A beginners beginning

[Smokey]

Hi all.
I thought I,d introduce myself and give a quick run-down of my start into the world of astronomy.
My official welcome into astronomy began just over a week ago, so I am a total Newbie.
I have always had a mild interest in astronomy, but never enough to go out and purchase a telescope. That was untill about 12months ago, when a friend got a telescope for his 40th birthday. He showed me a couple of stars, and I thought "yeah....pretty"...but that was about it. After about an hour or so, he found Saturn. One look and I was hooked. :eyepop:
After a bit of research and sweet-talking the other half, I was able to order a GSO 10" Dob from Andrews as a combined 40th birthday and Xmas present. For $900 I got the 10" Dob, 4 EPs (6.5, 9, 15, 25mm), 4 filters(moon, 2 blue, violet), a small planisphere, and a set of 10x25 compact Binos.
Am I happy?:2thumbs: You Bet.
I,ll give you a quick run-down of my first week with my scope.

Continued next message.

[Smokey]

I received my scope Mon 23rd after ordering it on the 18th. I was pleased with the service I received from Andrews, although they always seemed to be rushed when I spoke on the phone with them.
After spending the Mon afternoon putting the scope together, I sat and waited for the night to arrive. Night arrived and as per Murphys law of astronomy, so did the clouds. I gave up going out to check the sky about 1:00am.
Roll on Tuesday night. ......Tues night comes and I managed to get about 20 minutes before the clouds rolled in again. All I was able to do was align the finder, first on the moon, then Canopus.
Wed night....My first real chance to do any observing. One of the first things I found was The Orion Nebula. I was awe struck. I have since gone back to it every night I have managed to get out. Other things I have seen so far are......
Eta Carina. (little disappointed. )
Tarantula Nebula (Impressive)
Saturn (disappointed. Not much difference to my mates much smaller scope)
And a few clusters, I,m still working out what they are. (impressive)

[seeker372011]

Welcome Smokey to the forum and congratulations on first light with your new scope.

Tuc 47 is nicely placed to have a look at just now and so are NGC 253 and the Helix nebula if you want a couple of suggestions for targets- a globular, a galaxy and a planetary- a nice mix for a warm summer night

[iceman]

Hey Smokey! Thanks for signing up and posting a g'day message! It's great to hear how people got started in this great hobby.

It's amazing how Saturn can have that effect on people.. I'll always remember my first view of Saturn through an eyepiece.. I don't think anyone would ever be able to forget it. I wonder how many astronomy careers were started by looking at saturn! :astron:

Sounds like you got a good setup from Andrews, your scope is exactly the same as mine! The compact binoculars aren't great, but they're better than nothing if you can't take the scope and you're going to a dark site. I've got some 11x70's and they're great for scanning the milky way.

You should give Eta Carinae another try, it's a fabulous nebula and rivals Orion and the Tarantula. When it's higher in the sky you might find it a better view.

Saturn won't be too much different in your 10", but a lot can depend on your eyepiece, the seeing, the focus, collimation and expectations. I've been disappointed by Saturn on occassion simply because the seeing has been terrible when it was low on the horizon and I could barely make out any details.

Congrats on your purchase and newfound obsession, hope to see you back here regularly!

[Smokey]

Thanks for the welcome.
I,ll definately take your suggestions seeker and look for those objects, as soon as the cloud dissappears.
I intend going back to both Eta Carinae and Saturn when the moon isnt so bright because I had heard some great reports, especially of Eta. I think thats why I was a little disappointed. Out of everything, I was looking forward to seeing Eta the most.

[rumples riot]

Welcome to the site, you could also try the sculptor galaxy in the constellation of the sculptor. Your 10" should have no trouble resolving it. Eta carina is best observed with a broad band filter. With the filter its size doubles and much more nebulosity is visible.

Best of luck with your new scope.

Paul

[ving]

hi smokey! welcome to.... here.

try for tuc47 above the tarantula neb in the SMC. very pretty...

[Starkler]

Eta Carinae looks best at the lowest possible magnification, which in turn requires dark skies to show it at its best.

