Help! I'm Lost In Space!

[cakemaster5000]

Hello to all!

I'm a fairly new stargazer looking for some advice. I've had an interest in astronomy and physics for a while now and have been doing a lot of reading. I was hoping that maybe some of you could recommend some new reading material as I seem to be covering the same thing over and over. I feel that I now have a reasonable understanding of why I see what I see when I look upwards, I now want to know what I'm actually looking at.

I have also recently taken the plunge, sold a guitar and am ready to buy my first scope (all my viewing thus far has been done through 12x50 binoculars). I'd really appreciate your help and advice. I have a budget of between £150-£200.

I have looked at the Celestron Astromaster 130EQ, The Skywatcher Heritage 130P and The Skywatcher Explorer 130P. All seem to have similar features and good reviews. Any advice? Any Difference?

I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks

[Mikea]

Hi cakemaster - welcome! I would go for the Explorer 130P rather than the 130EQ. I don't think the 130EQ has a parabolic mirror - so would give a slightly inferior image to the 130P (P= parabolic). Shame you had to sell a guitar - I hope you have another!!

[cakemaster5000]

Fortunately I do have another! Thanks for the advice, it's much appreciated. I was kind of drawn towards the explorer as I had read that the EQ mount was better quality than that of the Celestron

Thanks again

[Nexus 6]

Hi Cakemaster, the advice given above on the scope is worth taking into account, for a decent book try Turn Left at Orion, gets mentioned all the time on here, I have it myself and its reallly good

and in case you don't have it yet, download this, its free and brilliant

Stellarium.org

[Astro_Baby]

Hi and welcome from me too....

I have onwed the Skywatcher 130 and also played with a Celestron 130EQ. Heres my tuppnce worth on it from an older post.

If you stick with the 130 I would get the skywatcher version which is almost the same price but has some definite advantages

1 it has much thinner metal spider vanes versus celestrons horrible thick plastic ones

2 collimation is far easier on the skywatcher because it's secondary mirror holder is much better designed.

3 what celestron are pleased to call a finder scope is horrible, dreadful plastic thing moulded on the end of the scope, skywatcher fit a passable red dot finder that works quite well and the scope has proper accessory shoe so you can change finders if you want with minimal fuss.

4 celestron mount is spindly, wobbly and full of plastic, it looks hi tech in pics but in actual fact is horrible. The skywatcher mount is ok, not the best but far better than the celestron one.

5 style, the skywatcher looks like a baby telescope, its made to a price as a starter scope and does it very well. The celestron feels like a toy it's got so much plastic in it.

[cakemaster5000]

Hi Alan. Thanks For The Advice. I downloaded Stellarium earlier this week and was really impressed, I learned more in an hour using that than I have from most of the books I've read so far. It also helped me to identify some objects I'd seen on tuesday. I'll get the book ordered

Cheers

[Mikea]

I was forgetting the nasty plastic spider vanes - well said. Is the Celestron a spherical mirror - or have I misrepresented them there?

[cakemaster5000]

Thanks very much Astro-Baby. These things aren't mentioned on sellers websites, I've found it difficult to get the full story on any of the scopes.

Cheers for the advice

[Nexus 6]

Hope you get the scope and get some decent skies with it!

good luck

[pvaz]

All sound advice. I started with turn left at orion as well. It's a very easy reading with lots of maps, ideal to learn how to locate objects.

Welcome to the forum and have fun under the stars!