Paralysis by Analysis

[Bhrigu]

Hello all stargazers,

This is my first post and I hope it won't be last. I'm an absolute noob when it comes to telescopes. Yes, I have been interested in anything space related but it is only now that I want to take one step further (in a semi-serious manner) towards visual astronomy. So before wasting anymore time I will come straight to the point. 

After reading lot on telescopes, somehow (and perhaps instinctively) I purchased Bresser AR-90/500 with altaz mount. It has not been delivered yet but soon it will be. I live in a very high light polluted area. Refractors seem to be better bet so I just went ahead with it. Now can somebody guide what all I can do with it? The reason why I'm asking here is because my other interactions on other forum were slightly disappointing. I'm now worried that I made a wrong decision. Right now my only motive is to learns sky and get little over above average skill. So anyone with comments/suggestions/advice. 

(There is no plan for astrophotography. Just saying... Everyone seems to be wanting to do that over internet. I have no plans. I just want to see/observe/learn/read). 

[banjaxed]

My first suggestion would be to download the free Stellarium app as once you fill in your location you will be able to see right away what is in your skies. Your scope is not a bad starter and the AZ mount is a good choice imo. Most members (including me ) recommend the Skywatcher 8” Dob as a starter scope as it is easy to use. This was my first scope and I still have it and use it just as much as my ST 120 refractor.

PS welcome to SGL.

Edited January 19, 2021 by banjaxed

[Bhrigu]

Thank you for your reply! Yes, I have downloaded the Stellarium and now just waiting for the telescope. I shall share my views on SGL on it for sure.

The problem for me is also that I have no one around to discuss these matters. I have to go back to rely on internet which is not always the best source of inspiration. No one (up until now) said what can I do with this piece of equipment. Instead, I was told the list of issues which would 'destroy the experience' and would be a 'hobby killer'. Then there is a tendency to push for more expensive gear on people without really understanding the context. I am inclined to disagree with them but have no way I can be confident about it. I hope to remain engaged through SGL! Once again, thank you  

[niallk]

Welcome @Bhrigu!

I can't speak to that scope, but I'm sure it'll deliver wonder and delight to you.

Yup, there's a learning curve getting into astronomy - but a very enjoyable and rewarding one.  Sure, there'll be some frustrating moments, but outweighed by magical ones!

I too had no one around, but SGL is an outstandingly friendly community & a rich resource.

When I got my first scope, the first thing I did was pointed it at the moon, and had my first wow moment You're going to have Orion and M42 high in the sky, so another great target.  The book 'Turn Left At Orion' is worth getting imho.

Best of luck, 

-Niall

[Tiny Clanger]

19 minutes ago, Bhrigu said:

The problem for me is also that I have no one around to discuss these matters. I have to go back to rely on internet which is not always the best source of inspiration. No one (up until now) said what can I do with this piece of equipment. Instead, I was told the list of issues which would 'destroy the experience' and would be a 'hobby killer'. Then there is a tendency to push for more expensive gear on people without really understanding the context. I am inclined to disagree with them but have no way I can be confident about it. I hope to remain engaged through SGL! Once again, thank you  

Welcome to SGL, do not allow any equipment snobs to make you feel bad. The best telescope is the one you can afford to own, and get outside to use .

There are plenty of free resources online to help find targets , stellarium is a great start !

Heather

[Paz]

That is a fine scope and will do a lot. Whatever you spend it is always possible to spend even more, but (I think) in this life it's best to spend most of your time appreciating what you've got and not thinking about how you could go even better.

I would recommend getting a paper atlas like the sky and telescope pocket sky atlas, and then most importantly, whenever you read about an object you can observe in a forum post or a magazine or book, briefly look up where it is in the atlas.

You will find you keep going back to the same objects and over time you knit together on your head where things are up there. I learned a lot this way, and now I can go out and observe quite a lot of the more popular objects without needing to refer to maps at all.

[catburglar]

I started with a 60mm Tesco refractor telescope on a wobbly altaz mount...apparently it was exactly the sort of telescope that you shouldn’t start with according to some.....but it showed me lots of detail on the moon, Saturn and it’s rings, double stars a plenty as well as the Hercules globular cluster, dumbbell nebula and ring nebula...your scope will be fine, and give you lots of things to look at.

Like nialk above, I’d also recommend the book Turn Left at Orion- it’s got a nice selection of things you can see with easy to follow instructions showing how to find them as well as a guide to what it should look like...You can get all of this from the internet, but I find it easier to use a paper guide like this to start with...An alternative might be the Celestial Sampler by Sue French, but that’s less beginner oriented in my view...

