Hello and any tips?

[KayleighClancy]

Hi all,

I am only 16 and completely new to all of this astronomy stuff . I have just purchased a beginner telescope and would love to know some stuff about it. If you guys could give me some tips on what im looking at then that would be great.

Please comment away would love to speak to you all.

Kayleigh

[astronymonkey]

Hi Kayleigh,

Welcome to the forum, youll get loads of help ad advice on here.

It would be great if you could share with us the make and model of the scope you have and Im sure youll get tips on how to get the best from your scope,

best wishes,

[ronin]

Hi, what scope did you get, then someone may be able to give a few pointers.

There are a good few scopes around, some are good some bad but they at least get you started. Actually sometimes better to get an inexpensive scope to see what you think of the hobby.

Depending on where in Essex you are and possible transport there is a group based there, you may be close to one of the people so go say hello in the social groups section to them.

Besides the scope what elae came with it and what mount is it on, all useful information.

[KayleighClancy]

Hi thanks for replying, i know the scope is not very good but i bought it incredibly cheap, mainly to see if i am any good with it but it is a Science Tech 262 Power Reflector Telescope. I know it is not great but i am going to pick it up tomorrow. I am not sure on the lenses as i haven't seen it yet. I am really interested in this subject. Are there any good telescopes you can recommend?

Thanks

[Spacedout]

Hello Kayleigh, Welcome to the forum! I am new here myself and have already received lots of help I can't comment on your telescope as I've not seen this type but any that gets you started can't be bad. My tip for you is if you have an i phone or i Pad is to download the free Sky Safari app. There is a pro version you can buy but you won't need that just yet. I used this a lot when I first started as it will show you what you are looking at or what to look for and lots of other very useful information to get you started. Best of luck

[scoobee]

Hello Kayleigh, Welcome to the forum

[astronymonkey]

Hi,It looks as if you have this :-

Science Tech Reflector Telescope 262 Power with case

- Aluminium Tripod/Screwdriver; Instruction Manual; accessory tray.

- 3 Interchangeable Eyepieces, 20mm, 12.5mm and 4mm eyepieces produce powers of 35x, 56x and 175x respectively. Moon filter included.

- 6 x 25mm Finderscope with crosshairs

- 1.5 x Erecting eyepiece. The erecting eyepiece increases the magnfication of the telescope. A 1.5x magnification can be increased to 262x with a 1.5x erecting eyepiece.

- CyberSky software CD Rom Version 3.3.1 (Windows95/98, Me/NT 4.0, 2000/XP) - provides an excellent way to learn about astronomy and to explore the wonders of the sky.

- Alt-Azimuth Mount. The telescope is fitted with an Altitude (Alt) - Azimuth mount.

Technical Specifications:

Precision Reflecting Mirror Diameter - 76mm

Focal Length - 700mm

31.7mm Diameter Eyepiece - 20mm, 12.5mm, 4mm

Erecting Eyepiece - 1.5x

Maximum Magnification - 262x

Finderscope - (6x) 25mm

In general Id say it would be good for the moon and planets, youll probably see the rings around saturn and some reasonable detail on the moon. I wouldnt bother with the full magnification though ie 4mm as youll only increase blur rather than seeing increased detail.,

[sologuitarist61]

Hi Kayleigh and welcome to SGL, I'm sure you will get lots of great advice from everyone else!

[KayleighClancy]

Hello Kayleigh, Welcome to the forum! I am new here myself and have already received lots of help I can't comment on your telescope as I've not seen this type but any that gets you started can't be bad. My tip for you is if you have an i phone or i Pad is to download the free Sky Safari app. There is a pro version you can buy but you won't need that just yet. I used this a lot when I first started as it will show you what you are looking at or what to look for and lots of other very useful information to get you started. Best of luck

Thankyou for your help i do have both so will download it asap !! Thanks again

[KayleighClancy]

Hi,It looks as if you have this :-

Science Tech Reflector Telescope 262 Power with case

- Aluminium Tripod/Screwdriver; Instruction Manual; accessory tray.

- 3 Interchangeable Eyepieces, 20mm, 12.5mm and 4mm eyepieces produce powers of 35x, 56x and 175x respectively. Moon filter included.

- 6 x 25mm Finderscope with crosshairs

- 1.5 x Erecting eyepiece. The erecting eyepiece increases the magnfication of the telescope. A 1.5x magnification can be increased to 262x with a 1.5x erecting eyepiece.

- CyberSky software CD Rom Version 3.3.1 (Windows95/98, Me/NT 4.0, 2000/XP) - provides an excellent way to learn about astronomy and to explore the wonders of the sky.

- Alt-Azimuth Mount. The telescope is fitted with an Altitude (Alt) - Azimuth mount.

