Observing for Beginners

Lexi,
These observing challenges are an excellent start, if only they'd been around when I started, they would have saved me years of work!!

The info in them is invaluable and if you can get through them all, you'll have seen the best the sky has to offer...

Lexi

What part of the country are you in?

Look up the nearest club and bring yourself and your Dad out to their next observing night.

One night out with experienced people and you will learn more and faster.

Have fun looking up

Conor

The South of Dublin Tallaght to be exact, I'll keep my eye out for meetings etc...

Cheers

I think the most satisfying thing in the world is to have a sky chart printout with the position of Saturn (you can get this from Heavens-Above.com), get your OWN telescope outside. Find the star constellation and look into the eyepiece at Saturn for the very first time. After this, I was hooked.

Now, every time I get my star chart and find a globual cluster, an open cluster or a Messier object, it's the most satisfying thing in the world.

After this, you will want to get a motor driven telescope and start taking photos of things. Seeing your first webcam image of Saturn is the most satisfying thing in the world.

No, wait.... Long exposure astrophotography - that's where it gets really interesting!!!

I had always been a keen photographer and started into astronomy only 2 years ago. Here are a couple of images that I have taken...

Below is Messier Object 13.



Below is a crater on the Moon.



Now granted, these are taken with very high quality telescopes, but taking the images is half the fun. Refining your technique is 1/4fun and getting good quality images is the other 1/4.

It is an amazing learning curve, almost like going down a snow covered hill on a sleigh :lol: Enjoy the ride...

Clear, Dark and Steady Skies


MarkDJ

The South of Dublin Tallaght to be exact, I'll keep my eye out for meetings etc...

Cheers

The SDAS for you then!

Conor

Nice images there Mark.
I see you caught the "L" in Clavius also.
Since trying to see it about a year ago, I've only seen it once.
Takes certain lighting conditions to see it from what I understand.
Well done!