Jump to content

Narrowband

Hello from Newmarket, Suffolk!


Seraph_69

Recommended Posts

Hello to everyone here on the SGL forum. My name is Steve, I'm 26 years old and I currently reside in Newmarket on the Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border.

I am just weeks away from getting my hands on my first ever scope (an Altair Astro 8" F/5 newt) and I cannot wait!

I already got myself a lovely HEQ5 mount + tripod 2nd hand from a great guy on Astrobuysell at a very reasonable price (thanks Andy [emoji4]) and am trying to wrap my head around polar alignment! - any suggestions?!

I have always enjoyed the topic of space and the universe, but never really taken it any further than enjoying a good documentary or countless hours spent on YouTube enjoying mind blowing videos on physics and the cosmos.

I think the shift has partly come from working as an (unqualified) Engineer within the realms of optics, and smoking...specifically going out for the last rollie of the night and having nothing better to do than gaze up at the night sky. A few glimpses of meteors I wasn't expecting to see and the absolute REVELATION in understanding that is: realising you can see satellites with the naked eye from outside your front door on any given night, such as the awesome ISS!! ...and I've been bitten by the astronomy bug!

Luckily my beautiful gf is also fascinated by the topic, and we recently set our alarms for 2am to sit out in the garden with some blankets and coffee to watch the beautiful super blood moon! - the first in my lifetime! What a great time to get into astronomy ey?!

I like to think I may be able to get into astrophotography one day, but I'm aware its a sometimes torturous and very expensive past time! I hope to do it on the fairly cheap at first using a DSLR, but one thing at a time!

I have had a few hobbies over the years, but I feel like this one is going to stay with me forever! And my 2 year old son is going to have no choice in the matter! [emoji1]

ANYWAY, I'm very excited to start on my (hopefully) lifelong journey into the most fascinating hobby I'm sure I will ever have. And everyone here I'm sure can help me on my way!

Anyone from the area who can point me towards a nearby star party/astronomy club I can get involved with would be greatly appreciated...hoping to take my gf to the Institute of Astronomy talks/viewing nights this winter too - I hear they're great.

I'll shut up now!!

Clear skies! [emoji4]

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 29
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Hi Steve & welcome to the forum. I've had a lot of hobbies over the years as well. Was really into treasure hunting for a long time, thanks to my dad who used to let me tag along when I was a kid. Once I got older, the technology really began to improve and we were die-hard relic hunters (Civil War) and we found some good stuff. Had all the hightech gear but when he passed in 2003, I started to lose interest and now the "machine" just sits in the corner gathering dust. Always been a big hunter too but the older I get - the thrill of sitting in a tree for hours hoping for a chance to shoot a monster buck, or stomping all over God's creation trying to lure in a strutting Tom - has begun to wane. What I tell my wife now is - I hunt the sky and shoot with a camera instead of bullets. Like you, think I've finally found the ultimate hobby and this one will surely hold my interest for a long time to come.

"I'm aware its a sometimes torturous and very expensive past time!"

You got that right *LOL* but hey, if it was easy - then everybody'd be doing it, right?  :smiley: 

Welcome aboard & clear skies...

post-37916-0-97449500-1443573502.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Steve, welcome to SGL and congrats on starting off with a fine 'scope & mount - you'll really enjoy both I'm sure.

Polar alignment (the easy way!):  I will assume that you have a smartphone (a pretty safe assumption these days I think).  Get yourself an app called Polar Finder.   I use a Windows phone (don't hold that against me) but I'm sure  it's available for iOS and Android.  There's a Windows PC version too that allows you to print the result - useful if you've not got a smartphone 'cause you can take the print out with/to the 'scope.

What Polar Finder does, is give you the view that you need through your polarscope (reticule with Polaris position) for the time and place that you're setting up.  On the phones, it uses the GPS locator (if you have one) or the phone network location data, to identify your losition and the date/time.  From that, it calculates Polaris' position and shows it to you graphicly.  On the PC version, you have to input your lat & long.  All you have to do then, is make sure that your mount is positioned so that Polaris sits at the correct point on the circle of the reticule in the polarscope.  You have a built-in Polarscope in your HEQ5,  but do have a look at an Astronomy Shed video on Youtube that explains how to check that the reticule itself is properly aligned.  The SynScan setup/alignment routine will eliminate any minor error sufficient for observational use.  That was another assumption - you do have a Synscan handset with the mount?  or is it a Syntrek version?  (GOTO or just tracking?)   If you have the latter, you can upgrade to full GOTO just by adding a Synscan handset.  Anyhow, REALLY accurate alignment is only super critical for long exposure photography you'll be pleased to hear.

