A beginners beginning

[davidpretorius]

great post Hitchiker, that is new to me too. Thanks!!!

[ving (David)]

Originally Posted by jmb

HI
I am very much a beginner, actually i have decided to buy a pair of binoculars and not a telescope at this stage. My problem is, like many, which binoculars to buy...
i have seen a pair of SAXON ZOOM binoculars. 10~30 x magnification 50mm. lens
and a pair of AOE11x56 56mm broadband fully multicoated Binoculars

could anyone please give me some advise...firstly, am i on the right track...secondly, if so which of these would be the best....lastly, any other suggestions.

thanks very much
jmb

I have heard that zoom binos arent really any good for astro work... could be wrong tho

[Hitchhiker]

Originally Posted by Smokey

When everyone goes out observing, do they have a plan of what they intend on looking at or do you find yourself playing it by ear?

I usually have a plan before I set up for the night - but then I'm a planner by occupation!

I take a list of objects that I want to observe and try to work through the list. I also record my observations in a logbook even if it is something as lame as "I observed object xxx..". This may seem like a pain (and it can be) but it's very enlightening to read your log book 20 years later!

As for what objects to observe, I now have the Ice In Space monthly challenge to bag each month! I also use Starry Night Pro to have a look at what objects will be up during the night, plus there are always plenty of good suggestions in magazines (like Australian Sky & Telescope) and books.

Having said all that, there are objects that I will always observe if they are up - the Orion Nebula, eta Carina, omega Centauri, 47 Tuc, any of the larger planets etc, etc. Sometimes I'll even just sit in my chair and look up at the stars with a MkI eyeball!

I think everyone slips into a routine they are comforatble with - I'm sure it won't take you long to find yours.

Clear Skies!

[ving (David)]

if you are looking for something to observe tho there is the Monthly Observing Challenge on this site

[33South (Chris)]

Originally Posted by Hitchhiker

..... there are objects that I will always observe if they are up - the Orion Nebula, eta Carina, omega Centauri, 47 Tuc, any of the larger planets etc, etc.Clear Skies!

Me too, then being lazy b'stard I work through the Autostars Nights Best.
I also like to just randomly browse the milky way to see what crops up in the fov.

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Smokey, one of the beautiful things about this hobby/obsession is that it can be as layedback and unplanned as you wont it or planned down to the nth degree. Either way you 're sure to get a kick out of it.

[atalas]

to IIS

[jmb]

Adam

thanks for your advice, really appreciated it...
i didn't find it to lengthy, it was very helpful.
i have order the 11x55 from aoe, so am just waiting.
i was tempted with the 10x70 but thought they might be a bit heavy.
thanks David for your thoughts about the zoom, i had
heard that a few times as well.
again thank you
janine

[Hitchhiker]

Hi jmb

waiting is always the hardest part!

Those 11x55s will be great for daytime viewing and for astronomy.

If you're wondering what to look at with those binoculars there is quite a good website called Skymaps.com. Every month there is a free skymap that you can download and print. Besides the map there is a list of objects visible to the naked eye, in binoculars, and in telescopes.

Let us know how you get on with your new binocs! I hope you have clear skies when they arrive.



Adam.

[jmb]

thanks everyone
i will let you know when the 11x56s arrive...
until then i am trying to find out what books i should be looking for...
from all my searches i seem to be coming down to
Patrick Moore Exploring the Night Sky with Binoculars
Philip S. Harrington Touring the Universe though Binoculars
Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe (Spiral-bound)
by Terence Dic kinson
ANY THOUGHTS ON THESE, or other suggestions.

I have The Australian Guide to Stargazing....and....Observing the Moon (Collins)...and a couple of magazines...
i can't blow the budget any mo re, but with Christmas coming up, maybe it is a good opportunity....
keep in mind i am very much a beginner...i can't read or make any sense of maps...
and need to get a hold of the basics, without being scared off...i want to use the binoculars and have fun,,,
so what are must have 'tools' to get going.
look forward to any assistance...
Janine

[RAJAH235]

Hi Janine. Welcome.
Do you have a planisphere? If not, then may I suggest contacting Bintel & buying a 'Chandler' (large variety), planisphere. About $23.00.
http://www.bintel.com.au/
You will also need a red LED torch. These save your eyes dark adaption. (NO white lights please).
When buying books/magazines etc as guides, try to get ones pertaining to our Southern skies.
The selection you have should be adequate to start with.
HTH. L.

