New To This :)

[gem_88]

Hey all,

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

After a very difficult couple of years, I have decided to take some time out for myself and concentrate on some hobbies that will give me some happiness and pleasure.

For a long time, I have been interested in astronomy, but never really found a way to enjoy it, until I stumbled across this forum. I had no idea so many other people shared the same interest!

So, I would love to have some feedback from people, about how to go about starting up this hobby properly, other people's experiences etc. Also, if anyone wants to say hi and introduce themselves, I'd love to get to know some people who share the same interests

Many Thanks and I hope to hear from you all soon!

Gem

x

[Lenny147]

Hey welcome to SGL, your in good hands on here, some great people with some great advice

[Oily]

Welcome to SGL Gem.

[JamesF]

Welcome to SGL.

There are quite a few SGL members who are in the Birmingham/Coventry area who might be able to recommend a local astro society which would be one of the first places worth visiting.

As regards getting started, there are quite a few things to consider. You can do a fair bit with a decent pair of binoculars, but some idea of your budget would help. Also it can make a lot of difference if you have a garden and somewhere easy to get to for storage, or if you live at the top of a block of flats, or if your sky is very light-polluted and you'll need to travel to get good views.

James

[gem_88]

Thank you for all the swift replies.

In response to JamesF's points, I'm a single Mum, so don't have a massive budget, but if this hobby really works for me, then finding a way to get some decent equipment will not be impossible.

I live in the countryside, so the skies are usually clear and luckily, we get to see a lot of shooting stars etc.

I live in the Solihull area also, so if anyone knows of any local groups as suggested, I'd be really grateful.

Thanks again!

[JamesF]

If you want to keep costs under control then binoculars are not at all a bad way to start. The 10x50 pair here are well spoken of:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/helios/helios-naturesport-plus.html

If you can afford a bit more and have a sturdy table outdoors to sit it on then an alternative would be something like this:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html

The dobsonian style telescopes such as the above give you pretty much the best views you can get for the money because the mounts are very simple and cheap to make and many people either start with or upgrade to one such as this:

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html

but by the time you get that far there's no avoiding the fact that you're sharing the house with a telescope

The usual recommendation is to also get a copy of "Turn Left At Orion" which explains the basics and has a guide to objects you can see, and to download a copy of Stellarium (free) which will show you what you can see in the sky at any time (and can be used as an aid to finding it,too).

James

[gem_88]

Wow, thank you so much. That will be a really great starting point for me Have you been doing this long then?

[JamesF]

Not as long as many here, certainly. It just seems that way, when it's been a month since you last had a clear sky

James

[Matt Scunthorpe]

Not as long as many here, certainly. It just seems that way, when it's been a month since you last had a clear sky

James

Whats a clear sky?

[JamesF]

Whats a clear sky?

Not entirely sure. I've read about them on the internet. But you know how unreliable a source the internet is. Someone might just have made it up.

James

[kevrees]

Hi and welcome

These clear skies i've heard people mentioning, it's an urban myth isnt it.....

[pvaz]

Hello and welcome to SGL!

3 years ago I was exactly in the same position. I went about it by printing the monthly maps here and using them to start learning some of the biggest constellations. With the help of some old binoculars I also found some of the suggested DSOs for those months (the andromeda galaxy and hercules globular). About a month later I started feeling confident about it and, having done my research, went for an 8" dobsonian scope as it was the best way to get aperture without spending too much and very fast to setup.

I think going to a local club may encourage you. You'll learn a thing or three and have the chance to peek through a few diferente scopes wich will help you have a feel for what scope may suit you better and what you can expect to see.

[Pete Presland]

welcome to SGL download stellarium its one of the best freebies on the net

http://www.stellarium.org/

untill you get some binoculars yo can at least learn your way around the skies

[Charon]

Welcome aboard Gem.

[glowjet]

Hi Lady Gem_88 and welcome to SGL, you already have some sound advice, but I would agree that a reasonable pair of binoculars and some star maps and a red torch, will set you on the Astronomy learning curve. I am sure you will enjoy the experience you have to come and don`t forget, just ask if you are in any doubt, no matter how stupid you think your question might be, enjoy

John.

[Rakanishu]

Welcome to SGL im Jesse and used to live in an area very close to you There are plenty of people to help you out on here. As for me I started with 10x50 binoculars to help with learning the sky.

[Scott]

high gem and welcome to sgl. my first 'scope was an 8" reflector then i bought a 5" one for while i'm on hols. I thought i'd be disapointed with the smaller one but i was very wrong.it's a great little scope and very portable. it comes with a dobsonian mount which are basically idiot proof (which works well for me). I tried binocullars but just didn't get on with them. I struggle to hold them still enough which i suppose could be avoided with the purchase of a tripod. you could do a lot worse than a 130 Heritage from skywatcher. Its a great little scope and one i wouldn't be without. keep asking questions and you'll have a much better idea of what you're after before you know it. Try and have a look through some different scopes and don't think your going to see magazine type images in your eyepiece or you'll be let down. for me, seeing a small area of light (galaxy) from a few hundred lightyears away really gets me thinking. Sorry for dribbling on for so long and good luck in the future.

Scott.

[Ganymede12]

Hello, welcome to SGL!

If you can afford it then I would definitely recommend the Heritage 130P. I don't have one but they look great and I wish I had chosen one of them as my first starter scope! It would have been easier to store, easier to use, easier to transport. But that's what I get for buying a telescope and then joining SGL! (Still, My Mercury 707 still gives me great views)

Just looked up the term "Clear Skies". Apparently someone call Galileo Galile invented the idea to explain why he saw lights in the sky!

[rwilkey]

Hey Gem, welcome aboard, the best thing is to get looking up at the sky, with binoculars if you can and start identifying some of the stars and constellations, that's hoe me and the wife started until I bought her a telescope one Christmas, now we've never looked back, it is a very engrosiing hobby, see if you can find a local club (sorry, I don't know your local area), but whatever you do, explore the night sky, there is so much to see up there and it's so amazing! Good luck with your exploration.

[jason.p]

Welcome Gem from another beginner. As you can see so far there is a wealth of expertise and experience here. I've learnt so much so far and there is a long way to go!

One thing I will say is that it is well worth "learning" the night sky (if you ever get a glimpse of it!) and for that just eyeballs and bins will be enough to start with. I wish I'd spent more time on it.

Whatever you do, don't be afraid to ask, even if it may seem a bit basic.

Good luck

Jason

[Momentous]

Hi Gem and welcome. I'm a complete beginner myself and have found the people and advice on this site invaluable. Don't be afraid to ask questions (even if you think they're stupid, they aren't) as there's always someone on here that has an answer or a useful link. Print out some star maps and just go out and look up! It's absolutely mind blowing when you start to view what's up there. So many beautiful things to see and discover. I'll stop now as I'm prattling on!

Have fun and enjoy yourself.

[bigrbuk]

Another newbie here, and just to back up what you've already been told. The folks on here are very friendly and helpful. I decided on the Heritage 130P as my starter scope and bought a copy of Turn Left at Orion and managed to start spotting things straight away which I didn't think I would to be honest.

One word of warning, it's VERY easy to yearn to see more and see clearer. I have since upgraded my eyepieces and can understand why people share their houses with behemoths.