Feel like I'm losing my astro knowledge!!!

[shelltree (Shelley)]

Am I the only one to experience this? I haven't had the chance to get out with the telescope so much this year (have had a lot going on) or last year for that matter.

And I feel like some times I get out the scope and I can find everything I use to be able to find with general ease. The usual suspects: Omega Cen, Jewel Box, Carina Neb, Sombrero Galaxy, Centaurus A, NGC3918 etc...

And then Friday night, for example, I stood out there looking up at the sky in a complete daze and felt like I had no idea what I was doing! The seeing seemed particularly rubbish too (or maybe my eyes were just really tired ) and I only ended up seeing Omega Cen, Saturn and M6 before I called it a night because I was just staring up at the sky like "What am I doing!?"

Maybe I was just particularly tired but I felt like I just couldn't get a grasp on anything... maybe I need to go back to basics, get out the binos and just do some star field cruising...

Anyway, I really want to get back into posting more on the forum again and get my astro on

[LewisM]

It's funny, but winter skies never feels like home - I seem to know the spring/summer sky SO much better, but most of my favourite DSO's are winter, so go figure.

Still, once of these days, I will set up again and actually image something. Orion tantalises me in the wee hours... M78 is just begging for me to continue my quest to image it for 20 hours... (got 2.5hrs so far LOL)

[Chris85 (Chris)]

I hear ya! Friday night was my first night imaging in about 6 months, and I swear it took me hours to figure out how to get it all up and running again. And then it came to processing last night, and it's like I'm having to start from scratch all over again!

[multiweb (Marc)]

I can relate to that. I lost my beanie and mits. Also found a spider and cobwebs in my C11. Spring clean-up needed before BSG.

[casstony]

Originally Posted by shelltree

And then Friday night, for example, I stood out there looking up at the sky in a complete daze and felt like I had no idea what I was doing!

You're just getting in practice for old age The positive side of this is that you get to discover those objects all over again.

[shelltree (Shelley)]

Winter skies have always been my favourite as the mozzies and hot weather drive me absolutely mental! I should know where everything is and sometimes I do. And then sometimes I stand outside looking up like...

I'd love to get back out to a dark sky (always makes observing easier) but find it hard being by myself (probably not the safest option to go out somewhere remote in the dark by myself )

Tony Yes, it seems I'm getting quite a lot of practice already!

I think my problem is that of late I haven't found anything new. And that makes me cranky! What I really need to do is choose one new object to find and keep working at it. Will see how I go!

[Octane (Humayun)]

Shelley,

You need to get into imaging.

H

[shelltree (Shelley)]

I've always said to myself I would never get into imaging until I knew the night sky really well. I feel like I would be cheating myself in why I do it (if that makes sense).

I will be upgrading my camera soon and getting a Polarie though

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by shelltree

A

And then Friday night, for example, I stood out there looking up at the sky in a complete daze and felt like I had no idea what I was doing! The seeing seemed particularly rubbish too (or maybe my eyes were just really tired ) and I only ended up seeing Omega Cen, Saturn and M6 before I called it a night because I was just staring up at the sky like "What am I doing!?"

Maybe I was just particularly tired but I felt like I just couldn't get a grasp on anything... maybe I need to go back to basics, get out the binos and just do some star field cruising...

Sounds like me on a GOOD night! Cant find my bino's to try your theory. Maybe its those damn 60 hour weeks I work? Got kids? There is the other prime candidate

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

I can't find anything by myself now that I have a goto mount.

[lazjen (Chris)]

I realised when I started on this path that I was never going to be able to "learn" the sky, so I remember a few bits and rely on technology for the rest. At least I can still get to enjoy what I see and image.

I like to mix it up a bit to keep things a bit fresh, and the occasional events like the Saturn occultation by the Moon last night was a great change up.

I'd like to do more dark site visits too, but the effort involved with all the gear means I can only do it rarely.

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

Originally Posted by shelltree

I've always said to myself I would never get into imaging until I knew the night sky really well. I feel like I would be cheating myself in why I do it (if that makes sense).

I will be upgrading my camera soon and getting a Polarie though

That's a bit like saying "I didn't want to drive a car until I could strip and rebuild the engine"

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by shelltree

I think my problem is that of late I haven't found anything new. And that makes me cranky! What I really need to do is choose one new object to find and keep working at it. Will see how I go!

Try atlas mopping. Find a well known object on one page of your atlas, then try find everything else plotted around that object, and then try find everything else plotted on the entire page.

I had photocopies of my atlases out under the sky (in those plastic display folders). After every session, I'd use a fluorescent green highlighter pen to mark the objects I'd seen. Then next time I went out, I'd ignore the ones I had marked as already seen.

I finally rang out of interesting new things to see after around 1500 objects with my C8 and 3300 objects with my 14.5" dob (things got monotonous after this, as all that was left were very faint tiny fuzzy patches), and had to await visits to the northern hemisphere for excitement with new stuff.
Regards,
Renato

[shelltree (Shelley)]

Seeing as my dream car would be a Dodge Charger, I'd probably have to know all of those things!

