Star Hopping - How to find anything from SGL6

[Hanuman]

On the same subject, from another thread I found this useful doc that explains how to work from map to telescope when star hopping.

Not tried it yet but combined with the article at the top of this thread I'm hoping my next clear night DSO searches might be more successful.

Sky Publishing - Using a Map at the Telescope

[mdstuart]

I am glad people are finding my notes of use. The key to this as with many things is practice. Once you are familiar with anything such as a map of the UK it becomes easy to point at say Norwich...

Its the same with the sky. With practice it becomes easier to pick out Albeiro etc..

Mark

[Woza]

Thanks, trying to find as much info as possible to help me on my way.

[Folkert]

Nice structured explanation. Clearly having maps with different levels of detail helps a lot (and is a great investment!). I go from Wil Tirion's maps at the back of his "Binocular Astronomy", good old Norton's Star Atlas, through Stellarium to the one and only "The Great Atlas of the Sky" by Piotr Brych. Different atlasses for different tasks. And then you study the map, select a hopping path, check it out through the scope, recheck.... And learn the patterns. Step by step you get to know your hops for more and more objects. And that is kind'a cool!

[sodejm]

Quickly read through the PDF and i plan to put these tips to use as soon as i can.

Thanks

[Tinker1947]

Nicely put together....Mark

[mdstuart]

Thanks for all the comments. Its good to know its helping people.

Mark

[attis25]

Just come across this post. It's really useful.

Thanks Mark

Derek

[Duke2k]

Thanks

[emadmoussa]

Thanks!

[m37]

Only just saw this. Downloaded and about to have a read and a cuppa. Thanks mate.

[Blind Pugh]

Thank you so much this is really good.  Downloaded and printed ready for use.

Richard

[Tot]

Seems this is exactly the sort of thing I'll need if and when I get a Dobsonian. Thank you.

[loakessg]

Good stuff, thanks for this, will hopefully save me some frustration.

Sean

[Prenf]

This is great, downloaded and ready to be put to use.

Thanks Mark.

[Golfey]

Wonderful little Sar Hopping guide.

Added to my growing collection of info.

As a novice what I really need is some clear skys.

[trebor]

As a new member on this site I need it all!

I have yet to get anything so will be on the lookout for hints and tips.

Thanks for the PDF guide, just up my street.

jim

[Keltoi]

thanks just what I needed

[JOC]

So it's still cloudy so I am doing some reading of all this useful free information on this great site.  I thought I'd start at the top so my apologies if these questions are ones I'll encounter the answers to as I work my way through the rest of the information.  I had two questions at I read the OP's PDF. 

1.  How do I determine what magnitude of star I am looking at?  I presume 'magnitude' means how bright the star is.  So how do you work this out - the guide refers to selecting stars at magnitude 4 or 3, but how do you measure/determine this - is there some way of 'metering' these?

2.  Several times in the guide it refers to knowing the distance in degrees across things such as viewfinders and lenses.  I can see how a lens could represent a distance in degrees, but how do I know what our lenses will show?   We have the ones in my signature and I think my son has just received a 32mm plossl as a present - is there a way of working this out?

[mdstuart]

JOC

Estimating magnitudes and degrees etc comes with experience. Have a look at this link.

http://www.stargazing.net/david/constel/magnitude.html

It is possible with suitable photography kit to get a magnitude reading.

https://www.aavso.org/ccd-photometry-guide

You can work out your field of view for your 32mm plossl here:

https://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view_calculations

Mark

[westmarch]

There is a nice little app. Called AstroAid that helps work out FOV, etc.  for different combinations. Handy if you are out of reach of a PC. 

[daz]

1 hour ago, westmarch said:

There is a nice little app. Called AstroAid that helps work out FOV, etc.  for different combinations. Handy if you are out of reach of a PC. 

This is IOS only by the look of it

[westmarch]

Sorry, I've gone over to the dark side!

[JOC]

Many thanks for the links I will go and do some learning :-)

[popeye85]

Have knocked up a couple of my own videos showing the basics if it helps.

 

 

Edited September 13, 2020 by popeye85