[millerdog]

I got a 70mm refractor here, and freakin Omega Centauri is the best cluster! Although it's low on the horizon here, it still rocks.
I also like nebulas like the Orion, horseshoe(omega) and eagle nebulas. The milkyway here can be seen even with street lights.
Oh, I got a Televue Pronto.
clear skies!
md

 

[SigmaOrionis]

SpaceMan,

Hi I usually recommend a 6"/f8 dobsonian to people interested in a first scope. Its a newtonian reflector with a push pull type mount they are very easy to use and transportable. Also at 6" the optics are easy to manufacture and are usually very good. This will blow away any department store telescope by a huge margin. They usually run around 250-300 dollars. Some good brand names are Orion XT/6 telescope.com, and my favorite scopes are the Discovery brand the PDQ6 discovery-telescopes.com. Both of these are high quality scopes that come with decent eyepieces. If you dont mind just a wee bit more bulk than going up to a 8" gives quite a significant increase in light gathering. Something like 70% this makes a major difference on deep sky objects.

There are disadvantages to this type of scope.
One is they need to be collimated(aligning the mirrors so the optical axis is perfect)this alignment isnt as critical at F/8 though.
Another is that there isnt any tracking so you need to learn the night sky. I actually view this as a positive because learning the
night sky is very rewarding in itself. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask I love getting new people into astronomy.

A website that really helped me when I was just starting out is scopereviews.com. Its got some good articles about what to look for in a scope and Ed Ting gives very good advice.

 

[SigmaOrionis]

Millerdog,

I agree that Omega Centauri is a beautiful cluster but it never really gets high enough in the sky where I live I can see it but I'm looking directly over rooftops and the atmosphere here is very crappy that low in the sky. It definitely has the highest concentration of resolvable stars. You're so lucky to live in Hawaii. They got like Mag7+ skies there. I would love to see that. Its bringing a tear to my eye just thinking about it

. I live in Florida and I'm at sea level so the skies are about a mag5 from my backyard but the seeing is always pretty terrible. The Milky Way is still great from my driveway and I can easily make out texture running from Sagitarius through Cygnus. I can also easily see M20,m8,m6,m7 with the naked eye.

Televue Pronto is a great scope. Escpecially for Wide Field. Did you get the white or the green?. All my eyepieces are Televue. My main scope is a Discovery Premium DHQ 10", I love this scope but it is pretty bulky and no way can I transport it. For a richfield refractor I got a Orion Shortube 80. Its decent but has a ton of false color. The optics are also not the sharpest. I can split the double double but not completely clean at about 125X. It does work really good for wide field viewing in the Milky Way. I do wish I would have spent the extra and got something like the Pronto.

 

[spaceman]

Quote:

Originally posted by SigmaOrionis SpaceMan, Hi I usually recommend a 6"/f8 dobsonian to people interested in a first scope. Its a newtonian reflector with a push pull type mount they are very easy to use and transportable. Also at 6" the optics are easy to manufacture and are usually very good. This will blow away any department store telescope by a huge margin. They usually run around 250-300 dollars. Some good brand names are Orion XT/6 telescope.com, and my favorite scopes are the Discovery brand the PDQ6 discovery-telescopes.com. Both of these are high quality scopes that come with decent eyepieces. If you dont mind just a wee bit more bulk than going up to a 8" gives quite a significant increase in light gathering. Something like 70% this makes a major difference on deep sky objects. There are disadvantages to this type of scope. One is they need to be collimated(aligning the mirrors so the optical axis is perfect)this alignment isnt as critical at F/8 though. Another is that there isnt any tracking so you need to learn the night sky. I actually view this as a positive because learning the night sky is very rewarding in itself. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask I love getting new people into astronomy. A website that really helped me when I was just starting out is scopereviews.com. Its got some good articles about what to look for in a scope and Ed Ting gives very good advice.

Excellent...thanks for the info!

 

[peter braun]

I have been an astronomy nerd since I was about ten or so. I use an 8" dobs and a decent pair of binos. Perhaps we should arrange a Headfi Meet/Star Party.

