A Confused Newbi

[UK1 (Rob)]

Hi
I’m a newbie at astronomy but been interested in the night sky and all sorts of things to do with space.
I’ came into a small amount of money, and was going to buy my first telescope a …..Skywatcher 200x1000
Newtonion Reflector …
Also a Camera a ..Canon 400d or 450d, to do some astrophotography this camera was recommended
Confused about the mounts EQ5.. HEQ5.. EQ6 need a good one for tracking.
The more I talk to people and read things on the net the more confused I get some say not to hard to do to get a reasonable image some say needs lot of other bits and things.
What would any one recommend and what else would I need .
Many thanks
Total confused person
Rob

[iceman (Mike)]

Hi Rob
to IceInSpace!

Astrophotography can be a slippery slope, quite expensive at times and a large learning curve.

What did you want to take photos of? Moon/planets? Deep space objects?

There isn't a single scope that's ideal for both, so your answers will help us with our recommendations

Cheers

[UK1 (Rob)]

Thanks for the reply iceman

was just hoping to get some images of Planets,nebulas galaxies
not have to be net geo quality
just want to do some thing different to keep my brain in gear as i had a stroke 3 years back need to keep it going with new prodjects
Rob

[h0ughy (David)]

well its one of those hobbies that will certainly do that

[UK1 (Rob)]

just want to get started
now skys are clear fires out and all smoke gone
got to very diff ansers on how to do it
the only way i think is to be
Rob

[Kevnool (Kev)]

Rob why dont you first find an astromical club or society in your area.
I,m sure they will let you go observing with them and see all the equipment used and then they should give you an estimated price range for your astrophotography needs.
Cheers Kev.

[UK1 (Rob)]

I've been looking for a club near as normal here in Melbourne
slack on most things people dont seem to have an interest in a lot things
so its very hard to get started
might just give it up for good
thanks
Rob

[iceman (Mike)]

Giving up isn't going to help

Once you get out there amongst it, your passion and interest will increase.

There's the ASV in melbourne and a lot of other societies nearby who are all very welcoming to newcomers.

Astrophotography is a large learning curve if you're new at both astronomy AND photography. Do you have a photography background?

[acropolite (Phil)]

Rob, the combination you have described of 200mm newt ,Eq6 and Canon DSLR would be a very good combination to start with.

For planetary it's usual to use video camera and stack the individual frames of the video; with Deep space stuff ususally a DSLR or CCD camera is the go. There will be additional equipment needed to get good results, namely a guidescope (need not be of high quality) and guide camera (which can double as a planetary video camera) and if you go with a newt then a coma corrector is advisable. Buying a DSLR would give the added bonus of being able to indulge in terrestrial photography.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

Originally Posted by iceman

Giving up isn't going to help

Once you get out there amongst it, your passion and interest will increase.

There's the ASV in melbourne and a lot of other societies nearby who are all very welcoming to newcomers.

Astrophotography is a large learning curve if you're new at both astronomy AND photography. Do you have a photography background?

Hi UK1,

I would strongly suggest making contact with one of the Astronomical clubs in Melbourne. I do not know where you are located but there is a list of them here.

As Mike has suggested, astrophotography (or imaging as it is commonly called these days), is a bit of a learning curve. I have dabbled in it but it does take a small amount of investment, both in time and money, but you can start out with a DSLR, a tripod and using a computer and some free software on the web, you can produce some wide-field sky images.

It is not uncommon to look at astronomy is two halves: the visual and photographic sides of the hobby. There is a big interest in the latter, but as I have said (and many will also advise you also) you will need time, money and patience. So the other side of the coin is the pure enjoyment of visual observing. Forget the imaging for a while and just enjoy the night sky in its glory with you and your telescope.

On the topic of a telescope, I understand the desire to buy a telescope, but there other options which are quite reasonable to look at. I wrote a post here some time ago and I still believe it is a worthwhile path to follow as a beginner. Let me post it here:

From my experience and the experience of others I have known I have put together a 3-stage 'plan' which I believe if almost fool-proof. By all means you do not have to follow the stages, but each stage builds on the experience and knowledge of the previous one.

Stage 1:

Equipment: A Planisphere, perhaps a basic book and your own eyes. That's all you need! This is the best way to learn about the night sky. A good planisphere will cost you about $20-30 - any planisphere will do but I like the plastic 'Phillips' brand such as this one here. A planisphere will serve two very important purposes

1. When you are starting out in amateur astronomy, the first hurdle to overcome is understanding what I call the 'mechanics' of the sky - how and why the stars rotate, where is up-down-left-right north-south-east-west etc., A planisphere is a little square, flat device which you rotate according to the day of the year. As you use the plansiphere, you will see how the stars move across the night sky, and why different stars and constellations are visible at different times of the year. You will also very quickly come to understand how to translate a star chart on paper into a view of the night sky.
2. A planisphere will help you learn the location of the constellations and other patterns in the sky. See if you can notice the movement of the stars over the course of a few hours of the evening. Notice how some stars set in the west while others peek above the horizon in the east. Believe me Eric, this is a crucial step for anyone starting out. It may sound boring now, but this is a fundamental step and you will learn . You can spent several weeks or several months doing this.

I mentioned at the start of this section a 'basic book'. I recommend a good Aussie book called 'Atlas of the Southern Night Sky' by Steve Massey and Steve Quirk. Although most of the book will be used later on in the following stages, there are some excellent chapters for beginners including the Moon and the planets, and some very-well explained sections on what I called the 'mechanics' of the night sky. I do not own this book personally, but as an intermediate-level amateur astronomer who uses far more detailed star atlases than this one, I intend to buy it still. And if you get a book such as this, it will be an investment.

