newbe

[morgs72 (Justin)]

Hi all my name is Justin, im new to using a telescope, my partner bought me one for my birthday, its a sky-watcher D130XF1000 on a EQ2 motor drive. im hoping that this is a ok t/sc for a beginner. was just woundering if anyone can give me some ideas on the best way to use this and is there anything I can get to hook up a camera to this t/sc. thanks

[Somnium (Aidan)]

welcome to the hobby

i will have a go at getting you started although there are much more knowledgeable people on this forum. if you are wanting to hook up a camera to your scope there are a couple of things to consider.
Firstly, some Newtonian telescopes do not have the focus of the light far enough outside of the scope to reach focus on a DSLR camera. this is because some cameras have a significant gap between the lens and the sensor. if this is designed for astrophotography then you will need a T ring that is designed for your camera. this will enable you to hook up a nose piece to your camera and mount it directly to the scope. if your telescope does not have enough back focus to hook up a DSLR then there are 2 options, 1) modify your telescope to push the focus further up, i.e. move the primary mirror up in the tube or 2) photograph through the eyepiece, there are some adapters you can get for iphones that will enable you to shoot through an eyepiece which will get you great results of the planets and moon.
another thing to look into, you should get good at polar alignment, there are tutorials on youtube which are great, it is annoying the first few times you do it but once you know your system it will only take you 5 - 10 mins to roughly align your scope. because your mount doesn't have the ability to hook up a guide camera (i believe) then the better your polar alignment is, the longer exposures you can achieve without getting any star trails. try and get 30 seconds to 2 mins, that will be enough to image some really interesting objects (nebula, globular clusters and some galaxies)

astrophotography has a steep learning curve but the rewards are definitely there. enjoy your telescope, and i look forward to seeing your first images.

[Sylvain (Jon)]

Hi Justin,

Welcome!
You've got a decent telescope, great for beginners.
First of all, never look at the sun, never point your telescope towards the sun. You would be blinded in an instant if looking at the sun through your telescope.

To get started, you could start by grabbing yourself a map of the sky. There are platic adjustable ones you can buy online, or simply go get a copy of your local astronomy magasine at the news agent - each monthly issue has a map highlighting the best objects to look at this month: it's a great starting point.
You can then have a go a looking for the constellations and finding planets. The time you can observe them will vary according to the season. A red light torch (ebay) could be a useful accessory for reading your map in the dark without loosing night vision (this is when your eyes are used to the darkness).

The first objects you should be looking at are the moon and the planets. They will provide the more immediate wow factor.
Leave the photo for much later, unless you have a webcam in which case it is quite easy to hook up on your telescope for photos of the moon.

There are several settings than can be adjusted on your telescope, the main one being the alignment of the mirrors: this is called collimation. A good collimation is critical in getting the best images out of your telescope.
But for now, try and learn more about the night sky and get familiar with how to operate your mount (check the manual). Then look at the moon, and enjoy!

You can come back to us then and we can guide you further.
Clear skies!