Can you help me identify this?

[DavidJames]

Hi everyone this is my second post, my first was in the introdcution forum room. I'm very new to this but last night I went out with my new Lyra Refractor scope & cheap digital camera.

I took this photo:

It was (measured by my compass) SE in direction & quite high in the sky at 2340. Sorry I can't be more exact but I'm still learning! I was just wondering if anyone can help me as it was bright blue & seemed to be reflecting light; is it a planet?

I'm still learning star charts etc, if anyone can help tell me what I might have seen I would be so happy, many thanks,

Dave

[Doc]

Welcome Dave.

Picture not showing Dave

[DavidJames]

Soz pic is at:

[Whippy]

Welcome to SGL Dave . I would hazard a guess that it's either Vega in the constellation of Lyra (more likely)or Altair which is in the constellation of Aquila. Both of which are bright stars.

Tony..

[ashenlight]

I was thinking Vega too... in the right place for what you saw. and it is VERY bright

[Milamber]

I would say Vega too.

Arthur

PS - interesting image hosting...

[SteveL]

ssshh you! ...

[kev 102 42]

that pic is big, i had to get my scope out to find what you took.....kev

[DavidJames]

That's dead cool! I'm made up, looks really blue lol. So does that mean it's a very hot star? I tried to find the Whirlpool Galaxy last night to but just couldn't get it. What do you think is a good DSO to see with a small 70mm refractor? I can't wait to look at the moon just it seems to come out a bit to late at the moment. Holey Moley think I'm hooked... lol

[DavidJames]

Sorry if the pic was to big, sort of just learning this stuff. The image hosting is just the server that hosts my online company. I can change it if anybody wants me to, it's not a problem! Just want to make friends here at the forum, thanks :0)

Dave

[Milamber]

Hosting's OK with me (not that it matters), looks like there's another job out there I missed out on!

Vega is the closest star to us I think... for DSO's in a 70mm refractor I'd suggest the globulars first, at least until you get your eye in. Fave's would be M92 and M13 I guess...

[kev 102 42]

its a great size pic just about right ,well done,wish i knew how to post big pics.............kev

[DavidJames]

Ok thanks I'll try & locate them. lol the business I’m in is that competitive any way it’s not worth getting into lol. ES E EX is unfortunately (for me) the most difficult & competitive market on the Net. But I have a new question. Has anybody ever seen Transient Lunar Phenomena?

[Ant]

Sorry if the pic was to big, sort of just learning this stuff. The image hosting is just the server that hosts my online company. I can change it if anybody wants me to, it's not a problem! Just want to make friends here at the forum, thanks :0)

Dave

Hi Dave,

If you upload the image to the SGL server (using the attachment feature), we'll get around the hosting name, and also the SGL software will resize the image to a more managable 1024 x 768 and creates a thumbnail (like the one below).

Welcome to SGL BTW

Cheers

Ant

[DavidJames]

Hi Kev soz mate was just a fluke that it got that big; the eld pic mate. I set my Grans digital camera to what I think was the biggest picture and left the shutter open for 15 seconds on top of her garage. Quite addictive this astonomy & astrophotography lol, been reading today in the library about it. Expensive but def. worth it!

[Ant]

Now I can see the smaller picture you have got the constellation of Lyra with the main star (the brigtest one in your image) Vega.

Cheers

ant

[barkis]

Reduced in size.

Ron.

Whoops! Already done.

[DavidJames]

Thanks all, everyone here's so freindly I can tell your a good bunch :0) Vega is cool, not quite Uranus or Neptune as I thought it might be lol. Actually I thought at first it was Neptune because it was so blue. When I've learnt to use this scope I have I'm most certanly gonna buy a new one. One thing I noticed though using my 4mm eye piece, objects moved to quick out of view so do you think maybe I should buy a Plossl eye piece? I've heard they have a wider field of view?

Dave

[Talitha]

Hi Dave, i rescaled your image and made a little star chart for you..

pretty neat pic you've got there!

Regarding the LTPs, i've been a lunar observer for about 10 years and have never seen one but to

be honest, i never really looked for them. From what i understand, it's necessary to stay on one of the

'suspect' features for quite a while and see if any changes occur.. i'm too busy looking around, though.

Regarding the eyepiece.. basically, an eyepiece with a larger number will supply a wider fov (field of view).

With more info, we'll be able to help... what are your scope's specs?

[DavidJames]

Hi there, yes thanks for the comment on the pucture & especialy thanks for the star chart! My telescope specs are well, it's a 700mm x 90cm Bresser Lyra (ironic that picture of Vega was in the constellation Lyra hey ) the main thing was when I tried to view a few other objects they went out of view very quickly so I was wondering if a Plossl eye piece at 4mm might help me track things more easily? All my eye pieces so far start with a K & I heard that Plossls have a wider field of view. Arr well wish the clouds would go away for a bit here in N. Wales! Thanks again,

Dave

[661-pete]

And ... to add my 2p worth, manipulated the curves to bring out the stars a bit more clearly, and make the constellations quite recognisable. Nice widefield but see if you can work at that focus a bit more (I know it's not easy)!

Oh and can I please add my voice to those asking you to host your images on the forum - or at least on a different site from the one you are using! That domain name is going to bring me problems if I access the forum at work.

[DavidJames]

Thank you for doing that with my picture. Yes I've addressed the hosting of my pictures now (well within 30secs of posting this reply)