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.
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.