Star party etiquette?

[Cosmicnaut913]

Hi everyone, im new this hobby! Always as a child i wanted a telescope, the other week i was looking at an orion refractor and instead came across a great deal on a meade 12" lightbridge deluxe. Never in my mind did i ever think i would have such a fine istrument for my first. Did imake a good choice? Im sorry im rambling buy i would like to start going to starparties to learn more but im unsure of the etiquette required for one of these events. Thanks for the help.

[jbk44]

Hello, and yes that scope should be great as long as it's set up well. As for etiquette here's a link you might like to see, and as you'd like to attend a star party this link might interest you too.

Good luck with your new hobby!

Salisbury Star Party: Etiquette

[Pete Presland]

thats certainly one very large scope, i am sure the view is going to be amazing.as for a good choice? depends what you want to use it for? for visual work it will be great,not so good for imaging though.

star party etiquette,never been to one but i am sure its mostly common sense,don't shine a bright light in other observers direction,don't trip over their equipment etc.. i am sure you would be OK someone will show you the ropes.

congratulations on your new scope!

[Cosmicnaut913]

Thanks guys for the info, im now familiarized with the rules. Im prettu inyerested in viewing deep space objects but in all honesty ive never looked through a telescope so im gonna be pretty hooked on the moon for awhile lol i plan on trying out the dob next weekend, im pretty excited. Ive read about collimation but im gonna get a laser collminator due to the convience.

[jbk44]

Well that scope of yours will be amazing for DSO's. If you have clear sky's and little l/p you will be really really happy. My 8" blows my mind.

Search google for "Collimating a laser collimator" when i bought mine (Skywatcher premium laser colimator), it was miles out. It was a pain trying to get it perfect i was almost pulling my hair out, but worh it for sure.

[brantuk]

Check out the second post in this thread that I wrote up for Kelling Heath

http://stargazerslounge.com/star-parties/152561-kelling-heath-chat-thread-autumn-2011-a.html

[Uranium235]

Good post that is, especially the bit in regard to being light footed when approaching an imaging setup as they are very sensitive to vibration. Ive known the slamming of a car door to upset things.

[Moonshane]

I'd not have thought about the imaging side either to be honest - good post!

In my case it may take a long time to find soething as the masses of stars at darker skies totally confuses me! 'Where's Vega again?' is a question I often have to ask myself!

A couple of other light issues:

Don't use a stove to make a brew - use a flask earlier in the night.

Don't have lights inside your tent to say read a book later - tent walls are not thick.

Go out of view to light a cigarette.

Mobile phones are remarkably bright when dark adapted as are PC screens - don't use unless they have a red film over them.

Ensure you don't have interior and indicator lights coming on when going to your car - better still never return to your car if in the dark area.

If you have had your teeth whitened then don't smile too much.

OK the last one was a joke but you get the drift

[Charon]

If you have had your teeth whitened then don't smile too much.

OK the last one was a joke but you get the drift

Or better still leave them at home

[Moonshane]

ha ha

then again what would you gnash when you cannot find that elusive fuzzie?

[brantuk]

"Don't have lights inside your tent to say read a book"

The wife of an astronomer pitched next to us at Kelling was sat in the doorway of her tent at Kelling with a very bright red light trying to read. And we were bathed in excessive red light as we were "first light'ing" the Altair 115mm triplet.

Fortunately the guy responded very positively when I politely asked if it could be dimmed or shielded. But I did hear her at one point exclaim "What am I supposed to do - sit here in the pitch dark?". It boggles the mind really at a star party - even red light needs to be very dim

[Cosmicnaut913]

Wow great info guys thank you!

[brantuk]

Think of it as the opposite of going to Ibiza where, if the clouds rolled over during mid summer, you'd get a lot of rather miffed sunbathers. At a star party if you introduce any light then you get a lot of rather miffed astronomers lol

[John]

My main piece of advice, based on the the star parties that I have been to is to take plenty of layers of clothing. It's surprising how a warm afternoon and evening can turn into a very cold session by the time you get to the early hours of the morning - loose your "inner core of heat" and it's very difficult to get it back.

[Moonshane]

"loose your "inner core of heat" and it's very difficult to get it back."

unless you have jaffa cakes.....

[John]

"loose your "inner core of heat" and it's very difficult to get it back."

unless you have jaffa cakes.....

Jaffa cakes to astronomers are like a towel is to a galaxy hitchhiker - you should always know where they are and how to use them