[Karen W.]

Thats a really sexy outfit Don_1...did you have to shave your legs for that shot??? LOL

Thats  sexier then my outfit!!! LOL...I just thought he might like all those sparkley stars.....LOL...

[Karen W.]

There should be many sights dedicated to the amateur and beginner sky watchers...

[neilep (OP)]

You may not need to get a SLR. There are photosensor arrays that attach directly to the scope and feed the image to your PC. If the scope has a drive, you can track objects over time and build up an image of really faint objects. There is a lot of software available (some of it free) to help with this.

The Orion link I posted has some of these sensors. I would think somebody is selling them in the UK.

Here's one

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=astro-imaging_camera/~pcategory=astro-imaging/~product_id=52080

Thanks Mr Geezer sir for this valuable nugget if info...My plan (as a sheepy of course) is to own my own space telescope....but, at the moment...££££'s most seriously dictate how far I can go. Though, I have always wanted one..I feel it prudent (lol..that's me attempting to be sensible).....to see how well I do with this. I've heard this particular scope with the mount that I have is very very upgradeable and I can see that a motor driven-goto motor thingy will be my next step..although...perhaps a few new lenses will be be a small treat in the mean time !

[neilep (OP)]

Stone me!!! That's a serious looking magnifying glass. Was it free with 6 pack tops of corn flakes?

The neighbours had better keep their curtains drawn now, come to think of it, I'd better keep my curtains drawn too! And you Karen.

Woooooo whooooo...Does that mean I have a Peeping Tom.now...?

 Hummmmmmm Don_1, you  best help me figure out a new night time wardrobe, uhhh, or my way out of the night time wardrobe.... LOL we'll arrange some late night shows for Sheepy's new Scope! LOL...LOL... What you gonna wears... I might wear this....

Hey Don.. I don't think Neily knows what really lies beneath a blanket of stars!!!!..LOL..  [] []



Now I am baring my soul or skin on TNS LOL and I cannot quit laughing!! Hee hee hee...

LOL..Karen...ewe really are a shining constellation !!

[neilep (OP)]

My former housemate bought a 6" Newtonian telescope some time ago and I spent a few hours helping him get it set up. The biggest issue was that the telescope has such a narrow field of view (the moon more-than fills the total area of the viewfinder) that it was very difficult to figure out where it was pointing. It's also tricky because if the the eyepiece focus is too far out, you won't see anything at all either.

With a bit of luck, you can find the moon and sort out the focus - make a mark on the control - it should be much the same focus for eveything in the sky!

(If you look at the moon at the boundary between light and dark - where the sun is hitting the moon at a glancing angle, making lots of contrast, you should see clearly lots of mountains and craters and stuff. You need to touch the scope controls very gently and not touch the eyepiece with your head else it goes all wobbly and yo won't see much.)

Then you need to align the "finder" scope (a small low-magnification / wider field of view) scope on the side so it's pointing in the exact same direction as the main scope. Once that's done, you can use the small scope (which shows you more of the sky) to point the main scope in the correct direction.


If you have the stand and swivels all set up correctly it'll help you keep stars in view as the earth rotates by just twiddling one control. If you just plonk it down randomly then you'll have to tweak both azimuth and elevation to keep things centred. But for the first few views, it probably doesn't matter.


That's one big telescope Neilep. Have you got a dark sky near you though?


You'll soon be needing accessories... like a woolly hat and gloves!
And lots and lots of patience.

Thanks techmind..this is all very very helpful and I am most grateful for your kind comments.

yep, I need to do all that but I suspect I need to do a thing called collimation first !???....not too sure what it is but I know it's very important ! LOl..I really am demonstrating the art of jumping in at the deep end.....but..my one consolation , is that I am discovering I am not alone !

Thanks for your advice techmind...you're not near Barnet by any chance are ewe ? . []

[neilep (OP)]

Sheepy has been up all night playing with his huge thingy. Silly billy, doesn't he know he could go blind doing that, then what'll he do with his telescope?

Here are some of his first major finds:

LOL !!...I'm having to dictate this to my secretary as I can no longer see the keyboard.....the third from the right...is most definitely a heavenly body !   []

[neilep (OP)]

There should be many sights dedicated to the amateur and beginner sky watchers...

There is Kareny Mam...I have already joined two astronomy forums and have been welcomed. I have even been offered assistance which I am eager to accept....which is nice ! 

[Karen W.]

LOL..Well my constellation was turning really red and getting hot....

Wonder what that means??? LOL..

Does that mean I am burning out or up? LOL..

[Karen W.]

There should be many sights dedicated to the amateur and beginner sky watchers...

There is Kareny Mam...I have already joined two astronomy forums and have been welcomed. I have even been offered assistance which I am eager to accept....which is nice ! 

That is very cool.. I hope you have loads of fun star watching!

[Geezer]

As Techmind points out, learning to point the thing (the telescope) is challenging. Suggest you start off with the lowest magnification eyepiece till you get the hang of it. Also, I think the collimation adjustment will be less critical at lower magnifications.

Funny thing with telescopes is it's often much more about light capture than magnification power. Also, the greater the magnification, the more sensitive everything becomes to setup, vibration and thermal effects.

[@@]

hey neilep, i think collimation entails adjusting the mirrors so as to have the light coming in the tube and exiting the eyepiece in the dead centre of it. if its slightly out you get a kind of smudge/blurred area of light to one side of your target. if your scope is brand new it may not req coll' as is should have been set at the factory.
 i reckon the first thing to do is to align the finder scope with the main scope to do this you find a stationary target with the main scope and lock it into position then adjust the finder so as the cross hairs (or red dot if its a red dot finder, but yours dont look like one of these) and then your away..............suck it and see as they say

[neilep (OP)]

Thank ewe Geezer & @@,

I really am most thankful for your kind advice.

I have had someone contact me who lives a few miles away and he has offered to take me through the basics. I think once I get those out of the way I can actually start enjoying it. At the moment, I am enjoying it's beauty by looking at it....I just want to start looking through it.  I think it may be this weekend when we plan to meet up.

Thanks for your advice and support. As soon as I make my first proper viewing I will report back here. I can't wait !

[lightarrow]

Nice eh ?

was delivered ....erhmm...Thursday !

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The tripod, the mount and the finder are the same as the ones I have. The telescope tube is different: I have a 120/1000 refractor. Bought just last week...

[neilep (OP)]

Wooo !!

Get over here from Italy and we can do some stargazing together !!  []

[lightarrow]

Wooo !!

Get over here from Italy and we can do some stargazing together !!  []

I would come, if I could!
Ciao.

[Geezer]

Lightarrow heading for London in his Fiat 500

[diagram=534_0]

Note left arm positioned for rapid gesticulation.

[lightarrow]

 [] []

(P.S. That's not a Fiat 500, however, but a Volkswagen beetle).

[Geezer]

I'm pretty sure it's a Fiat. Take a closer look.

Of course, it would be a lot less beaten up if you had not put it in the Monte-Carlo Rally.

[lightarrow]

I'm pretty sure it's a Fiat. Take a closer look.

Of course, it would be a lot less beaten up if you had not put it in the Monte-Carlo Rally.

[] []