Hi from Andy in Kent England

[andypraktica]

Hi there,

I am very much a newcomer to astronomy, and I only have a pair of binoculars at the moment (Praktica 8 x 56), but they still enable quite a good view of the night sky.

Andy

[SteveP]

Hi Andy and a warm welcome to SGL

Binos are a great way to learn your way around the skies and provide some wonderful widefield views.

Steve

[callisto]

Hi there and welcome,

Binos are the best way to start instead of jumping straight into a scope.

Mark.

[Starjumper]

Hi Andy,

Welcome to SGL.

John

[Rusty Strings]

Hi Andy, welcome to SGL

John

[Brunty12345]

welcome to SGL!

[Astro_Baby]

HI Andy from me as well

[Scott Tilley]

Welcome to SGL Andy,

Scott

[cloud9]

Hi Andy. Whereabouts in Kent are you? Im in Maidstone.

[johnh]

Welcome aboard Andy.

JohnH.

[Talitha]

Hi and welcome to SGL, Andy. Glad to have you with us. We were all newcomers at one time, and many of us began with binoculars just like you're doing. Mine were an old pair of common 7x35s... there's something special about learning my way around the universe on all those newbie nights... lots of great memories.

[glowjet]

Hi Andy,

A warm welcome to SGL, as Talitha has said bins are a good way to start to learn the night sky, try downloading Stellarium or for that matter TUBA accessed through the web site of Philip S Harrington these are star maps for bins which can be printed off for use outside, enjoy the forum.

John.

[andypraktica]

Hi Andy. Whereabouts in Kent are you? Im in Maidstone.

Hi there,

about ten miles away from you, just short of the Medway Bridge, with a great view over the Medway Valley, very useful for an unbroken East to South West view over the night sky.

Andy

[cloud9]

oh i see. Im going up to Medway tomorrow to see Gillingham play. I hate the cloud grrrr!

[andypraktica]

oh i see. Im going up to Medway tomorrow to see Gillingham play. I hate the cloud grrrr!

The last time I saw Gillingham play, it was against Maidstone Utd in the FA Cup, and Maidstone beat them at Priestfield Stadium, and Frank Ovard scored the goal for Maidstone (unless I have gott all the facts wrong there - which is quite possible ).

Andy

[cloud9]

good grief that must be years ago! Why dont you go up to the Priestfield nowadays?

[Stephen Green]

Hi Andy a warm welcome to the SGL

Stephen

[michigander]

welcome to SGL, Andy!

Dana

[ron.s.g]

Hi Andy and welcome from another in kent,

always keep my bins handy for a quick lookaround,

regards ron.s.g

[andypraktica]

Thanks for the welcome folks, I am doing a "clear sky dance" at the moment (well, X Factor is on, and anything is better than that), because it has been really dull in the heavens lately.

Andy

[SpookyKatt]

Welcome to the forum Andy.

Kathleen

[alfingido]

Welcome Andy, another Kent member!

Allan

[simon e]

Welcome Andy from yet another Kent viewer, I'm from Eynsford, which is quite dark.

If you ever get enough of a taste of this hobby to buy a scope, you can always pop around and have a look through a couple of mine. It might give you a good idea as to what you can see through various scopes.

Sorry there are a lot of Dob members out there, but I haven't go one...... yet!

But i have got a,

Celestron 8" Goto Nexstar Sct

6" Orion Europa reflector

Skywatcher 4" Refractor, used as a guide scope.

All in a nice long garden.

Cheers Si

[brantuk]

Hi Andy and welcome - you might find a Planisphere is a useful addition to help with the night sky - also google skyviewcafe - I still use it regularly to see whats up and it has lots of other useful info. Enjoy!

[andypraktica]

Thanks again folks, its good to see a healthy number from my neck of the woods. Are there any "offline" meetings where folks meet up?

Thanks Si, I might take you up on that offer, as I plan to buy a scope in the New Year (the missus doesn't know yet, which is why I am still able to use a keyboard).

Andy