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Main
Date: 21 Jul 2007 20:45:11
From: Eric
Subject: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
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Hi,
After years of wanting to get involved in astronomy as a hobby, I decided to
finally persue it.
Would these be wise investments to get started with?
1. One of those "Celestron Skyscout" GPS thingies that you just point at
something in the sky and it tells you what you are looking at:
(or punch in what you want to look at and it tells you how to get to it).
http://www.celestron.com/skyscout/index.php
2. One of the Starry Night programs.
I figure the program would tell me what is out there, while the Skyscout
will tell me where it is.
In the meantime, I plan on keeping reading, reading, and reading about
scopes and attend some gatherings to get advice. I'm not going to just buy
any scope from a mall or anything like that. When I get to the point of
purchasing a scope, I don't mind spending the extra bucks for quality as
long as I know I'm making a well reseached and informed purchase.
Thanks!
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Date: 23 Jul 2007 15:13:13
From: brucegooglegroups
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
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On Jul 23, 9:35 am, "Dennis Woos" <dpw...@gmavt.net > wrote:
> > In the meantime, I plan on getting a good pair of binos as was suggested.
>
> I highly recommend mounting the binos, as it is mot possible for most folks
> to hold them steady by hand. For an inexpensive and very functional mount
> for small (e.g. 10x50) binos, look at the TinyTitan atwww.burgessoptical.com. This mount can be used with even fairly
> light-weight/cheap tripods. Mounting the binos is a huge improvement over
> hand-holding.
>
> Dennis
Hi Eric,
I have been doing backyard astronomy for a year. After six months, I
bought a Skyscout, which is an excellent tool, and helped me greatly
with identifying constellations and other sky objects.
If you are going to pursue this hobby, get a good pair of binoculars.
I own Orion Vistas, which are recommended by Terence Dickinson in
Backyard Astronomy, a book you should read in the future. First read
Night Sky by the same author. My 10X50s Vistas are relatively light,
with an excellent clear view.
Terence Dickinson is also editor of Skynews, a Canadian based backyard
astronomy magazine, which is excellent for beginners, and less
complicated and detailed than Sky & Telescope. I subscribe to the
magazine.
Visit their site. There are many good articles on their site. Be sure
to visit http://skynewsmagazine.com/pages/observersguide.html, and
click on the Binocular, an essential tool for backyard Astronomers
http://www.skynewsmagazine.com/PDF/binoculars.pdf
You may also want to purchase the orion beginning stargazers kit
http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=64874&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=planisphere
a good deal. It will take a while to learn how to use the planisphere
and maps, but the kit is excellent for a beginner.
Caveat: do not buy a telescope at first. I did, and it was a mistake.
Get to know the night sky, and then buy a telescope.
Bruce
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Date: 23 Jul 2007 19:44:44
From: Eric
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
"brucegooglegroups" <brucegooglegroups@hotmail.com > wrote in message
news:1185203593.566324.229300@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com...
>
> Hi Eric,
> I have been doing backyard astronomy for a year. After six months, I
> bought a Skyscout, which is an excellent tool, and helped me greatly
> with identifying constellations and other sky objects.
> If you are going to pursue this hobby, get a good pair of binoculars.
> I own Orion Vistas, which are recommended by Terence Dickinson in
> Backyard Astronomy, a book you should read in the future. First read
> Night Sky by the same author. My 10X50s Vistas are relatively light,
> with an excellent clear view.
>
> Terence Dickinson is also editor of Skynews, a Canadian based backyard
> astronomy magazine, which is excellent for beginners, and less
> complicated and detailed than Sky & Telescope. I subscribe to the
> magazine.
>
> Visit their site. There are many good articles on their site. Be sure
> to visit http://skynewsmagazine.com/pages/observersguide.html, and
> click on the Binocular, an essential tool for backyard Astronomers
> http://www.skynewsmagazine.com/PDF/binoculars.pdf
>
> You may also want to purchase the orion beginning stargazers kit
> http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=64874&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=planisphere
> a good deal. It will take a while to learn how to use the planisphere
> and maps, but the kit is excellent for a beginner.
>
> Caveat: do not buy a telescope at first. I did, and it was a mistake.
> Get to know the night sky, and then buy a telescope.
>
> Bruce
Hi,
Thanks for the wealth of information. (This is also a reply to others as
well. I'm reading everything.)
Yeah, I'm going slowly and starting out by reading, reading, and reading.
