Getting acquainted

[Agelesslink]

I've just started this hobby and i've made it my goal to learn the constellations before i get a telescope. for the first couple of weeks ive only been able to see cygnus and jupiter. last night i printed out a sky chart and found cygnus, cephus, cassopia, lyra, the great square of pegasus, and aquila. quite a treat. makes the sky seem a little more friendly. astronomy is great!

[Talitha]

Well done! Learning the sky before getting a telescope is a very wise way to go about things. Do you have a planisphere? They're quite helpful, they don't cost much, and some of them have bino objects marked on them.

[Merlin66]

At our star parties in Oz, we used to get the Kids and newbies to sit out all night in deckchairs using the naked eye or binoculars to watch the changing sky from dusk to dawn... they all didn't stay awake all the time and hot chocolate beaks helped. By the end of the session they had a wonderfull understanding of the constellations, the movement of the sky, coordinate systems (ie RA DEC v's Alt Az) and knew where to look to find various objects - orion nebulae, Omega Cen, Jewel Box etc etc.

The experience and knowledge stayed with them forever.

[Talitha]

Excellent, M66!!!

Geeze, i wish i had a local group around here... i had to learn everything on my own.

It took me a while to wrap my brain around the movement of the celestial sphere. I was using a small pocket guide with monthly charts, but they were all centered on a certain 'static' time (iirc it was 9pm). Some of it just didn't make sense till i got the planisphere and realized that things 'up there' are always on the move.

[Agelesslink]

no i don't have a planisphere. i've never heard of that but i'll check it out. i wish i had more people around me for star parties. that would be pretty cool just to be around a bunch of people with the same interests. in central louisiana, if you don't like football and hunting, your either a nerd or gay. i gotta keep my midnight exploits under wraps.lol

[Talitha]

It's not easy being a LadyGeek in northcentral Wisconsin either. I'm not into soap operas, romance novels, bar-hopping or malicious gossip, so i just tend to keep to myself and do my own thing.... seems to have worked out quite well.

If you're interested in locating like-minds in your area though, try asking around in the Cloudy Nights group. They might be able to steer you to a local group you didn't even know existed. The closest one here is in Green Bay.

[perrin6]

See if you can last long enough to learn to recognize all the constellations before you finally give in to temptation and buy a scope ! Bet ya can't !

It's been so long since I learned the main constellations I'd forgotten the pleasure of it. Wish I could start all over again really, with the wonder of it all, although learning new things doesn't seem as enjoyable as it did when I was young, looking back anyhow.

My last big thrill was looking up at the milky way stretching overhead while conscious that it was the rest of 'our' galaxy. Before that it was just a load of pretty points of light really.

Alan

[Talitha]

Wish I could start all over again really, with the wonder of it all....

Amen to that, Alan... Amen to that.

[Agelesslink]

I gotta say. i was trying to find pegasus "i couldnt because of blurry contact lenses" and just thinking that andromeda was somewhere out there shining a dim light out of reach was exciting and mysterious to me. i hope to have the same respect and curiosity years down the line. that's why i'm gonna delay the telescope until its impossible to wait any longer. then i'll invest in one that will leave nothing to be desired in a telescope.

[JamesM]

If you have the strength to resist, learning the night sky is such a good idea.

I like to use Stellarium to help me and what I do is to first look at, say two constellations next to each other (with the constellation lines attached) and then I turn off the lines and see if I can still make out these constellations. My starting point was Bootes and I have almost worked my way around the full circle. Part of my difficulty observing the constellations for real is that there are too many nearby objects that prevent me from see all of it. Having said that, one advantage (....probably the only one) for living in a light polluted area is that only the brightest stars stand out which makes learning the constellations a little easier. I once went camping out on moorland with a VERY dark sky and I couldn't even recognize the Plough as there were so many 'other' stars around.

I admire your patience!

James

[Skybrowser]

I bought a Planisphere like everyone else I suppose but the one I bought - the standard Philips one is just too small. It's easy enough to set up and get the time and date right I know, but I love Stellarium - much better, even for a beginner like me. I've been into this hobby for 10 months now (Mrs bought me a scope last Christmas and I love her more for that) and I am really enjoying "boldly going.." as it were.

In my experience, the best advice to people thinking about investing in a telescope is yes, get to know some of the sky and use forums like this,asking as many questions as you need to. I found the answers I got on other forums to be so helpful when I first stated last Dec. I have to say the one thing about this hoby is the help you get from some very helpful people

[mike.brightmore]

The book 'Turn left at Orion' was my bible. No frills or fancy photos just down to earth practical observing with a very realistc indication of what you can expect to see through a small telescope. I do use Stellarium constantly now though. A free download from www.stellarium.org

[Agelesslink]

Thanks Mike!! this is just what i needed

[peterb]

Have to second what Mike said about 'Turn Left at Orion', wish I'd bought it first instead of some of the other books. Agree about the Phillips being small. Stellarium is a no-brainer.

[Ian123]

James has opened my eye's, been observing 2 week's and through Stellarium i thought i had the constellations down. Since i turn the line's off, different story, learning them again now.