DPF

Hi all, I use an erecting prism on my scope - does anyone have recommendations for a map of the moon, with the orientation right way up and right way round, as I’m not too great with orientation 😩 Thanks in advance

Just have to share this and treat this as a form of therapy, as I’m hoping others will sympathise 🤞 On a rare evening when the wife is out and I have nothing planned, only to look out and see the moon and a stars goading me. I now have a plan, for the first time in ages clear skies and I can do what I want, just need to eat the pasta I’m cooking and I’m out there. Molten pasta eaten in record time, indigestion on its way and one last glance out of the window - thick cloud has covered the night sky, again. Now reaching for the Rennie and an evening thinking of how it could have turned out 😩

Hi and welcome to the forum. I started my stargazing journey after my wife bought me a Travelscope 70 a couple of years ago and from the support of others on this forum, I made some upgrades (tripod, red dot finder and a variety of eyepieces), which had now led me to start thinking about my next scope. Unfortunately, the Travelscope will limit what you can add to it and a camera will probably be too heavy, I’m not sure but you could try a mobile phone holder. I appreciate you want to try astrophotography but you will be limited. However, don’t be too disheartened and use what you have to explore the night skies as you will be amazed at what you can see. My Travelscope 70 may not be the best or the most powerful but I still have ‘wow’ moments at what I am able to see.

Pick up in one piece would be easier for me. Happy to have a two piece setup if necessary

For the past 3 years I have been enjoying learning about astronomy, mainly due to receiving a Travel Scope 70 from my wife. With this small scope and upgrades to tripod, eyepieces and RDF, I have been able to find my away around the night sky and enjoy the sights. I feel it’s time to upgrade to a new scope and ‘power-up’, especially as I’m into lunar observing and want to get closer to the craters and landscape that exist the moon - I still want to enjoy looking around the night skies and explore what is out there, so the new scope needs to be an all rounder. My criteria, is as follows: - Grab and Go - Alt/Az mount - Good all rounder for observing - Budget £450 Over my time being on SGL, members have been amazing and nows your turn to continue being amazing. Over to you…….

That’s a good question, especially when mainly observing cloudy skies, but when the chance arrives to look up into the night sky I find myself outside with my own thoughts, with nothing else to worry about. Observing the night sky provides me with the chance to decompress and provide me with one of the very few chances to destress and look after my own mental wellbeing.

Just received my copy, thanks @mikerr for the recommendation. First impression of the book is good and look forward to reading it. 👍

After six weeks of recovery from a chest infection and being banned from going out, I managed to spend an hour looking at the moon and Jupiter - just so nice to be out again and making the most of a clear evening. Mental health boost achieved 👏👏👏

After some time away and not feeling it, I came across this post earlier this evening and have just been out with the binoculars to view the night sky. Thank you for the inspiration @Moonshed, your post has made a difficult week a better one. 👍

As a rookie, I’ve grown more interested in lunar observing and want to get closer details of the surface of the moon, as I’m interested in lunar sketching and don’t just want to sketch the whole of the moon each time. As much as I don’t have the envious setup of most on SGL contributors have, I own a Celestron Travelscope 70, I’d like to see how much I can push this scope to see what detail I see on the lunar surface. I have a variety of eyepieces and a 2x Barlow - do you have any suggestions (apart from purchasing a new scope) on how I may be able to get closer to the features of the moon??? Thanks in advance

Really clear tonight and sat for ages looking at Sinus Iridum and from what I think is The Jewelled Handle and looked amazing. It might be just me that thinks this, but as my first time seeing it I didn’t look at anything else 😮

My copy also arrived yesterday and looks really good. Thanks for sharing the pages of your copies 👍 I am now visualising everyone on a clear night looking at the same sections of the moon within the book 😂 Enjoy

You've convinced me to purchase the book - looking forward to it arriving

Would anyone have any views on how the Duplex Moon Atlas compares to the lunar maps in Atlas of the Night Sky by Storm Dunlop. Thanks