As many have suggested, I want to reach a comfortable level before
purchasing a telescope. Definetly will invest in binoculars (along with a
mount) in the relative short term, along with reading material. I've
bookmarked your suggestions.
I'm humble enough to admit that I will probably also order "The Complete
Idiot's Guide to Astronomy" as well. While I have worked in satcom and am
comfortable with using an ephemeris (for communication satellites), have
read a number of books on astronomy (mainly Sagan), etc -- actually pointing
a telescope at something in the sky is much different than just looking at
glossy pictures from the Hubble in a book, I image. :-)
Celestron SkyScout vs Meade MySky. *sigh*. The SkyScout looks like such a
neat and fun toy. Figured it would be something that would always be
useful, so initially I thought I'd have one by now. But, the Meade MySky
tempting to wait a bit and see how the two finally compare out. I figure
there is no rush...
I'll continue reading, reading, and reading. Especially want to get
comfortable with charts...
When the time comes to get a telescope, I don't mind spending extra dollars
for quality. I plan on purchasing from either a reputable dealer online or
even from a local speciality shop. Either way, it will be from an intimate
source.
I'm pretty sure my niche will be planets and moons. Good optics and
quality hardware. I'm not really too interested in the computerized
"automatically take me to X" stuff. Isn't some of the fun finding things
on your own off a chart? I figure, if I get too "lost in space", I'd always
have the SkyScout/MySky to help out, anyway.
Thanks!
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Date: 23 Jul 2007 20:36:04
From: thad@thadlabs.com
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
On Jul 23, 7:01 pm, mov...@webtv.net (Marty) wrote:
> [...]
> As for myself though, knowing the sky and finding my way around the
> constellations is one of the best parts of the hobby. That's where the
> traditional advice of starting out with a planisphere, star charts, and
> binoculars comes from. Others will call me a dried up old fossil, or
> even worse. Sometimes, much worse.
I've been in this hobby for over 50 years, I know the sky very well,
and I appreciate GOTO scope technology for its time savings.
And my SkyScout really comes in handy under partly cloudy skies
when I cannot always be certain of an alignment star due to lack
of context (by clouds or fog) -- it makes setting-up under adverse
conditions possible whereas otherwise I wouldn't even bother.
I expect the mySKY to be capable of the same, and since I have
a bunch of Meade AutoStar scopes I'll be getting a mySKY, too,
since it'll be like a celestial mouse pointer for those scopes.
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Date: 24 Jul 2007 19:22:58
From: Marty
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
Thad was saying
>I've been in this hobby for over 50 years,
> I know the sky very well, and I
> appreciate GOTO scope technology for
> its time savings.
>And my SkyScout really comes in handy
> under partly cloudy skies when I cannot
> always be certain of an alignment star
> due to lack of context (by clouds or fog)
> -- it makes setting-up under adverse
> conditions possible whereas otherwise I
> wouldn't even bother.
I have no problem at all with this. For those who DON'T enjoy the
starhop or have other situations making it useful, GOTO is great, and
there's nothing wrong with that. It's not even immoral in any way.
Likewise, it would be silly for professional astronomers to spend even
five minutes starhopping to the object they want to study. There are
also those who have no interest in learning the sky, but want to go
straight to the DSO's. Again, many could criticise, but there's really
nothing wrong with that. In the May issue of Sky & Telescope Celestron
ran an ad for their SkyScout with a rather dry, studious, looking man
sitting behind two piles of books at a desk with the caption, "For those
unwilling to spend years learning astronomy, we present instant
gratification." And this isn't a new thing reflecting badly on today's
crop of amateurs... I have a 1910 planisphere entitled, "The Stars
Without Study." ( 25 cents :) )
I was only agreeing with Eric's statement that, at least for me,
personally, knowing the sky and finding my way to a dim fuzzy is a large
part of the fun of this hobby. In fact, when I originally went about
learning the constellations, I just wanted to know the sky like the
ancient navigators. And I had a BALL doing it! I can still remember
the thrill and exhilaration of finding a new constellation! I had no
desire to own a telescope. That came later... Even now, I'll read of
some asterism I haven't seen before, and it's as big a thrill for me as
ever to walk outside and pick it up with binoculars, or even naked eye.
Jeepers... where am I going with this... I'm getting as dull as the
guy in the Celestron ad... allow me to tell you the story of my life...
Marty
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Date: 23 Jul 2007 21:01:38
From: Marty
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
Eric was saying
>I'm not really too interested in the
> computerized "automatically take me to
> X" stuff. =A0 Isn't some of the fun finding
> things on your own off a chart?
