130p ready to go!

Monstar (Johnny) · #1 29-03-2014, 01:50 PM

I don't know if any of you guys remembered but a couple of weeks ago you helped me decide on the Skywatcher 130p collapsible scope. When I got it home earlier was like a kid at Christmas. I have aligned the RDF and was going to try my first collimation but from what my untrained eye could see it looks spot on out of the box.

It's been raining on and off all week in Brisbane but now looks like its fining up but still a bit cloudy. But as long as the rain keeps away Ill be out probably as soon as it gets dark til sunrise even if for only glimpses.

But I want a little challenge. Please remember I'm totally new at this game (have never even looked through a scope) and only have what came with the package and a couple of free smartphone apps. So could you give me some ideas of things to look for (about what time is best to see them and what they should look like through each EP) and I'll try to hunt them down, may even be able to get a shot through the eyepiece with my iPhone if any come out half decent. It would also help if you let me know which EP 25 or 10mm would be better suited to search each.

Thanks again for all the help, responses and encouragement.

julianh72 (Julian) · #2 29-03-2014, 02:10 PM

Three suggestions for early tonight (clouds permitting) - all easy finds for a newbie - would include:

1. Jupiter - in the north-west
2. Great Nebula in Orion - in the west
3. Jewel Box cluster - in the south, adjacent to the Southern Cross

That's a really good "starter set" - a spectacular planet (you'll see the 4 moons easily, and a couple of dark belts), a large, bright Nebula, and a beautiful cluster.

Once those three have whetted your star-gazing appetite, check out Mars (rises in the east about 6:30, gets reasonable altitude by about 9:00 or so) and then Saturn (rises about 8:00, starts to get reasonably high by about 10:00 or later.) You may not see much detail on Mars, but you should make out a bit of light / dark tonal changes, but Saturn should knock your socks off!

For a first-timer, start with the 25 mm eyepiece each time you are targeting a new object, and then try the 10 mm once you have the target centred.

Good luck, and I hope the clouds cooperate (I'm in Brisbane too, and I'm super - keen for a change in the weather!) - be sure to give us a “first light" report!

CJ (Chris) · #3 29-03-2014, 02:14 PM

Prepare for the deluge of targets! Can you see the whole sky or do you have a restricted view? Just for starters, Jupiter, the Orion Nebula, 47tuc & Omega centauri. Enjoy!

Edit: Beaten to it while writing!

barx1963 (Malcolm) · #4 29-03-2014, 02:22 PM

Johnny
Well done on the purchase! To answer the eyepiece query first, you will find the 25mm one much easier to use. It gives a widefield view and has reasonable eye relief (thats the distance that you place your eye above the eyepiece) so is more comfortable to use. From memory these scopes have a 650mm focal length so the 25 will give you 26x power. The 10mm one will have more power (65x) but a much narrower field and smaller exit pupil and eye relief. wil be useable but not very comfortable.
As for targets the 2 obvious ones are Jupiter early in the evening with Mars and Saturn later on. Just a warning, Jupiter is very low so is badly affected by atmosphere and Mars will be VERY small in your scope. Saturn will also be small but the rings will be spectacular.
For Deep Sky stuff, picks at the moment are Eta Carina, NGC 4755 (the Jewell Box), NGC 3532 in Carina, the Leo Triplet ( you will most likely only be able to see the 2 brightest members Messiers 65 & 66), NGC 2070 (the Tarantula Nebula). Thats what I can think of off the top of my head!

Cheers

Malcolm

julianh72 (Julian) · #5 29-03-2014, 02:31 PM

Did you get a 2x or 3x Barlow with your package? Don't feel compelled to rush out and buy one before you have used your scope the first time, but if you have one, try it with the 10 mm eyepiece - but only after you are comfortable with using the 10 mm. It will double (or triple, if you have a 3x Barlow) the magnification, which will help with planetary observing, but it can also be "twice (three times) as tricky" to use comfortably.

Monstar (Johnny) · #6 29-03-2014, 02:39 PM

Yep focal length is 650, as for view my back yard faces North so I have 90 degrees each side of and if I use the balcony can basically see down to almost horizon level.

Thanks for your suggestions, hopefully I'll have a good report tomorrow, it may be a bit late as I may need a lay in!

Monstar (Johnny) · #7 29-03-2014, 02:44 PM

Julian I didn't get a Barlow with it but will be getting one soon and probably a moon filter then a decent EP. I don't know how the supplied ones go but to my untrained eye they at least look well made.

CJ (Chris) · #8 29-03-2014, 02:49 PM

North eh. Opposite of me. Loads of streetlights that way! Forget 47tuc and Omega Centauri then. They are in the southern sky. Avoid low level targets. The amount of atmosphere the light has to travel through messes up the seeing. If you've got a pc, Stellarium is a great piece of free software for familiarising yourself with the night sky.

julianh72 (Julian) · #9 29-03-2014, 02:50 PM

Johnny,

Which apps did you download? A lot of astronomy apps include a "Tonight's Best" feature, so once it knows your location, it can offer up a list of prime targets, and show you how to find them.

My personal pick of the apps is SkySafari 4 - it's not free, but it's cheap, and the new version 4 is half price for the next month or so.

Monstar (Johnny) · #10 29-03-2014, 03:33 PM

The apps I've downloaded are Starchart, SkyviewFree and POAAPad, I'll download Stellarium on my laptop later. The are 3 different Skysafari 4s, 99c, $8.49 and $20.99. Obviously the most expensive one is the best, which one can you getaway with.

