Swithin StCleeve

I will say this though - if someone had given me a go-to scope when I was getting into the hobby, I don't think I'd have become as involved. I spent hours reading books and sky maps and trying to find stuff, and it was a bit of a journey of discovery which led to an understanding of the universe that I'm still finding out about. If I'd have had a go-to when I was a teenager, instead of a manual mount, I honestly think my interest might have dried up. Though I expect not many teenagers get given a go-to as their first scope anyway.

This is a very good point. If you're confident your go-to is aligned correctly, you'll be much more inclined to spend time looking at that specific field of view. Because you know the object is there. When you star-hop, you'd be more inclined to look at the same field of view and think 'no, it's not there. I must be in the wrong place'. Interesting.

Of course, you're right, and I'm being a little tongue-in-cheek, but I must admit, the 'thrill' of seeing a new object will be slightly lessened by the fact I haven't found it for myself. But, as an astro friend told me, in defence of go-to mounts, "I want to see as much as I can in one night, we don't get that many clear skies, and I'm not going to live forever!"

As a seasoned dob-wielding star-hopper and map-reader, last night I used a go-to mount for the first time. An 8" S/C that belongs to our local society, really nice piece of kit. After a faff of setting up (I had the scope upside down, I didn't even know there was an upside down on telescopes!), I got it aligned and with a break in the clouds by Hercules, typed in M13. It whizzed into motion and there it was! I must say, it was like magic. Since the early 90's I've kept a list of Messier objects I've found by star-hopping. I've about twenty yet to find, a lot of then galaxies in Virgo, which I find hard to navigate. With this new go-to, I could mop them up and tick them off in one night. Somehow, it seems wrong. It seems too easy. I may have go-to guilt. Has anyone else made the transition from star-hopping to go-to?

At least with Pluto not called a planet these days, we can say "I've seen all the planets in the solar system". For that reason alone, I'm kind of okay with it being de-classified.

Look at the blue of the sky! I remember it being like that. Just about.

That's a really useful resource, thanks Steve (I finally had chance to have a good look at it today). When did the 'Binocular Tour' feature start in the Sky at Night magazine? I think the earliest I have is June 2017.

That second shot's a smasher!

My new Opticron SR.GA10x50s from FLO, from the batch they were selling for £99. I took them up the Wrekin today, one of the largest hills in Shropshire. They were amazing. The optics were so good, I felt like I wasn't looking through glass at all. I've never experienced that with binoculars before. I took them out tonight trying to star-gaze, but there was thin cloud. Managed M42 and M36, but it wasn't a night or astronomy. But what I did see, was pin-sharp and promising. Lovely bins!

Thanks guys. Someone at my local Astronomy club has a bunch of Sky at Night back issues, so I'm hoping to get a good handful of the Binocular Tour maps. My new Opticron 10x50s arrived yesterday and they're beautiful, and there's a clear blue sky right now, so I'm hoping to post up an observation report later!

One more question on the Sky at Night star maps please. The smallest binocular size given is 10x50. I have a friend who is interested in doing some binocular astronomy over the summer, and she has a pair of Olympus 8x40 bins. They're a nice pair, I've used them. Would you expect to find most of the objects that are in the Sky at Night maps, with 8x40s? She has a caravan over in the countryside, so she gets access to dark skies.

Ahh, cool. I was in the States too for the 2017 eclipse. Hopkinsville Tennessee, and it couldn't have been better. Anyway, back to binos, getting very off topic now.

Oh no! That's a terrible story. I feel for you. You didn't miss much. Just a solar eclipse in a cloudless sky on a beach by the Mediterranean.

Thanks for that great response Steve. I like the white sky maps, I'm looking forward to getting the book and the bins, (the bins were dispatched today, which is a shame as the local society it meeting up for an observing session tonight, but it might end up as pub). I remember Pete Lawrence from the 2006 eclipse trip to Turkey, he did a lecture the night before. Great memories!

Oh yea! I use Stellarium to make hand-sketched star diagrams in my observation book. I found Neptune in my 10x50s last year thanks to Stellarium. I do like Tonkin's page in the Sky at Night magazine a lot. He gives a 'hit list' with boxes you can tick when you've seen the objects. I like that. It's quite train-spottery in a way, but hell, why not

I do get the PDF newsletter off the site Charic, but it's his page in the Sky at Night magazine I was referring to when I said "I don't subscribe".

The older I get, the more I appreciate 'faff-free' observing. I found last year, that my favourite part of my observing session was the bit after I put the telescope away, and did a simple sky-scan with my 10x50s.

Back in the 90's, Astronomy Now magazine did a series of articles on constellations, one a month, with a great map, and a write-up on the constellation. They later published them all in a book called 'The Universe From Your Backyard'. It's still one of my favourite practical astronomy books, and you can pick up second hand copies for a few quid. I'd recommend it to anyone.

Thanks guys. I've downloaded the maps. Excellent! I do think the Sky at Night star maps that Tonkins does will be hard to beat, because they concentrate on one constellation, so they're more detailed that most, and they're geared towards the binocular owner. I want a complete set!

I took advantage of the FSO offer of the Opticron 10X50s for £99, they should arrive tomorrow. I can't wait to start using them! My old pair of 10x50s got knocked out of line a while ago, and I've been using some little rubbish Argos things that are about as much use as looking down a toilet roll tube. I noticed in the Sky at Night magazine, Steven Tonkins does a 'binocular tour' every month. I don't subscribe, (I've always bought Astronomy Now), but I think I may start getting Sky at Night regularly, because his binocular sky maps are pretty fantastic. Cassiopeia is in this month, and there's quite a few objects in there I've put on my 'next clear sky' list. I've ordered a copy of his book on the strength of these charts. Does anyone have it? Does it have maps comparable to the ones in Sky at Night? I've searched my old magazine pile for back-issues of the Sky at Night, and I've found a couple more. Gemini and Cygnus. What maps do you guys use when you're binocular observing?

This came yesterday. I used one Thursday night at an astronomy club and thought it was a little smasher! Four inch mirror, wooden mount, quality build and under £100. Had a lovely view of the double cluster when I used it Thursday. Am hoping to take it out to Shropshire tonight to get some dark skies ('broken clouds' is the forecast). I do a lot of camping and I'm often with none astro-friends, it's sometimes a bit anti-social to set up the big scopes. With this, I can put it on the table, between the wine bottles, and everyone can have a look. I've always loved binocular astronomy, but the problem is, you can't hand the binoculars to someone else and say "look at that nice cluster". With this, everyone can join in.

I use a great site in Shropshire, we watched the Perseids there the week before last. There's some pictures of the site on my bog in my sig. £6 a night, and a nice dark sky. Electric hook-ups too, if needed.

I've got a portion of a campsite booked for the Persieds in August, in Shropshire. Am thinking of making a bit of an event of it? My local society doesn't hold any practical astronomy events, they're more geared for lectures really, so I'd be up for getting together with more West Midlands astronomers who are more 'hands on', and organising some stuff? I'm in Wolverhampton but tend to go to Shropshire for dark skies.