[Rigsby]

Do you like looking up to the stars at night?
Are you fascinated by the Moon?
Have you always had an interest in 'stargazing'?
Are you looking for a new and exciting hobby?

I'll try to outline here the things you need to consider before buying your first telescope. It's a big decision and can be very daunting. Thankfully, you won't find a more helpful bunch of people than amateur astronomers.

First you need to ask yourself if this hobby is for you and why you would be getting in to it. Many people are in wonder at the night sky, but never considered actually getting a telescope for whatever reason. I was one of those people. I wish I'd done it sooner. Even though I only recently got a telescope, I've been studying astronomy all my life. Naked eye astronomy, as some call it.

It may be that you've never considered it and are just looking for a relatively low cost and approachable hobby that will get you out and about and meeting people. Wherever you are, there is probably a 'star party' going on not too far from you, set up by your local amateur astronomer's club.

But it doesn't just enable you to meet new people via official clubs, you can do what is called 'outreach' as well. This is one of the most rewarding parts of this hobby. You can do this for your local Church, youth club, school or just for other kids that you might know in your neighborhood that might want to get involved.

If you have kids yourself there is no better way to get them involved with science at a grass roots level than with astronomy. They will learn about chemistry, phsyics, math, engineering etc. etc. - all at a practical 'need to know' level. They will be able to apply what they learn to their hobby and the two will feed back on each other in a positive way.

Or you might just be a bit bored, but have the good fortune to live somewhere where you have good enough conditions to view the night sky. Light pollution is a massive problem now and only getting worse. I'll get in to how darkness is measured and maps that will tell you what the conditions are where you live or nearby. This is a major consideration, as it will have a definite influence on the type of telescope you will want to get.

OK, so you decided you want to give it a go. Great! Where do you start?

First you need to ask yourself what kind of objects you want to observe. The sky is a big place. A telescope opens up that vastness to you. Do you want to observe DSO's (deep sky objects - nebulae, galaxies) or will you be content with your near solar system and the planets, the moon, the sun?

You need to have realistic observations as well with what you will and will not be able to see with a beginner's telescope. By 'beginner' I mean something in the range of 50 - 500 bucks. You can always spend more if you have the cash.

You need to realise that all those images you have seen from the Hubble and whatnot have been composited over a period of time and also it's not just optical 'stuff' they are picking up, it's X-Ray, Infra-Red, Radiowave. All 'stuff' on the electro-magnetic spectrum sure, but we are limited to what we can see in the visible range that our eyes can pick up in the 'optical'. Also, the eye has limitiations, where as a camera pointed to the same spot for even half an hour can pick up 10 times more detail.

Oops, forgot Ultra-Violet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_te...l_spectrum

I won't get in to 'Astro-photography' here, because I know very little about it, apart from the basics. Besides, it's a greater expense again. You need a decent camera (though these need not be expensive), you need different types of mount for your telescope, you probably need a better telescope again, and not forgetting bigger eyepieces with less abberations. Let's learn to walk before we run. You can get in to all that stuff later.

So, you have realistic expectations, but what can you expect to see up there? With your eyes, in the optical visible spectrum, with an entry level 'scope?

At the lower end (the 50 bucks 'scope) you aren't going to be able to see as much as a 500 bucks 'scope. By 'bucks' I mean dollars of course, but it loosely translates to Pounds Sterling and Euros too.

I will assume we are on the same page here with a 500 bucks scope. That is what I have, and that is what I know. It's a lot of money to some people I know, but it's doable for most people if they are serious about this. Again, you can always work your way up.

The thing to remember is, you may not be able to see that much more with a 5K (5 thousand bucks) scope. Sure, you will have better magnification, better light transfer and brighter objects, less abberations, better colour representation, but you still won't be able to see the US flag on the Moon. Expectations! And you can easily spend 20K on a telescope, no problem at all. This can be a 'cheap' hobby, but it can be as expensive as as much spare change you have to throw at it.

So we have our 500 bucks telescope, what can we expect to see?

1: The Moon. Prepare to be amazed as you see the Sun cast shadows on the craters. Best time to observe is not Full Moon, because the shadows across the peaks give it a 3D quality. Breathaking.

2: The rings of Saturn. This is always a top favourite. Saturn looks just like any other 'star' up there, but when you tune in that also draws a gasp.

