Anyone else into astronomy?

[JMapleton]

Over the past year I've gotten into astronomy (partly because of job) and I've found it quite interesting, although I live in a city (light pollution), and I live in an apartment, so I have limited room for a large telescope.

I currently have a Celestron Astromaster 114 EQ, which is a noob scope but I like the portability, but I probably will be getting a Celeston CPC 1100 this year.

Anyone else here own a telescope? If so, which one? What kind of eyepieces do you have also?

 

[DesiPower]

I returned mine

 

[JulesMaximus]

I bought this one for my son for Christmas this year, it is the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ Reflector Telescope. We've spent hours looking at the moon with it (M O O N, that spells moon) but it has been pretty chilly at night lately so it hasn't gotten much use since. We'll definitely be using it more in the summertime.

 

[SandEagle]

dp

 

[SandEagle]

i'm into asstronomy. i like to stare at the moon all night

 

[JMapleton]

I bought this one for my son for Christmas this year, it is the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ Reflector Telescope. We've spent hours looking at the moon with it (M O O N, that spells moon) but it has been pretty chilly at night lately so it hasn't gotten much use since. We'll definitely be using it more in the summertime.

The Astromasters are great telescopes, well built.

Advantage to the 114, is that it has a built in barlow lense in the focuser which extends the focal ratio and gives you more magnification, which makes it better for planets. 130 though has more aperture and is better for deep sky objects (nebula and galaxies) than the 114.

 

[Brainonska511]

I bought this one for my son for Christmas this year, it is the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ Reflector Telescope. We've spent hours looking at the moon with it (M O O N, that spells moon) but it has been pretty chilly at night lately so it hasn't gotten much use since. We'll definitely be using it more in the summertime.

Reflecting telescopes are awesome. I used a 10" once to look at 4 of the moons of Jupiter.

 

[darkxshade]

I don't know why I know this but Arcadio is into it. And probably Godless. :ninja:

 

[dud]

I've been an enthusiast for about 30 years. I currently own a vintage C-8 (orange tube) here:

http://www.telescopebluebook.com/sct/celestron.htm


... and a pair of stellarvue 80mm binoculars.

 

[Fritzo]

I'm big in astronomy. Don't have a scope anymore though Stupid guitar equipment > telescope.

 

[alkemyst]

I don't buy into that whole zodiac nonsense.

 

[totalnoob]

It's kinda pointless if you're in a city since light blocks 90% ish of the stars. Take a trip out to the country one day and you'll be amazed at the difference.

 

[JMapleton]

It's kinda pointless if you're in a city since light blocks 90% ish of the stars. Take a trip out to the country one day and you'll be amazed at the difference.

True. I'm in a city of about a million people and I can still see some stuff. I can see M42 quite well, but that's the only nebula I can see in my little 4.5 inch Astromaster.

I've used an 8 Inch Dob and I still couldn't see much more, although what I did see I saw more of.

I intend to take my little Astromaster out to a dark sky location (I have a super dark sky spot about 250 miles from here) and see what it can do. I have access to a few other telescopes and I may take them with as well.

 

[Spacehead]

I've got an Orion SkyQuest XT8 dobsonian that i bought new in the late '90s & later bought a used Meade 16" dobsonian off of one of our astronomy club members.
It's a great way to relax on nice summer evenings

If you're in a light polluted area, look into some quality light filters. I hear they can make a lot of difference.

 

[pontifex]

I bought this one for my son for Christmas this year, it is the Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ Reflector Telescope. We've spent hours looking at the moon with it (M O O N, that spells moon) but it has been pretty chilly at night lately so it hasn't gotten much use since. We'll definitely be using it more in the summertime.

hehe, in the winter it's too cold, in the summer its too hot. at least thats how it works for me.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I had a basic tasco one when I was a kid, it was fun looking into it. I've always thought of how cool it would be to have one mounted on the roof that can be remotely controlled, but I can only imagine how expensive that would be. It would also need to be in some kind of heated dome so the snow does not get in the lens.

 

[zerocool84]

It's kinda pointless if you're in a city since light blocks 90% ish of the stars. Take a trip out to the country one day and you'll be amazed at the difference.

Well yea but cities like LA you can drive 20min and be out of the light pollution or drive to the many close-by hills.

