Am i doing something wrong ?

[Dazraz]

Hi im using a 8" Dob and using stellerium - im basically oing out with binos and not spotting anything - i dont think im getting the scope in to the right area, i dont rate the finder scope to be honest. Is there any advive tip etc or do i need to throw more cash at this ?

I am looking M81 & M82 but just cant seem to find them

Regards Daren

[Doc]

Are you star hopping or just aiming your scope in the general direction.

When I first started I also found it tough but with a telrad on your scope that gives you 3 circles a 4°, 2° and a 1° and the telrad overlays in either Stellarium or Cartes du Ceil star hopping becomes pretty easy.

[Dazraz]

Are you star hopping or just aiming your scope in the general direction.

When I first started I also found it tough but with a telrad on your scope that gives you 3 circles a 4°, 2° and a 1° and the telrad overlays in either Stellarium or Cartes du Ceil star hopping becomes pretty easy.

just aiming in general direction !

[skye at night]

Is your finder-scope correctly aligned with the main scope???

Use bins to identify and then star-hop via the finder...

If finder and tube are lined up then you should get the target in FOV enough to centre in EP.....

Steve

[Dazraz]

Is your finder-scope correctly aligned with the main scope???

Use bins to identify and then star-hop via the finder...

If finder and tube are lined up then you should get the target in FOV enough to centre in EP.....

Steve

when you say starhop do you mean just follow the stars ?

sorry but im new to all this

[GazOC]

Also don't assume that galaxies like M81 and M82 will be easily visible on a given night. If the conditions are poor or the Moon is out they can just seem to disappear sometimes.

[Doc]

just aiming in general direction !

It doesn't always work just aiming. Steve is correct in making sure your finder is aligned and then centre your finder on a bright star near the object you want to see and using Stellarium find the next star nearer the object and so on until you are there.

It takes alot of patience but with experience it will come.

Or do what I did and build yourself a push to azimuth circle and a wixey for altitude. Now that really works good.

[Dazraz]

Also don't assume that galaxies like M81 and M82 will be easily visible on a given night. If the conditions are poor or the Moon is out they can just seem to disappear sometimes.

is there anything you can suggest that would be easier to find ?

[Doc]

With an 8" scope quite a few objects will be visible. Try M31, M27, M13, M15, M2, M57 and M45.

[GazOC]

is there anything you can suggest that would be easier to find ?

If the Moon is out or you suspect conditions arn't the best then globular clusters, open clusters and double stars are pretty forgiving but anything faint or diffuse will really suffer.

[skye at night]

m31, orion neb.., pleiades etc all naked eye-ish so good starter targets,

Steve

[chrisdg1968]

I really do rate using a good RDF (either a Telrad or other good multi-recticule type) rather than a standard magnifying optical finder, which I have never got on with.

Have used my RDF on all the scopes I have owned and once you learn how to get in the general area of sky you need, with a low power eyepiece it should not be too difficult to find the object you are looking for.

[barkis]

If you take a line from Phecda, the bottom left star in the Plough, and Dubhe, the top right star in the Plough, that distance is approximately 10 degrees. If you carry the imaginary line out further another 10 degrees on the same path, then stop and do a gentle spiral search in thA area, you should locate M81/82.

Good Luck.

Ron.

[tinvek]

someone is bound to suggest this so i'll get in first

try finding a copy of "turn left at orion", nice book thats gives very simple and clear instructions on how to find various targets,

[Wobbly Bob]

I really do rate using a good RDF (either a Telrad or other good multi-recticule type) rather than a standard magnifying optical finder, which I have never got on with.

Have used my RDF on all the scopes I have owned and once you learn how to get in the general area of sky you need, with a low power eyepiece it should not be too difficult to find the object you are looking for.

I too have a Telrad, the best thing since sliced bread. You will find many guides and planetariums feature the telrad bulls eye and if you have it lined up with your 8" dob you should find locating objects much easier. We all have trouble at first but once you get a few objects under your belt you should get the hang of it.

Try M31.

[Dazraz]

Thanks for all advice - can anyone point me to a good telrad to buy , i dont really want to buy off ebay ?

Regards Daren

[Doc]

Bern at Modern Astronomy

Accessories @ Modern Astronomy

or

Telescope House

Telrad Red Dot Finder

[Dazraz]

Thanks Doc

[Dazraz]

Are you star hopping or just aiming your scope in the general direction.

When I first started I also found it tough but with a telrad on your scope that gives you 3 circles a 4°, 2° and a 1° and the telrad overlays in either Stellarium or Cartes du Ceil star hopping becomes pretty easy.

Could you explain overlaying in stellerium please and what i will need to do this ?

[Dazraz]

Bern at Modern Astronomy

Accessories @ Modern Astronomy

or

Telescope House

Telrad Red Dot Finder

sorry to keep throwing questions at you but from the link for telrad finder which one should i get the £25 or £39 ?

[Helen]

The £39 telrad projects a bullseye on the sky which is useful for getting a feel of scale as you can get your software to overlay the bullseye on the chart as well. As an example, last night I was looking for Neptune. I set the software I was using to show a telrad ring, and this showed me that Neptune was about 1 and a half telrad bullseye widths to the left of Jupiter. And I found it

I've also got an ordinary red dot finder on another scope and that is useful for lining things up (in my case doing my initial alignment for the goto mount), but less good for star-hopping.

Helen

[Dazraz]

The £39 telrad projects a bullseye on the sky which is useful for getting a feel of scale as you can get your software to overlay the bullseye on the chart as well. As an example, last night I was looking for Neptune. I set the software I was using to show a telrad ring, and this showed me that Neptune was about 1 and a half telrad bullseye widths to the left of Jupiter. And I found it

I've also got an ordinary red dot finder on another scope and that is useful for lining things up (in my case doing my initial alignment for the goto mount), but less good for star-hopping.

Helen

i use stellerium and have seen no setting for telrad but if you dont mind me asking what sorftware do you use ?

[Helen]

Last night I was using starmap pro on my iphone - that sounds geeky, but its a great little application that lets you point at the sky and it'll show what you can see. I also use Starry Night and that let's you do the same.

If you want charts for finding things with a telrad try Sky Maps

this is the full Messier set.

These things take a bit of practice, but the buzz when you find something for the first time is amazing - as it is when you get to a point where you know can repeatedly find something!

HTH

Helen

[dark knight]

Hiya Dazraz, another great book that can be got cheap from Amazon is Sky and Telescopes Pocket Sky Atlas, a fantastic little book designed to be used in the field. Ask as many questions as you can and don't feel like your troubling us, we were all where you are once. Don't get disheartened. The Telrads are great finders as you can keep both eyes open when looking at the projected reticule, this allows you to see much more of the sky, instead of squinting through an optical finder scope with one eye closed. Where is your rough location as there maybe someone nearby who could pop over to help, just a thought.

Carl

[Dazraz]

Last night I was using starmap pro on my iphone - that sounds geeky, but its a great little application that lets you point at the sky and it'll show what you can see. I also use Starry Night and that let's you do the same.

If you want charts for finding things with a telrad try Sky Maps

this is the full Messier set.

These things take a bit of practice, but the buzz when you find something for the first time is amazing - as it is when you get to a point where you know can repeatedly find something!

HTH

Helen

Hi again can i slide the £39 telrad straight in to where my view finder is now ?