Technical Specifications:

Precision Reflecting Mirror Diameter - 76mm

Focal Length - 700mm

31.7mm Diameter Eyepiece - 20mm, 12.5mm, 4mm

Erecting Eyepiece - 1.5x

Maximum Magnification - 262x

Finderscope - (6x) 25mm

In general Id say it would be good for the moon and planets, youll probably see the rings around saturn and some reasonable detail on the moon. I wouldnt bother with the full magnification though ie 4mm as youll only increase blur rather than seeing increased detail.,

Thanks very much for your help!! it is that indeed, it sounds awesome any advice on positioning to see these things ?

thankyou

[KayleighClancy]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome

[astronymonkey]

Ok,

to see saturn, have a look where the sun is in the sky at 1pm tomorrow , this is to the south.. Tomorrow night at about 11pm look in the same direction and 25degrees above the horizpn youll see a star...thats saturn. The chart below shows you what 25 degrees is by holding your hand at arms length so turn your hand to the side so your thumb is at the horizon and your little finger is approximately where saturn is.

Start with the lowest magnification ie 20mm eyepiece and work up.

[Double Kick Drum]

Hi and welcome. I'd start with the Moon and planets. They are bright and comparatively easy to find. Saturn is well placed at the moment and shouldn't disappoint. Try downloading Stellarium for free - a very good map tool. May take a little getting used to but well worth it. Happy hunting!

[inedible_hulk]

Hi and welcome to SGL

[KayleighClancy]

Ok,

to see saturn, have a look where the sun is in the sky at 1pm tomorrow , this is to the south.. Tomorrow night at about 11pm look in the same direction and 25degrees above the horizpn youll see a star...thats saturn. The chart below shows you what 25 degrees is by holding your hand at arms length so turn your hand to the side so your thumb is at the horizon and your little finger is approximately where saturn is.

Start with the lowest magnification ie 20mm eyepiece and work up.

Brilliant cheers, is it easy to set up a telescope or hard would you say ?

[KayleighClancy]

Thanks guys!

[KayleighClancy]

Hi and welcome. I'd start with the Moon and planets. They are bright and comparatively easy to find. Saturn is well placed at the moment and shouldn't disappoint. Try downloading Stellarium for free - a very good map tool. May take a little getting used to but well worth it. Happy hunting!

Thankyou will do

[Wolfgangwand]

Hi & Welcome from me too .

P.s. Enjoy your first scope.

[KayleighClancy]

Hi & Welcome from me too .

P.s. Enjoy your first scope.

Thankyou and I will do!

[HIP3802]

Hi Kayleigh, and welcome to SGL!

[ronl]

Hi kayleigh welcome to the lounge,

the moon is really good to observe at the moment,

give it a try, use 20mm eyepiece first then 12.5mm

leave the 4mm till last, try without the moon filter, but

if you find it's to bright use it. Enjoy.

Good Luck and Clear Sky's

[astrosathya]

Hi Kayleigh,

Welcome to astronomy and with luck you will be bitten by the bug very soon to the point of no return.

Now, here is the reality. Please buy telescopes from a Telescope Retailer. Depending on where you are in the UK, there are many reliable retailers who not only sell, but also advice. 76mm aperture will probably show some detail on the moon, and maybe on Jupiter/Saturn. That is all. Please be prepared to handle this instrument delicately as the tripod is generally fiddly and catches wind fast and can topple. The eyepieces are Huygenian design, and the 20mm and 12.5mm may be useful, the 4mm and 1.5x lens will not be. 262 times magnification is only a claim the manufacturer makes. Realistically the ideal maximum magnification per inch of aperture is 50x from a place like snowdonia, but from a city it is 35x to 40x per inch. In your case the mirror is 3 inches which means 120x maximum attainable. This also means that larger the aperture of the telescope, the higher the magnification you can get and higher its resolution, which also directly implies that deeper into space you can peek. I do not intend to put you off, but a 70mm Sky-Watcher refractor which costs ~£100 will show better details as well as have better eyepieces and tripod. They also do not make false claims. You could consider returning this telescope for a refund and invest it on a better scope.

As far as learning whats up in the sky is concerned, please download stellarium, its free and extremely well made. All you need to do is enter your location in the settings and it will render the sky for that time of the day. You can forward the time in it and plan your night a few hours earlier itself. You can also purchase the book "Turn Left at Orion" which is very well written. Finally, join your local astronomy club, because nothing beats a face to face interaction with senior, more experienced members of the club. You also get to use members and clubs equipment and you will be able to then make informed decisions on which way you are headed (viaula astronomy, astrophotography, refractors, reflectors etc etc )

All the Best to you,,

[JamesF]

Welcome to SGL

I doubt you'll be able to see all the objects listed in it, but I'd recommend a copy of Turn Left at Orion. It has a good introduction to using a telescope as well as the "things to see" section.

James

[Pig]

Hello and welcome -

[michigander]

Welcome to SGL, Kayleigh!

Dana