3: Jupiter and its four moons. The moons look like stars orbiting Jupiter, but when you observe this in the early evening dusk, while the sky is still relatively bright, it's another thing that you will always remember first seeing.

4: DSO's (deep sky objects) - clusters, nebulae, galaxies. The first 'cluster' that springs to mind is the seven sisters aka the pleiades - it's a young star formation about a 100 million years old iirc, and of course being youngish it is populated by mainly very bright, hot blue stars. When you see M45 for the first time, your jaw will drop.

The first 'nebulae' that springs to mind is the one in Orion. What you think is one of the stars in his 'belt' is in fact something else all together. Another memorable event.

And galaxy wise, the most obvious one is Andromeda. It might not be totally jaw dropping (we are pushing things here at this price point), but the fact that you know that the photons hitting your eye have been traveling in a straight line for nearly 3 million years will fill you with awe and wonder.

5: Mars. Mars is a bitch at the best of times. The reason for this is that it lies very low on the galactic plane, so rarely rises high enough to get a good look from over the tree tops and roof tops, plus atmospheric conditions are worse when observing low objects - more atmosphere and therefore more distortion to destroy the view - the best place to observe anything is right up above your head - less atmosphere, better focus (we'll cover atmospheric conditions later).

Also Mars comes and goes. It recently was closer than it had been for 60,000 years iirc. And to really piss in your chips when it was at its closest, there was a massive dust storm that enveloped the whole planet.

However, the joy is in catching it on a good day. It looks like a big red lentil. And you might even catch one of its polar caps of ice as well. Stars always look like pin prick points of light. No matter what telescope you view with. Don't get your hopes up, and you will be rewarded by viewing our very nearest planetary neighbour (apart from the Moon of course).

6: Venus. The morning and evening 'star'. Many mistake it for a UFO or plane coming in to land it is that bright at certain times. You can even see the phases of Venus as you can the Moon. It is also our very nearest neighbour, but from the other direction. But you need to be up early in the morning before it gets light for the best views, and again, it lies low on the galactic plane so make sure you have a little 'elevation' when observing.


Alright, that's just off the top of my head, but it should give you an idea of what to realistically expect. If you are expecting infra-red composite x-ray time lapse and recoloured images, it's probably best to stop reading now. However, what you do see will blow you away.

Oh, I forgot, and many people neglect this one: The Sun!

WARNING: DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH A TELESCOPE UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING! YOU NEED TO USE A SPECIAL SOLAR FILTER IN PERFECT CONDITION THAT FITS PERFECTLY, OR YOU WILL BE PERMANENTLY BLINDED!

The telescope I got came with a certified solar filter. We'll get in to filters later, but this is one filter you don't want to cheap out on.

With that said, you can view eclipses and you can view sunspots. It's another thing 'up there' that your new scope will help you to get a better look at. You can even view the Moon in daytime too, don't forget, so this is not just a night time hobby.

In my next post I'll cover different types of scopes and how to pick the best one for you.

[Rigsby]

Before I forget, I must mention Binoculars.

You can get a decent pair for a hundred bucks, and really, you want a pair anyway for 'sighting' and 'locating' stuff up there. We'll get in to red dot finders later, as I explain the basic concept of how to actually use a telescope.

Binoculars have a much wider field of view than your average 'eyepiece' that will attach to your scope. This makes them excellent for viewing things like the Andromeda galaxy which is huge, and also for things like the seven sisters which we just mentioned. You will need a tripod though as you won't be able to hold them steady and it will just be a blur.

In fact, a half-decent pair of inexpensive binos might be the best way to start off if you are unsure what you want to observe.

What you want to observe will dictate which kind of telescope you get.

