First Light!!!! Finally!!!

[AliMac]

Finally got to use my new Evostar 90! It's been sitting in my study for the last week, but finally got an outing!

First up, Jupiter. Clear and crisp in the 25mm, with all four Galilean moons strung out alongside. Ran inside like a small child to fetch the wife and 2 yr old daughter. I ran through the combinations allowed by the 25mm, the 10mm and the 2x Barlow, and was more impressed the higher I went. I could see some banding at all magnifications.

After the wife got bored, I turned the scope to the Orion Nebula and was amazed to see some actual cloudiness! Then on to the Pleiades, which were a truly marvellous sight.

I've been loving the scope, and was surprised to find that the finderscope was actually useful. It felt a bit flimsy when putting it together. I think with hindsight I should have gone for the EQ3-2 mount rather than the EQ2, as the scope isn't reall stable at higher magnifications. Still, I can always save up!

I can't get over what a buzz it's been and I've only looked through the thing for about half an hour in total. I think I'm hooked....

[scotttumsh01]

Congrats mate! i had my first time out withh my new scope last night, felt like a big kid! great to see so much isnt it! cant wait till i have clear skies again:hello2:

[nightfisher]

congrats on first light

[Debostar]

First night is always great....Other nights are great too....

[Bizibilder]

It really is a good feeling! You're hooked!

[MaxLux]

Hi AliMac,

Small world, as it too was my First Light with my new SkyWatcher ST102 and I'm in Bingham too! Managed to get a couple of hours in from the back garden but limited to objects above about 40 deg in alt due to houses etc. My incontinent neighbour wasn't helping mind you as he kept having to go and when he did the back garden looked like Blackpool Sea Front! Otherwise it was suitably dark. Planets were all off the menu as too low for my site. So I checked out the Orion Nebula, Pleiades & Betelgeuse. This has however thrown up a few inevitable questions. I needed my 10mm EP with my 2x Barlow to satisfactorily resolve M42. As I keep reading that most observing is done at low magnifications and what I was using was 100x on a 3.7 Mag object. This does seem to be something of a contradiction. Can anyone tell me where I'm going wrong?

[bm1980]

Congrats my first light was also jupiter, didnt know at the time just aimed my scope at the brightest (what i thought) star in the sky which to my amazment was jupiter.

Just wait until you get the moon in your scope, cruising the terminator is amazing.

[Cunhaval]

Any night that isn't cloudy is a good night, but first light is just a bit special

[ralph1245]

Congrats ali - thought tonight was going to be my first light after a beautiful clear sunny day - wouldn't you know it, at dusk the clouds started rolling in - never mind, try, try again - maybe tomorrow night will be clear, ever the optimist !

[jleach29]

great first night out the M45 was my first M objest, and I know all about bringing the wife out to show them something that blows you away and they just to go in and be warm.