And now astronomers have broken the record for the most distant galaxy yet found - it's z8_GND_5296 and it is 30 billion light years away. That is 176,354,994,510,000,000,000 miles (176 quintillion) www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24637890

And now astronomers have broken the record for the most distant galaxy yet found - it's z8_GND_5296 and it is 30 billion light years away. That is 176,354,994,510,000,000,000 miles (176 quintillion) www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24637890

One of the loveliest, and most thought-provoking space images ever taken

Does anyone have any experience / thoughts / to offer about this, please …

rlhttps://www.aldi.co.uk/en/specialbuys/thursday-28th-november/product-detail/ps/p/dobson-telescope/rl

[iETA

But, just out of curiosity, I'd still appreciate info on my supplementary question ...

Also, will it interface with a DSLR? If so, how?

That scope looks an utter waste of time.

A Dobsonian is what is called in the trade a light bucket, that is, a comparatively huge looking scope which works well due to the sheer size of its mirror. They present a way to have an enormous powerful scope which is very portable, very quick to assemble and thus loads of bang for your buck. This item says it has a "lens diameter" of 76mm - I presume they don't know any better as a Dobsonian doesn't have an objective lens. But 76mm is tiny, a light pinhole rather than a bucket, and so there is no point to it.

Dobsonians mostly use a simple alt-azimuth mounting (that is, the base rotates around the horizontal and the scope pivots up and down) and most (certainly not this one) do not have any form of tracking or guidance system, the reason being that they let in so much light and have a comparatively large field of view, so you don't need to move the scope that much. But the lack of tracking makes even a proper Dob pretty useless for astrophotography (not that it can't be done; but is very much a specialist area with a proper Dob)

Sorry folks, looks like Comet Ison bought it as it whizzed around the Sun. Show's off.

I’ve no idea who referred to it as the “Comet of the Century” maybe somebody off The X Factor?

I’m still clinging to the faint hope Ison has survived & I will be up tomorrow looking eagerly to the southeast, then dragging my sad carcase back home to listen to faux disappointment from my wife.

Oh well, at least there’s the Geminids to look forwards to, that’s if I get a rare clear night & Mr Moon isn’t too bright.

too close to the mark

Well, it’s official now, the “Comet of the Century” is dead! www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12 ... 71817.html

Well, it’s official now, the “Comet of the Century” is dead! www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12 ... 71817.html

Superb animated gif of Comet Ison's first and last solar fly-by rlhererl, from the NASA STEREO spacecraft, takes some moments to load, but truly spectacular stuff.

We won't actually know, though, whether an part of the comet has survived, until the Hubble space telescope has the chance to zoom in and study the remains. This will take 2 to 3 weeks. It or its remains may yet become naked-eye visible, IF that happens, then Friday/Saturday would be the peak.

Jeez, I thought I was an optimist but you’re on a par Gottfried Leibniz .

You’re just trying to entice me to go out for one last attempt to see the “Comet of the Century” just as the temperature plummets.