Things you need to consider:

1: Where will I be observing from? Is it dark? Light polluted?
2: What do I want to view? DSO's, The Moon, The Planets?
3: How much money do I want to spend?
4: Do I want to get in to Astro-photography later?
5: How portable a system do I need? Will I be backpacking with it when I go out hiking and camping? Will I be traveling to another part of the world where sky conditions are much more favourable and I just want to make sure I have 'something' to observe with? Do I have a truck I can mount the thing on and drive out in to the desert with? Do I just want it for my backyard and won't even be considering transporting it? This is a big one to consider.
6: Am I really unsure about this and just want to buy the cheapest thing I can get to see if it is for me? Or am I so cocksure that this is going to be a life-long pursuit, I'll pony up the extra few bucks to get me that one scope that is just a bit more bang for buck?
7: OK, I want to go ahead, what's the most bang for buck scope I can get with my budget, including the whole package?
8: Don't forget you will need a few extras like better eyepieces, dew protectors, collimation devices, filters and whatnot - can cost double of what you pay for your scope! This is important.
9: Am I buying the scope for myself, or my kids, or as a gift? What is their level of interest? What do they like?
10: What can I end up losing financially, if I decide this is not for me and just want to sell all my kit? Is that easy? How does this stuff hold value? Where do I sell?
11: What sort of time investment do I need to put in to this to get good results? How quickly can I be up and running?
12: What other tools will I need apart from physical kit? Surely I will need some software too to get the most out of all this stuff?


That's just off the top of my head. Some of those questions only you can answer for yourself, others I can help you with and give advice.

Probably the best resource on the entire internet is a forum called cloudynights! Here is the link: https://www.cloudynights.com/index

Here you can ask all those questions I've just posed, and an hour or two later, a dozen people will have answered them all for you. They are among the most helpful people I've ever come across on the entire internet. Scrub that. They are the most helpful people I have ever come across. They are patient and welcoming and also extremely competent being able to go in to as great a scientific detail as your brain can handle.

They cover the best type of scope. The best eyepieces. The best mounts and the best filters, the best everything. They also give of their hard-earned experience of decades of observing. A few of them have 30K rigs. Every question you ask has probably been already answered. It's a warm and welcoming community, and no question is too basic or stupid. You could stop reading this post right now and just go there. My work is done!

So, if you're still reading, you probably want a quick answer to what telescope is right for you. As you can see with so many factors it comes down to personal choice and a little research, but roughly speaking, telescopes at this price point will fall in to two major categories:

1: The Reflector (Newtonian).
2: The Refractor (Galilean).

We could get in to the history of the telescope here and it's very fascinating. But roughly speaking, Sir Isaac Newton and Galileo Galilei are associated with these two types, respectively.

If you want to know more, this is an excellent resource:

https://history.amazingspace.org/resourc.../index.html

https://history.amazingspace.org/resourc.../index.html

https://history.amazingspace.org/resourc...eturn=true


That is an absolutely wonderful site, and even if you don't plan on getting a telescope, I can only say you must give it a read. I'm not at my main computer at the moment with all my astronomy resources, so I'm winging it a bit here. But I took the time (5 minutes) to dig that one out and find it on google. I have many more resources I will share later.

Btw, from that site: Newton didn't even build his telesope for stargazing, but he used it for his ground-breaking and seminal work in optics.



Not sure if that is the original one he built nearly 500 years ago, but this is a replica of it:




I have a great fondness for this design as it is pretty much exactly the same type that I have nearly 500 years later.

Newton was a true giant. Some men split the atom, but he split a beam of light in to a rainbow! I digress.


So what are the pros and cons of these two main designs?

http://www.astronomytoday.com/astronomy/telescopes.html

Each telescope has its own advantage, for instance the refractor is better for observing the planets and the moon and the reflector for deep-sky objects (e.g. galaxies). However, the refractor suffers from what is known as chromatic aberration. This is when the different wavelengths of light are brought to focus at different points due to the glass in the objective lens refracting (bending) the different wavelengths to different degrees. This, however, is only noticeable in refractors with an aperture (diameter of objective lens) of 10cm (4") or more. It can be corrected using achromatic and apochromatic (modified) lenses.

This can be very expensive, so very large apertures reflectors are more popular. The third type that I mentioned was the Schmidt Cassegrain telescope. It has grown in popularity because it combines the best of a reflector and refractor. They are very portable as the tube does not have to be as long as that of a reflector - this is because of the light being 'folded over'. They have an ease of use not available with the other telescopes and there are plenty of readily available accessories, e.g. computer controllability.


You need to remember there are hybrids and sub-types of these types of telescope, but don't get too sidetracked for now. These are by far the two most common designs of optical telescopes.


Reflectors tend to be a bit more bulky, so not great if you plan to go hiking with them. Then again, their Schmidt Cassegrain and Maksutov variations make the OTA's (optical tube assembly) smaller. But you pay a price for this, financially. More parts, more money. A standard Newtonian Reflector is just about the most simplest design you can possibly get. But as always, there is a trade off.