[Alkaid]

There’s a lot to be said about a first scope and in many ways whichever type or model you buy, using it will lead you to learn so many things that are not really to do with the scope!  For example, here’s a few:

Locations of well known, deep sky objects and star clusters.

Rising, setting and patterns of the Planets and how they vary from year to year.

The patterns of the Moon.

Getting familiar with Star Charts and recognition of constellations.

 

All of which will give you an excellent foundation to build upon if and when you might wish to go bigger.  The 90mm Bresser will be a fine scope, have fun.

[Bhrigu]

"Turn Left at Orion" and "Stellarium" boxes checked. Also found 'Nightshift' app on Android - it seems quite handy when it comes to figuring out viewing conditions.

Will get the scope today sometime soon.  Thank you for all the lovely encouragement. And yes, I want to take slow on that learning curve. I have a job which I love and that keeps me very busy 24X7. It would be just lovely to spend some quite time under clear skies. And it feels like I found welcoming community here to share my experience and get better at it. I am excited

[wheresthetorch?]

Nothing wrong with that scope at all.  90mm is a decent aperture and the mount is suitably sturdy.

Just take your time - start with easy targets such as the moon to begin with - and don't be discouraged if you struggle at first.  There's a wealth of knowledge on this site from helpful people.

First thing to do when you get the scope is to line up the finder scope.  Do this by lining up the telescope on a distant object such as a telegraph pole or TV aerial, and then adjust the finderscope so you can see the same object in it.  Then, when you go out at night, point the finderscope at the moon and it should be in the eyepiece of the main telescope.

If your telescope comes with two eyepieces, the one with the higher number actually gives the lower magnification - use this one first as it will be easier to use.  

Do let us know how you get on, and welcome to the world of astronomy! 

[Pixies]

That's not a "hobby killer". It has a decent aperture, from a well regarded manufacturer and the mount/tripod is simple to use and well up to the task of carrying that scope. 

Every first scope is a compromise, because you don't know how your hobby is going to progress, but a 90mm refractor is well capable of a lot of targets. you'll have a ball.

 

And welcome to SGL! A haven of calm and friendly helpfulness in the maelstrom that is the internet!

[pete_l]

16 hours ago, Bhrigu said:

Now can somebody guide what all I can do with it?

To answer your question, have a look at this website. It will give you some ideas of what is achievable. Your telescope has over twice the aperture of the one on the website, so you should be able to see more than is listed there.

The problem with asking on the internet for advice is that people will generally advise you buy the same things they bought! Even though everyone has a different set of requirements and a different situation regarding the local sky and what they are willing to spend, The flip side is that often they will criticise different suggestions - especially if they think they are a "better" observer than the person asking.
I'd suggest remembering the positives and ignoring the negatives. Unless there are many people all giving the same warning about a piece of equipment.

One thing I would suggest is that you consider buying a light pollution filter. Otherwise, it sounds like you've done your homework and made a good choice.

Edited January 20, 2021 by pete_l

[Nik271]

This looks a quite capable quality telescope which will show a lot. All the objects in the book 'Turn left at Orion' (at least in an old edition I have ) were seen by the authors with a 3 inch (=75mm) telescope. With 90mm yours will do better on the dim stuff and will excel in wide views at low magnifications. Think of the Pleiades, Orion Nebula, Beehive cluster, Andromeda galaxy. Just don't push the magnification too much, you will start to notice every little shake of the mount and perhaps there may be purple fringing on bright objects (chromatic aberration). This is perfectly normal in a scope of this design and if it bothers it can be improved with a filter. 

Enjoy your new telescope!

 

[Tiny Clanger]

9 hours ago, Bhrigu said:

"Turn Left at Orion" and "Stellarium" boxes checked. Also found 'Nightshift' app on Android - it seems quite handy when it comes to figuring out viewing conditions.

