I'm New But Keen

kangabill (Bill) · #1 28-09-2008, 05:22 PM

I've finally got time to dust off a Meade 4500 reflector I bought 5 years ago for about $250. About 3 months after buying it the previous owner showed up with a neat little aluminum box with 5 Plossle lenses, 6.5, 12.5, 15, 20, 25 and 40mm and said, "I Forget these, they go with the 'scope"

The mounts had a lot of rattle, loose nuts all over and partially stripped worm gears which I fixed without any trouble. No wonder his kids couldn't see anything (the reason he sold it)

So here I sit, one Meade Telescope, country air, a maths Degree from a long while ago, and a new deck about 10 foot up in the air that I built for the wife's clothes line but is a great platform.

I did an on line Certificate and Diploma in Astronomy about 5 years ago when on night shift work through a great guy, whose name I forget but he sounded Indian or from the Indian area. It was hard work, interesting and great.

My computer is close to cutting edge and I've got quite a bit of software including the UK Skymap (very early but great version) and Distant Suns a recent version.

How am I steaming so far, how far will the Meade go before it runs out of steam and did I get a good deal????

Give it a couple of nights and I'm out for my first test ride, any hints.????

Craig.a.c (Craig) · #2 28-09-2008, 05:35 PM

Any telescope is good to get started. Whats the dimemsions of the telescope?

As for viewing, you can't got past globular star cluster 47tuc in the SMC, M42 nebula in Orion. Jupiter is hight in the sky and all ways good to check out.

kangabill (Bill) · #3 28-09-2008, 05:46 PM

Meade 4500, according to the book, 4.5" or new scale 113mm, 910mm focal length, equatorial reflector.

For the Moon as a starter which would be the best lense to use for an overview??

Craig.a.c (Craig) · #4 28-09-2008, 05:50 PM

To view the moon use either 25mm or 20mm to view the whole thing in the eyepiece. The 15mm and 12mm will still give great views but higher magnification.

meliux (Dan) · #5 29-09-2008, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kangabill

I did an on line Certificate and Diploma in Astronomy about 5 years ago

heya Bill.
If I may ask, what organisation did you do this course through? Have you since found any alternatives or did you do any research on any other official astronomy training? To be honest I'd never given any thought towards proper astronomy education, but all of a sudden the idea of this is quite appealing to me.

cheers,
Dan

Ric · #6 29-09-2008, 11:09 PM

Hi Bill and welcome to IIS. Don't forget to post an obseration report from your first night out with the scope.

Jen · #7 29-09-2008, 11:33 PM

Hi there Bill
to IIS

kangabill (Bill) · #8 30-09-2008, 07:34 AM

I'll go back to my course notes. Was done over Email by the Amateur Astronomy Foundation, a gentleman called Surjit Wadhwa. Person came, I think, from the Wollongong area. The course was really good probably equivalent to a first semester university "Intro to Astronomy" style course, or better.

Stared with the Earth and its complete history since the Big Bang, then into Astronomy history starting with the Babylonians to today, then the Planets and their attributes winding up with stars, their structures and types and an intro to Black Holes and beyond.

Have tried unsuccessfully Googling person and Foundation but it is 4 years since I did the course and things obviously have changed.

If any other members know of person's current address I'd love to get it so I can complete the last assignment which was to write an original piece for the journal History of Astronomy by carrying out an Astronomical trial/experiment with some degree of difficulty for an amateur. I was planning on recreating one of Tycho Brahe larger instruments but simply didn't have the time to do so.

Now I do and would like this man's help.

fwhong (Wai Hong) · #9 03-10-2008, 07:35 PM

Heya Bill

Welcome to the forums.

Good luck with finding your guy. If google doesn't show, it's hard to think of what else.

kangabill (Bill) · #10 04-10-2008, 07:39 AM

I found my teacher, a Mr Surjit Wadhwa who is a member of the National Australian Convention of Astronomers and delivered a paper on "Light Curve Analysis of Contact Binary Stars"at their convention.

I sent an Email to the Convention's address but have not had an answer back yet.

When I finished the Diploma, I had, as the final assignment, to do something original. I was going to make a full size replica of one of Tycho Brahe astronomical instruments and then try it out against modern instruments. I did not then (5 years ago) have the time. Now I do and would like to finish of the Diploma. BUT I can't find Mr Wadhwa.

Maybe he's stopped doing the Course.

Does any one know of him???????