Refractors tend to be longer rather than bulkier, and can be a bit more expensive again, depending on your use case.

A Reflector of Maksutov design:
https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/cel...scope.html

A Reflector of Schmidt-Cassegrain design:
https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/cel...scope.html

Differences in price, differences in portability, differences in 'quality' of optics. Differences in 'aperture'.

How can we forget 'aperture'? It is probably the single most important factor when choosing a telescope. It determines its size, what you can and can't see with it. We'll get to all this stuff in a bit. Generally speaking the bigger the aperture, the bigger the 'light bucket' and the ability to capture photons to transmit to your eye. But aperture whilst being a core concept of telescopes, doesn't scale equally among different types. For example, a six inch refractor is not equal to a six inch reflector. Apples and oranges, even though they are both fruit.

Again, let's not try to run before we can walk. You will need to study different designs and how they will apply to what your usage will be.

Let us not forget the good old Dobsonian as well:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dobsonian_telescope

Look at this beast -



This is the one if you have a big truck to mount it on, or if you just want something for your back porch! It's a Reflector as well, not a Refractor.

That should be enough for now. If you are interested in knowing more about different optical telescope types -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_telescope_types


That's just the rough groundwork. If you want to pursue this hobby you will need to study quite a bit and learn new concepts (if you didn't already know them - say, you might come from a photography background, so it won't take much time to get up to speed about things like eyepieces and apertures and focal lengths and fields of view).


Read everything on this page for a more thorough understanding:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_telescope

You will need to come to understand everything on that page to get the best and the most out of your telescope. We have not even scratched the surface yet of the depth of knowledge you will need to acquire to maximize your experience. So many things that it would even be too long to list.

But don't let this put you off. We are going to walk with baby steps before we start running. The good news is you don't really need any of that stuff. You could go out and buy a scope for 50 bucks and be up and running with the best of them in 10 minutes. I'll show you how to do that in my next post, and I'll show you what I am using and why it's so great.

[Donfitz007]

This was actually alot more interesting than I expected. +1 rep

[Rigsby]

(04-18-2019 08:00 PM)Rigsby Wrote:  

Things you need to consider:

1: Where will I be observing from? Is it dark? Light polluted?
2: What do I want to view? DSO's, The Moon, The Planets?
3: How much money do I want to spend?
4: Do I want to get in to Astro-photography later?
5: How portable a system do I need? Will I be backpacking with it when I go out hiking and camping? Will I be traveling to another part of the world where sky conditions are much more favourable and I just want to make sure I have 'something' to observe with? Do I have a truck I can mount the thing on and drive out in to the desert with? Do I just want it for my backyard and won't even be considering transporting it? This is a big one to consider.
6: Am I really unsure about this and just want to buy the cheapest thing I can get to see if it is for me? Or am I so cocksure that this is going to be a life-long pursuit, I'll pony up the extra few bucks to get me that one scope that is just a bit more bang for buck?
7: OK, I want to go ahead, what's the most bang for buck scope I can get with my budget, including the whole package?
8: Don't forget you will need a few extras like better eyepieces, dew protectors, collimation devices, filters and whatnot - can cost double of what you pay for your scope! This is important.
9: Am I buying the scope for myself, or my kids, or as a gift? What is their level of interest? What do they like?
10: What can I end up losing financially, if I decide this is not for me and just want to sell all my kit? Is that easy? How does this stuff hold value? Where do I sell?
11: What sort of time investment do I need to put in to this to get good results? How quickly can I be up and running?
12: What other tools will I need apart from physical kit? Surely I will need some software too to get the most out of all this stuff?

Right, I could answer each of those questions in detail with regard to the scope I got. But I just want to focus on numbers 6 and 7 for now.

But before that, let's take a step back and answer the first part of question 6: Am I really unsure about this and just want to buy the cheapest thing I can get to see if it is for me?