Will get the scope today sometime soon.  Thank you for all the lovely encouragement. And yes, I want to take slow on that learning curve. I have a job which I love and that keeps me very busy 24X7. It would be just lovely to spend some quite time under clear skies. And it feels like I found welcoming community here to share my experience and get better at it. I am excited

Excellent  news, hope the delivery goes safely ,and you get clear skies to use it soon.  The rueful joke on here (and referenced by a sticker on the box of 'scopes sent out by the FLO) is that every telescope box 'may contain clouds', so in the meantime get used to your new kit and set up the finder in daylight if possible (it's easier when you can see what you are doing the first time)  .  I put step by step instructions on an earlier thread I;ve linked to below , if your 'scopes finder is a tiny telescope rather than a red dot finder, just think 'cross hairs' when I say red dot and the procedure is the same (with no switching on required , obviously)

Heather

 

[stubeeef]

I can’t add much except to encourage you to get outside and use it as much as you can, no scope is worth the money that is never used. You’re gonna have a lot of fun and you will find people near you that want to share in the experience. That scope is a great scope to start with and you can learn your way around the sky no problem. I also recommend “our night sky“ it’s a course at “the great courses” online. You can order it as a DVD or maybe even find it used. I’ve ordered so many I get them at a pretty decent discount these days.

[wibblefish]

Welcome! I have probably a similar style of telescope to the one you have purchased, mine is a 90/660 short tube.
 

Its a pretty handy telescope so far and I have been busy checking out various things. It excels at wide field for so looking at constellations (check out pleiades) but I have had fun locating DSO (faint but rewarding when located such as andromeda galaxy), nebulas (m42 is a fave), star clusters and my current project is double stars (try Castor). I think the best bet is to have a read around and see what there is out there I have plenty of wow moments!

Good luck, hope you come back and let us know how about your experiences and above all clear skies

Edited January 20, 2021 by wibblefish

[banjaxed]

On 19/01/2021 at 19:37, Bhrigu said:

Thank you for your reply! Yes, I have downloaded the Stellarium and now just waiting for the telescope. I shall share my views on SGL on it for sure.

The problem for me is also that I have no one around to discuss these matters. I have to go back to rely on internet which is not always the best source of inspiration. No one (up until now) said what can I do with this piece of equipment. Instead, I was told the list of issues which would 'destroy the experience' and would be a 'hobby killer'. Then there is a tendency to push for more expensive gear on people without really understanding the context. I am inclined to disagree with them but have no way I can be confident about it. I hope to remain engaged through SGL! Once again, thank you  

I am sure you have now realised what a friendly and knowledgeable site this is, so please don’t hesitate to ask about anything you are not sure about because someone will help. As it has been stated here many times, we all started with no knowledge about astronomy. Clear skies.

[Bhrigu]

Hello all! First thank you for this amazing response. It is very encouraging.

So the scope is here! I have spent good six hours with it already. Now where do I start from! Ok, so the scope first. I am overall quite thrilled with the whole package. For my beginners requirement I think it is very (very) good. Yes, there are some places where you can see manufacturer has tried to save money but overall this package seems to be excellent. The mount is shaky to start with but the image stabilizes itself slowly and when it does it stays there. The scope came with one 26mm plossl (Bresser) eyepiece. Additionally, I had purchased a 12mm GSO Plosssl eyepiece. What I am missing perhaps is a barlow lens, which I will purchase soon.

So ya the scope is good and I will speak more when I have spent more time with it. (or if anyone wants to know anything about it please do ask)

As I said, I have spent good 6-7 hours with the scope today and I do want to share about that! Also, I am quite scared of naming stuff here which I think I saw tonight  .  If I read stellarium correctly then I had insanely good day today (at least by my standards). The first target, obviously, was the moon. The image was sharp and crystal clear. Yes, there was some CA which I could see but there is nothing I want to complain about. Stellarium told me that Mars is nearby so I shifted there. It was big red dot and it looked lovely. I am sure with a barlow and better viewing condition it would be fantastic. Then Stellarium said Uranus is nearby too. And of course it was not visible through naked eyes here. Change of position, more searching, little adjustments and then a shiny bluish dot appears on the telescope. Uranus, Mars and Moon. Not bad at all for the first day. Of course, the story did not end there. I pointed towards Orion and next 4 hours just went by. If my reading is correct I did manage to see small dots which could be from M42 area. Then I just went bonkers!

Have realised it is so easy to get overwhelmed. So one step at a time. 

Thank you all for comments. I think you will hear from me more often. I am completely blown away and words here don't reflect what I am feeling.

Edited January 20, 2021 by Bhrigu

[stubeeef]

Finding Uranus on a first night is quite an accomplishment by my standards. And you're on your way!

[Kon]

Excellent to see that you enjoyed your first telescope. I have followed your thread a bit. In my limited interaction with this forum, it has been excellent. Everybody is supportive and you will get loads of hints and tips. 