This is a good point. We used to have rather spirited "GOTO vs.
Starhopping" threads in here, but they are pretty much a thing of the
past. As it is, GOTO technology is a tool that can be used by anyone
for various reasons, and this being a hobby, no one gets hurt either
way.
As for myself though, knowing the sky and finding my way around the
constellations is one of the best parts of the hobby. That's where the
traditional advice of starting out with a planisphere, star charts, and
binoculars comes from. Others will call me a dried up old fossil, or
even worse. Sometimes, much worse.
Marty
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Date: 24 Jul 2007 22:20:28
From: Eric
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
"Marty" <movac5@webtv.net > wrote in message
news:1065-46A55D82-206@storefull-3338.bay.webtv.net...
> This is a good point. We used to have rather spirited "GOTO vs.
> Starhopping" threads in here, but they are pretty much a thing of the
> past. As it is, GOTO technology is a tool that can be used by anyone
> for various reasons, and this being a hobby, no one gets hurt either
> way.
> As for myself though, knowing the sky and finding my way around the
> constellations is one of the best parts of the hobby. That's where the
> traditional advice of starting out with a planisphere, star charts, and
> binoculars comes from. Others will call me a dried up old fossil, or
> even worse. Sometimes, much worse.
> Marty
Hi,
Thanks for the reply. I think that I will, likewise, find much of the
enjoyment out of finding things by hand. I've been learning sky charts
(Cartes du Ciel) and tonight went out with a pair of binoculars (old pair,
I'm going to invest in a nice pair soon) and found planets (i.e., Jupiter
chasing the Moon right now) and stars in the sky off a chart. Unfortunetly,
it is partly-mostly cloudy here but was able to find things occassionally
through the holes. Very cool to look on a chart, then look up at the sky,
and see the two match up.
I'm addicted already.. :-)
Cheers,
Eric
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Date: 24 Jul 2007 21:59:42
From: Marty
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
Eric was saying
>Very cool to look on a chart, then look up
> at the sky, and see the two match up.
YES! YES! YES!!!
Marty
(but I'm not slamming goto...)
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Date: 26 Jul 2007 14:03:33
From: Eric
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
"Marty" <movac5@webtv.net > wrote in message
news:15163-46A6BC9E-1306@storefull-3335.bay.webtv.net...
> Eric was saying
>>Very cool to look on a chart, then look up
>> at the sky, and see the two match up.
>
> YES! YES! YES!!!
> Marty
> (but I'm not slamming goto...)
Hi,
I think my interests will be similiar to yours. I'm interested in it not
only for the beauty and science, but everything else that it has inspired
throughout history (mythology, art, cultures, etc). It seems to me that
astronomy is really the combination of everything.
I want to learn the sky even from just naked eye observation. I was
playing with the program "Stellarium" the other day and was able to use it
to get my girlfriend (somewhat) interested in astronomy. Unfortunetly, like
most people, she knows more about astrology than astronomy. However, the
program "Stellarium" helped bridge that gap. She was fascinated by how the
constellations moved across the sky like clockwork, while the planets
"wandered". So, at the very least, at least it got her thinking about the
structure and order of the cosmos. Thats a step in the right direction.
LOL, after about a minute of head scratching on why West was to the right on
my generated star maps before lifting it above my head to see that the
directions did match up, I was able to start finding things on my own. Very
cool. Did a little "starhopping" with binoculars too, which worked out.
Can't wait to get a telescope now!
I'm now leaning towards a 12" Dob as a "first scope"... Still plan on
researching, reading, and getting naked eye / binocular experience before
getting one though. I want to attent at least one gathering first as well.
Cheers,
Eric
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Date: 26 Jul 2007 19:20:49
From: Marty
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
Eric was saying
>I think my interests will be similar to
> yours.
I'm pretty general interest. I've never really specialized, or gotten
into an organized observing program, so I figure I've been stuck at the
"intermediate level" for 30 some years. I like it that way.
>I'm interested in it not only for the
> beauty and science, but everything else
> that it has inspired throughout history
> (mythology, art, cultures, etc). =A0 It
> seems to me that astronomy is really
> the combination of everything.
Astronomy has been called the science of everything. To me, it would
make sense to teach it as a science class at maybe the junior high
level... there's just a little of everything in there, and a pretty good
level of public curiosity. Kids could get a taste of many different
areas of science.