Really, I would advise you to buy some binoculars if this how you really feel, but as we're focusing on scopes here, I'll offer up these two products -

First one is called the GalileoScope. I've linked to it on amazon uk because you can read some good reviews and learn more. It's 50 quid.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GalileoScope-Te...B002J9KGHC

True to form, it's a Refractor, and it's one of those long, thin telescopes you see from time to time. It's not the best telescope in the world, but it might be the cheapest. Read the reviews. Someone said they could see the rings of Saturn! The smaller aperture of the refractor design is more powerful than the larger aperture of the reflector, by its inherent optical design. It's a scope for kids mainly, but it will give anyone superb views of the Moon. You may be able to see Jupiter and its moons as well if you can see Saturn's rings. For the money, it's superb. Just don't expect too much.

For more information: https://galileoscope.org/

It solved a long-standing problem: the lack of a high-quality, low-cost telescope kit suitable for both optics education and celestial observation.

They are associated with Explore Scientific - one of the top companies in the world in this field. They are American but make their stuff in China and Germany iirc. It's pretty high end stuff. Not as high end as some, but it's up there. I have about 500 quid's worth of their kit - what I paid for my scope. More on that later.


Or the second product you could go for in this price range is this -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DNCDPHH/r...il_1?psc=1

It's 60 quid!



You get a tripod with it. Which you will need whatever telescope you get. You even get a 'finder scope' and two eyepieces of the pretty much standard focal lengths of 25mm and 10mm. They have a 'K' prefix before them which denotes a Kellner type design. Not great, but not bad either.

Learn more about eyepiece design here. It's very important.

http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedi...piece.html


If you really want to go deep, then check out this page:

https://www.handprint.com/ASTRO/ae5.html

We'll come back to eyepiece design later.

As for that second telescope, is it great? Probably not. But you do get 'bang for buck' and the whole kit. It gets 4/5 stars and at this price point that is the best you will ever get.

This is somewhat answering the Am I really unsure about this and just want to buy the cheapest thing I can get to see if it is for me? question. YMMV. But you won't get much cheaper. What have you got to lose?

To answer the other part of that question: Or am I so cocksure that this is going to be a life-long pursuit, I'll pony up the extra few bucks to get me that one scope that is just a bit more bang for buck? - that is where I chime in and say I'm that guy!

I went for the most bang for buck you can possibly get. I went for the most simplest design, and with all the trade offs that would entail.

This answers question 7 as well: OK, I want to go ahead, what's the most bang for buck scope I can get with my budget, including the whole package?

I bought a good old fashioned Newtonian Reflector. Remember me posting those photos of Newton's design in the last post? This is why.

In my mind, and many other more experienced amateur astronomers, you can't really go wrong with this design. It's not expensive - 500/600 buck, say for the whole kit. it's not particularly heavy though it is bulky and somewhat heavy when you factor in the mount and eyepieces and controller for the mount. It's just about the heaviest thing I would ever put in a bag and carry on a bus. I did it once. It bloody knackered me out, but I'm not as young and fit as I once was. It's doable though.

This is for a 6" aperture.

6 inches is kind of the sweet spot where the whole universe just about starts to open up to you. Sure, 8 inches (that's what she said) gives you a little more 'heaven', but we are talking bang for the buck and portability here. Among other factors.

This is quite similar to the kit I got a while back:

https://www.telescope.com/Orion-StarSeek...114848.uts



Here's Ken from Orion showing how it's done:

You can talk to the folks at Orion in USA and I even phoned them up a couple of times from UK. You get to chat with their staff and get great advice. Great service. I'm not affiliated just to be clear.

In fact, while they do great telescopes and packages, their eyepieces are overpriced and re-badged versions of stuff you can get much much cheaper. But I didn't know this at the time. Still you won't go wrong with buying one of their scopes. As an alternative, look at Celestron, but I think they might even be the same company. Just googled it, they are both a subsidiary of Synta - there you go. They do great stuff, all the same.

OK, so what did I get in my box when I bought the full kit?

I'll go through each one by one. It's kind of important. If you didn't get this in one kit you'd have to buy each piece individually. It saves a total noob like me from making mistakes and just makes it easier. You can buy these kits from other people as well. I'm not endorsing Orion in any way, but just sharing my experience.

Orion StarSeeker IV 150 f/5 reflector telescope optical tube assembly

Classic best bang for buck Reflector. Great for DSO (deep sky objects) but also pretty great for planets and moon as far as my experience goes. No complaints at all. Bit bulky, but there's a trade off if you aren't getting the hybrid variations I mentioned earlier - these cost more over all as well. I'll get in to focal lengths of telescopes later. Along with focal ratio and aperture and magnification. Let's walk (or rather crawl) first.

