New here and am really facinated in Learning this!

[Astaroth my Queen]

Hi!

so im very glad i found a forum that seems easy to use and from what i feel people get along well, this is great!

the reason why i found this good place is that i want to learn Astronomy, i am somewhat experienced with Astrology but i realized very few days ago in order to learn more about the sky and everything in it i have to learn Astronomy, blend the two in. i love planets and stars and can get lost im them, but this is first time in life i got energy enough to really dig into Astronomy. it feels very right. but im new and not sure what to start with, one of my goals is to be able to point out constellations simply by looking in the sky. seeing different fixed stars that has had much history of mankind, Regulus and constellation serpens etc etc.

i realize its not like astrology, but this seems too facanating to let it pass, so here i am . i realize there must be many books i need to learn, but one question that i have thought about is regarding fixed stars, is it not a Ephmemeris on some of these in book i can buy and learn their orbits across the sky? i realize some are super slow for us to notice but some must be moving so we can follow their path? and please, if anyone has books that can make me learn more about fixed stars,history,signifigance in myths and so on. 

also, history of astronomy is even more facinating. ive come across Ptolemy, but are there more historical astronomers you can recommend for beginners? and also books where i can find much info on Ptolemys work in field of Astronomy, how it was used in Egypt aswell,Babylon. in the ancient times you know. chinese i feel no connection to, yet anyway.

but ofcourse, in order to learn this fully i need to start with basics, which i know nothing about yet, this is where i need help also. a goal is also to buy a telescope and go out camping and just look at stars and be amazed, and where to locate them according to where i am and that, their degrees in sky.

if people would be so kind and help me out i would be very grateful for help.

Cheers.

[knobby]

Do you have an iPhone / iPad / Android phone ? There are plenty of free apps that show the constellations etc.

Its a start :-)

Welcome...

Probably best way to learn is a book called turn left at Orion and a decent pair if binoculars

[brantuk]

There are plenty of free online ephemeris about - the most popular on is called Stellarium which I suggest you download.

The other one I sometimes use is Skyviewcafe which is a bit more basic but has added information and I find really useful.

There is also Cartes du Ciel which is regarded as a spot more technical and not so flashy as Stellarium - but really very good.

You can google any of those and find them very easily. Welcome to SGL

[rowan46]

3 historical Astronomers who spring out at me are copernicus, galileo. and isaac Newton there's a load of others but they to my mind are the founding fathers of modern astronomy I am sure there will be some disagreement on that.  Also you may find the work of arab astronomers interesting as there was a flowering of science in C8-C15  arabia where chemistry, mathematics, medicine and astronomy came to the fore. 

[avtaram]

When I first started learning about Astronomy I found the following books gave me a good grounding in the subject.

" Patrick Moore's Astronomy: Teach Yourself " by Sir Patrick Moore.

" Collins Night Sky " and " Atlas of the Night Sky " by Storm Dunlop and Wil Tirion.

A Planisphere is also very useful for learning the night sky.

Avtar

[cantab]

but one question that i have thought about is regarding fixed stars, is it not a Ephmemeris on some of these in book i can buy and learn their orbits across the sky? i realize some are super slow for us to notice but some must be moving so we can follow their path?

What you're referring to is called proper motion. The Hipparcos spacecraft measured the proper motions of hundreds of thousands of stars, and Wikipedia lists the fastest movers at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proper_motion#Stars_with_high_proper_motion

 

also, history of astronomy is even more facinating. ive come across Ptolemy, but are there more historical astronomers you can recommend for beginners?

When it comes to the things you can observe in your own telescope or binoculars, I'd say Messier is someone to look into.

[itmo]

I dont think any of the stars moves so fast that you can see it with your eyes. You would have to measure it from photographs. And the ones which move so fast are so close binaries that you cant separate them.