Astronomy also has an extremely fascinating history... lots of strong,
often excentric personalities, and thousands of quirky, interesting
stories. Joseph Ashbrook's "Astronomical Scrapbook" column in Sky &
Telescope had a lot of this stuff.
>I want to learn the sky even from just
> naked eye observation.
It will enhance your life. I started out just wanting to learn the
constellations... nothing more. I'd been taking late night walks for a
number of years, (I was a weird, boring, kid,) and began to recognize my
own constellations. I knew the Pleiades as "Nebraska." I pulled out my
planisphere I'd gotten in 1957, bought a copy of Menzel's old
"Peterson's Field Guide," and embarked on one of the most enjoyable
times of my life learning the constellations. Then, of course, I got
interested in seeing the DSO's I invariably read about, and eventually
got a telescope. Still, I like naked eye astronomy the best. I
couldn't live in a place where I couldn't have a good view of the sky
when I take out the garbage. Even now, there are always new asterisms,
and some of the old Arabic constellations and asterisms are a lot of fun
to know. I'm sure there are other cultures involved too.
>I'm now leaning towards a 12" Dob as a
> "first scope"... Still plan on researching,
> reading, and getting naked eye /
> binocular experience before getting one
> though. I want to attent at least one
> gathering first as well.
You'll never get tired of the binoculars. They're always there for a
quick run out when you don't want to bother with setting up a telescope.
Telescopes are wonderful, but occasionally, they can almost get in the
way. That's a good idea to go to a star party if there are any
around... that way you can really see what's available and what it can
do. A 12 inch scope is nice, but it's starting to get a bit BIG.
Hauling it out to use can become a factor. I've been using my Celestron
8 inch SCT for 30 years now with no regrets. Sometimes I might go for a
long time just naked eye and binocs. Other times I'll set up the scope
quite a bit for a streak. But it's always there if I'm in the mood and
the sky and life cooperate. :)
Marty
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Date: 24 Jul 2007 14:48:20
From: Esmail Bonakdarian
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
Marty wrote:
>
>
> This is a good point. We used to have rather spirited "GOTO vs.
> Starhopping" threads in here, but they are pretty much a thing of the
> past. As it is, GOTO technology is a tool that can be used by anyone
> for various reasons, and this being a hobby, no one gets hurt either
> way.
> As for myself though, knowing the sky and finding my way around the
> constellations is one of the best parts of the hobby. That's where the
> traditional advice of starting out with a planisphere, star charts, and
> binoculars comes from. Others will call me a dried up old fossil, or
> even worse. Sometimes, much worse.
> Marty
>
I once again find myself agreeing with the dried up old fossil .. uhm .. oops,
I meant Marty :-)
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Date: 24 Jul 2007 14:57:03
From: Sam Wormley
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
Esmail Bonakdarian wrote:
> Marty wrote:
>>
>>
>> This is a good point. We used to have rather spirited "GOTO vs.
>> Starhopping" threads in here, but they are pretty much a thing of the
>> past. As it is, GOTO technology is a tool that can be used by anyone
>> for various reasons, and this being a hobby, no one gets hurt either
>> way.
>> As for myself though, knowing the sky and finding my way around the
>> constellations is one of the best parts of the hobby. That's where the
>> traditional advice of starting out with a planisphere, star charts, and
>> binoculars comes from. Others will call me a dried up old fossil, or
>> even worse. Sometimes, much worse.
>> Marty
>>
>
> I once again find myself agreeing with the dried up old fossil .. uhm ..
> oops, I meant Marty :-)
>
I'd say that Marty is more like a "beacon" of practicality, appreciation
of the night sky and tying both to our humanity.
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Date: 24 Jul 2007 19:27:10
From: Marty
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
Sam was saying
>I'd say that Marty is more like a "beacon"
After my last post, maybe a "manure spreader" might be a better
analogy...
Marty :)
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Date: 24 Jul 2007 18:31:38
From: Howard Lester
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
"Marty" wrote
> Sam was saying
>>I'd say that Marty is more like a "beacon"
> After my last post, maybe a "manure spreader" might be a better
> analogy...
> Marty :)
Stop that. You're like a light of gold in this newsgroup.
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Date: 24 Jul 2007 16:45:02
From: Esmail Bonakdarian
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
Sam Wormley wrote:
>
> I'd say that Marty is more like a "beacon" of practicality, appreciation
> of the night sky and tying both to our humanity.
.. the Sun if I correctly remember from earlier times ...
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Date: 24 Jul 2007 00:19:08
From: Craig
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
I've seen the Meade MySky. One big difference is that the MySky has a
screen that you look at that shows a map of the sky rather than looking
through it and moving based on what you see.
