120mm Refractor Telescope
Ahmend Studioz
Finally I got a chance to use my new Skywatcher Startravel 120mm refractor telescope last night, with the skies clearing for around 5 hours. I had also bought a new finderscope as the one on the scope was a red dot finder, which I'd used before but never really liked. So I got a Skywatcher 9 X 30 right angled finderscope, which fits like a glove to the new scope. I also used my new Explore Scientific 1.25" UHC nebula filter for viewing too. As I bought the scope as an OTA I was using my Celestron 130 EQ mount with the scope, but using it just in alt AZ mode and not in Equatorial mode.
As where I live is overlooked by street lighting at the front and back of my property, there are really only 3 spots where I can hopefully do any good observations of the night sky. One of these is right outside my side door on the house, which has a dark corridor of sky that I can have a very limited view of the night sky. First off, after checking out some of the stars around Lyra and Ursa Major to test the optics, I settled on looking at M57 as that was the only DSO that was positioned in my corridor of sky that I knew I could find easy enough having observed it with my other telescopes (2 X 70mm refractors, 130mm Newtonian reflector) I have. After first getting Lyra and the rough place where M57 was in my finderscope (the image in the finderscope was superb), I quickly located the faint smudge of light that was M57 in my 32mm EP. Using then my 25mm, 12mm and finally 6mm EP's I then got a great view of the ring nebula. With the UHC filter when the viewing was calm I could make out the central ring part of the structure OK. I also viewed this with my 2 X Barlow with the above EP's too.
I then noticed that in my other spot in my back garden where I can view without been blinded by the street lamps that M31 was visible just above my rooftop, so quickly moved my scope to this new position to view this. Again, with all the above EP's and 2 X Barlow I got some superb images of M31 and it companions. I could make out more nebulosity in the spiral arms then I have ever seen, and the core was bright even at high magnification views too. After been lost in M31 for quite a while, I then took a break as there was some high hazy clouds scudding in to spoil the view, so went in for a cup of tea for about an hour. During all this time I was having to put up with fireworks and rockets exploding in the night sky, but thankfully most of these were in the distance and not too close to me.
When I poked my head out after this to let my dog out so he could do his doggy things in the garden, the skies again were nice and clear. So after setting my scope outside my side door again I decided to hunt for M81 & M82 in Ursa Major. I had never observed these two galaxies before through any of my scopes, and could just very faintly see them with my 15 X 70 binoculars when the sky was good enough, but I was never 100% sure that it was indeed them that I was seeing. After scanning the area where I knew they should be with my 32mm EP I quickly got them both in view, and for the next hour I was just drunk with observing all I could from these two galaxies. The UHC filter worked very well, but surprisingly the sky by this time was so nice and dark that even without the filter in the EP's I could still make them both out very well.
After this by this time of night Orion had risen very well in the sky which enabled me to view M42 when I moved back to where I was before viewing M31 from. M42 was absolutely stunning with this scope. It was the best I had ever viewed it in all my time over the years doing astronomy (on and off). I could easily see well into the Trapezium, where I could see 4 of the 6 stars that make this up. The nebulosity of M42 was again the best I had ever seen. Sadly, by this time clouds where once again scudding in from the south to spoil these wonderful views. If it had stayed clear I am sure I would have stayed up most of the night just soaking up M42 more, and then would have tried to see Jupiter, Venus and Mars in the morning sky too. As it was by 3am I was sound asleep in bed with all the great views I had seen in this first observing session with my new 120mm refractor whirling around in my mind still. Hopefully I will get many more too in the future, and also find many more things that have previously eluded me too.
Thanks BigSumorian for correcting that typo. If last night was anything to go by I sure will have plenty of fun. Pleased to see M81 & M82 finally as these two have eluded me for years. I Will check out M27 when I next can (which is going to be next weekend at the earliest due to work), and also try for the Veil nebula too if possible. The Jewel of the night for me though was M42. As many times as I've seen it before the view last night was like seeing if afresh for the first time again.
Thanks laudropb. To be honest I think I had got kind of blas with M42 over the years. Along with the new view I get of it through the new scope, and potential new views for any firsts too in future my passion for astronomy has rekindled again from been just an armchair astronomer for quite a few years, to been an observer again. Cheers!
You bagged some great targets for a first light, M42 is the nebula that keeps on giving, the trapezium area is one of my favourite sights, on a really good night you should be able to tease out the E star of this stellar nursery.
Thanks John. So far all is great, even just after one nights viewing. My weather app is telling me I will have some clear skies tonight too, so if so I'll be back out trying to see more into the trapezium if the clouds do indeed stay away. Got the option of using either my 12 or 10 mm EPs with my 2x Barlow to try to see the "E" and "F"' stars, or just my 6mm on its own. Hopefully one of those combinations with some steady skies might eek them out! Cheers!
Thanks Des. I was chuffed to have seen M81 & M82 galaxies eventually, but M42 really blew me away through the new scope. Even though I had seen it may times in the past in all my other scopes I have owned, this was like seeing it anew again like for the first time! Cheers!
Thanks seven_legs. That's my next upgrade on the scope too was to look at getting a diagonal that accepts both 2" and 1.25" with an adapter. Also, want a 90 degree one. The 45 degree one on the scope is OK, except when getting up to zenith. I may just buy one for Christmas as an extra extra Christmas gift to self! Hehe!
Thanks Piero. I need to be patient to get the views I know. Sadly, I am away for work all this week until I return home on Friday evening, so I am just hoping that for the weekend ahead we get some nice clear skies for the nighttime. By that time I'll just be itching to get behind the eyepiece again to spot some more jewels in the night sky!
The 45 degree diagonals are not (generally) that great for astro viewing because their prisim system adds a few relections and some light scatter. I think you will find a 90 degree astro diagonal (whether 2" or 1.25") produces better quality views.
This one will allow both 2" and 1.25" EP's and from a good manufacturer it seems. Don't want to get into anything more than 100. After all that would be nearly half the price of the actual 120mm refractor I've just got!
Using a doublet refractor instead of a triplet has some advantages: less glass means less weight, less weight means a less expensive telescope, so you can dedicate more money for your camera or laptop while benefiting from a lightweight astrophotography rig.
I brought my recently acquired ST 120 mm to Dorset this weekend. Here I have an 8 inch Newtonian which I normally use.It stays in Dorset.But last night I used the ST to stargaze in a really dark and clear sky. It did not fail. Numerous star clusters, the Double Cluster,M81, M82 and the whirlpool galaxy were bagged. The 8 inch Newtonian always performs. But the ease of setup and use including a comfortable sitting position makes the ST a venerable performer, a joy to use with a shorter tube length. It does have it's limitations. The view of Albireo was good. But the colours of the two stars were not as true as seen through a Newtonian or an ED refractor. This colour rendition of these stars would be improved with a comparable in performance F/5 130 mm or 150 mm Newtonian. The background Milky Way stars with the ST were seen as small pin points closely gathered together.I did'nt notice this so much through a Newtonian. The lack of central obstruction is a benefit with the ST 120 mm refractor. Being ideal for low power and wide field stargazing.I do enjoy my 80 mm Equinox refractor for my dose of tight pin point and more colour correction on stars. I am currently looking for a smaller Meade ETX Maksutov or Celestron Maksutov for planetary viewing. So my arsenal of telescopes will consist of reasonably modest sized instruments. These can be handled by my AZ GTi goto mount which is fitted to a sturdy EQ5 tripod.
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