Newcomer to Astronomy - HELP!!

[Matthew Turner]

Hi all,

This is the first post I have ever generated for any forum so please be gentle (haha).

I have been interested in the stars since I was a child and always wanted a telescope only they were always too expensive. However, I am now older altough not necessarily wiser and have decided its finally time to fulfil my childhood dream and delve into the wonderful exciting world of astronomy by purchasing my first telescope (god...you would think I was looking to get my first tattoo?!)

Anyway, accumulatively over the last week or so I must have spent at least 15 hours reading reviews, guides and different forums over what would be best for me. I have compared several scopes and weighed up plenty of pros and cons but seem to keep coming back to the same telescope.

Pretty early on I spotted the Skywatcher Explorer - 130P and on face value seemed like what I was after. Since then I have delved into refractors and various other larger reflectors. Compared magnifications and highest practical powers amongst just about every other variable associated with such a scope.

Given that I am looking to spend less than £300 for the time being and have little to no knowledge of the solar system beyond our planets and wellknown constellations I have all but purchased a Skywatcher Explorer - 130P Synscan AZ GOTO Parabolic Reflector found for a reasonable price of around £245.

The larger Skywatcher Explorer - 150P sounds like an amazing piece of kit but with the synscan costs well over £500 which isnt an option right now.

• Can anyone give me any pointers?
  
• Recommend the Skywatcher Explorer - 130 before I go ahead with the purchase?
  
• Am I likely to see Saturn and its rins in all its glory?
  
• Can you manually search the sky with the synscan or are you confined to what is preprogrammed?
  

All replie are most welcome, I am a novice and need all the help and advise that I can get...

Thanks for your time and I look forward to you responses.

Matt

[steppenwolf]

This is a nice piece of kit to get started with and it represents very good value for money. You do, however, need to bear in mind that you are sacrificing aperture (how much light the telescope collects) for some electronics to help you find things. In other words, if you were prepared to work harder at locating objects, you would be able to buy better optics for the same money. That said, I now use a GoTo mount and love it - I would not personally want to go back to manually finding objects again.

You will be able to see Saturn's rings but expect to see this wonderful object in miniature - you need lots more magnification that this telescope can realistically supply to have an eyepiece-filling view of Saturn but you will love what you see, just be realistic in your expectations.

Skywatcher gear may be at the budget end of the spectrum but it is good, generally reliable equipment at a sensible price.

[pvaz]

Pointers:

Start learning the constellations and then move on to star hoping and finding objects with the scope. here are some free resources to help you find objects:

http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/102220-online-resources.html#post1418771

The 130p is one of the most popular starter scopes and if you want GOTO it's one of the best options at this price range. You'll definitely see Saturn and much more. How much more? Depends on the light pollution on your observing spot.

If GOTO wasn't a requirement a dobsonian gives you more light gathering power for the same price.

I think you can order the controller to move however you want. Not sure if you can move it manually, without power (may force the motors ???).

EDIT: Seams everyone finished the game (Bayer-Lyon) and came post at the same time!

[Doc]

Welcome to SGL Matthew.

I think you have picked a wonderful scope to begin this great hobby with. It will last you long time and you will see many objects with it.

[flight69er]

Hi Matt,

Welcome to SGL. I bought my first scope 6 months ago, almost the same one as you mentioned but without the goto function but upgraded to the Synscan handset last month. There is a bit of self satisfaction in finding objects in the night sky just by star hopping but I've got to say the goto function saves alot of time.

Yes you will see the ring of saturn, and yes I say ring because as the rings are side on at the mo' and the fact that the focal length of the scope is quite short you won't get enough magnification with the stock eyepieces it comes with. I bought a 6mm EP, so with the x2 Barlow it made a difference but not too much (just waiting for those rings to open up). Still it is an amazing sight.

I live in a quite heavily light polluted area but am still able to see some of the brighter DSO's (M41 was an eye opener). Steppenwolf has this scope summed up to a tee. To add this is a great starter scope and still fairly portable but to be honest the apperature thirst will get to you like me, I'm already saving up for a 10" Dob!

[brantuk]

You can set the synscan to track and then move it round to whatever you want - however you will use the arrow keys to do the slewing. There's 8 (I think) slew rates to choose from so you can center the finder and the ep at slower speeds, or move it round to an object at higher speeds.

The az mount is very nice for the price even if it does look a tad wierd - and reasonably stable so long as the scope isn't featherweight.

As for feeling limited to what is pre-programmed - don't be - it's got 42,000 objects including everything you'll ever want to see in the next ten years.

The 130's a good starter scope as people have said - and the whole kit is within budget - make sure you have enough left for a power pack to drive it.

Hope that helps and welcome to the goup Matt

[Matthew Turner]

Thanks for all of your prompt replies.

The information and feedback provided was far more that I expected and for that I am truely grateful.

Can anyone tell me what sort of size Saturn would look like through this size scope. I read on one site that it would be the equivelant of looking a an object 2mm in diameter at an extended arms length. I've got pretty good eyesight and to me that looks tiny...?!

I should probably have started a new thread for this question but hey I'm new...

[Matthew Turner]

Further more guys, given the comments kindly left by others and the fact that I am a beginner which would you recommend:

Skywatcher Explorer - 130P Synscan AZ GOTO Parabolic Reflector (£250)

OR

Skywatcher EXPLORER-150PL (EQ3-2) Telescope Black Diamond (£250)

OR

Any other telescope that match up to the others under £350.00

And yes, my budget does seem to be rapidly increasing...telescope fever strikes again!!

[sn00p]

Thanks for all of your prompt replies.

The information and feedback provided was far more that I expected and for that I am truely grateful.

Can anyone tell me what sort of size Saturn would look like through this size scope. I read on one site that it would be the equivelant of looking a an object 2mm in diameter at an extended arms length. I've got pretty good eyesight and to me that looks tiny...?!

I should probably have started a new thread for this question but hey I'm new...

It will at this moment in time be smaller than a 5p held out in front of you for the main planet(5+mm) with a thick pencil line through it as the rings are edge on... however if the rings where fully open and you looked down on them then it would be more like a 20p size.... so NOT massive but a VERY nice view.

[insomnia]

The size of Saturn will depend of the EP that you use. The higher the magnification the less defined the planet will look. You also have to factor in the seeing conditions.

I owned an Explorer 130 and when I viewed Saturn I used a 10mm EP and a 2x Barlow. Saturn was still fairly small but I could see definition on the planet and rings.

[flight69er]

I would go for the larger apperature Matt. For £260 you can get a 8" dob e.g Skywatcher Skyliner 200P.

As far as Saturn is concerned even when it looks small, when you see the rings it will still have you staring at it for some time and don't forget you'll also be able to see some of its moons. I usually start and end my viewing session with it in the eyepiece.

[Matthew Turner]

Thanks again for all the information.

The SkyWatcher Skyliner 200P Parabolic Dobsonian Telescope again looks like a great piece of kit although I struggle to see how or what you might fix it to in terms of a stand.

All of my google searchs appear to be standalone scopes however each item states the scope comes with a Wooden Alt-Azimuth Mount with Accessory Tray. Do you know if this is an actual stand (similar to that of a tripod).

Looking at the images on many of the websites the dobsonian and its attachment seem to be something you might mount to a table top???

[pvaz]

Thats the wooden half open box on the base.

Dobsonian telescope - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia