Rush home from work to use my new SkyWatcher!!

[garyscott]

Finally took the plunge and bought myself a "serious" telescope which arrived today whilst i was at work, a SkyWatcher 130P, motorised Alt/Az mount, Red-Dot finder, and at last some eyepieces which dont look like toys! My prior telescope could best be described as abismal. Horrid eyepieces that look like you are seeing through a pinhole! Anyway, after setting up and letting the telescope acclimatize to the outside....WOW!!! My first port of call was Jupiter, oh the detail! A joy to behold! After observing Jupiter for about 30 minutes i decided to hunt that fuzzy patch, Andromeda. OH, Somebody hold me down!!!!!! Such a feeling to actually see that fuzz in eyepiece filling greatness. Polaris, Ursa Minor, and just "stooging around" the heavens, all were a feast for the eyes! I finally have the equipment to lose myself in the most spectacularly enjoyable pastime that is astronomy. I relish the prospect of a long and happy time with my SkyWatcher!

I feel im home.

[Nexus 6]

Hi gary,

glad to see that you managed to use your new scope as soon as you got it! Welcome to SGL, think you'll find a wealth of knowledge and expertease hare to help and advise you as you find your way around the night sky with your new kit.

Check out one of my favourite sights,M13 in Hercules,or as an alternative another common fav,for a lot of people,M57 in Lyre.

Clear skies

Alan

[Catanonia]

Congrats mate, it is amazing the 1st time

[kidlands]

Thats great Gary been there with my Lightbridge, happy viewing mate.

[TheThing]

Ah, the Skywatcher 130 in its many guises!

Quite a few of us started out with this scope and, quite frankly, it is brilliant! Well done on a great purchase. Enjoy the scope and the skies and keep posting.

[rowan46]

I haven't had a clear night in ages. So I can only assume you have sold your soul to the cloud gods. congratulations on your new scope. there's nothing quite like looking through a real scope. toys are fine for looking at the moon but I get a real buzz out of owning a bona fide scientific instrument

[Astro_Baby]

Great to see you get some good view - may your skies be forever clear.

[mdstuart]

Great post...So excited for you..

Do try a globular M13/M15 and put it on high power after letting your eyes adjust....

Mark

[BAZ Senior]

It's exciting just reading your post!

Here's to you and your scope having many happy hours together.

Clear skies Gary.

[Rob1961]

Hi Gary, sounds like you had an amazing time - fingers crossed for continuing good weather. Rob

[Space Oddity6]

Welcome to the Skywatcher 130 club gary, tis a fine scope. As a beginner, apart from some dramas setting it up I've not had any trouble with it. I'm getting a new 6mm eyepiece next week so hopefully some truly epic views of Jupiter soon!

Still hunting for M13 though.

[garyscott]

Thank you all for the replies, so the 130 is a bit of a benchmark to start out with huh? Glad to know im on a good track! MDStuart - ill give that a go for sure, ive been getting some not too bad nights with regard to seeing, but not too great for perfect seeing. Whilst scouting around the many threads on this great forum, i have been compiling a "target list" that should see me through a whole year (skies permitting!). I am particularly taken with the imaging sections - such wonderfull images! Truely an art! For now though i am content with viewing only, drinking in as much as i can, this is something that you could never tire of - in ANY lifetime.

Clear skies my friends.

Gary

[Lowstar]

"OH, Somebody hold me down!!!!!!"

I love opening those BIG cardboard boxes!!

Hope you have a lot of fun with the new scope Gary. With the nights drawing in we all should be getting the scopes out again.

ATB

will.

[paulhereford]

Welcome to the club Gary

[george7378]

I've got my 130PM too, and I still verbally utter 'Oh my God!!' when I see Jupiter and the Andromeda Galaxy (look out for the two satellite galaxies if you can, and if you have a dark sky, maybe the dust lanes). I remember the thrill when my mum said that the big box under the Christmas tree was for me

[Talitha]

OH, Somebody hold me down!!!!!!

Perfect !!

Congratulations on a fabulous first night, i'm glad you slipped under the 'cloud curse' radar.

[garyscott]

Perfect !!

Congratulations on a fabulous first night, i'm glad you slipped under the 'cloud curse' radar.

Regards that radar...i think ive been picked up because they are rolling in now!! LOL. Where you observe from Talitha sounds quite nice out in the woods so to speak, bears, cougars and the like. I have always wanted to observe from one of the States National parks like Yosemite, being able to combine some fantastic scenery with for instance, star trails would make a jaw dropping picture i think, maybe one to get printed to canvas to hang in my study (hmmm...). Ive always liked mountanous areas. But going back to the SkyWatcher scope, that is certainly my most best purchase to date! Ive only used it a handfull of times now but in my mind i can still see some of the objects i viewed as clear as day (night?). I love it.