Is viewing space though a telescope a cool hobbie

[ringtail]

is it?

Here's a resource for you that you might enjoy
LCOGT


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Rincon in the foreground, looking up the Santa Barbara coast

 

[JMapleton]

what exacltly do you see with the higher end tele's

The vast majority of high end telescopes are used for astrophotography. Probably 90% of all telescopes costing more than $15,000 are used for astrophotography. 99% of those costing more than $100,000 are for astrophotography. (yes, amateur astronomers spend this on telescopes sometimes). Cameras taking long exposure photography can see far far more than your eye can see. Pictures on the internet of distance objects like galaxies or nebulae are often very detailed and shown in color, this only comes out through long exposure photography. If you were to view these same objects visually with even the largest telescopes, it would just look like a gray/green/blue smudge. IMO, only the planets look better visually but those get boring quickly.

This is the astronomy industry's huge secret. Those pictures you see online, you don't actually see that when looking through a little 8 inch Dobsonian. You need expensive cameras, photo processing software, a high end equatorial mount, and a telescope with quality glass to take those photos.

I'm not saying having a cheapo telescope to just gaze at the moon and planets isn't fun. It is. I recommend it. But don't blow what some people would think is a whole bunch of money on a telescope thinking you're going to see all this stuff. You need to spend a ton to get in the astrophoto game without being dissappointed, IMO. At least $3000, bare minimum. Anything less, get a $300 Dobsonian and a cheap eyepiece and that is plenty. It's the people in the $1000-$3000 price point that are really getting screwed, IMO. The ones that are buying for visual are going to be let down because that $300 Dob works just as well as the $1500 Schmidt. And then the beginner astrophoto guys are let down because that $1500 Schmidt sucks at astrophotography. It's really a crappy price point.

 

[phucheneh]

From my light polluted neighborhood with my $100 telescope, I just watched a satellite transit the face of the moon. It was neat.

You can see neat shit for cheap.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Took these a while back when there was no clouds outside:

First time messing with a telephoto lens, It's a Rokinon 1300mm.




Mars


Saturn


That same night, with normal lens:



Cloudless days (and especially nights) are very rare here, so I have to cherish that moment if it's not too cold out.

In Winter when it's -40 it's usually cloudless, but I don't want to be in that messing with a camera.

Some night when it's nice out and not cloudy I'll have to drive a bit off from the city so I can get less light pollution.

 

[JTsyo]

Just picked up a beginner telescope for my son. It should be good enough to see the moon and Jupiter. I'm hoping it helps fuel his curiosity.

 

[phucheneh]

So I was going over to a friend's house and stuck my telescope in the car. It's cloudy, but the moon was intermittently visible, so I was like, alright dude, come outside for fifteen minutes and check this out. Not much interest.

Center on the moon...wait for clouds...okay, now look through here and roll this knob until the picture gets sharp.

...'ooooohhhh....that's NEAT!'

Just the moon, which seems quite mundane, really is impressive enough to fuel interest in amateur astronomy.

 

[mizzou]

If you suffer from a highly light polluted area, you can forget spending any serious money on a telescope. Nevertheless, it is relaxing to sip wine and navigate the cellestial bodies at your leisure.

 

[Spacehead]

Just picked up a beginner telescope for my son. It should be good enough to see the moon and Jupiter. I'm hoping it helps fuel his curiosity.

Jupiter is just setting at dark now but Mars & Saturn are up.

 

[Spacehead]

If I do get one. I live in a building next to the top of a another biulding. Is there a way to position the scope that my neighbors won't suspect I'm spying on them?

As already mentioned, go look through some scopes first. Portability is probably going to be an issue for you so take that into account.

if they think you are spying on them with a reflecting telescope then they are dumbasses

go buy one of the dobsonian telescopes. if they mistake this as anything besides a telescope designed for the sky then they are complete fucktards

"Damn kids are launching rockets!!!"

Not for the above reason but one time we had the state police & game commission show up to see exactly what was going on :biggrin:
The game commission guys ended up staying for half an hour or so to look through the scopes though.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Looking at space is cool. People who look at space may not be.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

http://www.nightskiesnetwork.com/

If my geeky girl and I are really in the mood we'll go to public night at The Paul Robinson Observatory

 

[rbV5]

I think its awesome! The Moon, A look at Jupiter with its moons, Saturn's rings...Orion! Andromeda....