CJ (Chris) · #11 29-03-2014, 03:52 PM

You can get away with the cheapest version. Right now it's darn nearly free and will give you a good idea of whether you like it in practice. It does have a reduced image and info database but it's still pretty good. It cant control a telescope but your scope cant make use of that capability anyway. It does have a "tonights best" list which is quite handy. And like I said earlier, it's as good as free!

mithrandir (Andrew) · #12 29-03-2014, 04:42 PM

The only fault with Sky Safari 4 Pro is it probably has too much information for beginners. However at half price until April 21 it is a bargain. For that matter it would still be a bargain at full price.

OzStarGazer · #13 29-03-2014, 05:03 PM

The 2x Barlow works well, but with the 3x I have to shorten the tube a bit in order for it to work and I hardly use it anyway, although if I buy a small refractor I might use it more...
Congratulations on your new scope. I have the same and love it!

julianh72 (Julian) · #14 29-03-2014, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mithrandir

The only fault with Sky Safari 4 Pro is it probably has too much information for beginners. However at half price until April 21 it is a bargain. For that matter it would still be a bargain at full price.

The way I see it, "Basic" is probably fine for most amateurs who don't own a computer-controllable telescope.

"Plus" adds telescope control ( if you have a compatible telescope and the controller hardware) , as well as a bigger database of objects (most of which you won't be able to see anyway!), and a few extra features, which are nice to have, but not essential. It's an absolute bargain right now at half price, and would suit most people well for years to come.

The extra features in "Pro" are probably really only relevant to professionals and very serious amateurs.

Quoll (Bill) · #15 29-03-2014, 06:56 PM

I’m a newbie too Johnny. I have a Skywatcher 8” Dobsonian which has the same 10mm & 25mm EPs that came with your scope.

You say about the EPS that came with your scope: “I don't know how the supplied ones go but to my untrained eye they at least look well made.” But it’s only after you’ve tried some other EPs that you will be able to truly judge them.

My advise is to hold back on buying any EPs until you get a bit more experience and are better able to judge what’s best for what you want to observe. What I’ve learned so far from my limited experience is that I prefer EPs with a wide field of view and good eye relief.

However getting a “good” Barlow at this stage could be worth while as the 25mm Barlows very well, giving a wider field of view and better resolution than the 10mm. It will give you a good way of judging the 10mm. I don’t like the 10mm at all and prefer using the 25mm Barlowed.

Others have been recommending software, but an excellent book to consider is "A walk through the southern Sky" (third edition). It is specifically for the southern hemisphere and helps you find your way around the sky using signpost stars and constellations using the naked eye. Your library probably has a copy you can check out. I found it so helpful I bought a copy.

As for what to look for, I’ll leave that to the more experienced. But the one thing I would say is seeing Saturn is a must!

OzStarGazer · #16 30-03-2014, 10:25 AM

Re eyepieces, this is what the guy who wrote the review below said (just copied and pasted):

The Sky Watcher basic eyepieces, the Super 10 and the
Super 25 are actually quite good starter eyepieces,
with good eye relief but lack contrast - based
on a modified acromat (similar to a Kellner)

http://www.swindonstargazers.com/beg.../eyepieces.htm

julianh72 (Julian) · #17 30-03-2014, 10:44 AM

The standard Skywatcher eyepieces will be fine to get you started for a few months - especially if you add a reasonable 2x Barlow to get a bit more magnification when viewing conditions permit.

The next thing I would outlay money on would be a basic set of eyepiece filters (to enhance planetary detail), including a neutral density lunar filter.

Once you have a few months of observing under your belt, you will be in a much better position to decide what other eyepieces and accessories you are interested in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OzStarGazer

Re eyepieces, this is what the guy who wrote the review below said (just copied and pasted):

The Sky Watcher basic eyepieces, the Super 10 and the
Super 25 are actually quite good starter eyepieces,
with good eye relief but lack contrast - based
on a modified acromat (similar to a Kellner)

http://www.swindonstargazers.com/beg.../eyepieces.htm

OzStarGazer · #18 30-03-2014, 10:54 AM

Yes, they are fine. The 10mm has a limited FOV, I found it more difficult to find objects with it if I don't first try to find them with the 25mm eyepiece. That's one of the reasons why I bought the other 8mm eyepiece. But the default ones are still fine to get started.

Monstar (Johnny) · #19 30-03-2014, 02:20 PM

We'll they worked well for my beginners eye last night, it was the weather that was a let down, frequent light showers and although not huge cloud cover they were moving quickly across my field of view. I didn't really do much specific hunting just pointing and finding stars that when I checked with software had never heard of (remember I'm a total noob and this was the first time I'd ever even looked through a telescope). But on the whole with a couple of beers as well a wholly enjoyable first evening.

There was however one problem that nobody had warned me of. That being my wife who has absolutely no interest in astronomy, but continually moaned "let me see" "give me a go" "don't hog the thing all night". Oh well I suppose when I finally upgrade this small but mightily impressive scope will never go un-used :0)

I'd also like to add how easy it was when the showers came it was just a matter of picking the whole thing up to bring inside and then take back out again due to its Dob mount and very lightweight which was one of the main reasons for choosing this scope.

julianh72 (Julian) · #20 30-03-2014, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monstar

There was however one problem that nobody had warned me of. That being my wife who has absolutely no interest in astronomy, but continually moaned "let me see" "give me a go" "don't hog the thing all night". Oh well I suppose when I finally upgrade this small but mightily impressive scope will never go un-used :0)

Ha! It's far more common to suffer the exact opposite from our "significant others"!
"Are you going outside to stand in the cold and dark again?"
"I honestly don't see why you bother - what's the attraction?"
"We never do anything together any more!"