OR First CalStar

[David Kirjassoff]

Had such an amazing time at my first ever CalStar and also first multi-day observing session!

We arrived Wednesday afternoon and set up by the baseball backstop. Have to say Wednesday and Thursday were a bust weather wise for observing but things improved dramatically on Friday and Saturday, so stayed for another bonus night on Sunday.

It was the first real test for the Starsense Autoguider on my Stellarvue 127D and it worked flawlessly to align the scope and center and track targets. Highlight for me was spending hours on the Saturn transit which was quite clear with my SV 4mm UWA eyepiece.

I have no southern sky visibility at home so loved spending hours roaming around the teapot, nebulosity was easily visible around the Trifid and the Lagoon nebulae. I also swear I could see the propellor in M13 with my SV 8mm UWA eyepiece. (Stellarvue brands the KUO 82 degree eyepiece line). Double cluster, Pleiades, and the Sagittarius Star Cloud looked magnificent in the 30mm 70 degree SV EFF eyepiece.

The people there were so friendly and welcoming and had the opportunity to look through some massive dobs set up on dob row nearby.

The unexpected catering was great, pizzas, burgers and the morning brekkies at Chez Dan were fun opportunities to not only eat but socialize.

My little Seestar S50 was cranking away on plans while I did visual observing and caught some nice images too.

[Richard Navarrete]

Thanks for the OR. Wonderful images!

Richard

Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS

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[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

Was a lot of fun nattering with you and with your charming partner Andrea, whose name I really did learn.

That little Seestar sure did get going. Have to ask, David, who's the face-on spiral in your image #7? Looks like the Whirlpool without its neighbor.

[David Kirjassoff]

I think that was the Triangulum galaxy

[Jaimie Henderson]

If I had to guess, I'd say image #4 was M33 (Triangulum galaxy).

(a different) Jaimie

[Arvind K]

Img 7 should be m101. pinwheel:-)

And nice meeting you there at CalStar David!

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[Akarsh Simha]

That is correct, it is M 101 indeed

I couldn't recognize the globular

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[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

Pretty sure that globular is M22.

[Dan Smiley]

M11

[David Kirjassoff]

Went back to my original files.  The globular is M11, photo 7 is M101, photo 4 is M33.

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On Sep 30, 2025, at 11:51 AM, Jamie Dillon, DDK <ngc1...@gmail.com> wrote:

Pretty sure that globular is M22.

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[Akarsh Simha]

M 11 is probably one of the few open clusters that can masquerade for a globular. I failed the test,

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[Yuen So]

I enjoy reading the CalStar ORs. CalStar was my first as well, actually the first star party in several years. We used to be a regular at the Yosemite/Glacier Point SP with PAS. Calstar was a blast. I observed with a 14” dob and looked through some of your scopes. Chez Dan breakfast and the hamburger dinner were wonderful surprises. Sadly, we could stay only Saturday night and did not meet as many of you as I’d have liked.

David, great to meet you, your wife, and your canine friends. Thanks for posting the SeeStar images. Amazing for a 50mm aperture!  

Muriel, funny you mentioned the western toad. Just 3 nights ago, while sitting by my scope outside at home around 9pm, I heard weird footsteps behind my back. I turned and saw a creature on the ground. My phone also ID’ed it as a western toad. Could toads be star gazers like all of us?

Mark W., sorry I didn’t get to meet you at CalStar. We met once in a star party years ago. I was interested in getting your CPT for a 12.5” Royce conical mirror. The project never got off the ground. The mirror is still sitting in my closet.

Since this is also my first post on TAC, I better introduce myself. I have been lurking here for years and have immensely enjoyed the knowledge, enthusiasm and camaraderie evident in all the TAC posts. My interest in astronomy started in my teens with homemade Newtonians. Astronomy took a hiatus until we moved to the South Bay about 25 years ago. Now as I look into retirement, it is time to spend a lot more time on my favorite hobby. 

Look forward to reading future TAC posts. Hope to meet more of you soon.