Excellent first light as well!

1 hour ago, Bhrigu said:

Of course, the story did not end there. I pointed towards Orion and next 4 hours just went by. If my reading is correct I did manage to see small dots which could be from M42 area. Then I just went bonkers!

Have realised it is so easy to get overwhelmed. So one step at a time. 

 

It will only get better and the excitement will hopefully get bigger and bigger. I have been 'blessed' with rainy days since my last wow session, and I am  so excited to get out again! Looking forward to read more of your reports.

[Pixies]

2 hours ago, Bhrigu said:

Hello all! First thank you for this amazing response. It is very encouraging.

So the scope is here! I have spent good six hours with it already. Now where do I start from! Ok, so the scope first. I am overall quite thrilled with the whole package. For my beginners requirement I think it is very (very) good. Yes, there are some places where you can see manufacturer has tried to save money but overall this package seems to be excellent. The mount is shaky to start with but the image stabilizes itself slowly and when it does it stays there. The scope came with one 26mm plossl (Bresser) eyepiece. Additionally, I had purchased a 12mm GSO Plosssl eyepiece. What I am missing perhaps is a barlow lens, which I will purchase soon.

So ya the scope is good and I will speak more when I have spent more time with it. (or if anyone wants to know anything about it please do ask)

As I said, I have spent good 6-7 hours with the scope today and I do want to share about that! Also, I am quite scared of naming stuff here which I think I saw tonight  .  If I read stellarium correctly then I had insanely good day today (at least by my standards). The first target, obviously, was the moon. The image was sharp and crystal clear. Yes, there was some CA which I could see but there is nothing I want to complain about. Stellarium told me that Mars is nearby so I shifted there. It was big red dot and it looked lovely. I am sure with a barlow and better viewing condition it would be fantastic. Then Stellarium said Uranus is nearby too. And of course it was not visible through naked eyes here. Change of position, more searching, little adjustments and then a shiny bluish dot appears on the telescope. Uranus, Mars and Moon. Not bad at all for the first day. Of course, the story did not end there. I pointed towards Orion and next 4 hours just went by. If my reading is correct I did manage to see small dots which could be from M42 area. Then I just went bonkers!

Have realised it is so easy to get overwhelmed. So one step at a time. 

Thank you all for comments. I think you will hear from me more often. I am completely blown away and words here don't reflect what I am feeling.

Excellent! Well done. Finding Uranus on the first night is a great success!

Where are you based? Obviously not the UK, if you can see the sky!

 

[Tiny Clanger]

2 hours ago, Bhrigu said:

Hello all! First thank you for this amazing response. It is very encouraging.

So the scope is here! I have spent good six hours with it already. Now where do I start from! Ok, so the scope first. I am overall quite thrilled with the whole package. For my beginners requirement I think it is very (very) good. Yes, there are some places where you can see manufacturer has tried to save money but overall this package seems to be excellent. The mount is shaky to start with but the image stabilizes itself slowly and when it does it stays there. The scope came with one 26mm plossl (Bresser) eyepiece. Additionally, I had purchased a 12mm GSO Plosssl eyepiece. What I am missing perhaps is a barlow lens, which I will purchase soon.

So ya the scope is good and I will speak more when I have spent more time with it. (or if anyone wants to know anything about it please do ask)

As I said, I have spent good 6-7 hours with the scope today and I do want to share about that! Also, I am quite scared of naming stuff here which I think I saw tonight  .  If I read stellarium correctly then I had insanely good day today (at least by my standards). The first target, obviously, was the moon. The image was sharp and crystal clear. Yes, there was some CA which I could see but there is nothing I want to complain about. Stellarium told me that Mars is nearby so I shifted there. It was big red dot and it looked lovely. I am sure with a barlow and better viewing condition it would be fantastic. Then Stellarium said Uranus is nearby too. And of course it was not visible through naked eyes here. Change of position, more searching, little adjustments and then a shiny bluish dot appears on the telescope. Uranus, Mars and Moon. Not bad at all for the first day. Of course, the story did not end there. I pointed towards Orion and next 4 hours just went by. If my reading is correct I did manage to see small dots which could be from M42 area. Then I just went bonkers!

Have realised it is so easy to get overwhelmed. So one step at a time. 

Thank you all for comments. I think you will hear from me more often. I am completely blown away and words here don't reflect what I am feeling.

Wow, over six hours of clear sky ... you're certainly not anywhere near where I live !