Check this out if you are interested:
https://cosmicpursuits.com/943/telescopes-explained/

Bang. For. Buck.


StarSeeker IV GoTo Altazimuth Mount and Tripod

Altazimuth mounts help you to point your scope up and down, north and east and west and south as you scour the galactic plane. The subect of mounts is almost as deep as telescopes, maybe even more!

Again, it's a good bang for buck mount. But the operative words here are 'GoTo'. More, much more on that later. The GoTo is the computer system in a handset and in the mount that allows you to track the stars in real time. The earth is spinning fast. The more magnification the quicker it goes. Stars just fly out of your sight as the earth moves. You really get a sense of how fast it spins when you look at something far away. More, much more on this later.


Orion AZ/EQ Computerized GoTo Hand Controller (Synscan)

This plugs in to the motor in the mount. You can press in 'Mars' and it will take you to Mars. You can press in 'Andromeda' and it will take you to Andromeda. All powered by 10 Duracell batteries don't forget unless you have other power.


Orion EZ Finder II reflex sight

This is your red dot finder. You can not find anything with a telescope, apart from the moon - the magnifications are just too huge. So you need a finder. It's not actually a laser, but a red-dot super-imposed like a laser. It guides you. Absolutely essential. Runs off a lithium battery. No battery, no finder. There are better alternatives like Telrads, but we will cover those later.


23mm wide-field 60° AFOV eyepiece, 1.25"
10mm wide-field 60° AFOV eyepiece, 1.25"

Standard wide field eyepieces. They are actually pretty cheap eyepieces but are incredibly good for what they are. I have read 100 page posts on forums about these very eyepieces. I'm an eyepiece nerd, I'll admit it. Suffice it to say these are pretty standard fare with any new scope. The 23mm helps you to find stuff in a wider field and observe stuff like the seven sisters (wide field of view), and the 10mm helps you focus in more on planets and the moon. You will need a few more eyepieces to make the most of your scope. Budget for at least the price of the scope again, or double. Budget for at least half!

These are very good eyepieces though and will get you going.


Accessory tray

This sits in the centre of your tripod and holds your different eyepieces for convenience.


12V DC power cable (auto lighter plug to 2.1/5.5mm plug)

Use this if you run out of batteries to power your mount.


Quick-collimation cap

Newtonian Reflectors need to be collimated. It's one of the major cons of them. It can drive some people to distraction. I was nearly in tears trying to set up my scope. It's a very advanced subject, but is easy when you know how. I'll cover it in detail and make it easy for you. But be warned, collimation (adjusting the primary and secondary mirror) is a nightmare. Then again, if you aren't bouncing it around in a car it should be ok out the box. But you will need to do it later on at some point. Be warned.


Liquid-filled compass

Everyone needs to know what direction they are facing in. Compasses vary across the world of course as the magnetic fields change. They even sell differently callibrated compasses at different points in the planet because of these fluctuations. You can use your own compass if you like. When you know what you are doing you will be able to navigate by the stars anyway. The star Polaris which is also called the pole star (meaning it is at the center while all the other stars revolve around it) is one of the 57 main navigational stars. You will come to know them.


Shorty 2x Barlow lens

A 'Barlow' is a type of eyepiece. There are different designs. It's an advanced subject in itself. Suffice it to say it effectively halves the focal length of all your eyepieces. So a 23mm becomes a 12.5mm and a 10mm becomes a 5mm. In general terms.

When you half the focal length you double the magnification. When you double the magnification you reduce the amount of light by a quarter because of the inverse square law. When you halve the magnification you increase the amount of light by 4 times.

But also remember that a doubling of magnification makes the object twice as small, not twice as big. This is counter intuitive I know.

I think this is right. I'm going by memory. I'll look it up. But it's something like that. Physics was never my strong point.

The lower the magnification, the bigger the object, and the brighter the object, because more photons are hitting your eye. When you have high mags, the image is smaller so duller. I'll explain this more later on.


Moon Filter

This is needed because of that inverse square law of light propagation.
Basically a Full Moon is bloody bright! So bright in fact that it induces temporary blindness. Don't worry, you can't make yourself blind by looking at the moon, but it will wreck your night vision. In the eye you observe in. Night vision takes about half an hour to build up. Any good sniper in the army will tell you as much. Once you wreck it, it's another half an hour before your eye/brain readjusts.