Regards,

Yuen

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[Mark Wagner]

Yuen,

Nice to read your post about CalStar.  It was a return for me after quite a while away from LSA.  I too enjoyed myself.  Dan's welcome as I arrived late Friday at dusk, then Randy and the old crew as a familiar sight.  Seeing Andy Pierce, long time.  And Peter and David who are regular observing buddies.  And of course DDK. Total fun, toads and all.

I have to chuckle at the CPT comment.  I very recently remembered an old stash of CPT parts, a 10, 12.5s and 18s.  I looked at the 10" parts and its a complete set (already promised out), I'm sure the 12.5's are too, black anodized.  My own ten is still my favorite scope - was using it a CalStar.

And, nice to see you post here.

Mark

[Yuen So]

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your post. I’m certainly interested in the possibility that you may have enough CPT parts for a 12.5” F4.5. Please email me directly if you do. I’d be interested to buy it. It will be a great project. A portable dob would be handy for occasions like CalStar or other away sites. I am mostly a stay-at-home observer, using a heavy 14” dob for observing and doing some imaging at my relatively dark backyard near Carmel Valley.

Yuen

 

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[Mark Wagner]

Yuen,

I'll check.   I might let the extra 10" f/5.6 go too.

Just need a mirror.  One idea is buy an f/5 and hog it out a bit.

[Yuen So]

Good to have options. My first choice is still the 12.5” F4.5, if CPT is available. The mirror has been in my closet for too long and deserves to see the light. It is fairly light weight (10 lbs conical mirror) and should hit the sweet spot for portability and aperture.  CPT is a clever and practical design. When did you discontinue them? 10” F5 is a good suggestion. I certainly will give it some thought if that is the only option. 

I have other unfinished projects. Hence the hesitation on taking on too many things. I hope to start refurbishing a 16 ft Ashdome (circa 1976) sitting on my property near Carmel Valley (Bortle 3/4) and decide what to put in it. 

Yuen

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[Mark Wagner]

I wonder if I met your wife and son possibly at Calstar on Saturday night?  I think I was by a 14.5" Starmaster.

I don't know what I want to do with the 10" actually.  But I will check the 12.5" to see what there is.   I discontinued them maybe 20 years ago.  I've thought about replicating it in Baltic Birch.

My favorite customer was a psychology prof from Ohio, Bill Meyers, who would come to GSSP's predecessor SSP, to join us observing.  Great guy.  He had a 10", his widow Pat still uses it and I hear from her now and then.  Here's a nice philosophy of observing Bill wrote up which I was very surprised to find on Adventures In Deep Space.  Bill gave me constant of encouragement regarding making the CPT.  

Here's another blast from the past (remember this guy?), with a equatorial mounted 18" CPT out for a test at Fremont Peak.

[Peter Natscher]

I know Richard Crisp had one of your larger aperature CPTs.  Is this Richard C?  He doesn't look like him.

[Mark Wagner]

Ah, Richard Crisp.  The flame wars over imaging discussion on TAC were epic!  He later became very friendly toward me, after all that.  Had the giant house in Castro Valley where we worked on turning his CPT 18 into I think a Classical Cas, I think.  He moved to a town named Hornitos, up near Michelle Stone (Bear Valley / Mariposa) an interesting historical spot.  Has an original now in ruin of a Ghirardelli chocolate store from James Lick's day (one of his pals).

Anyway, Richard was a fun guy!  Wonder what he's doing.

[Peter Natscher]

Richard and wife are, or were, raising cattle for beef, on acerage in Hornitos.  It's the Texas in him.  Go big!

He used to hand lift that 18" CPT onto the eq. mount saddle by himself.  What a struggle as I watched!  Wouldn't allow me to help.  Go Texas!!

[Rod Brown]

Mark, thanks for pointing out "Herschel II in Rome." I appreciate these thoughts about the philosophy of observing.

[Yuen So]

I don’t know Richard, but that 18” CPT surely looks impressive. It must be awkward to use GEM mounted Newtonian, especially one of that size.

Yuen 

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[Ted Hauter]

Telescope: that is definitely not as light as it looks. Must be 6061 aluminum and 1/4 sheets weight add up real fast. 

I'd get one if it was lighter materials.

The moment torque on my rebuilt DX mount (new CGEM II circuit boards, works perfect) would be worth slowly destroying for the views!

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