What a great start you had!  If your experiences carry on anything like mine have, expect the feelings of awe to keep on coming .

Heather

[banjaxed]

You are very privileged to get clear skies when you received your scope, it’s usually very cloudy for at least a fortnight . Glad you are enjoying your first experience, hope you get many more years of pleasure with your new hobby.

[Bhrigu]

13 hours ago, stubeeef said:

Finding Uranus on a first night is quite an accomplishment by my standards. And you're on your way!

12 hours ago, Pixies said:

Excellent! Well done. Finding Uranus on the first night is a great success!

Where are you based? Obviously not the UK, if you can see the sky!

 

12 hours ago, Tiny Clanger said:

Wow, over six hours of clear sky ... you're certainly not anywhere near where I live !

What a great start you had!  If your experiences carry on anything like mine have, expect the feelings of awe to keep on coming .

Heather

13 hours ago, Kon said:

Excellent to see that you enjoyed your first telescope. I have followed your thread a bit. In my limited interaction with this forum, it has been excellent. Everybody is supportive and you will get loads of hints and tips. 

Excellent first light as well!

It will only get better and the excitement will hopefully get bigger and bigger. I have been 'blessed' with rainy days since my last wow session, and I am  so excited to get out again! Looking forward to read more of your reports.

This is so heartening. Thank you all Well it was only yesterday I realised that majority of members are from UK
I am from New Delhi and it is just pure luck that I got clear sky last night. And if forecast is anything to go by, then I have two more days of clear skies. Not only light pollution, we have really bad air pollution too. Normally this time around weather is pretty fine so ya. Just two to three days before the sky was awash with clouds and the surface was covered with thick fog. One of the main reason I got this scope was to travel along with it. I love traveling and Delhi is surrounded by some of the most amazing places. Northern side are mighty Himalayas. On the western side we have two desserts. The Central India offers beautiful topography and many forests which the light pollution map says are absolute dark. And these are just 10-15 hours car drive distances. One can also fly in and out and that is just matter of few hours. However, my aim is to drive from Delhi to treacherous and yet so beautiful Ladakh and Spiti/ Lahaul valley here. They are very remote (At least two to three days if you are driving which includes acclimatization) and very difficult to reach especially if you are driving. I consider Delhi skies as my training ground because no matter what we cannot get rid of our air and light pollution problem. So ya.. thats what the plan. I am just waiting to get out. Lets see when that will work out.

Two years back I had come to UK for vacation and it was great!  Hope to go again with bit more time in hand. My trip to highlands was the most memorable one. :)

 

 

[Tiny Clanger]

12 minutes ago, Bhrigu said:

This is so heartening. Thank you all Well it was only yesterday I realised that majority of members are from UK
I am from New Delhi and it is just pure luck that I got clear sky last night. And if forecast is anything to go by, then I have two more days of clear skies. Not only light pollution, we have really bad air pollution too. Normally this time around weather is pretty fine so ya. Just two to three days before the sky was awash with clouds and the surface was covered with thick fog. One of the main reason I got this scope was to travel along with it. I love traveling and Delhi is surrounded by some of the most amazing places. Northern side are mighty Himalayas. On the western side we have two desserts. The Central India offers beautiful topography and many forests which the light pollution map says are absolute dark. And these are just 10-15 hours car drive distances. One can also fly in and out and that is just matter of few hours. However, my aim is to drive from Delhi to treacherous and yet so beautiful Ladakh and Spiti/ Lahaul valley here. They are very remote (At least two to three days if you are driving which includes acclimatization) and very difficult to reach especially if you are driving. I consider Delhi skies as my training ground because no matter what we cannot get rid of our air and light pollution problem. So ya.. thats what the plan. I am just waiting to get out. Lets see when that will work out.

Two years back I had come to UK for vacation and it was great!  Hope to go again with bit more time in hand. My trip to highlands was the most memorable one. :)

 

 

Wow, you really aren't from near me !

I'd  thought you were some way away from the UK because of the timing of your posts, but your English is idiomatic and showed no trace of the awkwardness you often see in a second language, so I had guessed you were probably in the USA.  Wrong direction entirely , I should know better !

I'll be fascinated to hear how your observing goes with the combination of dark skies yet considerable atmospheric pollution.  I guess your weather must be very variable throughout the year too ... summer heat, humidity and monsoons (if I recall my 'O' level geography correctly !) , then cold air rolling down from the mountains  ... utterly different from the UK ! Good luck, hope you can keep us updated

Heather