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My first look through a telescope.

dezmo1

By dezmo1
in Getting Started With Observing

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dezmo1

dezmo1

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Well, my new baby arrived on New Years Eve, It's a Sky-Watcher SkyMax 127 Supa Trak Auto. My first mission after unpacking was to discard the instructions into the corner of the room...I'm a man! (man=fool!)

20 mins later and I was ready to go (can be used for terrestrial viewing as well) Batteries were inserted into the small power pack (tank WILL be ordered!) scope was turned on and pointed in the direction of the train tracks, eye was placed to the eye piece, fingers were crossed, heart was pounding at the thought of my WOW...nothing!

Well I say nothing, but really it was just...grey...lots, and lots of...grey.

"I'VE BEEN ROBBED" I cried. 

I stomped out of the room in disgust, and put the kettle on. After a cup of coffee and a fag (disgusting habit) a thought "popped" into my head...what about the instructions? I sheepishly retrieved them from where some macho ogre had thrown them and read them through.

Apparently, focusing a telescope makes a huge difference to ones view!

By the time I had found this out it was time for me to be New Years Eve Taxi dad. As I was driving around, dropping kids off here and there, I kept one eye up. Sky was clear, it was cold, it was perfect. BUT, you guessed it, by the time i had finished being a taxi, the clouds had come in to say hello!

I waited, and waited, and waited. Then it was clear, like a madman I took everything outside and pointed the scope at Orion's Belt, just in time for the clouds to move back in...I'll admit it...I swore.

I sat back and surveyed the sky, just enough time to "swing" her around and aim at Jupiter...I swore again...only this time it was after a WOW!!!

My first look through my new telescope...my first look through ANY telescope, and I was amazed! I was already addicted to the night sky, now I'm hopelessly in love with it.

It only lasted for 10 mins before the clouds came in for the night...but I will never forget it!!! 

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Vicki Harrison

Vicki Harrison

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Sounded Like my night last night! Welcome to SGL these people are lovely and very welcoming. Yes focusing makes a huuge difference lol, you do get used to it. My first view took hours of focusing during the day then paid off when i Jupiter and its moons. That is geting easier, I feel if you get mad easily you may wanna make a promise to move away from your equipment. You will cry when its in pieces on the floor ;)

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

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LouisJB

LouisJB

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you'll get use to the clouds appearing just when you've got set up :)

Glad you got to see something with it at least and Jupiter is a great start. Did you see its moons, maybe some bands?

Just wait until you do get to see M42, it's always nice to have something to look forward to :)

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Gary23

Gary23

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Glad you were able to see something in the end. Hopefully we can all spend more time observing rather than cloud dodging!

Jupiter always has the ability to provide a wow moment, it was the first planet I saw through a telescope and provided my first real wow moment too. 

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JamesF

JamesF

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There's a huge amount to be said for sorting as much as possible during the day.  There is nothing so frustrating as getting out under a clear sky for the first time in a month only to find out that you're not sure how to do something or some bit isn't set up quite right.  It doesn't apply so much during the winter, but at other times of the year it pays to set up during the daylight if you think you're going to be observing later that night.  Saves a lot of time when it does get dark, and the kit is all ready to go when you are.

James

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mullac2001

mullac2001

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my first light was jupiter as well and not looked back since .

haven"t seen the grs yet but hoping i will .tbh im strugging with the orion nebula which is supposed to be easy but i think that may be something to do with 2 street lights right outside my back gate and my impatience.

did a fair bit of swearing myself when i first started out but the good advice on here helped a lot !

hope you enjoy your scope.

is it me or do you begin to appreciate things a bit more and not take them for granted so much when you begin to get a bit ...................more mature lol

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dezmo1

dezmo1

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You're so right there James, even with just my binos I started to leave the tripod in the shed, just so it was close to hand. (20x80's weigh a ton!) 

I'm used to my binos, I.E just pointing at something and seeing it. My first ever "WOW" moment was the Orion Neb through them (I nearly fell over!) the great thing about the scope is that its for use during the day as well, so I'll be spending a few hours getting used to how it all works. The instructions are still close at hand...just in case!

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Miranda

Miranda

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hehehe 

I never get tired of reading first light WOW stories :D Its that wonder and amazement that makes astronomy so addictive - and then you start to work out what your seeing and how it all pieces together in the universe... 

All seen through our eyes and a bit of kit. :) 

Congrats on the scope :D (and for letting the male ego step aside to read the instructions;))

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dezmo1

dezmo1

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My problem with putting the scope outside to cool, is the place I view from. If my best views were out the back of my house (they are at 3 in the morning) then there would not be a problem, but until that time the best views are from the front. I would not feel too good about leaving my scope out there. I doubt it would take a walk...it's just a fear of it happening thing...if that makes any sense! 

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Charic

Charic

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.......you can cool the scope, then walk it through/around the house any time, It wont heat up that quickly. Even leaving in a shed it will cool sufficiently. If you just take it outside and try to view at high power, there will be a disturbance with your seeing, but not so bad at low power? I have 8` security fence? but I still 'sense'  people are watching, and I worry for the same reasons.

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