Page 1 of 1 [ 10 posts ] 

EC
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 23 Jul 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 260
Location: Denmark

23 Sep 2009, 1:55 pm

I started with hobby a couple of months ago. Recently, I got my hands on a Skywatcher 130P Synscan edition. Trying to troubleshoot a problem with the alignment for the time being, so I'm using binoculars for the time being. It's interesting the kind of things people will miss in the sky just walking about - M31, the closest galaxy to ours can be seen with binoculars. It's pretty amazing.



Spazzergasm
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Sep 2009
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,415
Location: Maine

24 Sep 2009, 9:50 am

my dad has this pretty powerful bird-watching scope. i wouldnt call myself really an enthusiast, but sometimes i take it out and watch the moon at like, 3 am. it's amazing. :)



outlier
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,429

24 Sep 2009, 2:56 pm

Yes. I prefer binoculars to my telescope, due to their portability. They are 12x50 and I can see M31 and several globular clusters, for example, even in light-polluted skies. I've used a computerised telescope before, so if you get stuck troubleshooting I might be able to help.



Spazzergasm
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Sep 2009
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,415
Location: Maine

24 Sep 2009, 3:31 pm

outlier wrote:
Yes. I prefer binoculars to my telescope, due to their portability. They are 12x50 and I can see M31 and several globular clusters, for example, even in light-polluted skies. I've used a computerised telescope before, so if you get stuck troubleshooting I might be able to help.


really? i should learn where a few of those things are....but i live in istanbul. the sky is VERY polluted. and really i know nothing about the hobby, lol.



oppositedirection
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Apr 2009
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Posts: 515

24 Sep 2009, 4:22 pm

Were I not in a city, then yes. Since I am in a city, no.


_________________
'An ideal of total self-sufficiency. That secret smile may be the Buddha's but it is monstrous seen on a baby's face. To conquer craving is indeed to conquer pain, but humanity goes with it. That my autistic daughter wanted nothing was worst of all.' Park


outlier
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,429

24 Sep 2009, 4:25 pm

@Spazzergasm
A good way to begin is to buy a planisphere and learn to recognise the constellations. If you buy one for your latitude (about 41 degrees North), you can set it to show you the constellations currently above you at any time and date. I use a dim torch and tape red crisp packet wrapper (or something similar) over it to view the planisphere outdoors at night without ruining my night vision.

Once familiar with the constellations, a simple astronomy guidebook (or software, website etc.) can reveal any interesting objects located within each constellation. A selection of the brightest objects, visible with my binoculars, includes: M31 (a galaxy) in the constellation Andromeda, M42 (a star-forming nebula) in Orion, M13 and M92 (globular clusters) in Hercules, M22 (globular cluster) in Sagittarius, M8 (the Lagoon nebula) in Sagittarius, M4 (globular cluster) in Scorpius, the Dumbbell nebula (a planetary nebula) in Vulpecula, and (very far north) the Sword-Handle (a double cluster) in Perseus.

I've viewed many of these (the ones nearer the zenith) from a city.



spooky13
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 14 Jul 2009
Age: 61
Gender: Female
Posts: 499
Location: Drifting through the fog of reality

24 Sep 2009, 8:02 pm

I'd love to, but I never seem to get around to buying a telescope. :?


_________________
"Why do it today when I can put it off until tomorrow."
Diagnosed aspie with an NT alter-ego.


EC
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 23 Jul 2009
Gender: Male
Posts: 260
Location: Denmark

24 Sep 2009, 8:17 pm

outlier wrote:
Yes. I prefer binoculars to my telescope, due to their portability. They are 12x50 and I can see M31 and several globular clusters, for example, even in light-polluted skies. I've used a computerised telescope before, so if you get stuck troubleshooting I might be able to help.


I am totally stuck at this point. The problem is that after alignment using, say, Vega and Deneb... Well, I'll put it like this: I start with vega, end at deneb, alignment is successful, so I tell it to go back to Deneb because it should know where it is now. It goes back, but with the 25mm eyepiece the star is now way out of focus. However, if I stay at the last star I used for alignement, and tell it to go to that star without having moved it, it stays right where it is and confirms that it is now looking at that star. But when the scope is moved, the scope will be way off. If it makes a difference, it's an ALTAZ scope.



outlier
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,429

25 Sep 2009, 2:34 am

Before beginning the alignments using Deneb and Vega, did you make sure the telescope was completely level and orthogonal and the finderscope aligned? If so, after that, did you enter in the correct information about your location and the time and date? If some of that's a little off, it can ruin alignment.

If after doing the above it still does not work, then you could type out some of the steps from the instruction booklet here and how you executed them.



Spazzergasm
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Sep 2009
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,415
Location: Maine

25 Sep 2009, 9:50 am

outlier wrote:
@Spazzergasm
A good way to begin is to buy a planisphere and learn to recognise the constellations. If you buy one for your latitude (about 41 degrees North), you can set it to show you the constellations currently above you at any time and date. I use a dim torch and tape red crisp packet wrapper (or something similar) over it to view the planisphere outdoors at night without ruining my night vision.

Once familiar with the constellations, a simple astronomy guidebook (or software, website etc.) can reveal any interesting objects located within each constellation. A selection of the brightest objects, visible with my binoculars, includes: M31 (a galaxy) in the constellation Andromeda, M42 (a star-forming nebula) in Orion, M13 and M92 (globular clusters) in Hercules, M22 (globular cluster) in Sagittarius, M8 (the Lagoon nebula) in Sagittarius, M4 (globular cluster) in Scorpius, the Dumbbell nebula (a planetary nebula) in Vulpecula, and (very far north) the Sword-Handle (a double cluster) in Perseus.

I've viewed many of these (the ones nearer the zenith) from a city.


that's neat! how does a planisphere work? you're getting me interested in this, now....:D