Viewing Planets- Video about viewing planets with your new telescope

Looking at the Moon- Video for Beginners

Website Spotlight: Messier45.com

"Messier45.com constitutes a non-commercial effort to provide the deep sky observer's most valuable tools online; the map and the lists of objects. Great effort is made to make accurate data accessible to both the novice and experienced observer."- According to the website itself.

I stumbled upon this website on Halloween morning. From the start it peaked my interest since I'm really a deep sky fan.

I really like the Deep Sky Browser. A user has to register (free of charge) but this is a powerful too for planning. It is basically an online database that presents the information if a spreadsheet type of layout. It gives the RA and Dec, Magniture, Constellation, Type, Classification, Size, and SkyAtlas Number for each object as well as many much more user selectable information. If you wanted to get more details on a specific object you can click it and it will show a detailed page listing all the other names of the object, and even 3 star charts to help you star hop there. Also provided is a photograph of most objects so you can verify what you are looking at.

The Messier Gallery is fun to look at. It shows pictures of each Messier Object. There are dozens of sites out there that have this but this is by far the best I've seen.

There is a Hershal 400 section for all those Dim Objects. The Articles and Guides section has some good reading.

Go out and take a look at this website I think you might want to bookmark it.

Sketching

One of the most important things that I believe each amateur astronomer should at least try is sketching. Sketching helps you train your eye. You have to sit and observe for a while. Often time we seem to get in a hurry just star hopping our way around only looking at an object for only a few moments. When was the last time you looked intently at an object for 10 minutes or more?? I'm guessing that most astronomers will honestly say that have never spend 10 whole minutes observing a single object.

Sketching forces you to spend time one objects. Once you begin to do it you will begin to notice more details, ones that you haven't seen before. It really is like adding inches of aperture to your telescope.

Astronomers long ago, before the age of cameras, used to study a single object all night and maybe many nights. Image what you could do if you did the same. Image how much greater our telescopes are compared to those used by the early astronomers.

I challenge you to go out and be an old school astronomer in today's world. Even when I'm not sketching I try to make it a point to always take a second look at what I'm observing.

ISS and Shuttle

ISS Pass over McDonald Visitor Center, originally uploaded by MPR Photography (Matthew2000tx).

Earlier tonight I was at Woodlawn Lake in San Antonio. At about 9:12 PM CST. I watched the ISS and Shuttle appear out of the northwest horizon. It was really a nice pass. I've seen but the ISS and Shuttle together before but this time they were viewable at the same time.

I was at the park with my wife and sister-in-law. We were there to walk around and talk. I took my Jeep, which at this point of the summer has to top off. While walking I saw a man in a white shirt looking in my Jeep. At first I thought he was up to no good, but then I kept seeing him look up at the sky. So I asked if he was looking for the ISS. He stated yes and eventually we were standing there together looking up. And we weren't disappointed.

The Photo chosen for this entry was actually taken last week while visiting McDonald Observatory.

3 AM Observing

Early this morning I was crawling into bed around 3am. Then I noticed that my dog, a 3 year old white miniature poodle was trying to sneak into our closet... a sign that she needed to go the restroom. I put on a some shorts and off we headed downstairs and out the door. While outside I noticed a bright object up in sky. I thought it looked like Jupiter but I thought I'd like to know for sure. I opened my garage door and grabbed my little Celestron IYA firstscope (3" Reflector) and set it on the hood of my old Ford Ranger. Within seconds I knew that it was Jupiter. My little scope is an f/4 and with the 18mm eyepeice I had in there I could see a few moons.

I'm really glad I have a little grab and go telescope like this, my other scopes aren't as quick to setup. This little scope might just be the best $50 I've spent. I have a homebuilt 4" Dob... but it still isn't as easy to set up. I can grab the first scope in one hand and have it on an object in less and a minute after taking it out of the garage.