Happy!

[Dizeee]

Being new to this I didn't think it would be so easy to find stuff.

Last night was the first proper clear night I have had to be able to experiment with my VERY basic binoculars, the Stellarium and the night sky. I am in the process of researching buying a scope and was thinking about a go to.

However, last night with a little memorised help popping in and out and looking at the stellarium, I managed to find something I have never seen and always wanted to in a matter of minutes - Andromeda.

I have been playing around with Jupiter (it couldnt really get easier could it) and then last night I found it a piece of cake observing the Pleides,as well as the Nebula in Orion (couldnt see the dust just the star and slight shroud) as well as the twinned star above it. Its amazing how those three stars look so different through even a simple pair of bins, i.e they are not just 3 stars.

After some more playing I thought I would search on the Stellarium for Andromeda. I simply used Jupiter and he Pleides as the start of an arrow, and used Mirach as the end of the arrow (flanked by Almaak and Hamal). I then followed the two stars out from Mirach and looked for the galaxy. To my amazement, and only whilst looking to one side of the bins lense, I made out a small grey blob exactly where the Stellarium told me it was. Ok, so the view was not amazing and it was very very faint so as almost undetectable - but repeatedly I found it and eye movement allowed me to see its presence. I was amazed and really please.

Ok maybe this sounds a bit silly to the hardcore observers, but I now feel very confident in looking for anything, as long as I can look up where it should be on the Stellarium. It has totally changed my view on getting a goto and instead I may just spend the cash on a decent scope instead. I actually found it as fun to search as I did finding.

Out of interest can someone post an image of what Andromeda would look like through your run of the mill reflector or dobsonian?

[Double Kick Drum]

Ok maybe this sounds a bit silly to the hardcore observers, but I now feel very confident in looking for anything, as long as I can look up where it should be on the Stellarium. It has totally changed my view on getting a goto and instead I may just spend the cash on a decent scope instead. I actually found it as fun to search as I did finding.

Out of interest can someone post an image of what Andromeda would look like through your run of the mill reflector or dobsonian?

In a nutshell all you need are good maps and patience. You can gradually pick more ambitious objects as you get more confident but as you do, you will have to get used to ever feinter smudges for images.

M31, the Andromeda galaxy is large, oval and reasonably easy to pick up but does not give much detail away. The core is a bright hazy patch and easily visible but the spiral arms are feint and require a very dark sky to be seen well (if at all).

Happy hunting!

[floppygoose]

Well done on finding M31 Dizeee, what binos were you using?

Phil

[Scooot]

http://www.deepskywatch.com/Astrosketches/Andromeda-galaxy-sketch.html

This will give you an idea of what it looks like through an eyepiece but the sketcher had very good skies, so from a light polluted site you won't see the edges extending to the same extent.

[KevUU]

Hey, well done. Don't worry, Andromeda galaxy is always that faint. If you look at the previous link and squint a lot you'll see what it looks like in my 3" refractor. I could see the 'satellite' galaxies M32 and M110 though, so still well chuffed.

Like you, I find the finding makes the viewing more rewarding - I also couldn't be doing with a computer getting between me and nature (that's just my opinion, and others will differ, which is fine). As has been said, a good star chart and a red-light torch and you're away, and much cheaper than goto

(One note, I started using an app on my iPad which was great, but eventually accepted that the hit on dark-adaptation was too much even with brightness right down and in red-light mode so switched to Pocket Sky Atlas - I really like it but one word of caution is that an app or Stellarium show you the sky in the right place and orientation, so it did take a little while to adjust to needing to rotate the chart to match your sky...)

I haven't finished my first year with my first scope yet - a simple ST80 on a simple mount. And I've only had 25 sessions with it given the weather. But I've already observed a good number and variety of deep sky targets. And, I've really enjoyed it

Anyway, thanks for posting and good luck with it, however you choose to proceed

[crashtestdummy]

From tiny acorns groweth a mighty oak!!everyone has to start somewhere fella but it sounds like your well on your way with the necessary techniques to navigate the night sky

[tuckstar]

Its nice to see someone else hooked on the night sky.

Ive been using charts, phone software, and stellarium for the past couple of years with my skywatcher 130 explorer on a eq2. Its now time to move to a goto. Just for ease and see as much as possible inbetween the rubbish weather.

I would suggest a motorised mount if not go to. It can be a pain rememdering where the slow remotes are while looking through ep. ;-)

Happy hunting.

[estwing]

well done your hooked!!

[Stargazing Glaswegian Gaza]

Hi a,

Can i suggest you get the Astro Box as you get 4 very very good tools of the trade that i find most helpful with my learning of the sky! Most importantly it has a Star Chart and planisphere amongst other goodies! Might help save some pennies with that bundle especially if you have no physical charts to hand so to speak as it's all for under £20 apx.

I found it most useful indeed so i did. I'm sure you will to. Now you are hooked

Hope this helps,

Regards,

MrGaza.

[JamesM]

Congratulations on your recent finds! To the untrained eye, the night sky can resemble a whole load of stars that seem impossible to navigate and even worse if you are fortunate to be observing under unpolluted skies. But as Patrick Moore has written countless times in his books that, "...with a little patience, order can be achieved" and it is quite surprising how quickly you can accomplish this - subject to the number of clear night (...don't get me started! ).

Keep up with the good work and you will have most of the constellations under your belt in no time.

James

[andrew63]

It's a good idea to find your way around with binoculars - as you are finding it. Even with a telescope, you'll still find them very handy. Great to see M31 to.

andrew