Next time you look, have a bit of a search close by for a couple of quite sexy little star clusters :)

[Smokey]

Thanks for all the suggestions.
If the clouds ever decide to go on holidays and give me a chance to use the scope, I should have enough objects to keep me busy for a few nights, but please dont stop the suggestions. Its great to be able to go out of a night with a plan of attack so to speak. 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 manages to get an hour or so the other night and had a look at tuc47. Wow..... It was stunning. The next clear night I,ll definately be going back to it.
With the 10" dob, what is the "dimmest?", "highest magnitude?" I can expect to see, with say medium/good seeing, in resonable dark skies?
Anyone want to bet that Sat and Sun night are perfect seeing conditions? (I,m on night shift )
Congrats on the site Iceman. It's shaping up to be a great resource for the Aussie observers. Keep up the excellent work.

[iceman]

I often plan to have a plan, but rarely do I get the time to actually make up the plan and stick to it. So mostly I play it by ear.
I've started to get a bit more structured with my observing though, ensuring I have my observing chair, notebook and pen, etc and make sure I take notes of what I see so I can write up a proper log later.
Next small thing I want is a folding card table or similar so that I can keep things up off the ground etc.

Good work with 47Tuc, it really is spectacular.. although wait until Omega Centauri rises high again, that's a globular like no other.

Thanks for the feedback, it's nice to hear.

[seeker372011]

It's nice to have bit of a plan..what are the old favourites you are going to visit tonight and which are the new objects you are going to add tonight

that way when you get frustrated with not being able to find some object that should be perfectly easy to find , you can fall back on an old trusty friend. So for me a few old friends and a few new challenges is a nice mix

I know people who have planned the whole night out, have detailed notes. and star charts and log books and so on...and I wonder if they are getting so regimented whether they are actually having any fun!


Sometimes I just like a casual sweep through the sky just looking at interesting objects and not worrying whether Mr Messier or Mr (Caldwell) Moore or whoever thought to name or number any particular object

IMHO thats when a big dob-like yours- is best ..when you really don't have a destination but are just enjoying the journey.

[Saturn%5]

Hi Smokey,
Welcome to INS. I remember my first night looking through a telescope it was a 60mm x 900 refreactor scope i bought of a mate, I was all alone in the back yard waiting for saturn to rise when I started to notice all the stars that were out there and thought this is a good hobby, Well to cut a long story short i looked in finder for saturn and found it and when i looked in the scope :eyepop: I thought this is not a great hobby but a fantastic one.

Hence 2 scopes later im still having a ball with this stuff.

[ving]

i'D BE HAVING A BALL TOO... IF IT WERENT FOR THE DAMN CLOUDS!

oops sorry bout that outburst. My first view of saturn was at a low magnification in a 60mm telescope and i was impressed, untill i bumped up the magnification.... then i was hooked. I havent had a chance to look at saturn in my 200mm and i cant wait. I wanna take some pics too.
the problem with saturn is that its rather washed out colour wise. no dark bands like jupiter. but then getting detail from saturn then becomes a personal challenge.
I just about keeled over in shock when in my 60mm i spotted titan and the cassini division on a really good night...

[Striker]

Smokey.....what i want to know....how the hell by combining your 40th and Christmas presents you scored a $900 item...man your good.....nice work....enjoy.

[jackenau]

Welcome Smokey

Probably similar to yourself in that have only recently purchased a scope or two or three.

Years (and I mean years) ago I had been on a school camp with one of my children (she is now 30+) and one night they had these scopes set up to show them the night skies. I was really impressed and always put in the back of my mind, that wow, that was good and one day I must get myself a scope.

Earlier this year, I decided to do something about it and purchased a 4" reflector thinking this was about the same sort of scope I had looked through before and this would satisfy my whim.

It did for a short time, and with limited funds decided that 6" must be better than 4 and purchased a 6" GSO (paid under $300.00 for it) and found an increase in performance.

Well I sold off the 4" and went for a 12" dob, (portable, with ingenuity). Perhaps I should have done my homework a little more to start off with, but have found the experince well worth it and have been more than satisfied with the objects I have viewed so far.

