Jump to content

NLCbanner2024.jpg.2478be509670e60c2d6efd04834b8b47.jpg

Hello from Michigan

NGC1337

By NGC1337
in Welcome

Recommended Posts

NGC1337

NGC1337

Posted
Posted

Great community you have here. I've been browsing your forums since I picked up the hobby a month ago, quite unexpectedly...

I have always been fascinated with space. In college I was fortunate to be able to take a cosmology course, which was highly enjoyable. One night the professor took us to the school's observatory after class, where he showed us beautiful Saturn. That was a life changing moment for me. But it has been many years since then, life happens I guess, and that had been my only look through a telescope until just recently.

This summer I've settled down, got married and bought my first house. My wife made friends with the neighbors, who had us over one afternoon for a grill out. They must have noticed me staring at their telescope, because shortly after they gave it to us! They never use it, they said. They're too busy raising teenagers I guess.

The telescope is a Celestron C6N, the same one described here, except without the motor drive. I've basically been obsessed since the first night I brought it out. I've read a lot about the life cycle of stars, distant galaxies, exoplanets, HII regions, and all that stuff my whole life, but I found that I know very little about our night sky itself! It has been a great joy to learn to read our sky for the first time.

I am lucky to live in a sparsely populated area of Michigan with low light pollution. I am also completely blind in one eye (have been since I was 19), which I think makes looking into an eyepiece much more natural for me. It seems that I've found the perfect hobby.

I only have a single eyepiece right now, a 20mm. I'll need to save up some beer money to buy a couple more.

I've been keeping a journal of my observations. So far I've seen:

Vega

The Double Double

Altair

Tarazed

Mizar and Alcor

The Moon

Capella

Jupiter

Beta Pegasi

Alpheratz

Andromeda

Mirach

Deneb

Cassiopeia (traced the five main stars)

M 103

NGC 457

And of course I've done a lot of aimless browsing. My favorite so far is Jupiter! I have seen four of its moons and can clearly see two of its red/rust colored cloud bands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 37
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Doug

Doug

Posted
Posted

Hi NGC1337, Galaxy in Eridanus

A very warm welcome to the SGL Sounds like you have a really great neighbour

giving you that lovely scope and now your hooked , now make shore he keeps his lights off :-)

Doug

Essex UK

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • 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.