OBSERVATIONS WITH ETX-125EC Last updated: 29 May 2001

Subject:	 Clay's Hercules guide
Sent:	Monday, May 28, 2001 21:50:10
From:	teb1013@hotmail.com (Thomas Brown)
In the past couple of weeks we've had about two clear nights here in
Eastern PA, but both have been exceptional.  Tonight had wonderful
seeing even in my bright suburban backyard.  I've been having a good
time with Clay's guides, and I was going through the Hercules guide
tonight.  This has three of my favorite objects, Ras Algethi, and of
course M13 and M 92 [great resolution of individual stars in these
clusters with my ETX 125 right to the heart of M 13 and many in 92 as
well].  As I really like double stars, I enjoyed many of the other
objects in the guide including Delta, Rho, and 95 Herculi.  The Autostar
was working well tonight, with objects in the data base, but these
objects [which need to enter RA and Dec] ended up outside the field of
vision, and needed a little slewing around to find them .  Enjoyed all
objects when I saw, them although the "tough triple" Mu was too tough [I
saw the dim star but wasn't able to get beyond this].  After I finished
the guide [with the exceptions of the faint planetary and globular] I
got a great view of eps Lyrae the double double, cleanly split in the
steady air using the 26mm and the #126 Barlow, and good views of M57 the
Ring Nebula with a real sense of the ring.

Also had spectacular views of the moon in its first quarter, I wish
there were a photographic Atlas with mirror reversed lunar images [I
don't like drawn maps of the moon, because they seldom capture the
appearance of the features in their separate phases.  Turn Left at Orion
has small moon photos which are help for basic learning purposes.  At
the present time, I'm using Cherrington's Exploring the Moon Through
Binoculars and small telescopes, although you have to mentally reverse
the images [at least they aren't inverted]. Anyway, seeing minute
details crisply [and without the slightest wavering from atmospheric
disturbance] is very satisfying for me.  Not too many people comment on
looking at the moon, but I for one enjoy learning my way around this
clearly visible world. Sadly Mars was too low and only visible briefly
through the trees before I came in.

Anyhow, we all tend to write when we're having problems, just wanted to
briefly comment on how satisfying the ETX experience can bee when things
are working well.  Am particularly looking forward to using the Scorpius
and Saggitarius guides later in the season.

Tom Brown.

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