any astronomers in house?

[Silver86]

i found a fairly nice newtonian telescope for $75... just wondering if there are any star gazers here that can show me the ropes again... its been a loooooooong time since ive looked through a telescope...

[lordairgtar]

1. Place telescope on level surface.
2. Aim big end toward night sky.
3. Look through the small end.
4. Adjust as needed.

[ND4SPD]

Let's see some pictures of it. :)

Wow it has been a long time for me... I used to know how to do the calculations for RA, Dec, etc... now I can't remember. :( Good find though if you found a nice scope for $75. As for me, I'm waiting until we find a house out in the country... then I'm going to dump some cash on a nice Meade Refracting telescope. Here's a big hint for you....

5. DON'T LOOK AT THE SUN!

:D

Was also just reading this on Wikipedia:


For portable Newtonians collimation can be a problem. The primary and secondary can get out of alignment from the shocks associated with transportation and handling. This means the telescope may need to be re-aligned (collimated) every time it is set up. Other designs such as refractors and catadioptrics (specifically Maksutov cassegrains) have fixed collimation.


I think the Meade I want to get is a Maksutov cassgrain type.

I guess what I'd do is go and pick up an Astronomy For Dummies or some other beginner astronomy book, and maybe a catalog of stellar objects. If you don't want to bother with that, just start out looking at the moon, north star, etc... stuff that's easy to find.

You also might want to stop by a Half-Price Books and see if you can find used copies of astronomy books or better yet astronomy software. I have a program for my WM PDA Phone that acts as a star map so I can see what's where. There are also programs like "Red Shift" that do the same thing. I guess that'd be a lot easier than looking crap up in a catalog. OR you could spend the big bucks and get one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93970-SkyScout-Personal-Planetarium/dp/B000CNPAAA/ref=pd_ts_e_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W04Z6C67L._SS500_.jpg

:D

[nismodave]

There are alot of SPACE CASES on BCM.

[ND4SPD]

I'm one, I admit it... I even went to "Space Camp" when I was 12.:banana

[nismodave]

I'm one, I admit it... I even went to "Space Camp" when I was 12.:banana

Silver Spoon Fvcker!!!:flipoff2:

[ND4SPD]

Silver Spoon Fvcker!!!:flipoff2:

No way man, I earned that trip... scrimping and saving, mowing lawns, etc. I did get a little bit of help, but it was by no means paid for.

[Al]

There are alot of SPACE CASES on BCM.

I remember that show.

[lordairgtar]

I'm one, I admit it... I even went to "Space Camp" when I was 12.:banana
NERD!!!

[ND4SPD]

NERD!!!

Smile when you say that boy! Or I won't help you with your computer. :D