Another plus for the MySky is that you can get a cable to go between
the MySky and a Meade autostar equipped scope and use that to select
and slew to objects. Kind of like the Vixen Skybook. But cooler.
--
Remove My_Skin to E-mail me.
Eric wrote:
>
> "brucegooglegroups" <brucegooglegroups@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1185203593.566324.229300@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com...
> >
> > Hi Eric,
> > I have been doing backyard astronomy for a year. After six months, I
> > bought a Skyscout, which is an excellent tool, and helped me greatly
> > with identifying constellations and other sky objects.
> > If you are going to pursue this hobby, get a good pair of
> > binoculars. I own Orion Vistas, which are recommended by Terence
> > Dickinson in Backyard Astronomy, a book you should read in the
> > future. First read Night Sky by the same author. My 10X50s Vistas
> > are relatively light, with an excellent clear view.
> >
> > Terence Dickinson is also editor of Skynews, a Canadian based
> > backyard astronomy magazine, which is excellent for beginners, and
> > less complicated and detailed than Sky & Telescope. I subscribe to
> > the magazine.
> >
> > Visit their site. There are many good articles on their site. Be
> > sure to visit http://skynewsmagazine.com/pages/observersguide.html,
> > and click on the Binocular, an essential tool for backyard
> > Astronomers http://www.skynewsmagazine.com/PDF/binoculars.pdf
> >
> > You may also want to purchase the orion beginning stargazers kit
> > http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=6487
> > 4&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=planisphere a good deal. It will
> > take a while to learn how to use the planisphere and maps, but the
> > kit is excellent for a beginner.
> >
> > Caveat: do not buy a telescope at first. I did, and it was a
> > mistake. Get to know the night sky, and then buy a telescope.
> >
> > Bruce
>
> Hi,
>
> Thanks for the wealth of information. (This is also a reply to
> others as well. I'm reading everything.)
>
> Yeah, I'm going slowly and starting out by reading, reading, and
> reading. As many have suggested, I want to reach a comfortable level
> before purchasing a telescope. Definetly will invest in binoculars
> (along with a mount) in the relative short term, along with reading
> material. I've bookmarked your suggestions.
>
> I'm humble enough to admit that I will probably also order "The
> Complete Idiot's Guide to Astronomy" as well. While I have worked
> in satcom and am comfortable with using an ephemeris (for
> communication satellites), have read a number of books on astronomy
> (mainly Sagan), etc -- actually pointing a telescope at something in
> the sky is much different than just looking at glossy pictures from
> the Hubble in a book, I image. :-)
>
> Celestron SkyScout vs Meade MySky. sigh. The SkyScout looks like
> such a neat and fun toy. Figured it would be something that would
> always be useful, so initially I thought I'd have one by now. But,
> the Meade MySky tempting to wait a bit and see how the two finally
> compare out. I figure there is no rush...
>
> I'll continue reading, reading, and reading. Especially want to get
> comfortable with charts...
>
> When the time comes to get a telescope, I don't mind spending extra
> dollars for quality. I plan on purchasing from either a reputable
> dealer online or even from a local speciality shop. Either way, it
> will be from an intimate source.
>
> I'm pretty sure my niche will be planets and moons. Good optics and
> quality hardware. I'm not really too interested in the computerized
> "automatically take me to X" stuff. Isn't some of the fun finding
> things on your own off a chart? I figure, if I get too "lost in
> space", I'd always have the SkyScout/MySky to help out, anyway.
>
> Thanks!
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Date: 23 Jul 2007 21:22:07
From: Eric
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
"Craig" <CBobchin@My_Skinsbcglobal.net > wrote in message
news:xn0f91s9lh4fkp000@news.la.sbcglobal.net...
> I've seen the Meade MySky. One big difference is that the MySky has a
> screen that you look at that shows a map of the sky rather than looking
> through it and moving based on what you see.
>
> Another plus for the MySky is that you can get a cable to go between
> the MySky and a Meade autostar equipped scope and use that to select
> and slew to objects. Kind of like the Vixen Skybook. But cooler.
Hi,
Thats cool. Did you get a chance to play with it any?
I've been trying to look at the pictures of both of them closely. That,
along with reading the reviews, it seems like:
Celestron SkyScout
Pros: Can't really tell without hands-on, but seems like it is built better.
It just looks more "solid" than the MySky. Also can't tell without hands
on, but seems like looking through a viewfinder would feel more intuitive.
