In the densely populated and brightly lit Swabia region, it is virtually impossible to find conditions suitable for the dark-adapted eye to observe the starry sky.

A few dark spots do remain, however, though they are accessible only on foot rather than by car.

To get there with the telescope, I mounted my new 16-inch Dobsonian, "Nachtgrabb," on wheels. So, on a Wednesday—following the Backnang Stargazers' regular meetup—I headed toward the Mainhardt Forest at 10 p.m.

At a hiking trailhead parking lot, I unloaded my car, then, within five minutes, I walked about 500 meters uphill—pulling the assembled transport cart—to a dark plateau at an elevation of 560 meters. It offered a panoramic view and was free of any directly visible light sources.

Accompanied by my fellow observer Dieter J., we reached the chosen spot after a five-minute walk. After another five minutes spent setting up and aligning the optics and finderscopes, we first targeted the galaxy Messier51.

That was the first observing experience with my new telescope, the "Nachtgrabb".

The focal position was spot-on, and the balance was perfect—both with and without an eyepiece in the focuser—while the azimuth and altitude bearings moved with a smoothness best described simply as "smooth." Dieter was also highly impressed by the viewing comfort of the perfectly functioning Dobsonian and the option to observe while seated.

Dieter was pleased to see the spiral arms directly, even at the initial 60x search magnification; we then increased the power to 128x and 200x. This proved beneficial, making the spiral arms clearly visible with better contrast and more defined structure.

Messier64, the Black Eye Galaxy, was quickly centered in the field of view. At 128x, the crescent-shaped dark structure next to the center was clearly visible.

Not far away lies the irregular galaxy NGC 4449. At 60x, a faint glow was visible. At 128x, a rectangular structure appeared, mottled with brighter patches.

M64, the Black Eye Galaxy, was quickly centered in the field of view. At 128x, the crescent-shaped dark structure next to the center was clearly visible. Not far away lies the irregular galaxy NGC 4449. At 60x, a faint glow was visible. At 128x, a rectangular structure appeared, mottled with brighter patches.

The interacting galaxies NGC 4631 and NGC 4627—known as "The Whale" or the "Herring Galaxy"—were the next target. At 128x magnification, the companion galaxy NGC 4627 was clearly visible. Dieter was impressed by the apparent size of NGC 4631 at 200x. At 60x, the pair NGC 4656/57—"The Hockey Stick"—appears in the field of view alongside the aforementioned objects. At magnifications of 128x and 200x, the features that give the galaxy its name are clearly visible.

The Leo Triplet was the next stop on the tour of the sky. All three galaxies were visible within the field of view at 60x magnification. The dust structures of NGC 3628—faintly discernible—were particularly admired at magnifications of 128x (14mm UWA) and 200x (9mm UWA).

Next, the telescope was slewed to the center of the Virgo Cluster. The area around M84 and M86 was explored along Markarian's Chain; at times, seven galaxies were visible in the field of view at 60x magnification (30mm Leitz).

Observing the galaxy cluster while seated, using a telescope that moves smoothly, is a delight.

Moving further south, the dust lane of the Sombrero Galaxy (M104) was then admired at magnifications of 128x and 200x.

The faint glow of the galaxies NGC 4038/39—the Antennae Galaxies in the constellation Corvus—concluded our tour of the spring sky's galaxies before the moon rose at 00:39.

The Dobsonian was dismantled and stowed on its transport trolley again within five minutes. After a short walk to the car, all the parts were laid out in the parking lot and stowed in the cargo area of ​​my Mercedes B-Class.

Despite wearing only thin trousers and a jacket, Dieter didn't regret joining the short walk to view the spring sky from one of the last remaining dark corners of the Swabian Forest.

I am very pleased with how my idea for a mobile Dobsonian telescope turned out in terms of handling and functionality. This outing served as a successful test, marking the completion of the project. Less than 15 minutes elapsed between my last look through the telescope and my departure.

I arrived home around 1:30 a.m. after a 45-kilometer drive through the night.