I have also been disapointed with some objects when first viewed, however have now learnt that this can sometimes be attributed to either viewing conditions, or quality of equipment.

So above all experiment, it does get better.

Ken M

[iceman]

Hi Ken! :welcome: to the forums! :hi:

Where did you hear about us?

Another from Adelaide! RumplesRiot will be pleased! :)

[jackenau]

Thanks for the welcome.

I picked up on this site from the other forum and have regularly had a quick check here every night for the past month or so before joining up.

I must admit, I do read rumples riots posts with anticipation in what I might be able to see. I am only just a beginner in this fascinating interest.

I learn by reading each and every post, as I am sure so many others do. Even the most trivial post has its rewards.

A forum is as good as its members and their postings, and this appears to be a very healthy forum.

Once again thanks for the welcome and keep up the good work.

Ken M

[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...:confuse3:
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:prey2::help3:
jmb

[davidpretorius]

hi jmb from australia.

we're from australia too!

my only experience with binoculars is a set of 10x25's that came free with my 10" scope.

must say that even with the freebies, i love looking thru them. I have seen clusters and nebulas.

There are guys here with some great binoculars, so stay tuned!!!

[Hitchhiker]

Welcome guys - I've only been here a few days myself but it is definitely worth the price of admission! :lol:

jmb, accepted wisdom when buying binoculars for astronomical use is that they let as much light through to your eye as possible. As you and others find when they are new to astronomy those objects that appear so bright and colourful in Hubble Space Telescope and other big telescopes are really quite dim.

Binoculars are specified by there magnification and aperture. eg 10X50s magnify by 10 and have an aperture (diameter of the front lens) of 50mm. 11x70s magnify by 11 and have an aperture of 70mm. There is another parameter that is important for astronomy called exit pupil. This is usually not in the specs as it is so easy to calculate. Exit pupil is just the diameter of the 'pencil' of light that comes out of the back of the binoculars and goes into your eye. You want that exit pupil to be as large as possible so that all of the light collected by the binoculars goes into your eye. Exit pupil is calculated by divided the aperture by the magnification, for instance:

10X50s - Exit Pupil is 50mm/10 = 5mm
8X56s - Exit Pupil is 56mm/8 = 7mm
11x56s - Exit Pupil is 56mm/11 = 5mm
11X80s - Exit Pupil is 80mm/11 = close enough to 7mm!

The pupil in your eye is about 7mm in diameter when fully dark adapted(except if your an old bloke - it tends to shrink as you get older!) so ideally you want binoculars with an exit pupil of 7mm. For normal daytime viewing 5mm is probably about right. The following binoculars are good for astronomy:

7x49
8x56
9x63
10x70
11x80 etc

As usual for astronomy, size matters - the bigger the better! Obviously quality is important. Also, when buying binoculars comfort is important - if you've ever tried to hand hold a pair of 11x80 binoculars while trying to view a comet or cluster you know what I mean! You really need to mount big binoculars on a tripod.

Finally, you need to consider the other,non-astronomical, uses for your binoculars. If you are going to use your binoculars for other things, as most people do, you need to think about the requirements for that activity.

Sorry about the length of the post - what I thought was going to be a relatively short post turned into a longish one!:o

[davidpretorius]

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

[ving]

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

[Hitchhiker]

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! :lol:

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]

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

[33South]

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]]

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]

:welcome: to IIS

[jmb]

Adam

:thumbsup: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! :whistle:

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.

:stargaze:

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 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books&field-author-exact=Terence%20****inson&rank=-relevance%2C%2Bavailability%2C-daterank/103-0191050-0691839)
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,,,:drink:
so what are must have 'tools' to get going.
look forward to any assistance...
Janine:nerd:

[RAJAH235]

Hi Janine. Welcome. :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. :D 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:prey:....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 :nerd:
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!

:thumbsup:

[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]

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:lol:

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:nerd:

[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:nerd:

[ballaratdragons]

Welcome Janine! :P

[asimov]

Yup! welcome!!

