Amateur astronomers out there?

Strong Bad

Any fellow Polkies into astronomy? I'm about to (finally) purchase my first telescope. I'm even shifting my college courses around to add an astronomy class into my science requirements.

By the way, the Meade DS-2114ATS is the one I'm going after. Anyone in the market can find great prices on Ebay. Meade has an outlet center on Ebay selling full factory refurbished telescopes at less than half the retail price found in stores. Thats where I'm getting mine.

http://www.meade.com/catalog/ds2000/ds_meade.html


Strong Bad

HBombToo

I took astro courses as a hobbie and was finally invited into a graduate level course in astrophysics while an undergrad in ee at penn state. the math was not the issue for me. the criteria of physics stumped me.

I have no idea what Steven Halking is talking about with all the string theory stuff. !!!way over my head!!!

The gravity probe is a way cool check on relativity. if it holds the hell with strings and I'll continue to buy polk history stuff.

i don't understand string theory anyway... an expanding universe is at my limit of imagination;)



1/4twin

Strong Bad

Alot of those guys take it way beyond any enjoyable limits. The only math I'm concerned with is basic and binary. Just get me through calculating out some subnets on a network and I'm good to go!

All I want to do is some simple near and deep space viewing. String Theory....BAHH HUMBUG! The universe is F-ing huge and thats all I need to know.


Strong Bad Sagan

HBombToo

I have contemplated my first tube(telescope that is). as long as its a reflector I'm satisfied.

if i save enough then my reflector will be controlled by a computer with gps positioning built in. I won't mind minor adjustments but I can't bear the thought of blowing an evening in search.

twin

Strong Bad

You really can't go wrong with the Meade outlet store on Ebay. Killer prices!!! The one I bought, the DS-2114ATS, is regular $350.00 new at most online stores. The Ebay "Buy it Now" price is $155.00 including shipping. Again, they're factory refurbs restored to factory "Like New" specs, except for a few possible cosmetic blemishes. They're direct from Meade with warranties.

Go here for the outlet store: http://stores.ebay.com/Meade-Factory-Outlet_W0QQsspagenameZL2QQtZkm

Go here for the one I purchased: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=28181&item=3826333719


John

HBombToo

so you have it at 155?

im definetly not there without a computer and gps... but the tube specs are outstanding and a good buy imo.

twin

Strong Bad

Yep, $155.00 total. A guy I work with has been an amateur astronomer for years. He couldn't believe the price on this (and the others).

I'll splurge on a much bigger telescope years down the road, but for now, this one will most likely do the job quite well.


John

Girl_Addicted

I'm supposed to be getting a telescope...but get this...it's free!...I've had one before but I couldn't figure it out, I was only like 10, lmao. But yeah, space rocks.
_Dezi_

HBombToo

Originally posted by Girl_Addicted
I've had one before but I couldn't figure it out, I was only like 10, lmao.

But yeah, space rocks.
_Dezi_

my daughter Talia already knows the names of the constellations that I know. When she is 10 I hope she is chasing quasars.

twin

pjdami

That is an amazing price for a reflecting telescope. Congrats John.

I enjoy the winter constellations the best. I wonder what the nebulae in Orion's belt will look like through that telescope?

Sirius, Capella, Rigel, Aldebaron, Procyon, these stars light up the night winter sky with brilliance. I can also see Canopus from where I live but it is pretty far south.

I highly recommend this 10 dollar book. the constellations are drawn with lines that actually look like the "bull" or "scorpion", etc. instead of a bunch of jibberish. Check out the constellation Gemini on the front cover. It is on a 8th grade school level, but I learned the constellations at a very early age with this book.

http://www.forthenightsky.com/thestars.html

pjdami

p.s. Orion is my favorite constellation and for many others for good reason.

I always giggle when people think the Pleiades are the little dipper too. I'm like nope wrong direction!

Paul

kberg

Hey John,

I'm a pretty avid amateur astronomer. In fact, I maintain the Oakland Astronomy Club website. Click here to check it out if you like.

I own the Meade ETX-90/EC and an Orion SkyQuest XT10 (10") Dobsonian. Been into the hobby for about 5 years now, although I'll confess I haven't had either scope out for over a year due to other things taking up my time. But I'll be getting back into it soon enough!

I'm no expert but perhaps I can help you with the purchase of your scope before you actually buy it, or answer any other questions you may have.

Strong Bad

Kberg, I already purchased it. See the links I posted above.

Can't wait for this thing to arrive! I'll email you with any questions I may though.


John

kberg

Whoops - I scanned this thread too fast regarding your scope purchase. Anywho, I'm into deep sky objects mostly, such as globular clusters and galaxies, but my favorite deep sky objects are open clusters.

Have fun with the scope!

pjdami

Kberg,

will a telescope like John bought be enough magnification to view clusters, nebula, and galaxies? Like the horsehead nebula in Orion for example? Or the Andromeda galaxy?

It is amazing to think that the light that we see from Andromeda (the most distant thing visible to the naked eye) is from over 2 million years ago. Well before humans as we know it even existed.

Its mind boggling. I am convinced that there just has to be intelligent life out there somewhere. there just has to be.

Paul

HBombToo

Originally posted by pjdami
p.s. Orion is my favorite constellation and for many others for good reason.

Paul

add that to the (in common) list Paul. For some strange reason I have always been intrigued by Orion. Vega is next.... big collision coming our way

HBomb

Strong Bad

According to Meade's website, "...with the ETX series or DS-2114ATS the galaxy's structure starts to become visible..."

Objects within the Milky Way should be fairly clear.

Gotta say, just from initial pics on the web, Andromeda is tops on my list right now. Wait till after I get this thing going though.

HBombToo

morphologies are easily identifiable in that pic alone.

twin

kberg

Originally posted by pjdami
Kberg,

will a telescope like John bought be enough magnification to view clusters, nebula, and galaxies? Like the horsehead nebula in Orion for example? Or the Andromeda galaxy?

Well, first off, it's not really magnification that enables one to see more objects - it's light gathering ability of the scope in question, which translates to...the bigger the scope (i.e., mirror) the more things you'll see at higher magnification, all things being equal. Also EXTREMELY important is how dark the sky is at your observing location. Ambient light from more developed areas can essentially ruin your ability to see anything remotely interesting, except for perhaps, the moon. There are various light blocking filters you can purchase to reduce this interference.

Regarding the horsehead nebula, you need EXTREMELY dark skies and a scope with a mirror size of at least 12-14" in diameter to see this one, preferably 16-18", or larger!

Andromeda is another story - you can get a decent glimpse of that object with just a pair of binoculars, but ideally, you want to be in the league of at least a 8-10" scope.

Keep in mind that deep sky objects are generally considered "faint fuzzies" for the most part, so don't get the idea that any photographs of objects you see on the scope box come anywhere close to what you see in the eyepiece. Color is nonexistent for deep sky objects - the color you see in photos are long exposure. However, some objects, like the Orion Nebula, are incredible to look at even with binoculars - but when you view that one through a decent 10" or larger scope with a quality eyepiece and a nebula filter, you will be floored!

It is amazing to think that the light that we see from Andromeda (the most distant thing visible to the naked eye) is from over 2 million years ago. Well before humans as we know it even existed.

Yep - pretty wild. Light from this galaxy began its journey to us while woolly mammoths were still roaming our planet.

Its mind boggling. I am convinced that there just has to be intelligent life out there somewhere. there just has to be.

Yeah, and sometimes I wonder where I can even find it locally.