First Observing Experience

[Fintan]

Hi all, after much research I  (44 years old) have bought my first telescope, a Skywatcher Heritage 150 Virtuoso GTI. On the Friday I got it, I managed to get it put together and collimated fairly easily (It's funny how terrified I was of collimation while choosing a scope!). I took it out in daylight and got the scope and red dot finder aligned. On the Saturday, the sky went in my favour with 2% cloud cover. I went out to my back garden (Bortle 5) and used the wifi and SynScan app for the first time and after some tinkering got it fairly well aligned using Arcturus and Capella. After some general observing around the night sky I went to the "Tonight's Best" section of the app and clicked on "Gamma Cas Nebula". Directly in the eyepiece with no adjustment needed with a 10mm lens I could see a small circle of blue-ish dots with a dark centre about the size of thumbnail and above and to the left, a small white image like a whisp of smoke. I *think* I was seeing IC59 and IC63, but am happy to be corrected. I also observed the starfish cluster. Anyway, it was a wonderful first observing experience and made me excited by how much I have to learn about my new hobby. I can't wait to get out again, though "Clear Outside" is making me think it might be a while!!

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi @Fintan and welcome to SGL. 

[Zermelo]

Welcome to the forum. You should get some decent views with that scope.

[wookie1965]

A warm welcome to SGL

[Floater]

Welcome. Hope you have lots of fun. 🙂

[Giles_B]

Lovely report, thanks for sharing your first steps with the hobby

[Vic L S]

I love our hobby, simply out of this world. Nothing like seeing it with your own eyes 😊

[Stu1smartcookie]

15 hours ago, Fintan said:

I also observed the starfish cluster

Welcome to the forum .... have to say the starfish cluster is one of my favourites 

[bosun21]

Welcome to SGL. You have just opened the first page on an amazingly wonderful and very large book. All of us here are doing the same although on different pages.

[Sunshine]

Amazing! your first observing experience vould not have been smoother and more rewarding, to say you are well on your way would be an understatement. 
 

Welcome to SGL!

[Ratlet]

8 hours ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Welcome to the forum .... have to say the starfish cluster is one of my favourites 

Mine too.  The feel of it changes completely at different powers.  Corker for the first session.

[Richard N]

On 29/04/2024 at 21:32, Fintan said:

Hi all, after much research I  (44 years old) have bought my first telescope, a Skywatcher Heritage 150 Virtuoso GTI. On the Friday I got it, I managed to get it put together and collimated fairly easily (It's funny how terrified I was of collimation while choosing a scope!). I took it out in daylight and got the scope and red dot finder aligned. On the Saturday, the sky went in my favour with 2% cloud cover. I went out to my back garden (Bortle 5) and used the wifi and SynScan app for the first time and after some tinkering got it fairly well aligned using Arcturus and Capella. After some general observing around the night sky I went to the "Tonight's Best" section of the app and clicked on "Gamma Cas Nebula". Directly in the eyepiece with no adjustment needed with a 10mm lens I could see a small circle of blue-ish dots with a dark centre about the size of thumbnail and above and to the left, a small white image like a whisp of smoke. I *think* I was seeing IC59 and IC63, but am happy to be corrected. I also observed the starfish cluster. Anyway, it was a wonderful first observing experience and made me excited by how much I have to learn about my new hobby. I can't wait to get out again, though "Clear Outside" is making me think it might be a while!!

Great start. Welcome to the world of meteorology observation. 

[Pete Presland]

Hi welcome to SGL from Pete in Bedfordshire 🙂