#532 - Spring Galaxy Hunting and Listener Emails
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Amateur astronomers Chris and Shane dive into spring galaxy hunting with a mix of personal gear confessions, listener stories, and deep dives into observational challenges. The episode kicks off with a candid discussion about the surprising performance of a $150 semi-apochromatic filter on a fast 7-inch refractor—transforming it into a near-apo experience with 90% reduction in chromatic aberration. They celebrate Teleview Optics’ unmatched build quality, even as they joke about the $45,000 price tag of the upcoming Astrophysics 190 telescope. Listener emails paint a vivid picture of the season’s observing struggles: Michael Wright recounts a stellar night in Ontario spotting ARP 214 and Hickson Compact Group 56 with a 12-inch scope, while Kirk from Texas shares his joy with a new 80mm ED refractor under Bortle 2 skies. Tony’s legendary 'projector lens refractor' fiasco—where a 1960s camera lens turned into a 125mm, f/3.65 monstrosity—serves as a cautionary tale about copy scopes. The hosts emphasize that aperture isn’t everything: a 7-inch can reveal Leo Trio and Markarian’s Chain details, but true galaxy mastery requires patience, proper tools like Sky Safari, and managing expectations. They end with a curated list of 15th-magnitude galaxies—many from Kemble’s 50—inviting listeners to explore beyond the Messiers with a 12-inch scope. The episode’s core revelation?
A $150 semi-apo filter reduces chromatic aberration in fast refractors by 90%, making a 7-inch f/6 scope perform like a near-apochromatic system.
Aperture isn't everything—7-inch refractors can reveal detailed structures in galaxies like M81, M82, and the Leo Trio with 65-70x magnification.
The Virgo galaxy cluster is overwhelming even for experienced observers; use Sky Safari with your scope or detailed star charts to avoid getting lost.
Many galaxies appear brighter than their magnitude suggests due to concentrated cores—M66 and M65 look much brighter than the diffuse NGC 3800 despite similar magnitudes.
Avoid copy scopes made from old projector lenses; they’re heavy, soft, and rarely deliver usable astronomy performance, despite their low cost.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Spring Galaxy Hunting & Listener Emails
Chris and Shane kick off episode 532 with a warm welcome and a call for listener questions ahead of David Nagler’s upcoming appearance. They set the tone with a mix of gear enthusiasm and observational realism, highlighting the joy of spring skies and the challenges of winter weather.
Teleview Optics & the $45K Astrophysics 190
“I bet it is. I bet it is. Yeah, I thought instead of getting a new car at some point in the future, I could get that which would be more expensive than any car that I would ever buy...”
Michael Wright’s Stellar Night in Perth County
“Highlight of the evening was ARP 214 and the interacting galaxies 3718 and 3729, along with Hickson Compact Group 56, which was stunning to observe. It could resolve structure in both NGC galaxies.”
Kirk’s Texas Trip & the Virgo Cluster Challenge
Kirk from Texas describes three perfect nights at a dark site with his new 80mm ED refractor, enjoying M44, M45, and NGC 884. He shares his struggle with the Virgo cluster’s overwhelming density and the difficulty of star-hopping without digital tools.
Tony’s Projector Lens Refractor Disaster
“The image was let's just say very bright, very wide field, but very soft. Uh, it was as if the Pleiades was smeared with jelly only the inner third of the field was somewhat sharp.”
“I bet it is. I bet it is. Yeah, I thought instead of getting a new car at some point in the future, I could get that which would be more expensive than any car that I would ever buy and a nice mount for that would be like the 10 micron for what it's called MPS 1000 or something like that which is a $20 ,000 Canadian mount so you'd be looking at pretty Pretty much close to $100 ,000 for your”
“The image was let's just say very bright, very wide field, but very soft. Uh, it was as if the Pleiades was smeared with jelly only the inner third of the field was somewhat sharp.”
“Highlight of the evening was ARP 214 and the interacting galaxies 3718 and 3729, along with Hickson Compact Group 56, which was stunning to observe. It could resolve structure in both NGC galaxies.”
Hosts
Guest
Teleview Optics
brand
David Nagler
person
Michael Wright
person
Kirk
person
Sky Safari
product
Tony
person
Kemble's 50
other
Astrophysics 190
product
Harold Hill
person
Adam
person
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