Getting back to astronomy after 20 years

[GeorgeB]

I've been lurking for the past few weeks and have found this forum to be a gem of helpful community spirit, so I thought I'd post with some of my recent experiences which may be of help to those of you just starting out and thinking of buying some kit.

I was a very keen astronomy buff in my youth: had a 6" Newtonian, 60mm refractor and was a member of my local astronomical society. After leaving home and losing access to a back garden, my obsession ended but I vowed to get back into it once I got access to a back garden and dark skies again. After 20 years of living in London with no back garden in sight I was resigned that it wouldn't happen until I sold up and retired to the country as an old man. Thankfully, after watching Stargazing Live on the BBC in early Jan, I had an epiphany: I could get run over by a bus tomorrow and never enjoy my retirement with a plinth mounted 300mm light bucket and a couple of attendant nurses; better seize the moment and at least do *some* astronomy! The obvious route was via a decent pair of binoculars to at least have the opportunity of nipping outside in the carpark of my flat and maybe a stroll to the nearby park. After some research I decided on a pair of Celestron 15x70's, shortly followed by a Giottos monopod and Manfrotto ball joint; the ideal "grab & go" setup for the budding urban guerilla astronomer. The new bins reignited my love affair immediately. Seeing the small disc of Jupiter with its moons and the majesty of M42 from the light polluted skies of the big smoke awakened the passion again. I wanted more. I realised that deep-sky observing was out, but the moon and planets were still do-able and that maybe a small telescope could complement the binoculars.

I spent a few weeks doing some research, which was made a bit easier from my previous experience, though I still felt somewhat of a newbie again due to the 20 year gap. As I live in a 1 bed flat with no garden, I needed something that was small, portable, easily maintained, a good all-rounder, and could maximise observing opportunities. I quickly zeroed in on either a 4" refractor or a 5" maksutov reflector. As I'd already cut my teeth starhopping my old Newtonian with the help of Nortons star atlas, I didn't feel guilty adding on GOTO capability to make the best of sparse observing opportunities. In the end I settled on a Celestron Nexstar 102 SLT refractor. A Mak would have been more suitable for planets with its longer focal length, but I a 102mm refractor would withstand a few more knocks, as well as being lighter. Also, though the Mak had a larger aperture, the refractor didn't have the obstruction of a secondary mirror. The 102 SLT was cheaper than the 127 SLT Mak, but had effectively the same useable aperture.

My final thoughts on what I've bought:

1. The 15x70 bins are superb. I use them more than the telescope and they are perfect for throwing in a rucksack for when I visit friends and family in the country.

2. The 102 SLT is a good scope and I can quickly nip out to the carpark with it and get going within a few mins. It's so quick to set up that I'm able to get out for an hour and get a decent amount of observing in.

3. The GOTO mount I'm a little unsure of. Even though I'm a seasoned IT engineer, it took me 3 sessions to work out how to use it. Alignment is much easier once you realise you have to reset the date and time each time you use it AND remember it works in US MMDDYY date format. Now I understand it, it's a great bit of kit, but I do wish I had manual alt-az mount for simplicity. However, the GOTO does help you see more stuff in a shorter period of time.

4. Short focal length Celestron Omni Plossls are rubbish (poor eye relief). Long focal length Omni Plossls are pretty good for the price. The 9mm and 25mm EP's you get with the SLT aren't too bad either. I'll probably invest in a quality 6mm orthoscopic for planetary use for my next purchase.

5. I bought a Baader fringe-killer filter when I bought the scope, as achromats suffer from blue fringing. I've not found this a problem on the 102 SLT with deep sky views or on my few views of Jupiter. The fringing that the Baader filter cures is only apparant when viewing the moon, where it does provide a slight improvement in image quality. The Baader fringe killer is a "nice to have" but not essential.

6. I can just about lug the scope, mount, and Maplin powertank, on foot, to Richmond Park!

[rowan46]

welcome to sgl george

[Ags]

Wellcome! I have the 102mm mak and find it very good on solar system objects. But your scope can show a field nearly 3 times wider than mine...

[andrew63]

Hi George

I have recently got observing again after a gap. I would agree about the alt mount - wonderful for grab and go, it's a pity more people just starting out don't invest in them and spend more time looking than getting trailing wires and EQ mount problems sorted!

andrew

[RogerTheDodger]

Hello and welcome to SGL

[Merlin66]

George,

Welcome on board!

Sounds like you've figured things out pretty well...

As you say, the best telescope to buy is the one which will be used!

It's OK to think and dream about large aperture scopes... but they are high maintenance and the conditions are not always ideal.

Then the " well it's clear, but..." syndrome kicks in - lugging all the gear setting it up, going back for the gizmo you forgot; then the neighbour switches on his/ her searchlights while the cat goes out...easier just to watch TV... maybe next time...

[lankywolf]

Hi George... Excellent and informative post.

I too am reigniting the hobby, although I was an early teenager when I was last into it and to be honest I never really new what I was doing properly. Still don't

I currently only have 15x75 bins on a tripod but am researching a scope which I'll hopefully be in a position to buy in about 12 months time.... So I've got plenty of time to decide on the right one, no excuses.

It's nice to read about people's experiences who are in a similar position to myself and your setup is somehting I'll now look into to see if it's something that might be suitable for me.

All the best

Tony.

[GeorgeB]

Thanks for the welcome all! The main problem I face now is to sit on my hands and not be tempted by buying more kit. The bins and the 102 SLT really are the best combo for my current circumstances. There is a realistic possibility of us buying a new property in the next couple of years, where a garden or decent balcony will be top of the list of requirements. In which case, I'll get an 8" or 10" dob and maybe have a dabble with imaging on the 102 SLT.

I've got a couple of friends who've recently moved to Suffolk and enjoy an amazingly dark sky. I've given them the astro bug after raving about my recent purchases, so they are now looking to buy a scope. I've recommended they buy a Skyliner 200P dob, rather than what I have as it's cheaper, more powerful, and easier to use. They've also got the space to store it and the dark sky to make the most of it. What they don't realise yet is that I'll be bothering them every weekend