A.R.S.E.

smithcorp wrote: Yes, my scope tracks the objects in its eyepiece. After you align the scope, a simple process of centering three stars in the eyepiece one after the other, it can then find and track any object. So, if you attach the camera to the telescope, it will track the image and avoid the distortion.

Argh! I was hoping you'd tell me that it doesn't. :P that seems like a really attractive option for astrophotography.. my CC looks nervous... I wish I had some cheap hobbies.

My binoculars are fucking awesome for viewing the super moon

Would be better if the tripod I bought would ship as holding the suckers steady is hard. My camera tripod isn't up to the job. When I lock the tripod head it always throws the view too high. Great for a camera but not the these. Hopefully I get it soon.

I'm about to buy my first telescope and I'm a bit nervous as to am I buying the right one. I was going to get a refractor but after watching a youtube clip it seems a reflector is the way to go for a first scope. This changed my mind.

I'm still deciding on a telescope, it's a tough choice what to get... Not many places to go test drive one here in big time Benalla.

But anyway Jupiter looks bloody great through my binoculars tonight, and that's with light pollution from an led street light and a half moon. I can see the brown really good. Can't see much more though.

See some moons?

No, I can't zoom in to see them. Also I can't keep steady enough. My camera tripod is no good with the binoculars. The locking wheel on the head is great for DSLR's but not big heavy binoculars.

If you are still thinking first telescopes, I'd strongly recommend this:

https://www.bintel.com.au/product/celes ... AonT8P8HAQ

Compact, easy to use, wifi connection for control, goto etc. Brilliant.

I'm looking at a refractor, a Skywatcher 102 AZ3. I don't have a lot of money and I want to look at specific points in the sky. I find the binoculars give me a hint of whats there but I want to look deeper. I was undecided because I didn't know if I should go for a reflector first, but the refractor I want is only $459 on the link you posted. That's $50 cheaper than where I was looking to buy so thanks!

Helping!

Saw the moons of Jupiter for the first time tonight with the binoculars. Muppet spotted them first when we were having a look out the front. It was great considering an led street light was in full blaze right next to it and it was popping in and out of clouds.

I'll look at uranus any time you like norbs, just so I can see the mane on condor!

120mm refractor on its way!

Nice.

Got it today. My only complaint was the tripod not going to high enough angles but it will. Just have to be careful not to over balance.

Gonna need a chair as I have to do squats to look into the eye piece.

So yesterday I got a height adjustable chair and a beginner eye piece kit from Skywatcher. The kit included a barlow, 15mm wide and a Plossl 6 mm and filters.

Tonight I took it all for a run seeing I could be fully comfortable at the eye piece. Amazing! So the barlow and the 25mm wide eye piece that comes with the scope was great for looking at stars. It's 1/2 moon and clear here so not too bad viewing. It's just bloody cold. Was -3.9C this morning here. The impact craters on the moon have a lot of detail but I didn't use the moon filter. I will next time. But Jupiter blew me away. The 6mm Plossl and the barlow got me in tight enough to see 4 colour bands on Jupiter. But being in that close made me realise how fast we move around our little part of space. It was a bugger to find and almost as hard to stay on it. But it was all worth it.

Bring the warmer months!

Colour bands on Jupiter - awesome! Did you see many of its moons? Saturn is still the greatest planet to look at though (but close to the moon at the moment). Winter's great for stable skies, but colddddd.

I could see the moons but didn't focus on them. Too busy looking at the planet but the next new moon I'll be back out there.

But this is what I have...


With a barlow lens and a 6mm Plossl I pretty much saw this...


Closest pic I could find in the web to what I saw. We've just had our coldest June nights ever so I didn't want to be out there long.

That's really impressive. Our telescope is packed away until our extension is finished, at which point we'll have a level solid surface in the backyard with good angles to the important parts of the sky. Missing seeing things...

Holy crap, thats so cool.

It's really small in the 6 mm eye piece and moves fast. I couldn't see the yellow stripe in the top dark brown band but could see the rest. If I had a motorised tripod I'd see that. Plus a 1/2 moon right near didn't help but I was amazed by what I saw. Bring on Saturn!

Who can tell me about Cassegrain telescopes?

Some reading ahead but it will explain the differences between the types...

http://www.eaas.co.uk/cms/index.php?opt ... ticle&id=3

I got the refractor as I wanted to look at specific things such as planets, the moon and Orion nebula. I can get in tight but my view is limited and I can only let in a certain amount of light.

A cassegrain lets more light in and has a much wider view. More light in means you see much fainter things. Think of it in shooting terms Muppet, you wouldn't go duck shooting with a target rifle and you wouldn't target shooting with a shotgun.

As I've been finding out these past few months, people often buy more than one scope.