Hooked!!!

[mark993]

Hey,

I just used me new telescope and I am totally aware that it is not very good but I was able to see some good detail on the moon and I could see the stripes on Jupiter and as much as it will annoy my wife it just made me want a new more powerful telescope all the more. I am totally hooked and want to see and learn even more! TEACH ME!!!

[Helen]

That made me smile - thank you!!!! It brings back so many memories of 'firsts' with the scope.

Ask away on the questions - we love answering them!

Helen

[turbotim]

Hi newbie here, i had to click on this post cause of the title, Well im hooked, got the bug, addicted. And im not to sure why! I will make this short i have been through alot in my life and have alot of stress, and tend to keep my head down and just try to do my job, and get through life. Well when i decided to take 25 dollars i bought a scope and pointed it at the moon then the stars. And i realized that there's more to this world. If I take the time out of my so important life just to look up, i realize that there is more to life then i ever knew. Im just glad i decided to look up and not take life for granted before it was to late!

[JamesM]

I'm glad you're hooked Mark cos' there's no turning back now! The universe around us is pretty big which means there will be plenty up there to keep you busy.

It's not just the observing for me, its also the reading up on what you've been looking at. For example, the gap between the blue and orange stars in Alberio looks quite small, but in fact, its big enough to fit the length of two solar systems! There is a red star called the Garnet Star, and its one those stars that is at the end of its life where it will explode, maybe tomorrow, maybe next year - maybe it already HAS:eek:. Its so big Mark, that if the earth was a golf ball and you placed it at the end of the Golden Gate Bridge, you could then add ANOTHER identical bridge on to the end of that one and the combined lengths of those two bridges would be the diameter of that Garnet star. :eek:In our own solar system I believe it would reach Jupiter from our own sun is now. That'll keep you out of mishief :D

Turbotim, its only perhaps when we slow things right down and take stock of who we are in this great big universe, I think we begin to realise that all of us are very small and that we're here for an even smaller amount of time. Looking up at the stars is a very enjoyable but convenient reminder. I hope you have fun with it too!:)

Clear skies

James

[Luke]

LOL, it's a slippery slope from here on in! Have you managed to see a smudge from a galaxy yet? I saw the Andromeda galaxy through my first, £35 scope, I will never forget the excitement. I had no idea before that that you could see galaxies!

[mdstuart]

Point your scope at the Pleides (M45) get your wife to look at this star cluster and she will be hooked and buy you a bigger scope for Christmas.

Just leave a few astronomy magazines lying around with the 8 /10 inch dobs adverts circled.

Mark

[mark993]

Point your scope at the Pleides (M45) get your wife to look at this star cluster and she will be hooked and buy you a bigger scope for Christmas.

Just leave a few astronomy magazines lying around with the 8 /10 inch dobs adverts circled.

Mark

I keep trying to get her to have a look and i actually got her to agree to go out tonight and look a the weather. Typical eh?

[oldfruit]

Hi mark and welcome, don`t worry about the weather. Just next time it is clear you can show your wife jupiter as it is staying in the same part of the sky for a while so all is not lost.

I remember that feeling of excitement when you start out in astronomy and to be honest it never really goes.

[just looking]

Hi Mark I saw the Pleides for the first time the other night with the 8" Dob

and a lovely sight they was too.;o)

[Jdavies]

i remember what addcited me, a 10 pound scope which struggled to even see the moon. lol

[Jdavies]

i also remember seeing juipiter for the first time, took my breath away

[Jdavies]

oh and M31 that was my first galaxies, oh the memories

[earth titan]

Hooked here to. First time I found saturn with a 6" newtonian I dragged my wife out of bed to come stand in the garden with me.

8 months later I have a 12" dob and no money - but it makes me happy.

No phone, no e-mail, no one chasing me for work I need to do. Luv it.

[brantuk]

Welcome to SGL Mark - first thing I ever saw (apart from the moon) was Saturn - just jaw droppinly awesome - you'll find it a hard sight to beat once you've set eyes on that

[Manok101]

Long time ago I remember having a telescope and even belonging to an astronomy club, that had two very large telescopes. I got to see the rings of saturn and probably other things that I do not remember, since I was fairly little. Now I finally got a new scope, and am hooked again. Always nice to read about people getting into astronomy.

[Quatermass]

Hooked indeed. Well speaking as level 2 angling coach this hobby will have you well and truly, hook line and sinker.And now you have taken the bait you will be an easy catch. Just watch out for the money sharks and stay in the astronomy school here and you will avoid becoming a fish out of water. oh my god those puns are soo bad lol.

I got hooked a month or so back and went out and got myself a lovely sky watcher 200p telescope. The result is that every evening I get a clear sky I am out there seeing wonderful things and have joined my local observatory. Go for it you wont regret it ever.