A moon filter cuts out up to about 40 percent of the light and this just makes it more comfortable to view. I actually have an adjustable polarity filter so can dial in as much or as little light as I like.


MoonMap 260

Self explanatory. It shows you points of interest on the Moon. The moon has been mapped pretty extensively. Even google have done it.


Starry Night SE astronomy software digital download insert

This is basic but excellent software. Highly usable. Takes up a few gigs on the old HD mind you, but well worth it. Plug in your coordinates and it will even tell you when the international space station is flyinig over head.

Personally, I prefer Stellarium. It's a free open source sky map. Get it here: https://stellarium.org/

If you are on a mac or use android, many say Sky Safari is the best. Just get one. Learn how to use it. Eventually you will need it to synch with your computer for doing deep sky photography (if that is your thing).

Starry Night is very good though, no complaints there.


...


That's enough for now. Don't be intimidated.

Nothing to stop you buying one of those cheap scopes for 50 bucks I linked to earlier and grabbing a free sky map like Stellarium. You can get going out of the box.

I got all this stuff set up, but some nights I just like to explore and 'star-hop' just have a look at what's up there. There's some very strange shapes and things to look at. When you find one, you can 'reverse-look-up' it in your sky map. There are no rules to enjoying the night sky.

There are so many things we haven't covered. But hopefully this might have whetted your appetite to get a small telescope or even set of binoculars.

Whether you settle on a Reflector or a Refractor as being the best thing for your first scope, whichever you choose, you will probably want to get one of each eventually. Even if you only ever buy two telescopes in your entire life, you will want one of each to fill out the gaps and weaknesses of the other. A bit like buying a valve amp and a solid state amp if you play guitar. Each have their charms, each have their uses.

I'm saving up for my first Refractor. I've already spent double of what my Reflector costs on eyepieces. So I won't need to fork out there again. They last a lifetime. They are also interchangeable between scopes.

But I'm in no massive rush. I love looking at the planets and the Moon, but it's Deep Sky Objects I really love: open clusters, globular clusters, nebulae. My humble little telescope already does all that, pretty good.

And splitting double stars!

Talking of which, I will need to cover Zoom eyepieces - if you like 'splitting double stars'! They can be a very cost effective alternative to buying loads of different eyepieces. They work better at higher focal lengths for Lunar and Planetary, but they do a decent job at lower focal lengths for other stuff too. They also save a lot of time with faffing about and changing out different eyepieces, which can be an issue in the dark and when your fingers are frozen to the bone.

You will also need a good chair. And also a red light so your night vision is not disrupted. I also advise a decent thermal flask. Filled up with the finest bourbon or whiskey you can afford in a solution of hot water and sugar (hot toddy).

Like anything it's pros and cons. Learn what you want to do first, then it all falls in to place.


Head over to the cloudynights beginner's forum if you want to learn more:

https://www.cloudynights.com/forum/57-be...scription/

[Cortés]

Hey rigsby, awesome thread!!! +1

I've been looking to get into astronomy for years, but my area has terrible light pollution so i haven't bothered to get into it yet though.

My motorcycle is sitting in south America now, and come October I'll be back down in Brazil traveling again. You say that binoculars+tripod are a good starter purchase. Would that be able to fit in a backpack? I'm trying to travel really light, but i feel like this would be a great time to dive into the world of astronomy. How big/heavy is a decent kit of binos+a tripod? I would love to get into astronomy for that trip, but not too sure if it would be practical, I'm sure those binoculars are delicate, right?

Regardless, great post man, lots of info to take in

[Rigsby]

(04-22-2019 08:24 PM)Cortés Wrote:  

Hey rigsby, awesome thread!!! +1

I've been looking to get into astronomy for years, but my area has terrible light pollution so i haven't bothered to get into it yet though.

My motorcycle is sitting in south America now, and come October I'll be back down in Brazil traveling again. You say that binoculars+tripod are a good starter purchase. Would that be able to fit in a backpack? I'm trying to travel really light, but i feel like this would be a great time to dive into the world of astronomy. How big/heavy is a decent kit of binos+a tripod? I would love to get into astronomy for that trip, but not too sure if it would be practical, I'm sure those binoculars are delicate, right?