Have fun - though I'm sure you will. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to SGL Steve. I work in Newmarket and every so often can be found on Hamilton Road at lunchtime viewing the (filtered) Sun through my frac or binoculars.

Enjoy your new scope

Paul

Hi Paul, that's awesome - you are 8 minutes from me haha. I might start being creepy and taking the odd drive down there to see if I can spy a dude with a telescope/binos haha

If I spot you, I'll introduce myself [emoji4]

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Steve, welcome to SGL and congrats on starting off with a fine 'scope & mount - you'll really enjoy both I'm sure.

Polar alignment (the easy way!): I will assume that you have a smartphone (a pretty safe assumption these days I think). Get yourself an app called Polar Finder. I use a Windows phone (don't hold that against me) but I'm sure it's available for iOS and Android. There's a Windows PC version too that allows you to print the result - useful if you've not got a smartphone 'cause you can take the print out with/to the 'scope.

What Polar Finder does, is give you the view that you need through your polarscope (reticule with Polaris position) for the time and place that you're setting up. On the phones, it uses the GPS locator (if you have one) or the phone network location data, to identify your losition and the date/time. From that, it calculates Polaris' position and shows it to you graphicly. On the PC version, you have to input your lat & long. All you have to do then, is make sure that your mount is positioned so that Polaris sits at the correct point on the circle of the reticule in the polarscope. You have a built-in Polarscope in your HEQ5, but do have a look at an Astronomy Shed video on Youtube that explains how to check that the reticule itself is properly aligned. The SynScan setup/alignment routine will eliminate any minor error sufficient for observational use. That was another assumption - you do have a Synscan handset with the mount? or is it a Syntrek version? (GOTO or just tracking?) If you have the latter, you can upgrade to full GOTO just by adding a Synscan handset. Anyhow, REALLY accurate alignment is only super critical for long exposure photography you'll be pleased to hear.

Have fun - though I'm sure you will.

Hi Paul (assume that's your name from your profile?)

Thanks for the info. I was already aware of the software and at least slightly clear on how it's used, also I'm a huge fan of astronomy shed. Have watched loads of his stuff, including all the polar alignment stuff, multiple times!

My 'problem' is that I like, nah, NEED to understand WHY I'm doing something, as it helps me to do it and deal with unforseen issues. I do a lot of training at my work and operators often praise how much UNDERSTANDING I give them. I don't like just the old 'Step 1 - do this. Step 2 - do that...'

...therefore I overcomplicate things I guess. The internet is also a wonderful thing, but there's TOO much info out there and almost TOO MANY ways of doing everything!

I do indeed have a smartphone, and I'm afraid I may have to judge you on your with does phone, as my last phone was a windows and it SUCKED! [emoji13] Very happy with my beautiful OnePlus One though!

At least I have an outlet to experienced amateur astronomers now I've joined, and I can begin to seek out that understanding I seek!

"Knowledge is power, but understanding is omnipotence" - please don't steal that anyone...I feel I may have just made a quote [emoji23]

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi again Steve,

The "why" is easy ..    for an equatorial mount to 'track' correctly, it must be aligned to celestial north.  Think in terms of "you ain't gonna draw a perfect circle without knowing where the centre is". 

So..  the nearest thing in the sky to celestial north that is easily observed, is Polaris.  The trouble is, Polaris ISN'T at celestial north.  But like all the other stars, it 'appears' to circle celestial north.  We know how long it takes Polaris to circle cn and from observations we know when it begins each 'orbit' at the 12 o/clock position. So, from any given point on Earth, at any given point in time, it is possible to 'calculate' where Polaris should appear in it's 'orbit' of celestial north.  Armed with that information, we then know where clestial north must be (as long as we can see Polaris!).  Once you have (perfectly) aligned your equatorial mount with celestial north, you can 'track' objects with your mount using only ONE axis of movement.  Always assuming the mount is on a perfectly level tripod or pier, that you know your exact location and the correct time etc etc.     The calculation part can be done several ways:  the traditional method (dating from before the digital age!) is using the setting circles fitted to your mount - think of them a as you would a slide rule, or a more modern approach is to use software instead.  Simples.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Steve,

I'm from Newmarket and I also live next to the Cambridgeshire border (Granby Street).

I got my first scope (SkyWatcher 130P) just a few days ago. I'm still waiting for the sky to clear up to get started on it (hopefully this Thursday if the weather forecast is right).

I'm still trying to figure out a good place to setup the telescope here in Newmarket. I was thinking about going to the Gallops.

Did I say I also got a 2 year old son? :-)

Hope we will have a chance to meet.

Cheers,

Filipe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.