Telescopes?

**jim777** · #1 03-15-2010, 05:07 PM

I'm thinking of getting a telescope, does anyone have one they would recommend? I was looking at something alonbg the lines of a Celstron NexStar, but I'm open to suggestions.

Who's got one?

Vim Fuego · #2 03-15-2010, 06:43 PM

I have a Meade LX 90, great 'scope.
I think the Nextstar is similar so I'm sure it's pretty good.
What do you plan to use it for, planets, deep sky?
Do you live near a dark site? Have you tried binoculars?
Like guitars so much depends on you and what your expectations are...
Jim

**jemaholic** · #3 03-15-2010, 06:54 PM

I've been into stargazing for 20 years.
I prefer Celestron stuff.
The most important thing is the size of the objective lens-bigger is better. I started with a conventional 3 1/2" refractor scope and couldn't see much -then I went to a Newtonian 10" and my most recent was a 6' -16" monster light-bucket. I don't use computers, guess I'm old school. Then I sold that and got a pair of astronomical binoculars on a tripod with two 6" objective lenses- using both eyes is a very different deal.

**jim777** · #4 03-15-2010, 10:32 PM

I'm more interested in extra-solar stuff, not so much the planets. I'd like to get something that would allow me to see the arms in Andromeda, if that's even possible. Eta Carinae, Orion Nebula, that sort of thing. The galaxies in the local group, possibly some of the galaxies in the Virgo cluster. I'm not sure if any of this is actually possible

Binoculars don't work for me, so I haven't considered them.

**jemaholic** · #5 03-16-2010, 05:39 AM

A 3" objective lens will show you craters on the moon.

An 8" objective lens with a medium power eyepiece will get you right into Orion or the Pleades.

A 10" OL captures enough light to trigger color receptors in your eye so you can see the red/blue curtains in Orion.

A 16" will reveal dust storms on the surface of Mars, deep space clusters (in color) and just about anything else you want to see.

My personal suggestion - get the largest diameter OL scope even if that means sacrificing the computer- it's more fun anyway to discover things yourself than to program coordinates and press a button IMHO- for the additional cost of the computer you can get a scope big enough to see the stuff you really want to see.

Vim Fuego · #6 03-16-2010, 06:40 AM

I agree with jemaholic.
The only thing I'd add is check out:
http://www.elliejim.co.uk/astropix/astropix.htm These pics were taken with a Meade LX90 from a very light polluted site (my back garden (I live near a trading estate and football ground) and the quality of the seeing is never very good as there's plenty of heat from the surrounding houses)
In all honesty I wouldn't have been able to see half the things I photographed because of the light pollution. Having the computer goto allowed me to find things that would otherwise be too dim. And of course you'll need a drive of some sort if you want to take photos.
Otherwise he's right, part of the joy is in finding the faint objects from charts and "star hopping".
Jim

Bahamut · #7 03-16-2010, 08:16 AM

I have an Orion XT8, 8 inch dobsonian reflector. It's a simple scope, but it makes for some great views. Only real drawback to it is its really big, almost as tall as I am. So far I've had some great views of the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and the Orion nebula. Further celestial objects have proven difficult, as I'm a total cityboy and the sky here sorta sucks.

I would recommend Orion over any other brand hands down. Their customer service is exemplary, and the quality of their scopes is fantastic.

http://www.telescope.com/control/tel...nian-telescope

**jim777** · #8 03-16-2010, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vim Fuego

I agree with jemaholic.
The only thing I'd add is check out:
http://www.elliejim.co.uk/astropix/astropix.htm These pics were taken with a Meade LX90 from a very light polluted site (my back garden (I live near a trading estate and football ground) and the quality of the seeing is never very good as there's plenty of heat from the surrounding houses)
In all honesty I wouldn't have been able to see half the things I photographed because of the light pollution. Having the computer goto allowed me to find things that would otherwise be too dim. And of course you'll need a drive of some sort if you want to take photos.
Otherwise he's right, part of the joy is in finding the faint objects from charts and "star hopping".
Jim

Nice pics! I love the shot of the Sombrero, that will definitely be something I'm looking for. What's the story with the M31 pic, is Andomeda difficult to capture? The M101 pic is so much better, and M31 is so much closer and 5 times as big? Is M31 subject to a lot of interference from the Milky Way, or just too powerful to see detail in?
But awesome pics, have you found NGC 4038/4039?