[jmb]

Just thought someone else may find this site useful:)


The Constellations Web Page

http://www.dibonsmith.com/stars.htm (http://www.dibonsmith.com/stars.htm)<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

The Binocular (and Naked Eye) Tour of the Stars (http://www.dibonsmith.com/binoc_pg.htm). <o:p></o:p>

You'll find how to locate any of the current season's constellations, learning how to find the principal stars with the naked eye. <o:p></o:p>

Those with binoculars are taught how to find many interesting objects suitable for binocular study, such as star clusters or wide binaries. <o:p></o:p>

The tour features over 300 views as seen through binoculars, so you know you're looking at the right object. <o:p></o:p>

regards

Janine:nerd:

[jmb]

Hi All...Adam:lol:
I have been following your advice re locating Venus, Scorpius, etc...I am embarassed to admit that I have had serious problems...Firstly, it has been about midnight before the skies are clear...then I locate what I think is Venus only to not be able to locate Scorpius...I will try and describe the bright star I have thought was Venus, it appears about a fist length left of the saucepan...I have spent ages trying to make sense/familiarise myself with the skymap (downloaded as you suggested). About a fist from the saucepan is another very bright star (pretty sure it is blue....south of "Venus" is a dense cluster of stars (beautiful with the binoculars)
I now think that I have not actually been looking at Venus...any suggestions as to where I really am...:confuse2:
I have downloaded Nov skymap (and will do this each month) and plan to familiarise myself with the naked eye sightings... just feel I need an identifiable marker/s

I am also finding Thompson's Stargazing and The Southern Sky Guide very helpful...trying to obtain a copy of PC World April 2005 for the Starry Night software...but am having problems with the publisher being able to locate a copy.
anyway, that is where i am....
By the way, is it ok to be asking these type of basic questions here...

thanks
Janine:nerd:

[RAJAH235]

Hi Janine, sounds like you're looking at Orion in the east. (if Orion is up, Scorpio is down.((sets ~ 8.00pm in the west)). Your bright star, (venus), is actually Sirius. Venus is situated high in the west/sw, early in the evening & you won't mistake it for anything else. It's the brightest object up there atm. Sets ~ 11.20 pm.
From the Saucepan, the bright star sounds like Rigel.(Blue giant). Again part of Orion, actually represents his left knee/foot. Betelgeuse is more to the east & is red in colour.(~ + 800 solar masses). This one represents his right shoulder/arm.
The bright cluster is the Orion Nebula or M42. (3 stars in the handle are his sword). The base of the 'Saucepan' represent his belt.
And as for asking questions, go right ahead. We're here to help anyway we can. O.K. :thumbsup: Regards, L. :D
ps. Remember that all the constellations were discovered & named by people in the Northern Hemisphere. T'wernt nobody down here, way back then! So everything is 'upside-down' to us. :poke:
pps. Buy a Chandler 'Planisphere'. Better than a star chart.(~$22).

[asimov]

[QUOTE=RAJAH235]And as for asking questions, go right ahead. We're here to help anyway we can. O.K. :thumbsup:QUOTE]

Agreeing with Laurie. :)

[jmb]

:)Thanks very much...I'll take my map out and have another look ...when it clears a bit...

forgot to say I do have a planisphere....

I was actually thinking that my VENUS actually was SIRIUS, so thanks again for your help.

Janine :nerd:

[Hitchhiker]

Hi Janine,

Congratulations on a couple of fronts - first, you obviously have received your binoculars and you have started giving them a work out! Second, you have learned one of the most important attributes of an amateur astronomer - flexibility. If it's too cloudy to observe at 7:30, go out and try again at another time! Mother Nature often likes to throw a spanner in the works of our best laid plans!

:cloudy:

The instructions I gave you are still relevant for 7:30 pm looking to the West so, if the clouds clear, have a look a look at the area of Scorpius - there are some great objects for binoculars!

From your description, you are looking to the east at around midnight - the 'saucepan' is actually part of the constellation Orion. For a star map or planisphere to make sense you will need to know your compass directions - that is, where north, south, east and west are. A cheap magnetic compass can help here. Alternatively, you can use the stars to tell direction. If you look at the saucepan at around midnight the direction you are looking is roughly east. North, then, is to your left, south to your right, and west is behind you.