 

[grrl]

It's kinda pointless if you're in a city since light blocks 90% ish of the stars. Take a trip out to the country one day and you'll be amazed at the difference.

Try the desert too.

 

[KingGheedora]

I'm working on a project where we basically put telescopes all over the country, connected to the internet and merge the images as if they were one massive telescope. We're about to make Hubble look like a pair of hand held binoculars.

 

[dennilfloss]

Used to have semidecent gear.

But sold it.

http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve...31?f=34709834&a=tpc&m=899002738731&s=50009562

 

[abaez]

Anyone recommend a beginner/newbie scope? I live in socal so I know I'd have to go up to the hills to get anything, but I'm looking for something decent and not too complex.

I think I've seen one or two at Costco once.. those any good?

Edit: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...=1&topnav=&s=1

Something like that?

Is this a good deal: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/for/1641573829.html

OR

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/for/1646618932.html ?

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

I don't know why I know this but Arcadio is into it. And probably Godless. :ninja:

I've never had to opportunity to get into the practical side of astronomy, although I very much want to (especially astrophotography). I studied astrophysics for a couple of years at university and that included a couple of papers on principles and practices so I know a fair bit about hardware, but mostly that involves the very large telescopes.

I've done a very small amount of wide angle astrophotography, here's one of my images of the galactic center.

Pretty average compared to what's out there but it was fun to do.

 

[shortylickens]

No but I love LSD!

 

[McWatt]

GA: That's a beautiful shot.

I took a couple years of astro classes in college, including the year long observing class for majors. I used the student observatory at my school more than anyone else. It meant I had a 12" S-C available pretty much any night I wanted to use it. Lots of light pollution, though, and the dome was on top of a parking garage that shook like crazy when a car drove though.

Then grad school (not in astro) set in and I didn't have any money or time. Now grad school is paying off in the form of a decent salary, and I just ordered an EdgeHD 1100 with the intention of getting back into astrophotography and doing some science, too. I highly recommend The Sky is your Laboratory if you want to do some serious science with your amateur observing time. It covers everything from naked eye meteorite frequency counts to discovering extrasolar planets with modest scopes.

As I wait for my scope to arrive I've been getting reacquainted with the sky. If you're not doing it already, go check out 4-Vesta, which is around magnitude 7 (and dropping) now as it moves through the head of Leo. The cool thing is that it's moving a noticeable amount per day, and in another couple weeks it will seem to reverse course and start heading back the other way in the sky.

 

[JMapleton]

Anyone recommend a beginner/newbie scope? I live in socal so I know I'd have to go up to the hills to get anything, but I'm looking for something decent and not too complex.

I think I've seen one or two at Costco once.. those any good?

Edit: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...=1&topnav=&s=1

Something like that?

Is this a good deal: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/for/1641573829.html

OR

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/for/1646618932.html ?

I would avoid both those scopes. The C8 is going to be bigger than you think the 76EQ is a terrible deal.

Let me explain how telescopes work. Avoid "refractor" telescopes like the plague (unless you're spending thousands). You want a telescope that has the most aperature, meaning the widest telescope possible. You find this mostly in reflector telescopes (telescopes with a mirror in the back and no lense in the front).

I have the Celestron Astromaster 114 EQ, don't pay more than $150 for it.

If you want a computerized telescope, check out the "Sky-Watcher LightChariot 130N-AZ" (I'm getting one in May), don't pay more than $275 for it.

If you want a higher end telescope, check out the Celestron SE series. It's a higher end scope, and you'll pay more, but it's a Schmidt Cassegrain, which most high telescopes are. Overall though, a standard non computerized reflector is your best bet.

AND REMEMBER, BUY AN EYEPIECE KIT, YOU CANNOT USE IT WITHOUT ONE. The eyepieces most telescopes come with are complete garbage, often made of plastic. I recommend a Celestron basic 1.25 eyepiece kit, it can be had for about $130-150. You have to factor this into the cost of the telescope. Eyepieces change the magnification on a telescope.

I have a Celestron Astromaster 114 EQ with a Celestron eyepiece kit. Combined, you'll pay about $250 for these, but it's a good deal.

Once you're experienced, you can move up to higher end eyepieces if you find you really like the hobby. I just ordered a Televue 20mm Plossl (Televue is like the Rolls Royce of eyepieces). I intend to have the whole set of Televue Plossl's by the time I get my new higher end telescope this coming December.