Hello from Epping

[Mattg]

Hello, I've just bought my son an 8" dob for his birthday and have spent the last new moon in the backyard learning to read charts and both finding and missing lots!

He loves it but at 8 years old doesn't quite have the appreciation for the fuzzy stuff.

We'll be looking to join a club in the near future and also to make a few trips to a friend's property near Gloucester for some real observing.

Hope to meet some of you over the summer.

Matt.

[rustigsmed]

Hi Matt,

Welcome and nice work with the purchase. An 8" Dob will last quite some time and give some good views of DSO's and the planets. The fuzzy stuff should pop out more under dark skies down the track you may even try and take some photos of the planets through the dob http://www.iceinspace.com.au/63-201-0-0-1-0.html .



Cheers,

Rusty

[barx1963]

Hi Matt and son! Welcome to IIS.

Well done with the 8", a dob is nearly always my choice and recommendation for a first scope. I hope your son starts to appreciate the fuzzy stuff, at that age his eyes are probably as good as they will ever be.
Wait til you get to a good dark site and the ol' 8" will realty show its worth!

Malcolm

[bkm2304]

Hi Matt,
I was about the age of your young bloke when I got my first telescope- a Tasco 1" refractor. I spent many nights with my dad looking mostly at the moon. When i finally saw Saturn, the rings were obvious if very small!

Being outside at night is its own reward. Stars, satellites, meteors, owls, frogmouths, bats, possums etc etc.

So keep him out there and enjoy the night.

Richard

[Mattg]

Thanks for the welcome. Yes some dark skies and the excitement of staying up late should help Ben. I'm trying to sow some seeds so we have some common interests when he's a teenager.

The scope is great for beginners and we are seeing more than we're missing. Now I want a truss-tube 16" but we'll wait for a couple of years for that.

[glend]

You and your son might enjoy joining us for the next astro camp up at Bretti Reserve in the new year. He woud get a chance to check out the view through a variety of scopes in true dark sky territory. Just keep an eye on the Star Parties forum for info on the events.

There are also more regular events at Mangrove Mountain near Somersby, and the Katomba Airfield nights.

[Kunama]

Hi Matthew & Son, welcome to the mix.