**jim777** · #9 03-16-2010, 11:07 AM

Looking at what's available, and the prices involved, should I get a subscription to an Astronomy magazine for hobbyists for a year first, before dropping big bills on something? Seems like the worng choice could be eaily made, and expensive.

Vim Fuego · #10 03-16-2010, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim777

Nice pics! I love the shot of the Sombrero, that will definitely be something I'm looking for. What's the story with the M31 pic, is Andomeda difficult to capture? The M101 pic is so much better, and M31 is so much closer and 5 times as big? Is M31 subject to a lot of interference from the Milky Way, or just too powerful to see detail in?
But awesome pics, have you found NGC 4038/4039?

Yup, M31 is pretty big and would be best captured with a lower magnification scope or even camera lens, just haven't got round to it yet....
Good idea to checkout the astronomy mags, Sky and Telescope etc. They usually have pretty good unbiased reviews.
The reason for showing the pictures to you is to show what you can get with not too much bother from a poor location, the problems with the manufacturer's claims and sometimes magazine reviews is they often show the best of what you can achieve under ideal conditions with very expensive cameras and a great deal of experience. None of that is applicable in my pictures!
Oh, and don't forget second hand gear if you have a local club or shop.
Jim

Bahamut · #11 03-17-2010, 01:02 AM

Here are some pages I found helpful when I got my dob. Personally, I'd advise against a subscription to astronomy magazine. It's awful pricey, and I found that I preferred to jet up to B&N and buy an issue here and there for $6 when I had a chance to peruse it first. Sometimes, they're filled with pretty boring crap imo.

http://www.rocketroberts.com/astro/first.htm
http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html

This is where I bought my telescope. They were so nice to me (even though I had no idea what I was talking about) and when my first scope turned out defective they replaced it with no issues.

http://www.telescope.com/control/main

SonicProvocateur · #12 03-17-2010, 02:15 AM

Nothing smaller than a 10 or 12 inch reflector or go home!

Trust me, you wont be satisfied just gazing when you get bored looking at the Moon. It was great being a physicist at UAH because we had access to the two big telescopes on top of Monte Sano, but my old bass player had a 12" Meade that you could clearly see the storm on Jupiter...talk about a great way to kill some time!

FrostStorm · #13 03-17-2010, 12:37 PM

I'm sorry, but I have to do this.. Telescopes are ***: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvn0gqzh_-4 (Devin Townsend ftw.)

**jim777** · #14 03-17-2010, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SonicProvocateur

Nothing smaller than a 10 or 12 inch reflector or go home!

Trust me, you wont be satisfied just gazing when you get bored looking at the Moon. It was great being a physicist at UAH because we had access to the two big telescopes on top of Monte Sano, but my old bass player had a 12" Meade that you could clearly see the storm on Jupiter...talk about a great way to kill some time!

Cool

to be honest, I have little interest in what's in the solar system (at the moment, anyway), but other galaxies and galactic clusters, especially the other members of the Virgo supercluster are what I'm after. I'd like to see Eta Carinae if possible too

Any of the nebulas nearby would be cool as well. But I am going to go slow and do this right if possible.

I just found a picture of a 12" Dob, damn!

That is bigger than my barbecue grill!

SonicProvocateur · #15 03-18-2010, 03:40 PM

I've been waiting to watch Betelgeuse since the moment I knew it was going to go supernova. That's the only thing on my mind. Its gonna be so awesome...with or without a a telescope, and visible with the naked eye; but imagine checking it with one of the really nice ones out there!

Be sure to drop by hubblesite.org and oggle their beautiful images in full hubble resolution. I must have 2 dozen saved on my comp.