Cons: The LCD readout is on the side. I can see hunching over to scroll
through menus, shooting, hunching over again, shooting, etc. Less objects
in the database. Battery time is reported to be less than the MySky, which
could be a major disadvantage.
Meade MyScout
Pros: LCD readout is on the front, which lets you do more than one thing at
once. The LCD is color and also does a bunch of gee-wiz PDA-like things.
Not sure if this is an absolute "pro" or not though, as it may be
distracting. Not too worried about color, anyway.
Cons: Can't really tell without hands-on, but it seems like it isn't built
as solid as the Celestron MyScout. In fact, it reminds me of one of those
cheap lightguns for the old Sega Dreamcast. LOL.
I think my deciding factor between the two will be accuracy, battery life,
and ease of use... They both look very cool.. Guess it would be best to
just wait.. Impulse temptation almost wants to get both, but that would
silly... Or, maybe not. :-)
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Date: 22 Jul 2007 14:43:26
From: Eric
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
|
Hi,
This is response to all the replies. Thanks. I just downloaded "Carte du
Ciel", along with addons, earlier and have started with it.
I'm going to hold off on the Celestron Skyscout for the time being as some
of the prelimary reviews on the Meade Mysky sound pretty good. It'll be
interesting to see how the two finally compare.
In the meantime, I plan on getting a good pair of binos as was suggested.
I've also been reading, as Joe S. suggested, that Dobs make good "first
scopes". The phrase that I've seen often is that a decent 8" Dob is usually
the "best bang for the buck" as far as "first scopes" go. I'm playing
around with the idea of even going up to a 10" Dob.
Thanks!
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Date: 23 Jul 2007 09:35:36
From: Dennis Woos
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
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> In the meantime, I plan on getting a good pair of binos as was suggested.
I highly recommend mounting the binos, as it is mot possible for most folks
to hold them steady by hand. For an inexpensive and very functional mount
for small (e.g. 10x50) binos, look at the TinyTitan at
www.burgessoptical.com. This mount can be used with even fairly
light-weight/cheap tripods. Mounting the binos is a huge improvement over
hand-holding.
Dennis
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Date: 23 Jul 2007 14:54:52
From: John Nichols
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
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"Dennis Woos" <dpwoos@gmavt.net > wrote in message
news:13a9bks8eu6r846@corp.supernews.com...
>> In the meantime, I plan on getting a good pair of binos as was suggested.
>
> I highly recommend mounting the binos, as it is mot possible for most
> folks to hold them steady by hand. For an inexpensive and very functional
> mount for small (e.g. 10x50) binos, look at the TinyTitan at
> www.burgessoptical.com. This mount can be used with even fairly
> light-weight/cheap tripods. Mounting the binos is a huge improvement over
> hand-holding.
>
> Dennis
>
Are you sure that URL is right? I get a server not found when clicking on
it. Googling and clicking got me there, however.
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Date: 23 Jul 2007 20:09:21
From: Sjouke Burry
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
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John Nichols wrote:
> "Dennis Woos" <dpwoos@gmavt.net> wrote in message
> news:13a9bks8eu6r846@corp.supernews.com...
>>> In the meantime, I plan on getting a good pair of binos as was suggested.
>> I highly recommend mounting the binos, as it is mot possible for most
>> folks to hold them steady by hand. For an inexpensive and very functional
>> mount for small (e.g. 10x50) binos, look at the TinyTitan at
>> www.burgessoptical.com. This mount can be used with even fairly
>> light-weight/cheap tripods. Mounting the binos is a huge improvement over
>> hand-holding.
>>
>> Dennis
>>
>
> Are you sure that URL is right? I get a server not found when clicking on
> it. Googling and clicking got me there, however.
>
>
URL works here (XP SP2 and Firefox).
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Date: 21 Jul 2007 19:52:49
From: thad@thadlabs.com
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
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On Jul 21, 5:45 pm, "Eric" <nob...@nowhere.none.nnn > wrote:
> Hi,
>
> After years of wanting to get involved in astronomy as a hobby, I decided to
> finally persue it.
>
> Would these be wise investments to get started with?
>
> 1. One of those "Celestron Skyscout" GPS thingies that you just point at
> something in the sky and it tells you what you are looking at:
> (or punch in what you want to look at and it tells you how to get to it).http://www.celestron.com/skyscout/index.php
Definitely.
