Anyone into Astronomy?

Mercury · **Reply #30 on:** April 04, 2015, 09:46:46 PM

I already have a redlight, albeit a head-mounted one. I plan on buying a better one, and the telescope I bought comes with a kit that has a keychain redlight and a few other learning tools like a planisphere and moonmap, and I think there's a star atlas type reference book in it as well. I bought this package because it essentially gave me all that and a shorty barlow lense for an additional 20 bucks, hell the barlow alone is worth 50 bucks!

I bookmarked the sky atlas, I will pick it up after my account rebounds from all this stuff!

SAK Guy · **Reply #31 on:** April 04, 2015, 10:23:42 PM

Since I only have binos these days, I like these books pretty well.

Mercury · **Reply #32 on:** April 04, 2015, 10:48:14 PM

My list is getting bigger man!

kkokkolis · **Reply #33 on:** April 10, 2015, 08:26:59 PM

This moment Venus and Pleiades are within 4 degrees of FOV. Majestic view!

Mercury · **Reply #34 on:** April 11, 2015, 04:31:21 PM

I missed the Pleiades last night! I was just a hair late getting out there and a tree was in the way. BTW, my scope came and I got it all put together and the clouds parted! I was able to get an awesome view of jupiter and the orion nebula!

kkokkolis · **Reply #35 on:** April 12, 2015, 12:54:35 AM

You can see Venus 4 degrees at 8 o'clock of Pleiades. Try it again and use your binoculars to see them in the same field. I saw the great red spot tonight, it is a great night with clarity and excellent seeing. At last, we had months of clouds and rain, unusualy for my country.

Mercury · **Reply #36 on:** April 13, 2015, 02:39:48 AM

I'm sitting in the middle of a bunch of storms! Stupid clouds are everywhere!!

WhichDawg · **Reply #37 on:** April 13, 2015, 08:03:51 AM

and if you get into kite flying, the wind will just stop for weeks!

but back to this thread, congrats on your new scope (I'll be doing the same eventually) keep the observations coming, it's fascinating!

Mercury · **Reply #38 on:** April 13, 2015, 05:23:17 PM

I am seriously jonesing here. Now that it's daylight it's clear as a bell, but come nightfall the clouds are scheduled to be back!

Whichdawg, if you get a scope, listen to kkhokkolis and anyone who tells you, get at least a 6 inch newtonian reflector on a a dobsonian mount. Mine is an 8 inch, and it's stable as hell. Really easy to use.

My view of Jupiter was one of those lifetime moments. I'll never forget it. I was able to make out the two major equatorial bands and all four Galilean moons. I watched it for at least 20 minutes, bumping my scope along to follow it through the sky. With good seeing I should be able to max out my current magnification and probably see the GRS. Very glad I went with the largest option I could afford. I was also able to order a higher power Eyepiece and that was an excellent decision as well.

kkokkolis · **Reply #39 on:** April 13, 2015, 07:48:38 PM

Did you see Saturn yet? It is an unbelievable first for any amateur. I saw it yesterday (up left in Scorpion, the brightest "star" in the area) and it was majestic.

Mercury · **Reply #40 on:** April 13, 2015, 10:22:42 PM

Quote from: kkokkolis on April 13, 2015, 07:48:38 PM

Did you see Saturn yet? It is an unbelievable first for any amateur. I saw it yesterday (up left in Scorpion, the brightest "star" in the area) and it was majestic.

I haven't had the chance to see it yet, the sky was cloud covered in that area on the one night I've had my telescope out.

It's the first planned object for me for next session, along with a few other beauties!

SAK Guy · **Reply #41 on:** April 14, 2015, 04:30:56 PM

I remember seeing Saturn for the first time back in the 70's. It opened me up to a whole universe of possibilities...to see another planet so far out in the night sky (and with rings) was incredible. Jupiter was a marvel as well...but those rings!!!!!!!

I had a 6" Cave Newtonian back then. Very similar to this one...

kkokkolis · **Reply #42 on:** April 14, 2015, 04:42:58 PM

Classic!

microbe · **Reply #43 on:** April 14, 2015, 07:55:28 PM

Waiting for Saturn to show up over the horizon for months. I use google starmaps to tract it, I will check it tonight.

microbe · **Reply #44 on:** April 14, 2015, 07:58:40 PM

My scope is not the greatest one, but it works for terrestrial (boat spotting) to.

kkokkolis · **Reply #45 on:** April 14, 2015, 08:10:47 PM

Helios Fieldmaster. Not bad. And you have micrometric mount and an accessory for even sharper views on top.

As I said it is on the highest left of Scorpio, very easy to spot. Here it comes out over the building across my house around 1:30 am. Saturn has a nice inclination this year, the Cassini division is very easy to spot. And there's shadow from the rings on the planet. I've seen it 4 nights in a row with my Maksutov 150mm. Now it is time to start sleeping early again because first I have a congress in Rhodes and then back to all day work. But before work I expect to see nice flowers and butterflies in the beautiful island of Rhodes and I'll shoot the skies too with the Pentax Papilio for some open clusters.

