Factor?

I’m still clinging to the faint hope Ison has survived & I will be up tomorrow looking eagerly to the southeast, then dragging my sad carcase back home to listen to faux disappointment from my wife.

Oh well, at least there’s the Geminids to look forwards to, that’s if I get a rare clear night & Mr Moon isn’t too bright.

too close to the mark

Well, it’s official now, the “Comet of the Century” is dead! www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12 ... 71817.html

Well, it’s official now, the “Comet of the Century” is dead! www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12 ... 71817.html

Quote ="The Devil's Advocate"Well, it’s official now, the “Comet of the Century” is dead! www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12 ... 71817.html'" 3 million years to get here & it dies just as we're about to see it

Quote ="The Devil's Advocate"Well, it’s official now, the “Comet of the Century” is dead! www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12 ... 71817.html'" 3 million years to get here & it dies just as we're about to see it

Superb animated gif of Comet Ison's first and last solar fly-by [url=http://www.isoncampaign.org/karl/a-trail-of-questionshere[/url, from the NASA STEREO spacecraft, takes some moments to load, but truly spectacular stuff.

We won't actually know, though, whether an part of the comet has survived, until the Hubble space telescope has the chance to zoom in and study the remains. This will take 2 to 3 weeks. It or its remains may yet become naked-eye visible, IF that happens, then Friday/Saturday would be the peak.

There will be another one along shortly (well, a few thousand years !!!)

Jeez, I thought I was an optimist but you’re on a par Gottfried Leibniz

.

You’re just trying to entice me to go out for one last attempt to see the “Comet of the Century” just as the temperature plummets.

Quote ="rover49"There will be another one along shortly (well, a few thousand years !!!)'" Not at all. [url=http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/There's loads[/url. You could with a bit of effort view 5 comets at the moment. One of them (Comet Lovejoy) is even just about naked-eye visibility, in the early morning, though due to twilight, binoculars are far better. cometchasing.skyhound.com/comets/2013_R1.pdf

Quote ="rover49"There will be another one along shortly (well, a few thousand years !!!)'" Not at all. [url=http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/There's loads[/url. You could with a bit of effort view 5 comets at the moment. One of them (Comet Lovejoy) is even just about naked-eye visibility, in the early morning, though due to twilight, binoculars are far better. cometchasing.skyhound.com/comets/2013_R1.pdf

Quote ="Ferocious Aardvark"Not at all. [url=http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/There's loads[/url. You could with a bit of effort view 5 comets at the moment. One of them (Comet Lovejoy) is even just about naked-eye visibility, in the early morning, though due to twilight, binoculars are far better. cometchasing.skyhound.com/comets/2013_R1.pdf'" Cheers. I have a telescope I haven't used in a while, I was looking to get an adaptor for my SLR to try photography through it. Do you know if these are any good (in general)

Quote ="Ferocious Aardvark"Not at all. [url=http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/There's loads[/url. You could with a bit of effort view 5 comets at the moment. One of them (Comet Lovejoy) is even just about naked-eye visibility, in the early morning, though due to twilight, binoculars are far better. cometchasing.skyhound.com/comets/2013_R1.pdf'" Cheers. I have a telescope I haven't used in a while, I was looking to get an adaptor for my SLR to try photography through it. Do you know if these are any good (in general)

Quote ="rover49"Cheers. I have a telescope I haven't used in a while, I was looking to get an adaptor for my SLR to try photography through it. Do you know if these are any good (in general)'" There's loads. You'll want a T-ring to fasten your camera to your adapter, there'll be specific ones for your make of camera. www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptors/t-rings.html Then you need a T-mount adapter like so www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptor ... apter.html (depending if your eyepieces are 1 1/4" or 2" variety) They make eyepiece adapters like so www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptor ... hread.html which have some travel for focusing. You can also extent the magnification by use of extension tubes like so www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptor ... -tube.html I'm sure FLO or any good optics shop would be delighted to discuss chapter and verse and also as ever having a word with people at your local astronomy club is a good idea as there are always people with loads of old kit surplus to requirements.

Quote ="rover49"Cheers. I have a telescope I haven't used in a while, I was looking to get an adaptor for my SLR to try photography through it. Do you know if these are any good (in general)'" There's loads. You'll want a T-ring to fasten your camera to your adapter, there'll be specific ones for your make of camera. www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptors/t-rings.html Then you need a T-mount adapter like so www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptor ... apter.html (depending if your eyepieces are 1 1/4" or 2" variety) They make eyepiece adapters like so www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptor ... hread.html which have some travel for focusing. You can also extent the magnification by use of extension tubes like so www.firstlightoptics.com/adaptor ... -tube.html I'm sure FLO or any good optics shop would be delighted to discuss chapter and verse and also as ever having a word with people at your local astronomy club is a good idea as there are always people with loads of old kit surplus to requirements.

We were promised "The Comet Of The Century" by young Master Aardvark and we got bugger all, I demand a refund.

I've also got frost bite from staring at the night sky like a massive gormclops, a case for damages.

Your money's safe.



I was kidding. Soz.

I must stray off-topic for a moment to say that "gormclops" is one of the best words Ive ever encountered. Along with 'exculpate" I shall henceforth endeavour to utilise it at every available opportunity.