Hi all

[Ian123]

Hello 2 all, Im ian from cheshire, got my first scope on monday and was out tonight the first time, lousy cloud last few days. Got a skywatcher explorer 150P by the way, seems good enough for a newbie like me. Just wanted to ask has n e 1 been out this evening, specially around 10:30, seemed what looked like a object on fire just east of me, hope it wasnt a plane or something, seemed like debris falling from it and moving quite quickly!! And n e advice is sorely welcome about viewing, was tough to get my scope balanced properly and EQ mount was a little tricky to say the least. Thought this was going to be easy, just point and look but not that easy is it, but excellent view of the moon!! cheers!!

[Rusty Strings]

Hi Ian, welcome to SGL

Good scope you have there. Didn't manage to get out last, a combination of thin clou and a almost full moon wiped out everything but the brightest stars and Mars.

John

[Paxo]

Hi Ian,

A very warm welcome to SGL. Don't worry about the mount, the more you use it the easier it will become. You have an excellent scope there, it should give you some excellent views.

Steve..

[Starjumper]

Hi Ian,

Welcome to SGL.

John

[Stephen Green]

Hi Ian a warm welcome to the SGL

Stephen

[Scott Tilley]

Hello Ian, welcome from me too!

Scott

[brantuk]

Hi Ian and welcome.

Practise balancing the scope in the daylight - it will get easier every time as you begin to appreciate whats going on in the two axes. Also you'll need to align the finder with the main tube in daylight - pick an object as far away as possible - I use the top tip of a distant telegraph pole.

The best tip I can give for viewing is polar alignment. Make sure your mount is level, pointing north, and set at the correct angle for your location - point the tube the same way north.

Polaris should be somewhere in (or near to) the view in the finder. Make fine adjustments with the RA/Dec screws to get it centered in the finder - then fine adjust the alt/az screws to centre it in the tube. Then realign the finder with the tube on polaris - you should see polaris centred in both.

Then you're good to go - finding stuff will be a lot easier - and you'll only need to track in one plane most of the time.

Hope that helps

[glowjet]

Hi Ian,

A very warm welcome to SGL, what you could have seen may have been a Chinese Lantern, hope you enjoy your new scope and the forum.

John.

[Talitha]

Hi and welcome to SGL, Ian.

[johnh]

Welcome aboard.

JohnH.

[Beyond_Vision]

Welcome to SGL Ian

Regards

Kevin

[chunkie]

hi ian and welcome to SGL from clive CLEAR SKIES

and nice scope