 

[Audio Redneck]

I use a Meade 4.5" Newtonian Reflector. I enjoy star gazin' but its a pain in AR: its too humid in the summer (ie hazy, which makes the light polution that much worse) and too cold in the winter to use the electric controller that came with the telescope.

That and most of the mountains (public parks) nearby close at 10pm.

Favorite objects: the horsehead nebula in orion's dagger and saturn.

Reminder: Mars will be closer to earth this fall than in all of recorded history.

 

[SigmaOrionis]

I've been looking forward to this Mars Opposition for several years.

 

[spaceman]

Anyone here using high magnification binoculars? I am planning on getting into some sky watching, and some of you hav emade some great recommendations regarding telescopes. However, I would also like a pair of binoculars that could be used on a tri-pod for celestial as well as terrestrial observations. I do a lot of backpacking, and though this combo would come in handy for both types of observations. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[millerdog]

I kinda forgot about this thread

Sig, the Pronto is a nice scope. It does have some color problems especially when viewing bright objects like the moon. But that isn't what it was really designed for. I really lusted for an AstroPhysics 4". That and one of the Newt-Mak designs.
I had all Televue EPs, but the HIFI bug hit and I sold my Pan 27 and Nag 7 to supplement my listening pleasure

I currently only have a Nag 13 (the original Japan) and some cheap Orion Plossls.
I don't quite remember what it took to split the double double, but I think I used the Nag 7 and a two power Barlow. I know I got a log here somewhere

That would put me at about 134X.
Rich field is really nice on this scope. I really liked using it with the Pan 27 when searching for Messiers. Kinda sorry I sold that EP. If I ever get serious about it again, there are the next generation Naglers

Clear skies!
md

Oh by the way, you North American weenies: Canopus rocks!

 

[SigmaOrionis]

SpaceMan,

Binoculars work really well for Astronomy. If you plan on using a tripod I would recommend a 10X50 pair that will give you some decent magnification(most of the time I use under 80x magnification with my telescopes and many times around 50), and a large exit pupil so things will still be nice and bright. The Orion Ultraview are nice and affordable they're around 130USD. They have a 6.5 degree FOV. They can be found at telescope.com.

 

[spaceman]

Quote:

Originally posted by SigmaOrionis SpaceMan, Binoculars work really well for Astronomy. If you plan on using a tripod I would recommend a 10X50 pair that will give you some decent magnification(most of the time I use under 80x magnification with my telescopes and many times around 50), and a large exit pupil so things will still be nice and bright. The Orion Ultraview are nice and affordable they're around 130USD. They have a 6.5 degree FOV. They can be found at telescope.com.

Could they also be used without a tripod for short periods of time? I like to go backpacking, and where I go, the sky is extremely clear, so binoculars would be great. However, I'd rather not have to pack in a tripod, but I certainly will purchase one for home use. Thanks again.

 

[millerdog]

If you go above 10X without a tripod, plunge and get some image stablizing binocs.
Then again, even a really cheap light tripod will do. At 10x, your hands move more than you think they do

clear skies!

 

[Andrew Pielet]

Backpacking w/ a big (not compact ) camera is one thing, but bringing along Astronomy binocs would be over the edge for weight. That is unless you plan very short trips, or you don't carry a pack very far.

 

[spaceman]

Quote:

Originally posted by Andrew Pielet Backpacking w/ a big (not compact ) camera is one thing, but bringing along Astronomy binocs would be over the edge for weight. That is unless you plan very short trips, or you don't carry a pack very far.

I only go out for 2-3 days at a time; anywhere from 10-20 miles total, so I do not bring a lot of extra gear, and I figure the extra 2+ lbs for binocs wouldn't be that bad, especially if I'm going out for sky viewing. I'll give a shot, and see how it feels.

 

[Audio Redneck]

Quote:

Originally posted by spaceman I only go out for 2-3 days at a time; anywhere from 10-20 miles total, so I do not bring a lot of extra gear, and I figure the extra 2+ lbs for binocs wouldn't be that bad, especially if I'm going out for sky viewing. I'll give a shot, and see how it feels.

Thats the catch - those astronomical binocs are going to be a bit heavier than that (rugged build = more weight). A simple telescope, while bulkier, would be lighter.