Hi all!

[tomabin (Tom)]

G'day everyone,

I'm from Latrobe Valley in VIC and just bought my first scope, a Bintel 8" Dob, after reading all the many helpful hints and tips in these forums. I went out last night and have to say I am here to stay. Although the weather has been cold, very windy and cloudy, I sat for hours gazing at the endless array of beauty we have above our heads. I watched Saturn and it's moons for as long as I could before frostbite settled and I've now fallen in love. Super excited to see Mars, Jupiter (hopefully tonight if the weather is OK) and beyond. Thanks in advance for all the help I'll undoubtedly need from you friendly lot,

Tom.

[Liz]

Tom. Good on you, an 8" Dob is the best start and you should be happy with it for quite a few years. I had mine for many years before upgrading and it was great.
Saturn is a bful target, and sounds like you were able to sort out a few of its moons. Do you have Stellarium to do do this?
www.stellarium.org - great free software.
Mercury is low in the west after sunset - not much to see through the scope, but good to say you have seen it.
Jupiter is rising about 2am in the east, an is a magnificent target!!
Mars rises about 4.30am - still a a small target at the moment as quite a distance from earth.
Venus is rising just before sunrise, and will be lost from our views for quite awhile.
Enjoy.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Hi Tom and welcome,

Yep, a world of info here on IIS.

Liz is right on the money, you can't go wrong with an 8" Dob for a starter telescope, and Stellarium is a ripper of a freebie to download. There are heaps of free online star charts to download and everyone has there own favorites. Mine are from Toshimi Taki here: http://www.geocities.jp/toshimi_taki/index.htm (goto the section called "1. Tools for Observation" and check out Taki's Star Atlas and Taki's 8.5 Magnitude Star Atlas)

Enjoy!
Stephen

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Hey Tom. Well done on the purchase. 8" Dob IMHO is just about the sweet spot for beginners for cost, ease of handling and serious aperture. You will get many years of viewing pleasure from it, unless you go along to vlub night or star party and get a look through a really big scope then the aperture fever will hit big time

Malcolm

[M54 (Molly)]

Tom.

Good choice of scope.
It's always question time here, so if you need to, ask away.

[Mliss (Mel)]

Hi Tom,

I've not been here for long myself, but can certainly say everyone here is super wonderful and more than happy to help.

There are some amazing sites online including Liz's suggestion Stellerium.

There are also star charts around the forum which are worth looking up and oodles of advice and pointers.

Hope you're loving your new 'toy'

[tomabin (Tom)]

I would be loving my new toy except still I've only had the one shot at it (damn clouds!).
I see myself getting "aperture fever" real soon. I've already bought myself a barlow lens just because.
Stelarium is the bomb! Since I haven't been able to use my scope I've been stargazing on that. That will be a big help when doing it for real.

[Mliss (Mel)]

Originally Posted by tomabin

I've already bought myself a barlow lens just because.

isn't that the best excuse for everything!

i tend to do the same thing, whether is clouds or too cold. i love checking out all the vids on youtube too. so many directions to go in. did you catch that Stephen Hawking's Into the Universe? it was on a coupe of weeks ago on SBS. OH and there was another doco on Gallelio too, can't rem what it was called but can find out if you like. it was amazing what he went thru just for suggesting the Earth (or was it the sun) wasn't the centre of the universe.

[tomabin (Tom)]

Yeah Into The Universe is awesome, Hawking has a truly wondrous mind. Haven't seen the Galileo one but I'll check it out. I've been watching Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe with Prof. Brian Cox and they are pretty mind blowing, I love the way he explains and demonstrates extremely complicated theories in very simplistic ways. Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman is also filled with exciting ideas.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Originally Posted by tomabin

Yeah Into The Universe is awesome, Hawking has a truly wondrous mind. Haven't seen the Galileo one but I'll check it out. I've been watching Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe with Prof. Brian Cox and they are pretty mind blowing, I love the way he explains and demonstrates extremely complicated theories in very simplistic ways. Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman is also filled with exciting ideas.

I put Wonders of the Solar System with Prof. Brian Cox up there with Carl Sagan's Cosmos. Nothing else comes remotely close to these two quality productions.

Regards,
Stephen

[Suzy]

I've already bought myself a barlow lens just because.

