Star gazing

[thirdway]

Anyone else into astronomy. Been thinking about getting a scope for over 5 years and finally got one last week. Got a chance to use it for the first time tonight. Moon was brilliant, could make out mountains and valleys really well and craters in shadow looked properly deep and 3d. Then we managed to see Jupiter with 4 moons and coloured banding. Finally we managed to see a deep space object in the Orion Nebula. It wasn't very clear but I could make out a gas cloud illuminated by a star...mega.

[Serial675bpurchaser]

Do you need to go anywhere special to see detail like that (i.e. dark) ?

[flyn2k]

whats a good starter telescope?

[thirdway]

LOL that's opened a can of worms. I can tell you what I bought, but not what is best.

I got an 8" skywatcher dobsonian telescope for £275.00 (it's become amateurs scope of choice). It is a big thing, but breaks down to fit easily into a family car.

No fancy positioning systems, just star charts, luck and guesswork for deep space objects.

Like all things, this is the basic starter pack, you add additional/ better eye pieces as needed and a few basic tools are needed to set up the scope such as a collimator.

Viewing in towns is possible, but the more light the less you can see. Often there are dark spaces even in towns, such as parks. Best to be well away from light sources. We saw Juipiter from our town centre house. The moon can be seen from anywhere....as can the Sun with a dedicated Sunscope for daylight astronomy.

[alexfe]

Best to be out of the towns for best results due to light pollution!, good fun but you tend to get a bid board with it after you have found everything (just my opinion !)

[itollemache]

Considering how many objects there are in the sky, it will take quite a while to 'find everything'

[Asid810]

That sounds great-would love to have ago glad you finally got round to it 

Where do you live? Maybe you could arrange a star gazing evening ??

[thirdway]

Up in Darlington.

[Asid810]

Originally Posted by thirdway

Up in Darlington.

Oh bit far from me then-down in not so sunny Oxfordshire !! Will have to put one on my xmas list -shame as if you were just up road could have met for some star gazing-no that' s not a line either before you get wrong idea 

[thirdway]

Originally Posted by Asid810

Oh bit far from me then-down in not so sunny Oxfordshire !! Will have to put one on my xmas list -shame as if you were just up road could have met for some star gazing-no that' s not a line either before you get wrong idea 

  I was going to post something on the stargazing forum, but think I better get to know them better.

I was going to ask if they ever got arrested after being found in dark car parks in the middle of the night, illuminated only by red torches, discussing apertures and grunting while   Dragging their 12" dobsonians out of the passenger door.

[Asid810]

Originally Posted by thirdway

I was going to ask if they ever got arrested after being found in dark car parks in the middle of the night, illuminated only by red torches, discussing apertures and grunting while   Dragging their 12" dobsonians out of the passenger door.

  I imagine they have had some funny moments!!!!
Can you take pictures as well?-suppose you would need very high tech camera for that though

[alexfe]

Originally Posted by itollemache

Considering how many objects there are in the sky, it will take quite a while to 'find everything'

Oh dear how silly of me !
ill re-frase it to 'find everything of interest' then   

[thirdway]

Originally Posted by Asid810

I imagine they have had some funny moments!!!!
Can you take pictures as well?-suppose you would need very high tech camera for that though

Not really, some use a basic DSLR, others use a cheapish webcam by taking separate images and a software program to compile all the images together into one photo. Some pictures with an 8 or 10" scope are really phenomenal, particularly the gas clouds and nebula.

[Asid810]

Originally Posted by thirdway

Not really, some use a basic DSLR, others use a cheapish webcam by taking separate images and a software program to compile all the images together into one photo. Some pictures with an 8 or 10" scope are really phenomenal, particularly the gas clouds and nebula.

This is really interested me but cost is a bit off putting at mo-will have to wait a bit me thinks  trouble is I am planning a few bits on bike an money will only stretch so far -oh well one of these days -enjoy yourself-just be careful in those dark car parks/lay-bys etc 

[thirdway]

You can get a 6" Dob for under £200. Basic eye pieces come with it. Webcam is about £25 from what I can understand. Like you say, there is only so much cash to splash. I'm currently out of work at the moment so the bikes might have to stay off the road for the time being. 2 full sets of Ducati belts and valve checking for both bikes means they might have a longer holiday than usual LOL I can gaze at the heavens instead.