There's also a SkyScout Yahoo group: SkyScout
Celestron has a new page for it: <http://myskyscout.com/ >
and I have some info here:
<http://thadlabs.com/ASTRO/SkyScout/ >
Meade is "soon" coming out with a similar device, mySKY, which
"should" be available sometime this Summer; its release date
has been pushed-back at least twice already, though.
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Date: 21 Jul 2007 20:58:44
From: Eric
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
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"Eric" <nobody@nowhere.none.nnn > wrote in message
news:46a2a897$0$29682$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Hi,
>
> After years of wanting to get involved in astronomy as a hobby, I decided
> to finally persue it.
>
> Would these be wise investments to get started with?
>
> 1. One of those "Celestron Skyscout" GPS thingies that you just point at
> something in the sky and it tells you what you are looking at:
> (or punch in what you want to look at and it tells you how to get to it).
> http://www.celestron.com/skyscout/index.php
>
> 2. One of the Starry Night programs.
>
> I figure the program would tell me what is out there, while the Skyscout
> will tell me where it is.
>
> In the meantime, I plan on keeping reading, reading, and reading about
> scopes and attend some gatherings to get advice. I'm not going to just
> buy any scope from a mall or anything like that. When I get to the point
> of purchasing a scope, I don't mind spending the extra bucks for quality
> as long as I know I'm making a well reseached and informed purchase.
>
> Thanks!
Oh, the niche that I'll probably be most interested in will be more of the
local neighborhood stuff: planets, moons, comets (whenever one gets close
by again), etc. Even with the highest-end amateur scopes, don't the deep
sky things (i.e., galaxies) just look like blurs and smudges, anyway?
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Date: 30 Jul 2007 04:23:46
From: Margo Schulter
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
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Eric <nobody@nowhere.none.nnn > wrote:
> Oh, the niche that I'll probably be most interested in will be more of the
> local neighborhood stuff: planets, moons, comets (whenever one gets close
> by again), etc. Even with the highest-end amateur scopes, don't the deep
> sky things (i.e., galaxies) just look like blurs and smudges, anyway?
Hi, Eric.
Please let me join others in saying that Marty is a real treasure and source
of illumination here. While I happen, like him, to be using starhopping as
my approach to navigating the sky with 7X50 binoculars and a 20cm Dobsonian
(almost identical an 8" Dob, which would be 20.3 cm), I certainly wouldn't
want to put down goto, GPS, or any technology that can help people in enjoying
astronomy.
Anyway, I thought that from my perspective of a long-sporadic binocular observer
who's only become more serious about observing and gotten a telescope in the
last few months, I might address the topic of "deep sky things" a bit. Your
caution is by no means totally misplaced, but maybe it would be helpful for
to explain that DSO's can come in various types and shapes, some of which can
actually be rather bright and prominent in amateur telescopes.
You are quite correct that many galaxies do "just look like blurs and smudges"
in amateur telescopes -- or, at least, not too far from this modest description
when compared with the photos available in coffee table books, or even taken by
amateurs using state-of-the-art techniques. A camera or CCD can gather a lot
more light -- and detail -- from such a galaxy than the human eye with a
telescope of similar size. Further, with any aperture, many amateurs find a
special excitement in finding something just on the cutting edge of detection,
where indeed we are looking at a very faint and elusive patch of light.
Light pollution is an important limiting factor. As Tony Flanders has pointed
out, if an observing site is too bright to show our own Milky Way to best
effect, then how can we expect to see much detail in other galaxies at greater
distances? For this point and much more, see
<http://mysite.verizon.net/vze55p46/index.html >
<http://mysite.verizon.net/vze55p46/id1.html >
However, especially in darker skies, some galaxies can be quite impressive when
observed visually with amateur scopes. For example, to take the most famous
example, M31 or NGC 224, the Great Galaxy in Andromeda, has a diameter of over
2 degrees, or four times the diameter of the full Moon -- so that in the 12"
scope you're considering, it should be quite a view if the skies are dark
enough to let the detail stand out clearly.
Also, there's NGC 253, the Sculptor Galaxy or Silver Coin Galaxy, with a
diameter about equal to that of the full Moon. I'm planning on making a try
to observe it with my 20cm f/6 Dob from an urban area, but if your latitude
allows, a dark-sky viewing with a 12" Dob should be quite impressive.
