Equipment newbie!

[Curly Claire]

Hi! So I've been "looking up" since I was 15. Was out with friends one night laying in a field in the middle of nowhere, spectacularly clear night and I saw a fast moving object! What's that I ask, a satellite one of my friends said! A satellite in space, in orbit around our planet I ask......yes Claire, that's where satellites usually are was a cheeky answer!! I was in awe!

So ever since that moment my love for all things space and the universe and to some degree science started!

For MANY years I've been out looking up, marvelling, wondering and truly loving "space". 

Roll on early last year. Met someone at work who absolutely loves astronomy. Has telescopes, binoculars.....he knows his stuff.....most of the star names and galaxies etc ......Anyhoo......he very kindly gave me a pair of binoculars. Now it hadn't even crossed my mind to use binoculars.......so I looked at the moon..........OH MY GOD. Then he says look there in the sky.........Pleiades......I shed a few tears. Completely blown away. So from January last year binoculars have been my new best friend! I didn't even know about Mizar and Alcor.......but now I love them!

So......roll on October this year....my birthday.......my friend gives me.....*drum roll*.......a telescope!!

Now Jupiter has always been my favourite planet.......so my friend texts me Claire, set up your scope, Jupiter is out, so I very quickly set up said telescope and BOOM....... Jupiter and BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM......the four Galilean moons! I cried! I could not actually believe I was looking at Jupiter with my own eyeballs.....and his four main moons! Totally blown away. Puts things into perspective. My next quest is Saturn with her rings and maybe Titan thrown in there too. 

Anyway, I'm not all that technical with binocular/telescope magnification and mounts and all that stuff! I have a few apps on my phone that show me where things are in the night sky and that works well for me. I'm not very au fait with star names either. 

So if anyone has any suggestions for things for me to look at in awe and amazement without being too technical that would be great! 

Oh.....and if you've read this far.....thank you! 🤣 

(If my friend reads this.....you are truly amazing)!

[banjaxed]

Hi Claire, welcome to SGL.

[chewie]

Hiya and welcome, M 27 might be a nice visual target for you, roughly a 3rd of the way between Altair and Deneb in a straight line. 

[Mr Spock]

Hi Claire, welcome to SGL 

What scope do you have?

[Dave scutt]

Hi and welcome to SGL 

[Curly Claire]

13 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Hi Claire, welcome to SGL 

What scope do you have?

Hi! I have a Skywatcher evostar 90 (AZ3). Something like that! 😁

[Curly Claire]

14 minutes ago, Dave scutt said:

Hi and welcome to SGL 

👋

[Curly Claire]

17 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Hi Claire, welcome to SGL 

What scope do you have?

Hello! A skywatcher evostar 90 (AZ3). 

[Curly Claire]

21 minutes ago, chewie said:

Hiya and welcome, M 27 might be a nice visual target for you, roughly a 3rd of the way between Altair and Deneb in a straight line. 

Thank you. I will put that in my apps! 😁

[Dave scutt]

M13 ,hercules cluster is nice to look at

[Curly Claire]

Just now, Dave scutt said:

M13 ,hercules cluster is nice to look at

Thank you. ✨

[callisto]

A big welcome from me too 

 

Mark

[Curly Claire]

Just now, callisto said:

A big welcome from me too 

 

Mark

Thank you! ☺️

[barbulo]

Welcome to the Lounge! 

[woldsman]

Welcome to SGL! There is always too much to see when it’s clear but early evening: Venus, Saturn & Jupiter plus the Moon. Late evening:  the Orion Nebula and trapezium. All unforgettable first time objects. But it’s been 2 weeks since the last cloud or fog free evening so you are lucky in North Wales and enjoy your sessions. 

[Curly Claire]

1 minute ago, woldsman said:

Welcome to SGL! There is always too much to see when it’s clear but early evening: Venus, Saturn & Jupiter plus the Moon. Late evening:  the Orion Nebula and trapezium. All unforgettable first time objects. But it’s been 2 weeks since the last cloud or fog free evening so you are lucky in North Wales and enjoy your sessions. 

Not been very clear here either! Maybe for half an hour.........😕🤭

[Mr Spock]

When you can see Orion, have a look for M42. It's quite a bright nebula and will look good in your scope.

[Floater]

Welcome. Hope you have lots of fun with the hobby and the forum. 🙂

[Curly Claire]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

When you can see Orion, have a look for M42. It's quite a bright nebula and will look good in your scope.

Will do! 😁

[Curly Claire]

1 hour ago, barbulo said:

Welcome to the Lounge! 

Thanks!

[Curly Claire]

17 minutes ago, Floater said:

Welcome. Hope you have lots of fun with the hobby and the forum. 🙂

Thanks!

[cajen2]

Welcome, Claire, from another newbie to the forum. I love your enthusiasm! I hope you never lose it and thoroughly enjoy your stargazing.

[Curly Claire]

1 minute ago, cajen2 said:

Welcome, Claire, from another newbie to the forum. I love your enthusiasm! I hope you never lose it and thoroughly enjoy your stargazing.

Hi! Could never lose my enthusiasm for looking up...... it's a part of who I am. 

[Elp]

This hobby never ceases to amaze, welcome.

I can't see M42 where I am but a very short length photo revealed it clear as day - I couldn't believe it, so much so I continued to image it for 2 hours more.

If I'm not too busy messing around with technical issues I like to just wander around the sky and also couldn't believe seeing Corona Borealis on my travels totally by accident.

[Curly Claire]

Just now, Elp said:

This hobby never ceases to amaze, welcome.

I can't see M42 where I am but a very short length photo revealed it clear as day - I couldn't believe it, so much so I continued to image it for 2 hours more.

If I'm not too busy messing around with technical issues I like to just wander around the sky and also couldn't believe seeing Corona Borealis on my travels totally by accident.

I love looking at anything! It ALWAYS amazes me how small we are and how incredible it is to see something really really far away!!