But yes, I have to be realistic and know that I'm never going to memorise each and every object in the sky, no matter how much I want to! Still, I think it all comes down to tiredness, time, being in the right mood and a heap of other great excuses No kids! No attachments! Just could not for the life of me find anything I need to keep my brain active before I forget everything!

[shelltree (Shelley)]

Originally Posted by Renato1

Try atlas mopping. Find a well known object on one page of your atlas, then try find everything else plotted around that object, and then try find everything else plotted on the entire page.

I had photocopies of my atlases out under the sky (in those plastic display folders). After every session, I'd use a fluorescent green highlighter pen to mark the objects I'd seen. Then next time I went out, I'd ignore the ones I had marked as already seen.

I finally rang out of interesting new things to see after around 1500 objects with my C8 and 3300 objects with my 14.5" dob (things got monotonous after this, as all that was left were very faint tiny fuzzy patches), and had to await visits to the northern hemisphere for excitement with new stuff.
Regards,
Renato

That's a great idea, Renato! I have a copy of mine in plastic sheets also with the brightest stars in each constellation highlighted in yellow to make it easier to navigate. I think I will give this a try next time

I also thought I'd just choose ONE object for each session and focus on only trying to find that one thing. That's what I did with Centaurus A and NGC3918. It took a couple of sessions but I got there!

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by shelltree

I also thought I'd just choose ONE object for each session and focus on only trying to find that one thing. That's what I did with Centaurus A and NGC3918. It took a couple of sessions but I got there!

I started out doing that - going for the more famous or more prominent ones. Then I'd read some article about some interesting object or other, and find it was only a couple of hops away from where I'd been (sometimes just two finder fields away). Turned out I was doing a lot more work finding the main ones, then it took to see heaps of more fairly interesting, but less well known ones.

If it took you several sessions to get to Centaurus A, it could be because you don't have an optimal finderscope arrangement. With straight through finders, well, you have to turn your atlas upside to match what you see, and learn to keep both eyes open when finding your first anchor star to start hopping from (much easier to find them than with one eye open). The real problem with straight through finders though, is when aiming near over head (difficult angle, sore neck).

I more often use a 90 degree correct image 8x50 finder coupled with a red dot finder or Telrad. The red finder takes you to your starting point straight away, then what you see in your finder matches your atlas - and it's pretty straight forward from there, except for fairly sparse areas.

Good luck with your hunting.
Cheers,
Renato

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

Originally Posted by shelltree

Just could not for the life of me find anything I need to keep my brain active before I forget everything!

The condition is called CRAFT.

Slap your forehead and say CRAFT.

Cant Remember An F'ingThing

[lazjen (Chris)]

Originally Posted by tlgerdes

The condition is called CRAFT.

Slap your forehead and say CRAFT.

Cant Remember An F'ingThing

If only I can remember that for the next time I need it.

[shelltree (Shelley)]

Originally Posted by Renato1

I started out doing that - going for the more famous or more prominent ones. Then I'd read some article about some interesting object or other, and find it was only a couple of hops away from where I'd been (sometimes just two finder fields away). Turned out I was doing a lot more work finding the main ones, then it took to see heaps of more fairly interesting, but less well known ones.

If it took you several sessions to get to Centaurus A, it could be because you don't have an optimal finderscope arrangement. With straight through finders, well, you have to turn your atlas upside to match what you see, and learn to keep both eyes open when finding your first anchor star to start hopping from (much easier to find them than with one eye open). The real problem with straight through finders though, is when aiming near over head (difficult angle, sore neck).

I more often use a 90 degree correct image 8x50 finder coupled with a red dot finder or Telrad. The red finder takes you to your starting point straight away, then what you see in your finder matches your atlas - and it's pretty straight forward from there, except for fairly sparse areas.

Good luck with your hunting.
Cheers,
Renato

Thank you so much Renato, that is a HUGE help! A new finder is on the seemingly ever growing list of "wants", or what is more accurately "needs" - I also found the Telrad very easy to use when I've tried them out previously. It's definitely the plan, when I have the money to spend! In the mean time, I'll just have to make do!

Originally Posted by tlgerdes

The condition is called CRAFT.

Slap your forehead and say CRAFT.

Cant Remember An F'ingThing

THAT explains everything! Less CRAFT, for FIGJAM perhaps?

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by shelltree

Thank you so much Renato, that is a HUGE help! A new finder is on the seemingly ever growing list of "wants", or what is more accurately "needs" - I also found the Telrad very easy to use when I've tried them out previously. It's definitely the plan, when I have the money to spend! In the mean time, I'll just have to make do!

You're welcome.

I've met one person who obviously had better eyesight than me, as all he ever used was a Telrad on his 10 or 12" dob - said he didn't need finderscopes.

I do like Telrads better than the little red dot finders. But when things get dewy, it is easier to make up a tube like cover to keep the red dot finders clear.
Regards,
Renato