While these are especially large and bright galaxies as seen from our location
in the universe, a 12" scope might be able to tease out considerable detail
in others -- although they might seem "mere smudges" by comparison with those
coffee table book photographs. This involves lots of practice at some basic
observational techniques like getting your eyes as dark-adapted as possible,
using averted vision, and taking _lots of time_ to study an object once you
find it, whether by starhopping or with goto or however. Often drawing a
sketch of a "faint fuzzy" and revising that sketch as you view for a longer
time, can help both in confirming that you've found a given object, and in
coming to know its detail.
While galaxies are generally "faint fuzzies" because of their great distance,
some open star clusters can be spectacular objects in binoculars, let alone
in amateur telescopes -- with the Pleiades or M45 as an obvious example.
I've seen M25 with my 20cm Dob at 48X, and it's a beautiful object filling
a large portion of the eyepiece; applying more magnification to the bright
center area should yield yet more detail.
There are also globular clusters, some of which are "not-so-faint fuzzies,"
for example M22, recently discussed by Marty in another thread, which I want
to see.
Anyway, what I want to say is that deep sky observing doesn't only mean other
galaxies: it can also mean open and globular clusters in our own Milky Way.
By the way, I have a couple of friends who have Meade Lightbridge 12" Dobs
at f/5, with a design that uses a truss tube to reduce the weight somewhat.
Still, they assure me that those scopes aren't exactly light! The
conventional wisdom is that the limit for easy portability in a Dob is
somewhere around 8" or 10", although my friends have vehicles and muscles
evidently capable of handling those 12" Dobs. Seeing and experiencing the
bulk and weight of different models might give you a better idea, and
others might comment on this also.
Of course, you might find planetary observing to be your special favorite,
and there's no rule against enjoying the wonders of our own Solar System
and those faint (or sometimes not-so-faint) fuzzies also.
May I wish you the best in whatever you find delightful.
Most appreciatively,
Margo Schulter
mschulter@calweb.com
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Date: 21 Jul 2007 23:02:21
From: Joe S.
Subject: Re: New to backyard astronomy: Celestron SkyScout?
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"Eric" <nobody@nowhere.none.nnn > wrote in message
news:46a2abca$0$29683$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>
> "Eric" <nobody@nowhere.none.nnn> wrote in message
> news:46a2a897$0$29682$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>> Hi,
>>
>> After years of wanting to get involved in astronomy as a hobby, I decided
>> to finally persue it.
>>
>> Would these be wise investments to get started with?
>>
>> 1. One of those "Celestron Skyscout" GPS thingies that you just point at
>> something in the sky and it tells you what you are looking at:
>> (or punch in what you want to look at and it tells you how to get to it).
>> http://www.celestron.com/skyscout/index.php
>>
>> 2. One of the Starry Night programs.
>>
>> I figure the program would tell me what is out there, while the Skyscout
>> will tell me where it is.
>>
>> In the meantime, I plan on keeping reading, reading, and reading about
>> scopes and attend some gatherings to get advice. I'm not going to just
>> buy any scope from a mall or anything like that. When I get to the point
>> of purchasing a scope, I don't mind spending the extra bucks for quality
>> as long as I know I'm making a well reseached and informed purchase.
>>
>> Thanks!
>
> Oh, the niche that I'll probably be most interested in will be more of the
> local neighborhood stuff: planets, moons, comets (whenever one gets close
> by again), etc. Even with the highest-end amateur scopes, don't the deep
> sky things (i.e., galaxies) just look like blurs and smudges, anyway?
>
>
>
Start with:
-- Pair of binoculars (10X50, get them from a sporting goods or hunters'
supply store; you can even use a pair of WalMart binos but $119.95 for a
Nikon 10X50 is money well spent.)
-- Good planisphere --
http://www.amazon.com/David-H-Levys-Guide-Stars/dp/1928771017
-- A book or two: Levy "Guide to the Night Sky;" Levy "Skywatching;"
Seronik, "Binocular Highlights."
With the binos, a planisphere, and a book or two, you can see a lot of
objects, especially if you live in or can drive to a dark site. Plus,
you'll begin to learn the sky.
A planetarium program such as "Cartes du Ciel" (free, read the instructions
carefully to ensure you download all the add-ons) or one of the Starry Night
programs are fine and very helpful.
For a starter scope, go with an 8-inch Dob. I recommend the Orion
Intelliscopes -- they come with a handheld computer that will help you aim
the scope -- you align the scope using the Intelliscope device, then, select
an object in the handheld computer, and it tells you which direction to move
the scope the find the object. You can use the Dob without the Intelliscope
but sometimes you need a little help.
http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=276944&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=4&iSubCat=9&iProductID=276944
or
http://tinyurl.com/3a2w56
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