What's your name? Introduce yourself to IFAS!

Hi Tony...Welcome aboard !!

Hi Tony,

Im new myself this is a great forum...plenty of info and all newbie questions answerd i should know!!!!!

Hi
Another newbie here.
My Name Brian, I have been interested in astronomy for years, using software from skyglobe to stellarium, but never got around to getting a scope.

I have been reading and learning a lot on these boards for the past few months and finaly got around to signing up.

I have 3 scopes not great but its a start.
I have a 60 mm refractor - Argos job
A 76 mm reflector - Traveler from Aldi
A 70 mm refractor - Meade ETX70 from Lidl

I have the bug now, looking up and relaxing.

I may have some questions to ask from time to time, so I hope I don't overdo it and annoy folks with simple questions.

Hobbies include
Physics of light, Theory of Relativity, General and Special,
Quantum mechanics, Computers and electronics,
General wonderment of the Universe.

Welcome Brian.
You have some good starter scopes there.

Welcome Brian.
You have some good starter scopes there.

Thanks Frank
As you say starter scopes, I'm just getting to know my way around the real sky as opposed to a computer sky.

The ETX70 is great at finding objects, even if the resolution is not great, its good to know what you are observering. It found Mars for me last December around the 15th which was great, I was then able to view it through my 76mm reflector which gave a better view.

I hope to build up my gear over the next few years,
for now Im getting great enjoyment just looking around the night sky.

Hi another newbie to the boards, and Astronomy in general. Unlike, it seems, the rest of you guys i have no history in actively looking at the stars but from an early age i was fascinated by the Plough for some odd reason and it was the only constellation that i can still recognise whenever i see it (well not really true since joining this board i now know Orion ).

its only recently in the last few months or so that i have begun craning my neck upwards and with the help of my entry level bins have been looking at the moon - i still think its awesome that humans have actually gone off world and walked on another celestial body.

i think the percusor for this interest was whilst looking south (orientation of my back garden) i noticed Orion, Mars and due east of Mars i noticed in my peripheral vision a cluster of stars - i got the bins out and had a butchers and i was floored - nothing spectacular really but i was just gobsmacked for a reason i cannot articulate. all those stars clumped together. I know i will see greater and more magnificent things as i descend further into viewing stellar bodies however that first feeling of a flutter in the belly will stay with me always. The moon too holds a fascination for me that i cannot explain - I only have to go look at the moon on clear night and i am at peace - its comforting for some reason. I'm really looking forward to the lunar eclipse

Equipment i have at the moment are a set of bins and a tripod. I'm interested in Astrophotography however i dont see that developing for some time as i want to spend these first few months just gazing and drinking in the wonder of the visible universe. my camera gear at the moment is unsuited for AP (Canon EOS 35mm, compact digital)

myself? well I am domiciled in Lucan, married with two kids and am working for a Financial software company (we are one of the top two companies in the world at what we do). Outside of Work my main interests are soul music [i run a forum for irish soulies over at soulie.forumup.co.uk ] sixties fashions,Visual arts, Beat Literature and science in general (jaysus i feel like i'm applying for a job )

I'll be looking to get some more kit as this Astro virus spreads and will be asking all manner of questions both technical and informational - my aim as i said earleir is to move into Astrophotography - paricularly of the moon but also of other near earth phenomenon (i reckon theres more than enuf stuff close by to occupy me for the time being)

oh yeah and just to let the mods know i found the board by via google