USER OBSERVATIONS Last updated: 30 November 2003

Subject:	ETX90 and saturn
Sent:	Saturday, November 29, 2003 18:26:02
From:	EddieDTS@aol.com
Unfortunatly i will be sending my ETX90 back this week to have the
problems fixed i wrote to you about where the dec goes awol by about 20
degrees at random. But its under guarentee and they will collect it and
repair it or replace it so thats good.

However I just had to let you all know about tonight, i went outside and
set my scope up in my garden at the bottom where i can see no lights
from my damn neighbours, the extension plug wouldnt stretch (batteries
next time) so i gave up on that and used it manually, almost hidden from
the annoying lights i noticed small amounts of thin cloud forming (thats
right it waits till i go out then covers the sky) and it was also misty
in parts but..... I noticed no stars were twinkling at all and what with
saturn well high in the sky by now (1am gmt) i set my sights on it, i
tested it first on the double castor, easyily split, the best ive split
it yet,128x clean, (although slight diffraction rings but minimal) and i
even saw the blueish double of polaris using only 100x , 12.4mm,

So onto saturn first with 9.7, super sharp showing the cassini division
area and a few moons, 195x was good too, then i used my 126 2x barlow
that i dropped in mud once and cleaned so its not perfect but at 256x it
was amazing, the best ive seen it ever, well i have  only been observing
for 2 months, you could clearly see the cassini division and the equator
belt and several moons, amazing and even then the seeing improved above
what it already was, then i tried 390x, of course this is far above the
theoretic maximum but im not one to go by the book, was not as sharp as
256 obviously but what i saw i dont mind a little blurryness, it was
great very observable still, a clear divide of the cassini division and
a great 3 d effect, it looked as if u could see the curve on the rings,
amazing,

This was a rare moment of excellant seeing which i have not had the
pleasure of before, hope i can see jupiter now in same seeing
conditions....just wanted you all to know that with the right conditions
this is a superb planetry scope, its not bad for deep sky too having
seen ngc 7331 at 50,000,000 ly away in a 90mm, not bad...

  eddie

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