Astronomy Anyone?

[Steve Machol]

After a lifelong interest in Astromony but never doing a thing about it I finally decided to go into it with the best equipment I could afford. Anyone else doing Astronomy?

Here's my new telescope:

http://meade.telescopes.com/products...ngs-43528.html

The scope itself is kind of a monster. It weights 65 lbs.

It's also American-made. :)

[hcjilson]

Congratulations! Arizona must be perfect for viewing. To much light here in the Northeast, to say nothing of the clouds.Have fun with it! hj

[Cindy Hamlin]

The only thing I know about telescopes was when we sold them at Christmas. Does it have a clock drive so that it follows with the earth's rotation? The astro people felt that was prized above all else!

[rbaker]

We visit a good friend in Tubac, AZ and the viewing there is awsome from his place. He is out near Patagonia and you can only see the lights of three houses many miles away. He ground a 12" mirror and built his own. If we had sky conditions in the Northeast and Northwest like you have in Arizona everyone would have a telescope.

Best thing in the world is to watch the face of a grandchild during their first view of the heavens.

[Jacqui]

Wisconsin has terrible conditions for watching, wish I were back in Nebraska or Wyoming where it's clear and dark.

[Snitgirl]

whoa... that is one machine. enjoy your new adventure!

[JRS]

I too have a Meade. But just a simple ETX 125, not the big boy like yours. Had not had a scope in many years, but after being transferred to TX, thought it might be fun. I'm usually outside several times per week. Since I live in Denton, not Dallas, I'm away from most of the urban lights.

[Steve Machol]

Does it have a clock drive so that it follows with the earth's rotation? The astro people felt that was prized above all else!

Yep, it has a built-in GPS, level and compass so it automatically aligns itself. After that all you need to do is choose one of the objects you want to see from a built-in database 145,000 objects. :)

[Framebender]

The only thing I remember about telescopes is that my Dad made one when we were stationed in Germany. My brother and I were just getting interested in girls and that's what we used it for. If we'd had a monster like this though we'd probably been arrested!

[Dave Nelson]

I've always had a bit of interest, but no time, money ect. There is a "blackout" park just outside my town just for amateur astronomers though, so I may just drop by sometime. Seen the "horsehead" yet?

[Steve Machol]

The Horsehead Nebula is not visible right now and won't be for several months. I've seen the Great Orion Nebula (also no longer visible) and the Ring Nebula.

Next step - astrophotography.

[Dave Nelson]

If you get some cool photos, maybe you can post on the board. One of astronomies greatest pioneers in deep space long- exposure photography started as a mule driver who kept bothering the astronomers at an observatory for a job. Eventually they gave him a job sweeping floors, then went on to take photos of the most distant objects in the universe. (so maybe you better try driving mules first?):cheers:

[Steve Machol]

Well I'm going to ry and photograph the Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 tonight which shhould be very close to the Ring Nebula. I'll have to be up way past midnight to have a chance to get any good shots though.

[optigrrl]

no telescope, but after visiting NY I look up and appreciate our skies here in AZ even more than I ever did before!

Congratulations on the new telescope.

[Steve Machol]

Okay, I guess I'm hooked. I've bought 4 telescopes in the last few weeks and now I'm saving up for this one:

http://televue.telescopes.com/produc...ope-43326.html

Anyone want to donate to the fund? ;)

[Jacqui]

[QUOTE=Steve Machol]Okay, I guess I'm hooked. I've bought 4 telescopes in the last few weeks and now I'm saving up for this one:QUOTE]

You're right, you're an ADDICT :) :) :) But there is a 12 step group for this :D :D :D

[Pete Hanlin]

First, its good to see your consulting is obviously going well (wow, expensive hobby)!!! :) Congrats!

Second, I have always wanted to dabble in astronomy as well- I requested a telescope for Christmas when I was 10, but Santa brought a microscope instead (which was fun as well, but...).

Finally, JR- would LOVE to come up and gaze through your scope some day if its convenient! We are a couple miles south of you, but- having recently built my deck out back- I've noticed we see a lot more stars here than in Tampa.

The only feature I'm able to instantly find on any given night is Orion's Belt- it's always been my favorite group of stars, and- I know it sounds odd- but those three aligned stars have provided many a comforting moment when the rest of the world seemed in disarray.

[Pete Hanlin]

Oh heck, I'm really proud of my deck (which I designed and built in a weekend)- so I figured I'd attach some pics. Just as an FYI, the "Trek-Dek" stuff (this is actually a similar product sold at Lowe's) is just an AWESOME decking material- no staining or painting, and its a breeze to cut and fasten).

...but who would have thought you could get a sunburn in March?!? Dallas is apparently in the Sun Belt!

So, I have a great mounting location for a scope now- guess that will have to be next year's bonus!

[Steve Machol]

First, its good to see your consulting is obviously going well (wow, expensive hobby)!!! :) Congrats!

Yeah. I'm afraid I've probably spent too much already.

The only feature I'm able to instantly find on any given night is Orion's Belt- it's always been my favorite group of stars, and- I know it sounds odd- but those three aligned stars have provided many a comforting moment when the rest of the world seemed in disarray.

You've just got to see the Great Orion Nebula through a decent scope and under dark skies with no light pollution. But don't let the colors in photos of this and Nebulas deceive you. The eye is not sensitive enough to the reds and oranges. These colors only come out in astrophotos.

Also Jupiter is the brightest object in the sky right now, ewxcept for the Moon and Sun of course. (Look to the Southwest in early evening.) You can even see the bands and it's four Galliean moons with a decent pair of binoculars.

Next month is the annual Grand Canyon Star Party. Marlena and I will be going to the North Rim which few people get to because it's about 200 miles farther away. We've lived in Arizona most our lives and neither of us have ever beeen to the North Rim. It's supposed to be one of the most scenis drives in the US. Looking forward to it. Also Mars and Saturn will be separated by only 0.5 degrees on June 17th which should be a great site in the telescope. :)

[Sean]

Yep, it has a built-in GPS, level and compass so it automatically aligns itself. After that all you need to do is choose one of the objects you want to see from a built-in database 145,000 objects. :)

Here's a good site for those who have a telescope without a GPS

HEAVENS ABOVE

[k12311997]

no opinion on astronomy, but the telescope cost as much as my last used car.

[Steve Machol]

Thanks Sean. I had actually already joined that site and was using it to track Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3. You can also use it to track the times when the International Space Station will be visible in your area.

[Bev Heishman]

Awesome, Steve!

Can you take pictures? I also wanted to build one but....can't get any better than this.

My goal after my daughter's wedding next June.

Bev

[Night Train]

http://www.jacknewton.com/image_gallery.htm

[Steve Machol]

Awesome, Steve!

Can you take pictures? I also wanted to build one but....can't get any better than this.

My goal after my daughter's wedding next June.

Bev

It runrs out that Artophotograshy, especially the kind taken through the telescope, is far more complicated and difficult to do and learn than I would have imagined. For instance it's not uncommon to spend all night taking hondreds of pictures just to get one good one. And this only after considerable processing.

The pictures you see published are almost certainly produced by stacking multiple images (sometimes in the hundreds and each requiring long exposure times) which have been calibrated by 'dark frames', 'flats' and 'lights'. (See: http://www.saratogaskies.com/article...ook/index.html)

After a few false starts I've pulled back until I have all the tools and knowledge necessary to do this correctly.

For now, here's a few shots taken from Lake Pleasant north of Phoenix. This was during a near full moon and the brightest 'star' in some of the pics is actually Jupiter.