ASTRONOMY
A new passion, or an expensive waste of money ?
I recently decided to give Astronomy a go! Ive always had a keen interest in the stars, the universe and our place within it. Just recently I purchased a large Dobsonian telescope and built a purpose made housing for it ( a small shed that looks like and outside toilet, lol ) in the garden. I dont know how these pages will turn out, they will either fill up nicely with interesting info and images or remain stagnant if I get bored or frustrated at the lack of clear skies!
To get the ball rolling ( and because its easy to find ) I started with the moon. The two moon images here I took on the 23rd Dec 2023 using an S23 ultra on a phone mount. Basically point and shoot with a bit of editing to pull out some contrast.
These pages are no way a manual of how to, merely a short blog of my own journey into this hobby. Maybe they will pique your own interest while giving you some basic information and starter points.
What is there to look at ?
It is estimated that in the observable universe there are 100s of BILLIONS of galaxies and the number of stars ? 1 septillion !!! or
1000000000000000000000000
Its going to keep you busy for a while :-)
Dope with a scope
When it comes to deciding on a scope that is right for you there are many factors to consider. Things like weight, storage and of course cost are big factors in your decision. There are a bewildering amount different scopes to chose from. Do you want a Newtonian, refractor, Achromatic, Cassegrain, reflector & more!
The Dobsonian scopes offer a lot for the money and are generally considered the best ‘bang for buck’ as they’re not only simple to use but they are cheap with regards to their cost to light pulling power ratio.
Dobsonians are point and shoot scopes, mainly for observation rather that astrophotography. You can take images with a Dob but because they don’t auto track objects ( some do ) they’re not recommended for astro photog. Bright objects such as the moon are possible with fast shutter speeds though, and who doesn’t love looking at the moon! Its always fascinating, especially close up.
A link to the supplier of mine is below. They are one of the best in the business and their knowledge and customers service are second to none. Give them a call or email, you will get solid advice.
The 10” dob is a beast. You will need some storage and although the 10” is manageable, you will need some muscles! They do come in more manageable sizes so it may be worth looking at those too. Or, to hell with it and get a 16” !!
BEWARE - STAY AWAY FROM SCOPES WITH LUDICROUS CLAIMS OF MAGNIFICATION. THEYRE TALKING POOP AND YOURE JUST WASTING YOUR MONEY.
MOST CHEAP SCOPES WILL BE POORLY MADE WITH MOUNTS MADE OF JELLY. THIS WILL SOON PUT YOU OFF
Join a forum.
As usual, forums provide an invaluable source of info and advice. I have found the Stargazers lounge both friendly & very helpful. Click the logo to go to the SGL. They also have their own app.
DARK SITE AND BORTLE SCALE
ASTRONOMY PHONE APPS
COLLIMATION
MY STORAGE SOLUTION
DSLR MOUNTS - T ADAPTORS