Regardless, great post man, lots of info to take in

That's a great question.

I'd be doing you a disservice by trying to answer it.

I'll give it a go though, and try to point you in the right direction.

Have a look here first before you listen to anything I have to say:

https://www.google.com/search?client=fir...inoviewers


It's about six of one and half a dozen of the other.

https://www.cloudynights.com/forum/65-binoviewers/



I think a good pair of binoculars on a sturdy tripod would do you proud!

You would be able to see some of the most stunning features in our night sky. Pleaides, Andromeda. It really doesn't take much to bring them out and bring them to life. That's why even a small 4" scope is not to be sniffed at! Really. It's a massive impact to see these things for the first time. They only need a gentle nudge, and a whole world of wonder opens up to you.

You need to go and ask the folks at 'cloudynights' about this Cortés. I can't honestly answer you.



So you got a big scope eh, brother?

Sure I do.

But take a look at my mount!

Wow, brother, that sure is something.

...

It's not all dick waving.

A good mount, a good tripod stabilises your optics. You need this. It's very fucking important.

Whether you get a telescope or a pair of binoculars. NO matter. You will need to calm them the fuck down with a decent tripod.


I'm not the best person in the world to ask about this.

But I bet if you head over to that cloudy nights forum, some one some where will have wanted to do the same trip as you - asked the same questions.

I'll just put this out there:

Get yourself a good pair of binos. Get yourself a good tripod.

Get yourself a copy of Stellarium or Sky Safari on your phone!

Learn the night sky and all its wonders, first.

It won't matter if you have a telescope or a pair of binos.

The thing is this.

For the sheer size that you will be able to carry in your bag: it won't be that much.


Get a good star map.

If you are talking bang for your buck. Get a good pair of binos (100 bucks - 200 bucks) Get a good telescopic mount tripod (100 bucks).

A good free copy of a star map.

They will fit in your back pack.

But I'm blahing on.

Go to those links I showed you earlier. They will really show you what is what.


If you want to get in to specifics, no problem...

[Cortés]

After some research, I've decided it would be impractical to try and bring an astronomy telescope/binoculars for my next trip. Would be a force, don't have enough room for something of decent power.

With that said, I am still interested with astronomy and want to keep learning about the subject. After my travels I will invest in a good telescope, and hopefully be in an area with less light pollution. Recently took out a few astronomy books from the library

[Rigsby]

(05-03-2019 07:25 AM)Cortés Wrote:  

After some research, I've decided it would be impractical to try and bring an astronomy telescope/binoculars for my next trip. Would be a force, don't have enough room for something of decent power.

With that said, I am still interested with astronomy and want to keep learning about the subject. After my travels I will invest in a good telescope, and hopefully be in an area with less light pollution. Recently took out a few astronomy books from the library

I messed up in my last reply to you.


I linked to this forum:

https://www.cloudynights.com/forum/65-binoviewers/

I shouldn't have done that. That is for Bino viewers.

I meant to link to -

https://www.cloudynights.com/forum/64-binoculars/


Bino Viewing is a complex and expensive advanced field of astronomy.

My bad.



I hear what you say about not wanting to take the weight, but you can get a pair of 7x35 binoculars - pretty small. They are at the beginning of what is useful in astronomy. You can do a lot of good things with them. Like see the Andromeda Galaxy.

I'm sorry I didn't help you out a bit more.

But don't give up. Get a good star map. And a decent pair of small binoculars (7x35).

It really will open up a new world of wonder for yourself, and for anyone who you come across in your path - just knowing where the celestial plane lies. Knowing what the brightest star in your 'sky' is. So many reference points.

But fuck all these bitches, when a stargazer comes across another stargazer, it opens up conversation.

"That star up there is the brightest star in the whole of the North celestial plane."

This is a personal project.

But it translates well.

[Hypno]

Great info. I used to be fascinated by the stars. These days there is so much light pollution I hardly ever notice them.

I took a look on Craigs List and I can pick up a 12 inch Zhummel Dobsonian telescope for less than the new price on that 6" one you recommend

https://images.craigslist.org/00P0P_qwSp...00x900.jpg

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/spo/d...59855.html

Not sure what I would do with it because I would basically have to go camping to use it.