Stage 2:

Equipment: Binoculars and a tripod.

Again, another investment which you will uses for many years. Please, please refrain from buying 'department store' binoculars. Go to a telescope shop - others here will recommend some for you. A good pair of binos on a sturdy tripod will enable you to see some great Moon images, Jupiter's 4 inner Moons, and many bright Deep Sky Objects (DSO's).

When you buy binoculars, they will further enhance your knowledge, you will learn what their 'actual field of view' - i.e. how much sky you are actually seeing in the view. Again, this you can translate into what you read on star charts, and this knowledge goes towards a fundamental skill which I think everyone should be able to grasp: "star hopping".

By now, you will be able to locate the constellation in the sky, and have a basic knowledge of when and where to find them, and even know where some of the brighter 'interesting' objects are - and find them in your binoculars. You can spend weeks, months or years doing this - the decision and the pace is purely up to you.


Stage 3:

The telescope. This is where you will get a dozen different opinions but I would lean towards a Dobsonian Telescope, as has been advised. Perhaps a 8, or 10-inch? You can jump into a all-singing, all-dancing telescope with GPS, tracking etc, but with a Dobsonian telescope you get more 'bang for your buck' and with the fundamental knowledge you have achieved in the previous stages, you will be able to move the telescope around without the aid of (expensive) electronics.

I personally believe that these steps will build a good foundation of knowledge for you and while many others will expand further and offer more advice, you will not find many amateur astronomers who will disagree with the fundamental process I have outlined.

Don't stop asking questions in forums such as this one. There are many members here who will be happy to elaborate on our advice.

[UK1 (Rob)]

Hi
Thanks for the replies…..What I have and what I can afford we go from there ….
HAVE…..
Planisphere
Astronomy year book 2009 ( Ken Wallace )
Laptop computer
Many years of SLR photography
Few years with Digital Photography not SLR ( landscapes, portraits, animals, print outs on computer for wall pics, normal stuff, quality good ( wife wont have rubbish up on wall, lol, so it must be ok ) )
Fair knowledge of night sky.
CAN AFFORD
Getting a price on a SkyWatcher 200 x1000 with a EQ6 mount with Sky scan, or the
HEQ5PRO Go-To mount
DSLR ..Canon 400d or 450d
Now the confused part…..
Guide scope ?
Web cam?
Video cam stacking frames ?
What are these used for as the first guy I spoke to said nothing of these said mount camera on eye piece and use telescope as camera lens, he was the camera /telescope man of the shop as he done astroimaging?

[wasyoungonce (Brendan)]

Originally Posted by UK1

I've been looking for a club near as normal here in Melbourne slack on most things people dont seem to have an interest in a lot things so its very hard to get started might just give it up for good
thanks Rob

Hi Rob...you are only 3klms from me...I'm around to talk to if you wish!

Brendan

[UK1 (Rob)]

Hi Brendan thanks for that hope we can meet will get a new slant on things
I' live in
mooroolbark where do you hid lol
all the best Rob

[wasyoungonce (Brendan)]

Just up the road, the gateway estate...between the cemetery and the lawn cemetery...

[Paddy (Patrick)]

Hi Rob,

Another thing to add to your mix is that if you join the Astronomical Society of Victoria, you can hire an 8" dob for 3 months at a very affordable price. Won't be much good for imaging, but not a bad way to get started especially if you have Brendan as a tutor.

The link for ASV is

http://www.asv.org.au/index.php

[dannat (Daniel)]

Rob, the ASV is holding a messier star party last saturday of march - there will be many scopes there for you to look at -it is at heathcote - which is a fair drive but will show yo a variety of stuff. Snake valley also has a party on that weekend, at snake valley SW of ballarat, similar thing - many scopes to look at, get some experience & talk to others
daniel

I can't see answers to your ? marks
1. guidescope is so with your laptop the mount will accurately track the object you are imaging. Without guiding most can only achieve 30sec or 60 sec shots with star's still staying round.(it sits atop your telescope - usually cheaper small scope)
2. web cam / video cam are for same job - planetary & lunar pics. You take video of these targets and then use software to stack(add) the best frames(pics) together to increase the signal to noise component & give a nice clear image

[UK1 (Rob)]

Thanks for all the advice people, was thinking of going to the ASV meet on the 28th then I notice I've got to be at Albert Park about 6-00am ready for the F1 grand prix, grrr, cant fit both in. Sure the ASV will have another meet later in the year, I think thats about 4 hours drive from me Snake Valley those other clubs a still a fair drive from here.
Thanks again
Rob

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Rob
I am currently using one of the ASV 8' dobs. Not the greatesat scope in the world but for just learning the night sky, navigating and finding stuf its brilliant!
Having just started to dabble in imaging I am getting a clear idea of the vey steep and long learning curve, so this was a great option (and cheap $10 for 3 months plus a $50 deposit!)to improve my knowledge and give me some ideas of things I would like to image once I can get the kit together.
The other advantage opf the club/ star party scenbe is that there are often imagers doing their thing and they are usually happy to show you their setup, which helps to make the whole imaging mechanics a bit clearer. Once you see an autoguider actually working with PHD software, suddenly you understand what people are talking about.
Overall take it slow, as there are many expensive potential traps for the beginner!