The 30x view was incredible with the brilliantly lit Moon standing out in sharp contrast against a jet-black sky. There were no signs of internal reflections to degrade the image. Upping the power to 40x with the 15-mm Panoptic gave an even better view. Numerous craters along the terminator were razor sharp and the ghostly bluish glow of earthshine was clearly visible a breathtaking sight. Next I added the Powermate for a 200x tour of the lunar surface.
Mountain ranges, rays, rilles, and microscopic craters stood out in sharp, bold relief.
For nearly an hour I watched mesmerized as the shadow cast by the rim of Theophilus moved across the crater's floor. Turning to the lunar limb, I could make out just the slightest violet coloring. Deep-sky views with the Tele Vue 85 were equally impressive. At 17x with the 35-mm Panoptic, stars in the open cluster M44 shone like diamonds against a dark background. Nevertheless, moonlight and haze prevented pushing the scope to its limits on faint, diffuse objects such as nebulae and galaxies.