Jump to content

SkySurveyBanner.jpg.21855908fce40597655603b6c9af720d.jpg

'The experienced astronomer '


Recommended Posts

Hi all,

so I have been reading some books with the best sky objects to look at and under many of these are little descriptions. I kept finding little lines like ' no problem for an experienced astronomer' I kept thinking to myself "how hard can it be? You point the scope and you look through the eye piece. Well, it turns out I was wrong. Last week I got my first scope, a startravel 80mm and after three clear nights I'm still not looking straight down into the eyepiece as it all goes dark where im looking into the side of the barrel. I keep flapping my hands out in front of me trying to find the slow motion controls and moving left instead of up and right instead of down. I guess I have a long way to go but I sure will enjoy getting there...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the club. We've all been there. At least you took the lens cap off. The moon is a great first target as it's easy to find again when you lose it. It's the failures that make the successes that much sweeter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To start with this hobby has a steep learning curve but stay with it, the views are worth it. I doubt there are many of us that got their first scope, took it outside and instantly got to grips with it.

This is not an instant gratification hobby but the more we look and learn the better it becomes.

Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To become a connoisseur of Bordeaux wines, that's a loooong way - but a BEAUTIFUL one! The same goes for visual observing (-and more so, I guess, for astrophotography). So, be patient, stay with the bright objects  at first (moon, Pleiades, Hyades, Orion nebula); and you'll notice, how, by and by, the handling of eyepiece changing, focusing, using the slow motions etc. becomes second nature. Start always with the lowest magnification (= use the eyepiece with the highest number). Use a pair of binos for a first orientation; and enjoy!

Stephan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you read Turn Left at Orion? That’s been my best friend for the last year. Views of everything are very subjective - the Pleiades and M42 and M31 are relatively straightforward targets that make a good starting point. It’s all worth it though IMHO, go slow and take your time, the learning curve at the beginning is very steep!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good post Mark. We are all still learning, it's just a matter of where you are in the process. I learn stuff every day on the forum.

I think that is what makes the hobby hold its interest for me. If it were easy then I would feel like I had done it all within a few years and be bored. As it is, there is still a lifetime of targets to see, scopes to look through and dark skies to seek out so it is all good.

Learning to observe properly, to take your time, relax at the eyepiece and wait for the moments of good seeing, that's what it is about for me. I find my breathing slows, and heart rate probably goes down too as you try to see those fleeting details.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can say that again. We've torn down the scope for a major tune-up, and at a stop light yesterday I had an epiphany. The reason it never held collimation satisfactorily was b/c I never rounded the nubs of the leading ends of the secondary screws. Must be why the top of the stalk is gouged. Five years of that. (OTOH I like to collimate. Must be some Stockholm Syndrome going on.) Where's the head-slap emoji? But that's nothing compared to learning the sky and everything available there. Bloodied but not bowed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, laowhoo said:

You can say that again. We've torn down the scope for a major tune-up, and at a stop light yesterday I had an epiphany. The reason it never held collimation satisfactorily was b/c I never rounded the nubs of the leading ends of the secondary screws. Must be why the top of the stalk is gouged. Five years of that. (OTOH I like to collimate. Must be some Stockholm Syndrome going on.) Where's the head-slap emoji? But that's nothing compared to learning the sky and everything available there. Bloodied but not bowed.

I guess you have found what others also have found. There are fixes though:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

John, I knew of the plastic washer trick when we built, but opted for thin aluminium, which looks just like the pic in the linked thread. BUT I did not know that you were supposed to use 2 plastic washers! Makes a difference I bet, and one fellow said it offers even finer tuning. That's what we'll do after we re-mount secondary. Many thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.