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Hello, I'm a REAL Newb


dhodg

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Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd throw a quick introduction post up and say hi. I've lurked the forum for a bit and the wealth of information available here is quite overwhelming and awesome for a total newbie like myself. Although I don't have a scope or any other kind of optics for that matter, I have, for a long time looked up and been humbled by the awesome spectacle that hangs above us (cloud permitting of course :smiley: ). Also, living in Stockport isn't great due to the amount light polution, however when we do have clear skies they are usually good enough for making out most constellations, which at the moment I'm trying to learn using Mk1 eyeballs so I can navigate round the night sky.

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me, I'm sure you will all suffer from a tirade of silly questions from me at some point :grin: !

Cheers!

Dave

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Welcome Dave. As you have seen, the wealth of knowledge and experience here knows no bounds. It's a good idea to learn the night skies first, then when you've got some idea where your main interest may lie (visual, imaging, planetary, deep space etc.) and when circumstances (and finances) allow you can pick the brains on here to help you decide on your first scope. Don't be afraid to ask however basic the question may seem. Everyone has had to start somewhere

Best of luck and clear skies :smiley:

Jason

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Hi Dave and welcome to the forum. To help improve your knowledge of the night sky and to help you identify objects of interest, why not take a look at a piece of free planetarium software called "Stellarium", you can view the details here. Lots of great features to keep you going when the inevitable clouds come in! It can be configured to match your precise viewing location thereby offering you the same sky to help you find objects of choice. The advance date/time feature is great as it helps you move the night sky forward to help you see what's coming up and is particularly useful if your view is obscured in some way. Give it a try as many of us use it on here and would strongly recommend it as a useful tool to get you started.

Clear skies and enjoy the forum

James

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Hello everyone, thank you for such a warm welcome! Already I feel right at home though I'm still getting used to where everything is :)

Welcome Dave. As you have seen, the wealth of knowledge and experience here knows no bounds. It's a good idea to learn the night skies first, then when you've got some idea where your main interest may lie (visual, imaging, planetary, deep space etc.) and when circumstances (and finances) allow you can pick the brains on here to help you decide on your first scope. Don't be afraid to ask however basic the question may seem. Everyone has had to start somewhere

Best of luck and clear skies :smiley:

Jason

Hi Jason, I would like to first learn the sky and then hopefully get some bins to further my learning using them because I'm sure there is probably a lot I can't see without them. I do intend to get into imaging deep space objects at some point, but I would like to build up the foundations and basic knowledge of the sky before I go spending hundreds of pounds on a scope and a camera :grin: .

Thanks for the warm welcome and clear skies!

Hi Dave and welcome to the forum. To help improve your knowledge of the night sky and to help you identify objects of interest, why not take a look at a piece of free planetarium software called "Stellarium", you can view the details here. Lots of great features to keep you going when the inevitable clouds come in! It can be configured to match your precise viewing location thereby offering you the same sky to help you find objects of choice. The advance date/time feature is great as it helps you move the night sky forward to help you see what's coming up and is particularly useful if your view is obscured in some way. Give it a try as many of us use it on here and would strongly recommend it as a useful tool to get you started.

Clear skies and enjoy the forum

James

Hi James, thanks for the warm welcome and the info :) . I installed Stellarium just a couple of days ago and have been taking advantage of it mainly to learn the constellations (that's how much of a newb I really am haha!). Had some clear skies the other morning and could see Jupiter in the west in Taurus? I think it was Taurus. And below Jupiter I saw Aldebaran which is AWESOME! I would have never known that the constellation was Taurus and that I was looking at Aldebaran - a star which I've seen on many of the Star Size Comparison vids on youtube, it was awe inspiring and just to think the light I was observing that morning had travelled for 65 years!! I also saw Capella and was able to make out the rest of the constellation of Auriga amongst other stars that morning - all with Stellariums help of course! I can't wait till I get the ability to point out most if not all constellations and maybe say a little about some of the individual stars that make them up :grin: . I would love to see Rigel and Betelgeuse at some point, hopefully soon clear skies permitting! I believe they make up the constellation of Orion which follows Taurus. For now though, I'll do some more homework, plenty to keep me going on here :smiley: !

Thanks again for the warm welcome everyone and clear skies!

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