Nice sketch. I’m also new to sketching and the one thing I have to remind myself is, “why am I doing this?” For me it’s about being outside and looking after my mental wellbeing, as well as looking at what’s above us through an eyepiece. When I look at other peoples sketches, I am often in awe of what I see but the sketches are what they see on the night and often through more powerful equipment than I have. As they say, “art is in the eye of the beholder” and the conditions we sketch in will never be the same twice. I sketch at the telescope and don’t make any changes when back inside, but that’s my personal choice. I do dread looking at what I’ve sketched when I go back inside, as under red light they look much better. I look to learn from each sketch and try not to get too hung up on the mistakes - it’s a learning curve. Keep going and most of all enjoy it. 👍

Plenty of tips being shared here and it’s interesting to see how others approach sketching. I’m new to this and am currently using a Stabilo CarbOthello White Pastel pencil and a Faber-Castell Polychromos White pencil. The paper is Daler Rowney black A5 160g/m. Anything I draw is at the eyepiece and that’s where it starts and ends, I don’t make any additions when back indoors, but that’s what I like about this topic- it’s “art” and is down to individual interpretation of how the work is produced and finished, just my personal opinion. I’ve just been bought a Windsor & Newton charcoal pencil set, which will get tried out soon with a different paper and hopefully I’ll be brave enough to share on SGL. Whatever you do, just enjoy it and embrace the moment.

An interesting and inspiring post, which for me the moon has definitely had me caught in plenty of 'marmite' moments, of 'wow it looks great' and 'why does it have to be so bright on the first and only clear night for 6 months.' I've just started to get into sketching and plucked up the courage to attempt to sketch what I'm seeing through the eyepiece. The moon will now be a regular target and I've just purchased, Atlas of the Night Sky to allow me to actually know what I'm looking at and target specific areas. Thanks for the inspiration

My first open cluster sketch and only my second sketch, not sure if it can be classed as a sketch. Kept it simple by using a wide field eyepiece to give a sense of simplicity to what I see as a beautiful open cluster. Clear night at the base of the South Downs with an owl ‘hooting’ away - not sure if it was hooting in laughter at this effort 😂 Feel free to comment, would welcome advice. Equipment: Celestron Travel Scope 70, Celestron OMNI 32mm Plossl

I have this scope which was bought for me by my wife as a Christmas present two years ago and my first post on SGL asked about its capabilities and for suggestions of what might be needed to ‘upgrade’ it. After receiving some great advice and support, I made some changes and purchased a new tripod, some eyepieces and a moon filter etc. I’m often jealous of the bigger/more expensive telescopes and wonder what it would be like to own one and what I can see, but I love my scope and what I have seen may not have been in as much detail as others but it has helped me to navigate the night sky and I have just posted my first sketch on t SGL. Most of all my little scope has enabled me to get outside, enjoy the peaceful surroundings and improve my mental well-being.

Had the pad and pencils for a year and just plucked up the courage to do this sketch - why do they look better outside in the dark 😂 Celestron Travel Scope 70 2x Barlow / Celestron 20mm / Moon Filter

As a newcomer to all of this, I was bought a telescope as a Christmas present and didn’t buy any new ep’s or equipment until I’d consulted the amazing people on this forum. One thing I did do, is to take myself to a dark area, with the basic setup I’d received as a present. Just by doing this almost seemed to add more to the quality of the eyepieces and added a new dimension to what I was seeing. It made me appreciate more of what I had been seeing, but now I was beginning to see more - without added expense. Now, with just a little bit more experience I have invested in some ep’s and taken the advice of other members of this forum. The ep’s I have bought have been a mixture of new and also from those selling equipment on the forum. Go and find that dark site and enjoy.

5 minute drive to the top of the South Downs. Did this for the first time last week and as a newbie to to all this, I was amazed at the difference. Saw more than I had from back garden and viewed a couple of ‘shooting stars’ to add to the experience.

Watched this last night and as a newcomer to astronomy, I found it really interesting. Thanks for sharing, I’m off to buy my sketching kit. 👍

Hi all. I’m new to astronomy and SGL since December 2020, after getting a scope for Christmas. Having been on other forums in the past and also being slightly nervous about posting, as you’re never sure what replies you’ll get back. I can honestly say that I’ve been welcomed and looked after on the forum. Thank you all so far for your kindness and patience.

Two nights in a row out looking at a totally clear sky. Unbelievable Jeff 🥳🥳🥳