Fancy getting into astronomy...

[jim8flog]

My daughter and I did a bit of stargazing over the years.

I bought her a 4 " scope which is good for the moon. However seeing the planets in good magnification you do need more. If you want to track a particular planet an equatorial mount is a must.

Jupiter and Saturn were good last year, just about able to make out Saturn's rings but you are looking at something about 5-10 mm in a 100mm circle with a 4" inch scope (hard to actually put it in to perspective).

 

[PhilTheFragger]

I’d rather look at Saturns rings than Smiffys….

Mods, is this allowed?

 

[williamalex1]

I’d rather look at Saturns rings than Smiffys….

Mods, is this allowed?

I seem to remember someone said Smithy had a big one.

 

[Hobbit]

I’d rather look at Saturns rings than Smiffys….

Mods, is this allowed?

Better than Uranus?

 

[Hobbit]

Download Night Sky. This gives you a real time view of what’s in the sky. You can navigate around the sky, moving your perspective for a 360* view.

Don’t buy a cheap, new small scope. As has been suggested, you’re better off with binos than a cheap scope. Consider what you want to view. Viewing planets and stars needs a different scope than deep space nebula.

If you want to push the boat out, buy a scope with a go-to function. Once you’ve calibrated it you can give it a target and it will not only find it, it will also track it as the earth rotates.

 

[spongebob59]

https://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/links.html

 

[Golfmmad]

Was she a guest at the wedding?

Sorry, my bad, should have said Saturn!!!

Venus, where did that come from ?

 

[Smiffy]

Don’t buy a cheap, new small scope. As has been suggested, you’re better off with binos than a cheap scope.

As I mentioned Brian, I have a pair of binoculars (10x50's) but I'd like to see a bit more than they can offer.
I was chatting to my stepson the other day and he has a nice telescope that he doesn't get a chance to use anymore.
He is coming down at Christmas and said he will set it up and show me what it can do. I must have a peek inside the boxes to see what make it is*!!
He has offered it to me at a very good price, so I may well go for it.

*Just had a look....It's a Skywatcher "Explorer" 130mm which gets very good reviews everywhere...

https://www.google.com/search?q=Sky...i60l2j69i61.4344j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I can remember being outside with him a few years ago, and I know that it picked up the rings of Saturn and the Galilean moons quite clearly.
Thanks for your links by the way...

 

[Hobbit]

As I mentioned Brian, I have a pair of binoculars (10x50's) but I'd like to see a bit more than they can offer.
I was chatting to my stepson the other day and he has a nice telescope that he doesn't get a chance to use anymore.
He is coming down at Christmas and said he will set it up and show me what it can do. I must have a peek inside the boxes to see what make it is*!!
He has offered it to me at a very good price, so I may well go for it.

*Just had a look....It's a Skywatcher "Explorer" 130mm which gets very good reviews everywhere...

https://www.google.com/search?q=Sky...i60l2j69i61.4344j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I can remember being outside with him a few years ago, and I know that it picked up the rings of Saturn and the Galilean moons quite clearly.
Thanks for your links by the way...

A very decent starter. Mine’s the Skywatcher 150, with go-to. You can get a good zoom lens for it at a very reasonable price that will beef it up nicely.

 

[Smiffy]

A very decent starter. Mine’s the Skywatcher 150, with go-to. You can get a good zoom lens for it at a very reasonable price that will beef it up nicely.

He's got a few lenses as well Brian, no idea which ones they are as he has them all tucked safely away, but he knows what he's doing and I'm 100% confident he'll put me right.
I was thinking of going for a Skyquest XT6 "Dobsonion" which get really good reviews, but in all honesty it's massive compared to this one, and storage could be a problem.
He's offered me the Skywatcher for £100.00 which includes the motorized mount. Bit of a bargain as he's only used it a few times...
I'll probably end up bunging him a bit more than that, but won't tell him until he's gone through his sales patter.

 

[Foxholer]

...

Venus, where did that come from ?

Current belief is from accretion of dust and gases left over after Sun was formed.

 

[Hobbit]

A Dobbie can be a pig to store. I often use mine without bothering with the go-to, just whizzing around looking at stuff that grabs the eye.

And yes, he’s offering you a bargain.

 

[Aztecs27]

Move to the depths of Canada (or Scotland), that might help. A guy I know (in Canada) is really into this stuff. Even has his own telescope dome thing in his garden. ?
gets some great photos though

 

[Smiffy]

A Dobbie can be a pig to store. I often use mine without bothering with the go-to, just whizzing around looking at stuff that grabs the eye.

And yes, he’s offering you a bargain.

Yep, that Dobbie was going to take up some serious space.
Have just spoken to the Son and he was adamant that £100.00 was enough, but I sent £150.00 over, which he is happy with. He confirmed that he's got a couple of different eyepieces, and also a couple of Barlow lenses, so I'm good to go.
I'll wait until he comes down at Christmas before I start messing around with it, knowing my luck I'll bugger something up lol!
He keeps warning me that the motorized mount is not "beginner friendly", so I may well need a lesson or three in using that.

 

[Smiffy]

Move to the depths of Canada (or Scotland), that might help. A guy I know (in Canada) is really into this stuff. Even has his own telescope dome thing in his garden. ?
gets some great photos though
View attachment 39502

I think it's called an "Observatory" Geezer...???

Great pics by the way

 

[Smiffy]

Brian,
do you know if accessory lenses are available specifically for spectacle wearers??
That's my biggest problem, having to wear bins

 

[Aztecs27]

I think it's called an "Observatory" Geezer...???

Great pics by the way

Yep, exactly what it’s called. Couldn’t think of the word as I hadn’t had a coffee earlier ??

 

[Pants]

All you need to know ...