It's very hard to tell exactly what you are looking at from your description - this is because there are a lot of bright stars in this region at the moment, including Mars. For this area of the sky I will adopt the same strategy as I did last time - I will encourage you to download the latest sky map from skymaps.com - there is now a November map. A good reason for doing this is that I know we are looking at the same thing.

Looking at the November sky map you will see, around the outside of the map, the compass directions (north, south, east, and west). Look on the side of the map labelled East. This is roughly the view you are seeing at about midnight. Part way up from the horizon is the constellation Orion - notice that there are three bright stars in a row in the middle of the constellation of Orion - this is the bottom of the 'Saucepan'. If you look up from these three stars to the part of the 'saucepan' where the 'handle' starts you will see that the label on the star map says M42. This is the Orion Nebula - you will want to have a look at this in your binoculars - it is one of the best nebulas in the sky.

Looking to the left (North) of Orion you will see the constellation Taurus. The brightest star in this constellation is Aldebaran - a bright reddish star. Surrounding Aldebaran is a very large star cluster called the Hyades - it is one of the closest star clusters to us. Looking left (North) again is a beautiful star cluster for binoculars called the Pleiades - to the naked eye there are about 6 or 7 stars, in binoculars there are many more! (This may have been the beautiful cluster you saw) Looking above the Pleiades you will see a very bright orange 'star'. This is Mars, very close to Opposition now, when it appears at its brightest.

Again, once you can get your bearings by learning a few bright constellations the rest become easier.

Please feel free to ask any question in this forum - that's why it's here! There are plenty of people who can help. Let us know how you go and if you run into any problems be sure to post a question.

Adam :)

[jmb]

Thanks again for your assistance:lol:
I must mention that I don't have a very good sense of direction even in surrouneding neighbourhoods...so I am not surprised I am having difficulty with the enormous expanse of sky...:scared:
Oh yeah, it is raining now.....
I really do appreciate the advice that has been offered here, and am determined to get a sense of locating some of the brighter stars and consellations...

Janine:nerd:

[jmb]

thanks everyone for your help.:o
Adam, not long in from the first good night since i got the binoculars...
I had the planisphere, Evening Sky Map, and your notes to guide me....oh yeah i even picked up a cheap Atronomy 2005. So you wouldn't think a person could get lost.:P
if what i am looking at is Sirius...i think the bright cluster i saw maybe the False Cross (down from Sirius, presumably that is south?)
I think i found the Orion Nebula you mentioned...very beautiful!!

Couldn't find the Huades cluster...and the sky was very clear considering the rain looked like settling in this afternoon...

I did get a good view of the Moon earlier also with a bright star below to the right i think...:confuse2:

I am seeing the value of trying to illustrate main features in order to better locate/identify what i am seeing...

Anyway, thanks again
:nerd:

[jmb]

oh yeah, i forgot...also had the compass:P

[Hitchhiker]

Hi Janine, it's great that you had some clear skies - we've had wall to wall cloud all weekend and it's still cloudy! :mad2:

When you're just starting to find your way around the night sky it's good to have an initial reference point. In one of your posts you mentioned seeing the saucepan - this is part of the constellation Orion. Learn the main stars of Orion and you can use them as a jumping off point to other constellations.

If you can get along to a viewing night with other Ice in Spacers or astronomy clubbers you will find you will learn the basics a lot quicker. Things that are a bit complicated to write down in a post are much easier to explain when you've got the sky above you and you can just point stuff out!

:stargaze:

[RAJAH235]

I totally agree with Adam, re; writing directions. Better with 'hands on'. :D L.

[jmb]

Thanks Adam and Rajah;)

I agree, I need to get to one of those viewing nights...seems that there is something up at Mt Cootha on Sat pm which I hope to attend...
Do you know anything about it???
:nerd:

[RAJAH235]

np. That's what we're here for. :thumbsup: Sorry, don't know about the Brissy stuff. Too far south. :P Perhaps 1 of the locals. :D L.