[davidpretorius]

Hey Janine,

with the red torch, my local coles had the ones that fit on your head so your hands are free, they have a red light switch and white light. $30 from memory. I use it all the time!!

[Hitchhiker]

Hi Janine,

For a beginner I would highly recommend a book called "A Walk Through the Southern Sky". It's not really a book for binocular viewing (though there are a couple of pages of objects suited to binoculars). The book is designed to teach the Southern constellations and stars in a step by step way. You start with the brighter stars and constellations and work your way to the dimmer ones.

By learning the constellations and stars you will be able to better navigate to the objects you want to see.

I bought a copy of this book myself because, even though I am pretty good with the brighter constellations and stars, there are lots of dimmer constellations I would like to get to know.

[jmb]

thank you

yes, i have a planisphere , but i won't pretend i know how to use it confidently....and a red light.... yes, i like the idea about prefering books with a focus of southern skies, that was partly why i was throwing the question about books about.
thanks also for the suggestion re exploring the southern skies, i will check it out at the bookstore.

thanks to you
Janine

[Hitchhiker]

Hi Janine,

It's pretty hard, when you start out, to get the hang of a planisphere or a star map because it's trying to represent the sky on a 2D surface. With only a little effort, though, it becomes second nature. You'll be finding all those binocular sights in no time!

[jmb]

any suggestions as to where i should look for binocular night sights so i can begin to identify what i am looking at...

thanks
Janine

[Starkler (Geoff)]

Janine, here is a good starting point. http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html
Download the southern hemisphere version.

Each month theres a new map showing the highlights of whats up and theres a suggested list of binocular and telescope objects.

[Hitchhiker]

Hi Janine,

I will asume you have downloaded the October skymap from Skymaps.com.

A good place to start is in the west after sunset when it is dark. About 7:30 pm should be about right. If you look to the west at this time you will see Venus shining very bright - this is impossible to miss - Venus is, by far, the brightest object in this part of the sky!

If you have a look on your sky map you will see Venus marked on it. Venus is in the constellation Scorpius - Scorpius is one of the few constellations that actually look a little like the object it is supposed to represent, a scorpion (well, it looks like a scorpion to me!). You've got three bright stars in a line that represent the "head" of the scorpion, the body of the scorpion with bright red Antares at the "heart" curving back to the "sting". The sting looks a bit like a fish hook or the hook on a coathanger.

Now have a look at the constellation in the sky - can you relate what you see on paper to what is in the sky?

Looking back at the sky map you will see there is a constellation above Scorpius called Sagittarius. The sky map people have labelled part of Sagittarius, "The Teapot". This is because it does look like a teapot! Again, see if you can relate what is on the 2D map to what you see in the sky.

On the sky map there are various objects labelled that are not stars - there are circles, circles with crosses inside them, squares. These all represent objects that will be really interesting to view in your binoculars, they are star clusters, globular clusters and nebulas - some of these might be just visible to the naked eye. Have a look at the legend in the bottom right corner for an explanation of each symbol.

The area of Scorpius and Sagittarius is one of the best areas of the sky for scanning with binoculars. While you are waiting for your binoculars it would be a good idea to become familiar with this area and when they arrive you will have plenty of objects to look at. Also, once you know these constellations you can use them as a "jumping off point" to learn other constellations.

Good luck!

[jmb]

Hi Adam

thank you very much, the info you gave was so clear even i could follow it, for the first time i feel i am starting to get a grasp of all of this.
thanks again for your help.
can't wait for the binoculars to arrive...i will be waiting at the letter box tomorrow...
regards
Janine

[jmb]

ps...

i forgot to mention that yes, i have downloaded the sky map for October...
thanks for the suggestion to do that
thanks everyone for your help, really have appreciated it.
Janine