Bet you're single aren't you Tom
Sheez if I said that to hubby, I'd get booted up the backside and while outside observing, hear the dreaded sound of the key turning in the door lock, *click click*. Don't think that hasn't been done to me before either. Yep, yep, when I first started in this hobby I spent the first 6 months, (until hubby got used to the fact that I "observe"), locked outside in the cold and dark with scary possums who I might add that at two in the morning bare an uncanny resemblance to Tasmanian devils. And don't think that thoughts of me waking him up with a 1200mm 12kg tube hurled through the glass window in the bedroom to wake him up never crossed my mind either.

Originally Posted by tomabin

I would be loving my new toy except still I've only had the one shot at it (damn clouds!).

I bet all of a sudden you notice now how cloudy it is all the time. Aye, it's a frustrating hobby. Soon you won't be able to get in or out of your car without looking up.
And Your lucky to be able to have that first up one shot at it- many of us are affected by that proverbial scope curse where upon buying scope, we are almost guaranteed permanent cloud cover for weeks and have to resort to playing with said scope indoors.

I've been watching Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe with Prof. Brian Cox and they are pretty mind blowing, I love the way he explains and demonstrates extremely complicated theories in very simplistic ways.

Aaah ohhh... It's amazing how my senses can track down "Brian Cox" in a post isn't it. Almost worrying in a disturbing kind of way even. I will behave at the moment tho.
Tom, we have had a lot of threads running regarding "him" (see, I didn't even say his name ). If you want to see astro women go weak-kneed and men reduced to jealousy (I never mentioned your names Craig & Steven ) oops - read this thread some time. Good grief I've just noticed it's had 3,896 views .
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...s+solar+system

And most importantly...

Tom!
Glad to have you with us and share in our fun and adventures in astronomy.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Originally Posted by Suzy

Tom, we have had a lot of threads running regarding "him" (see, I didn't even say his name ). If you want to see astro women go weak-kneed and men reduced to jealousy (I never mentioned your names Craig & Steven ) oops - read this thread some time. Good grief I just noticed it's had 3,848 views .
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...s+solar+system
......

Ha ha, Suzy, I went back to relive this thread. What a crackup. I've even started grabbing salt and pepper shakers, and condiment bottles at the dinner table to explain a planetary orbits to friends.

[Suzy]

Blunders of the Universe
http://vimeo.com/21553082

Wonders of the Universe Spoof. Absolute classic!
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...=brian+cox+jjj


Ahemmm.. *cough* *cough*
Pay particular close attention to post no. 18.
http://http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=73424&highlight=br ian
Yep, very familiar with that Brian dude.
He looks like he's about to grope me in that pic doesn't he..


Stephen
I'd play with condiment bottles with cut outs of Brian on the bottles themselves.

[Liz]

Alas Tom, all the females (most anyway) are MADLY in love with Brian. I dont really care (kinda do) what he is talking about .... hmmm ... think I need a Brian fix.

re the clouds - part and parcel when a new scope/eqipment is bought. You will be OK next week, fingers crossed.

[Mliss (Mel)]

Originally Posted by Suzy

I'd play with condiment bottles with cut outs of Brian on the bottles themselves.

Liz resistance is futile.

[tomabin (Tom)]

Originally Posted by Suzy

Soon you won't be able to get in or out of your car without looking up.

I noticed that. Last night as I sat in the car on a 4 hour car drive home from the snow, I noticed myself staring up out the window the entire time, itching to get back on my scope. Turned out to be an awesome night.

Sounds like Brian has a legion of admirers. He certainly knows and loves his physics. Makes me regret not studying science more in school.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Originally Posted by tomabin

I noticed that. Last night as I sat in the car on a 4 hour car drive home from the snow, I noticed myself staring up out the window the entire time, itching to get back on my scope. Turned out to be an awesome night.

Sounds like Brian has a legion of admirers. He certainly knows and loves his physics. Makes me regret not studying science more in school.

Hi Tom &
We all drive around with one eye on the heavens and a 'Ban Clouds' thought in our minds. And it's never too late to learn some more science. That whole thing is what gets me going. I've only been back seriously into Astro for just over a year and I am already rebuilding my 10" Dob into a whole new configuration, bought a refractor and a pile of EPs and bits and am about to buy a shed to convert into an Observatory.

And I STILL haven't taken a decent picture !!

It's all good fun .....