New to stargazing - good websites?

[callmedave]

I got a telescope for my birthday, ive always had an interest in astronomy, but im stuck on how to get full use of my telescope.

I would like to find some sort of online 'calender' or guide for astrological events, i.e. Mars closest pass, comet passes, etc.

I would also like to watch a few tutorial videos of proper telescope uses and tips.

I have googled for this, but i find more shops trying to show you how to use their own equipment, or info that too advanced for my understanding.

If anyone has useful websites for me, id be very grateful.


I was viewing the moon last week and it really was amazing, im hoping ot try and locate the moon landing sites. Apollo, etc.

[timbob]

The forum at stargazerslounge is the place to be for all you will require!

There's a whole beginner section, how-to guides for everything, posts explaining telescopes and eyepieces down the most basic level...

I found the book "Turn Left at Orion" a worthwhile purchase, as well as a generic Harpur-Collins (or similar) night sky guide aimed at astronomy rather than pictures aimed at kids. Your local Waterstones will have a reasonable selection, as well as a Philips guide for 2014, I would have thought

[Moonhawk]

I'd get yourself a decent beginners sky atlas to start with.

Websites and star chart programs are all well and good - but when you are out in the garden with your scope - you need something easier to handle (and something that wont destroy your night vision).

Something like this book + a red LED torch will be a great starting point. These books usually order things by constellation or month by month - so you'll always know what is relevant for your time of year.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1849072906/ref=...

You may also want to pick up astronomy magazines (like Astronomy now) - they usually contain up coming information about the position of the planets, comets, meteor showers etc.

With a little experience of the night sky - you'll probably be able to spot Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn without the aid of any star maps - you'll just get to recognise them, they are all fairly distinctive.

If you do want a reasonable windows based sky atlas type software - take a look at Winstars 2. It's very user friendly and free unless you want to install the extended databases (which you wont need initially).

http://www.winstars.net/english/

Incidentally - what type of telescope did you get (make, model, size) - it may give us some ideas of what you can expect to be able to see with it.

Edited by Moonhawk on Wednesday 20th August 14:14

[Eric Mc]

Read some of the mags as well.

The two main UK ones are "The Sky at Night" and "Astronomy Now".

[jmorgan]

Someone here recommended "Urban Astronomers guide", Mojocvh (??), I spell from memory so apologise if wrong. Sur that was the book. A handy read.

Get Stellarium. Its free. Personally I use Starry Night but I bought it before Stellarium was out and upgrading was not that expensive.
http://www.stellarium.org/en_GB/

Heavens above is also handy. Register and set your location.
http://www.heavens-above.com

A Planisphere is a handy tool as well, you can take that away with you.
Amazon linky

Edit. Locating landing sites will be a problem unless you have a real monster scope. Depending on the resolving power you will probably get the general area, as in huge area. Think about getting a filter for the moon, it is very bright (obviously) and after a short while its like looking in a torch, a filter takes the edge off it without taking away detail.

Edited by jmorgan on Thursday 21st August 07:11

[Eric Mc]

callmedave said:

im hoping ot try and locate the moon landing sites. Apollo, etc.

You obviously won't see anything of the actual artifacts. You need to be a LOT closer than 250,000 miles to see those

However, there will be plenty of images on the web showing the six locations where the Apollos landed - as well as various other locations where dozens of soft landers and impact probes have arrived on the moon since 1959.

[jmorgan]

Even Hubble would not be able to do it. I was reading that before adaptive technology, the size of mirror required was impossible to make.

[Eric Mc]

For the OP - a "Dob" mount is short for "Dobsonian Mount" - which is a fairly simple type of mount that is stable but uncomplicated to set up. It was invented by a chap called Dobson who only died fairly recently.

[jmorgan]

ash73 said:

How about if we set a challenge to see if PH folk can get a half decent pic of an Apollo landing site (well the general area)... it's quite tricky with everything being inverted etc.

Do I win, all of em.......

[Moonhawk]

ash73 said:

Stellarium is the best tool, imo. If you pop it on a laptop or tablet you can take it out with you. Virtual Moon Atlas is good too. I never bother with planispheres and suchlike.

Whilst technology clearly has it's place in astronomy - you'll never get your eyes properly dark adapted if you constantly use a laptop or smartphone to find objects (even if they have "night vision" modes).

Best option for proper dark adoption is hard copy star charts and a dim red torch. They are also more practical in the cold winter months when you have gloves on and are less prone to accidental damage.

[Moonhawk]

jmorgan said:

Do I win, all of em.......

[jmorgan]

ash73 said:

I was hoping for slightly more targeted pics than that

But for the OP. That is an 8" mirror with a 1000mm tube and camera bolted to that. Interestingly (mechanically that is) I can get the barlow on that lot and get in closer.

[callmedave]

Thanks for all the input, i quickly looked at star gazers lounge, there seems a lot of good info there to get me started, Il probably pop into the library at the weekend and grab a few books.

Some one asked what model the telescope is, i think its a fairly cheap ebay jobby, but i know its a refracture type with 76mm aparture and 700mm

Ive got a 20mm, 12.5 and 4mm eye piece, and a barlow. When im using my barlow i can never seem to focus.

Heres a picture i took, this was holding my phone to the eyepiece, the image was amazingly clear, the phone made it blurry.

[jmorgan]

You can get clamps for phones on scopes, just need to find the sweet spot.

[callmedave]

jmorgan said:

You can get clamps for phones on scopes, just need to find the sweet spot.

I could make something at work using an old case..... *rubs chin*

[jmorgan]

Not really bothered with a web cam, not until I get more time at the scope. Last winter was a washout between the weather and work. Hoping to get a better chance at stuff this year. Threw my solar filter out as well, need a new one.

[Mojocvh]

Just spent a few hours tracking down Comet Jacques tonight using the 100X25's, a bit frustrating with the clouds obscuring various kick off points, but finding it made the effort worthwhile

I'd forgotten [once I'd set the inter pupil distance THEN focused each eyepiece!] just how good a view you get with these Strathspeys.

Same locat different astronomer..

http://scottishastronomers.com/forum/index.php?top...

Edited by Mojocvh on Monday 25th August 20:03