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Can I find Gliese 581 with goto


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New to Astronomy and next month I am buying 12 inch skywatcher Dob with goto. My experience of goto so far is watching someone type Jupiter or Orions Nebula into their system and then waiting for them to let me peer through their scopes at star parties (well I assume that was what they was typing). I know they differ but in general I was wondering how much info is stored in these goto systems. I just watched a programme about Gliese 581 would this sort of thing be included in the 10s of thousands of objects stored in the scopes I see for sale. Plus Alpha Centauri would be pretty cool to locate. Is there any other topical stars with potential earth like planets in orbit recently discovered. I appreciate I may not see much when I buy my scope next month or even if I am located in the wrong hemisphere but want to find those stars if possible or any other similar ones with recent exoplanet discoveries as I find that quite fascinating. Sorry if this is a stupid question...

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Hello,

I am pretty sure alpha centauri is never visible from the northern hemisphere. However on the plus side gliese 581 certainly is!

I am unfamiliar with goto systems myself but if they have the HIP catologue it's name is HIP 74995. If they don't it shouldn't be too difficult to locate especially in your 12 inch dob!

I too like the idea of looking at or getting a picture of a star with a bit of a story behind it.

The newest addition to my list is another star in libra; HIP76976. Astronomers believe it is the oldest star we know of in the universe..at least 13.2 billion years old! (http://www.nature.com/news/nearby-star-is-almost-as-old-as-the-universe-1.12196)

Dan

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Cool, great scope.

There' s 42,900 objects in your Synscan data base. Alpha Centuri is in the Southern Hemisphere, you might have a bit of a journey.

I'd advise that you print out the alignment stars

http://ngc891.com/docs/synscan-finder-stars.pdf

this'll help find those elusive alignment stars.

The handset has NGC,IC,M ,SAO and Caldwells. plenty to see.

Even in objects are not in the data base , if you find their co-ordinates, Ra and Dec , you'll be able to enter these and GOTO that location.Alternatively you can find the SAO number and enter that by the handset to find.

That'll be the case with Gliese 581 in Libra, which is high in May in the south.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gliese_581

I'd start off easy and enjoy the handset tour of the sky and the loads of goodies available. Enjoy,

Nick.

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I guess there are two questions - will you be able to find it with the handset, and will you be able to see it in the scope?

I have no idea on the first, but from other replies it sounds like you should be fine.

As for the second, I wouldn't panic: I occasionally point my 3" towards some of the 'interesting' objects and I can see them fine.

Just to reassure you you're not alone in this fascination, I have this in my log from early December last year:

Peg 51 - single star, but in Oct 1995 the "first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star" was identified orbiting it. Originally thought this meant the first exoplanet found, but no they were around the pulsar PSR B1257+12 in '92; this was just the first orbiting a main sequence star.

I know, to other people it's just a star like any other, just another dot in the sky, but to me the knowledge of what is actually there makes it just amazing.

Good luck, and have fun :D

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