AstroGS

Thank you @alacant& @philhilo……I will definitely try M13, M51! Dumbell Nebula and a few planets. Last night it was cloudy so, it was a no-go. Will try today with the moon.

Here is the stacked image......

andromeda_00001.bmp

Team, thank you so much for your input & advice.

With loads of trial and error and eventually through small wins i should get there. I will try tonight some planetary imaging to help with the morale. Also, i will take it out again this afternoon to check (again the focus).

Here are some of the 3-mins frames i got last night from the Andromeda galaxy. 

andromeda_00001.fits andromeda_00005.fits andromeda_00011.fits andromeda_00017.fits

Hi fellow astronomers,

I live in Northampton, UK and quite new in to astronomy (7 months).

Gear:

CPC925 GPS

ZWO ASI 385 MC

8 x 50 default finderscope

Antares f6.3 reducer

Using SharpCap

I am trying for almost 2-3 weeks now to take a decent picture (whenever the night skies are clear) of anything....and i do fail consistently. My first real milestone will be to take a decent image of the Andromeda Galaxy....just a decent one.

Some people say that i should move to a refractor (and i am sure they are right) for better DSO imaging, some others say that i should go for a scope guider for longer exposures, some say both. What i am looking for here is a simple way to use the equipment i have to take some decent photos with my daughter at the current beautiful UK skies.

I have even read the beginners guides in these very great forums but, it seems that i do not get it. I guess i am asking for help to setup my gear correctly - is there somewhere that i could get that service/ advice?

Many thanks in advance

George

I just pressed the buy button!

Bought though FLO a Bresser Messier 6" Planetary Dobsonian + BST 8mm.

it is supposed to be delivered within a few days and i hope it will keep (mainly) my daughter interested into space!

Cannot wait to get our first telescope!

Thank you all for your help and advice.....the real research is about to start 😉 

5 minutes ago, Luke said:

For me, the best scope for clarity on the moon and planets up to £300 is an 8 inch dobsonian. Unfortunately the Skywatcher 200P is probably not available for a while. It has no goto, but the moon and planets are usually much easier to find than fainter stuff like galaxies, as you have a very bright spot/huge moon to aim for in the finder scope!

A goto setup would keep the object in the view, whereas with a dobsonian, you have to manually nudge it every now and then. You do get used to nudging dobs, I find.

When it comes to the moon and planets, in general, the larger the aperture of the telescope, the finer the detail it can show you, IF CONDITIONS ARE GOOD ENOUGH. How good conditions are typically can vary greatly depending on where you live.

Most nights here I find that my 8 inch scope doesn't show much more detail than a 5 inch on the moon. But I still find the 8 inch worth it for when I do get good, stable seeing now and again and it can show the finer details it is capable of!

That said, the compact smaller scopes also have their appeal, e.g. they may be easier to take with you on holiday or easier to move around. Maybe you would rather have goto and tracking or a smaller dob than occassional finer detail close-up views.

These are all lovely scopes with their own advantages and disadvantages. Good luck picking the winner!

We are not that far away from each other - i live in Northampton!

As i have a specific budget (£300) that i wouldn't want to surpass right now - unless for £30-£40 more i could get significant better visuals.

I would either go for something like the Zhumell and spend another £60-£70 for eyepieces or i would go for something like 6" Dob Bresser (with no further investment on accessories wight now) that will use all my budget! This is what i'm thinking tbh.

19 minutes ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

If you definitely want a Dob, the Bresser 6" planetary might be a better buy than the smaller Zhumell.  And if you later decide that the Dob format was a mistake, you should be able to easily mount the Bresser on a different mount, since it has tube rings.

Thanks @Cosmic Geoff if i go for the Bresser 6" what would be the minimum eyepieces i should get with it (if any)?

Thank you @MrFreeze & @Cosmic Geoff

Based on availability i am looking for the following - i listen carefully your feedback/ advice and i am happy to move away from low cost GoTo options and focus in better optics.

Based on 3 weeks' worth of research, reviews and my minimum knowledge (and based on current availability), it seems i am moving towards the following:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BR6G589/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescopes-in-stock/sky-watcher-skymax-102s-az-pronto.html

https://www.castlecameras.co.uk/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-102/p10769

https://www.castlecameras.co.uk/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-130/p10768

I would also be looking into the 2nd hand sales in this forum for a good deal as well.

I assume i am asking for help on specific models + stands as i start getting the newbie syndrome 🙂 .

1 hour ago, Zermelo said:

Hi George, and welcome to the forum.

You might be interested in this recent discussion: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/365881-buying-my-daughter-her-first-telescope/ .

There are also a few beginners' buying pages online, e.g.:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes.html

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/top-astronomy-kit/best-telescopes-beginners/

https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/beginner-telescopes.html

https://uk.telescope.com/assets/articles/content-popups/whats-the-best-telescope-for-kids.html

You mention planets, specifically, as being of interest. If you've not already read it, I'd recommend having a look at this thread:
https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/196278-what-can-i-expect-to-see/

 

 

 

Thank you @Zermelo

1 hour ago, Zermelo said:

Hi George, and welcome to the forum.

You might be interested in this recent discussion: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/365881-buying-my-daughter-her-first-telescope/ .

There are also a few beginners' buying pages online, e.g.:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes.html

https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/top-astronomy-kit/best-telescopes-beginners/

https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/beginner-telescopes.html

https://uk.telescope.com/assets/articles/content-popups/whats-the-best-telescope-for-kids.html

You mention planets, specifically, as being of interest. If you've not already read it, I'd recommend having a look at this thread:
https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/196278-what-can-i-expect-to-see/

 

 

 

Thank you @Tiny Clanger

thank you @kendg

Good afternoon to everyone,

I am new to astronomy and with my daughter (11 yrs old - very interested in space and astronomy), we want to purchase our first telescope. My daughter is in that age where she is asking for a telescope to observe the vast space.

We are based in UK (Northampton) and i am looking to invest up to £300 for our first telescope. Ideally it should be a telescope that will allow us to observe the moon, Mars, Saturn in the best possible clarity that the price point will allow us. Also, if it is something that offers a GoTo option even better!

Not sure if i am asking for lot but, your support will be highly appreciated.

Based on my initial research, i have seen these but it does not mean i have to choose amongst these.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zhumell-ZHUS002-1-Altazimuth-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B07BR6G589

http://skywatcher.com/product/bk-p1145-azgt/

http://skywatcher.com/product/bk-mak-102-azgt/

https://www.wexphotovideo.com/sky-watcher-skymax-102-eq-2-maksutov-cassegrain-telescope-10595/?mkwid=s7gHFtHkS_dc&pcrid=310558796332&kword=&match=&plid=&product=10595&pgrid=58515500541&ptaid=aud-321738727162:pla-612813126609&gclid=CjwKCAiAnvj9BRA4EiwAuUMDf4D5unb4nAlNy0GygEp-Xk9duwrSq0fT9CqtyxesYFckAMnJztAQcBoC2xIQAvD_BwE

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/skywatcher-skymax-102-az-gti-wifi-telescope.html

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescopes-in-stock/sky-watcher-skymax-102s-az-pronto.html

Thank you in advance!