Astronomy

[Rossco]

I've probably missed a blatantly obvious thread that already exists as always.

Wanna get into this as I'm always looking up at the night sky in wonder so have decided to buy a telescope for looking at and photographing the moon, planets, stars, etc.

Almost decided upon getting this telescope, the SkyWatcher Explorer 150PL after some advice from friends and a good bit of googling. http://www.firstlightoptics.com/refl...0pl-eq3-2.html

Anyone else into this that can share some wisdom and experience?

[EJG1980]

You should definitely go for it. I got into astronomy earlier in the year and it's a brilliant hobby. Although you will develop a real hatred for clouds and street lights

[EJG1980]

Don't have too much wisdom though! I'm definitely no expert on the subject.

The photography side of it can be a bit complex (I haven't done much more than take photos of the moon so far, and made a quick video of Jupiter). I'm mainly into the observing side at the moment. The scope you're looking at seems like a good buy, you need an equatorial mount if you want to take proper long exposure photographs. I went for a more simple alt-az mount for ease of use, but it's not really suitable for photography.

I'm currently reading a book called Digital SLR Astrophotography to get myself more up to speed before I take the plunge and buy a new mount.

Oh, webcam imaging can be a good cheap place to start, I used a webcam attached to the scope to get my video of Jupiter.

This is a good forum that I often use to look up bits of info and ask questions: http://stargazerslounge.com/

In general I'd say buy your telescope, spend a good while getting used to setting it up, learning how it works so it becomes second nature, get used to finding objects in the sky, etc., then move on to the photography side of things.

And (yes, my brain is slow, hence the multiple edits ) Stellarium is a great real time planetarium app, very useful for helping you work out where stuff should be in the night sky. One of the best features is being able to set it up so that you can preview what certain objects should look like through your specific telescope, really helps when you then go outside to try and find said object for real. Free, and available for Mac, Windows and Linux.

[Charlie]

Astronomy's one of my favourite pastimes. Sitting outside in the small hours and gazing up at the sky alight with stars, seeing Saturn's rings on the Andromeda galaxy there in real time through a scope - you can't beat it. It ignites the imagination.

Your chosen scope looks a goodun, but does it have a motor? I don't take pictures myself but am pretty sure you'll need a motor for astrophotography. The only other advice I have is dress up warm, take a flask of a hot drink with you, let your eyes adjust to the darkness for a good half an hour to see things at their best, and the same with your telescope, it needs a good hour in the cold to produce the best images as any warm air inside the tube will produce currents which will distort the image. If you're gonna use a torch, make sure the light is red. That's it really. Enjoy.

Oh, and it's all personal preference, but I'd train your scope on Saturn as soon as you can. There's something unforgettable about seeing those rings for the first time there in real time and they're at a decent angle right now.

[Fader209]

Go for it dude

I have no advice or experience, just wanted to support something different that I would love to try out one day.

[Brad]

I think this is right up dogg_thang's street. His latest show is about teaching kids about the planets and stuff. I will follow this thread with interest.

[EJG1980]

Oh, and it's all personal preference, but I'd train your scope on Saturn as soon as you can. There's something unforgettable about seeing those rings for the first time there in real time and they're at a decent angle right now.

By pure and absolute luck the very first thing I saw through my telescope was Saturn. Just picked a "star" at random, turned the focussing dial, and to my shock I saw that this "star" had rings

Definitely helped get me hooked. Jupiter is an amazing sight too, not sure what one I prefer. My favourite non-planet is the Albireo double star, which I have as my avatar. Then there are the globular star clusters like M13... I love Pleiades too, that's going to be my first target when I properly get into photographing stuff. There's so much amazing stuff up there to look at, didn't realise how much variety you can see even through a cheapish telescope.

Oh yeah, you're right, for photography you'll need an equatorial mount with a motor to automatically turn the scope to compensate for the rotation of the earth. If you're unsure of exactly what to get I can recommend Harrison Telescopes. When I started I emailed them with my budget, told them what I was planning to use the telescope for, and they recommended what I should buy. Very good service.

But Fader209 is right, just go for it, it's a really satisfying hobby. Even when you do end up forcing yourself out of bed at 03:30 to make sure you catch Jupiter before it gets too light

[Dogg Thang]

Yeah, I love astronomy. Though truth be told, I know nothing about the actual equipment end at all - I don't even own my own (if I get this project going, I'll rectify that!). Was using a mate's telescope and my own ridiculously strong binoculars (which I actually wouldn't recommend). One thing I would suggest looking at is the possibility of going for a telescope with one of those computerised location systems. The one I used has one and it makes finding stuff so much easier - you start with your coordinates and it knows where it is, although I think some fancier ones might even do it by GPS.