SAK Guy · **Reply #46 on:** April 14, 2015, 11:27:08 PM

Here's a mini star party pic from 4-5 years ago.

kkokkolis · **Reply #47 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:43:24 AM

What's that 50mm? A modified finder?

kkokkolis · **Reply #48 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:47:30 AM

Here's one from a star party on lake Stympalia (where Hercules cleared the birds). I'm wearing my hooded vest with pockets for the biggest eyepieces and pretend to pray for good weather.

kkokkolis · **Reply #49 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:55:07 AM

And this is my favorite, from a star party at mount Chelmos, wearing my avatar T-shirt just minutes before I dressed for polar cold (it was August but 4:00 am at 2100 meters is harsh winter).
I always forget to take pictures because I have to setup and then it gets dark, so I only have a few.

SAK Guy · **Reply #50 on:** April 15, 2015, 02:06:27 PM

Quote from: kkokkolis on April 15, 2015, 09:43:24 AM

What's that 50mm? A modified finder?

A Unitron Satellite from the 60's. A $5.00, 70's garage sale find.

kkokkolis · **Reply #51 on:** April 15, 2015, 03:36:22 PM

I like it a lot. It is very similar to my Stellarvue F50W finder/ mini telescope for which I paid close to 150€ without a mount. Main difference is that it has a helical focuser instead of a rack and pinion. Here piggybacked on my Nexstar 6SE, I also use it with my 8" and 12" Dobsonians and used it also handheld in the past.

http://www.astrovox.gr/forum/album_pic.php?pic_id=12238

SAK Guy · **Reply #52 on:** April 15, 2015, 04:03:24 PM

Quote from: kkokkolis on April 15, 2015, 03:36:22 PM

I like it a lot. It is very similar to my Stellarvue F50W finder/ mini telescope for which I paid close to 150€ without a mount. Main difference is that it has a helical focuser instead of a rack and pinion. Here piggybacked on my Nexstar 6SE, I also use it with my 8" and 12" Dobsonians and used it also handheld in the past.

http://www.astrovox.gr/forum/album_pic.php?pic_id=12238

That's a really gorgeous set up bud! Wow. I need a good scope out here...we have nice dark skies. The bino views are super, esp in the summer. Used to look at the teapot in Sagittarius for hours.

kkokkolis · **Reply #53 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:28:05 PM

Then get one.
Do they give a merrit badge for telescopes here?

I like this thread a lot, I would like to keepit alive and if you get a telescope we'll do. SAK and MTwise I am a mediocre user with no more than two dozens of normal tools, no mods, no rares, no specials.
But now we talk telescopes. I am playing at home ground, you know what I mean? And I see you have the same exact hobbies, geology included. There's a lot to discuss and I am very interested. I do it in Cloudy Nights where I moderate some forums but the spirit of Multitool.org is so much more encouraging.
Up to now we have Mercury, Microbe, SAK Guy and kkokkolis. If we continue we will recruit more, unless they are afraid that they'll have less to spend for multitools if they start with telescopes, eyepieces, binoculars and such. But there's nothing to be afraid of, one can enjoy Nature and the Cosmos with his eyes and brain and spend nothing. But some nice optics elevate the experience, to be honest.

Here are two pictures from solar observing. My orange Celestron C4 during a Venus transit on our terrace and the black William Optics 66ED (used as a spotting scope too) during a partial solar eclipse on my balcony. I have a nice view of the South and most of the ecliptic from there, up to the Polar star.

SAK Guy · **Reply #54 on:** April 15, 2015, 09:59:48 PM

Wow, that is a great view!

I will try...funds are limited right now for big ticket items but my future son in law said he had one he would give me. Meanwhile, I'll try to get back into the swing of bino viewing...and shoot some pix of the set up.

I'll look for a future scope too. With my health, it needs to be quasi portable...my days of lugging that 6" reflector up the ladder onto the roof are over! Even in two pieces it was tough...nice views though.

kkokkolis · **Reply #55 on:** April 15, 2015, 11:01:49 PM

Then the Astronomers Without Borders OneSky would be a nice choice since it is very lightweight and capable. The 5" f/5 parabolic mirror is famous for its capabilities and with the modern coating might be equal to an older 6". With a barlow 2x you can go up to 260x which is the upper limit for most nights.

SAK Guy · **Reply #56 on:** April 15, 2015, 11:35:56 PM

Thank you!!! I will research them!!

Mercury · **Reply #57 on:** April 16, 2015, 03:23:55 AM

Last night was fantastic. I bagged another 8 Messier objects, including a couple galaxies and globular clusters.

SAK Guy · **Reply #58 on:** April 16, 2015, 03:48:15 AM

Great!!!!

Mercury · **Reply #59 on:** April 16, 2015, 04:33:12 AM

I'm really having fun with this, I've already got a laundry list of cool things I want to add to my scope and also future scope purchases.

Tonight I am going to pray it stays clear for a view of Saturn, that will be a first for me. After that I'm gonna try for some globular clusters and definitely a few galaxies on the Messier list.

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Anyone into Astronomy?

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