I second the recommendation for Stellarium - that programme made all the difference when I was starting to look for stuff just with the binoculars. I spent evenings running in and out to the laptop to get my bearings. There's also an iOS version if you've got an iPhone/iPad, but I'm not sure that version is free. PC one definitely is.

And yes, Saturn is a fantastic find because we all know what it looks like but seeing it for yourself is a whole other thing. And when I found it, I couldn't even make out much detail (like a planet with ears) but I knew what I was looking at and it's great to be able to see it for yourself. Jupiter was also great to see earlier in the year and you should still be able to get a good view now, even seeing its moons.

Actually, there's a website that updates each day and tells you what you can see and when - http://astronomycentral.co.uk/planet...he-sky-tonight

[Charlie]

Did you see Saturn through your mate's scope or binoculars, Dogg Thang, because even a 6 inch f/8 reflector should give you a clear image of the rings including the Cassini Division.

I second your recommendation of a computerised location system. I use an old Russian TAL telescope with no motor, no computer system, just a simple finderscope, and pinpointing objects is often a real pain, especially on partly cloudy nights when the windows of opportunity are short.

By pure and absolute luck the very first thing I saw through my telescope was Saturn. Just picked a "star" at random, turned the focussing dial, and to my shock I saw that this "star" had rings

Definitely helped get me hooked. Jupiter is an amazing sight too, not sure what one I prefer. My favourite non-planet is the Albireo double star, which I have as my avatar. Then there are the globular star clusters like M13... I love Pleiades too, that's going to be my first target when I properly get into photographing stuff. There's so much amazing stuff up there to look at, didn't realise how much variety you can see even through a cheapish telescope.

Oh yeah, you're right, for photography you'll need an equatorial mount with a motor to automatically turn the scope to compensate for the rotation of the earth. If you're unsure of exactly what to get I can recommend Harrison Telescopes. When I started I emailed them with my budget, told them what I was planning to use the telescope for, and they recommended what I should buy. Very good service.

But Fader209 is right, just go for it, it's a really satisfying hobby. Even when you do end up forcing yourself out of bed at 03:30 to make sure you catch Jupiter before it gets too light

I forgot about the Pleiades. I love looking at them, even with the naked eye they're a sight to behold, but through binoculars or a telescope they're just beautiful. So bright and blue and sparkly. They look cleaner and clearer than other stars somehow.

[Rossco]

Wow, lots of informative replies guys cheers!

I decided on that scope because my mate suggested it would be better to spend the money on the best scope rather than for extras like motors so I can get the best view possible. He said he likes having to look for things rather than just letting the scope do the work for you. I believe you can upgrade this scope with a motor for around ?100 so maybe that's something I can add in the future if I think I want it.

Will have a look at all the links people posted and read up on the info so thanks again.

Won't be ordering this until end of the month so have time to research more into if I want a motorised one and if I'm willing to spend more money.

[Charlie]

I can understand your friend recommending spending money on a scope with great optics and no frills - that's kinda the philosophy I adopted when choosing mine but as rewarding as finding those objects yourself is, and it is quite rewarding as it adds to the anticipation, there will be times when you wish you could just press a button to find your next target, especially when you're cold and tired.

But like you suggested, you can always upgrade to a motor (which you'll need for photograpgy) and/or computer system at a later date if you still desire.

[Dogg Thang]

Did you see Saturn through your mate's scope or binoculars, Dogg Thang, because even a 6 inch f/8 reflector should give you a clear image of the rings including the Cassini Division.

Yeah, it was through the telescope and I couldn't clearly make out the rings like I see them in pics. Like, they were there and I could see where they were but it wasn't a clear image so required a bit of imagination to fill it in, if you know what I mean. Might have been focus or something, or maybe the angle it happened to be at then? But, as I say, I got Jupiter and its moons really clearly so not sure. Got a great Mars view once too - almost like looking at the moon, only red.

Planets are the big thing the binoculars can't do. Mostly they look like just bright stars, although you can get the colours and, with Saturn, the extended shape that the rings create. The binoculars are great for things like star clusters, even galaxies (the odd time) and so on but not planets. That's why I really need to get a telescope at some point.

[EJG1980]

The atmospheric conditions will play a very big part too. I had clear looking nights earlier this year where Saturn would look fairly fuzzy and was hard to focus on, and dodgy nights with a fair bit of cloud about where Saturn would look pin sharp and crystal clear.

[Anpanman]

Used to be into astronomy as a kid but drifted away. Daughter is now getting the bug which has got me interested. Buying her a Skywatcher Mak 90 for Chrimbo.

Started last winter really, got her the Stargazing 2011 and planisphere & now got updated versions for 2012.

[Charlie]

Nice you've gotten back into it. I used to subscribe to The Sky at Night's newsletter as a kid and still have fond memories of sending off those stamped, self-addressed envelopes. God bless ol' Patrick Moore, he won't be with us much longer.