Time Lapse Star Party

This is a video I found with some nice time lapse photography in Italy. Enjoy!



ps. It looks like someone on the right side kept using a white light during the star party!

Solar Observing

How to safely view the Sun with your telescope!

Sketching- A Worthwhile Effort- Recommended.

Dealing with Dew - What you need to know.

Viewing Stars- Video about viewing stars with your new telescope

Viewing Planets- Video about viewing planets with your new telescope

Looking at the Moon- Video for Beginners

Using Your Telescope- Focusing

Believe it or not many beginners need help with learning how to focus. I have found this video and I hope it helps.

Did you get a telescope for Christmas??

Psalms 19:1 (NLT)
"The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship"

Merry Christmas.


If you got a video for Christmas here is a video on what you can expect to see with that new telescope.



More videos like this coming soon. If you are just starting out bookmark my blog and there will be tips on using a telescope posted over the next month or so.

Buying a Telescope Series (Part 6 - One More Video)

Hope you have found this set educational.

Buying a Telescope Series (Part 3 - Types or Telescope/Importance of Size)

This video is MUCH better advice than the video I posted on Thanksgiving.

Part 1:


Part two Will be posted tomorrow!!! Check back then!

Life insurance for your telescope.

A while back I was reading on Cloudy night forums about a 10" telescope that someone bought for a cheap price. The mirror looked like it had been sitting under a sprinkler for the past 10 years. It was scratched, the coatings had mildew on it. It was in sad shape. A fellow astro friend of mine, Rick, rebuilt an 8" telescope that was tossed in the trash by a family that lost their son, who was making the telescope.

Stories like these really make me wonder what the future will bring for my telescopes. One post on the thread about this badly damaged 10" telescope summed it up very well:

"For those of us living in households where our wife/SO/kids aren't tuned into astronomy much at all, and for whom our equipment represents at best some mildly interesting clutter they put up with as part of the package of having us around: THIS MIRROR REPRESENTS ONE POTENTIAL VERSION OF "THE FUTURE THAT MIGHT BE" FOR OUR SCOPES AND EQUIPMENT, UNLESS we keep our immediate family members accurately informed of the potential $$value of our equipment (if kept in decent condition) as well as its tremendous usefulness to some other astro-enthusiast, (again, IF passed along in decent condition). Whoever originally owned the scope this mirror was in either died, or else moved away or completely lost interest and track of this scope. Whoever was in charge of the household it was located in simply did not recognize or place any value on it beyond being a bulky piece of junk (to them), but it was out of the everyday way enough to not be bothered much about it, and so it was left as long-ignored clutter in unprotected space,. Point is, even if the scope had no attraction or use to them, the custodian would still likely have taken much better care of it had they had better sense of its potential worth. It would have been simple to have kept the scope wrapped in heavy-duty plastic to protect it from grime and moisture.

My wife is totally supportive, yet at the same time totally uninterested, in astronomy, and I buy all of my astro-equipment out of another modestly income-producing hobby. So, although I'm not hiding anything from her about the amounts I've invested in scopes, eyepieces, etc, for a long time neither was she informed at all about their true value. Every now and then when I'd come across a story similar to this one, I'd have a daydream nightmare where something happened to me and I passed on, and my wife's holding an estate sale and my Naglers are on a card table with a sign "$10 apiece, three for $25". And my dob is up for sale (in extremely poor, dusty, rusty condition) for $25. So finally I informed her, hey if something happens to me don't casually give this stuff to Goodwill or sell it cheap at some yard sale - it's really worth several thousand dollars altogether, get someone from the astro-club who knows what it's worth to help you unload it for near fair value, or else help select an appropriate donee to give it to.

Unless you do this, your equipment may be allowed to deteriorate neglected until some person may eventually come along like the OP and buy the scope, recognizing that while it needs LOTS of work to get it back into useable shape, they might just have something here, but at best they'll have to put several hundred dollars into it to get there. Everyone concerned would have been much better off had it been kept in better shape all along, and sold for more money that the purchaser would otherwise have to sink into refurbrishing it anyway." - FirstSight

The Adventure of being an SAAA member

One of the things I really like is that being a member of the San Antonio Astronomical Association is an adventure! We do star parties at all kinds of locations. During the "School season" I find myself observing in light polluted schools with some times lights only a few yards away. It is almost like a sport we have a team of astronomers at each school and the goal is to get 300 or more people young (some as young as 2-3 years) to look at each telescope in the hour and a half that we are there. That in it self is a rush.

Sometimes I find myself setting up in some of the darkest skys around at our Dark Sky site near Fredericksburg, Texas or at Garner State Park. These events are usually great when the seeing is good and if the seeing isn't up to par at least your their with some friends. Many times we are given free access to events and state parks that we do astronomy at.

A few occasions I've found myself driving across different parts of Texas with telescope in tow. I've been out to Ft. McKavett near San Angelo, Texas with the SAAA for some extremely dark sky on a cold night that dipped into the teens. Not bad to most astronomers up north but we didn't have a warming hut and we slept in tents when viewing became bad. This past summer my wife an I made the long car ride out to Alpine, Texas for vacation and on a number of nights we trekked out to McDonald Observatory to set up our 16" telescope for visitors at the visitor center. Thanks to our connections in the SAAA we were allowed private access to the 86" and H.E.T during the night and got to see actual research being done.

Last night was no exception, my wife and I volunteered to do some sidewalk astronomy at the Botanical Gardens (BGs) of San Antonio for their annual "Gardens By Moonlight" event. It was an adventure we parked in the serve entrance of the BGs and a few members had there equipment carted up the hills to the area we were to set up in by a golf cart. The cart never returned to set pick up my 10" dobsonian and gear. Do I carried it on my back up the hill and though the woods to the area we were to set up at. It really wasn't that bad... it added to the adventure. I took about 4 trips to get all my equipment there... and I needed the exercise! So there my wife and I were now at this location in the Botanical Gardens of San Antonio and we had enough time to walk around and see the Gardens before it got dark enough to do observing.

Later that evening I was showing Jupiter and it was spectacular. At first only 2 moons were visible then the night went on and the moon on the right split and there were now 3 visible. We could see a transit shadow of a moon and we also could see the bands of clouds with great detail. As the night went on those 2 moons that were once one moved further and further apart. And about 10 pm (I didn't have a watch so it is purely a guess) a moon appeared just off the edge of the left side of Jupiter. We continued to observe another hour or so and that moon steadily moved away from the Gas Giant.

Around 11:15 we started to tear down. Once again the cart didn't come quick enough for my taste so I found myself making trips with gear in hand. After everyone was loaded up we headed to Jim's a 24 hour diner here in San Antonio and enjoyed some dinner with fellow SAAA members. We parted ways about 1 am.

What an adventure!

To join the SAAA visit this link.

The New Generations of Dobsonian Telescope

John Dobson is credited with the invention of the Dobsonian Mount. Mr. Dobson's goal was to make affordable telescopes that were simple in design. Typically the smallest dobsonians have been around 4 inch-6 inch Newtonian reflectors.

This year Celestron came out with a 3 inch (76mm) Newtonian Reflector on a dobsonian mount. It is the International Year of Astronomy's Celestron First scope. I've written about this little $50 telescope that comes with a 2 year warranty before. It comes with 2 eyepieces and no finder. (An accessory kit includes a finder, additional eyepieces and software for $20.) Here is a video:



Celestron seems to have been the first company to make such a small Dobsonian telescope. Now Orion Telescopes seems to have exploded this cheap, small dobsonian mount market. I was surprised earlier this week when I received a catalog from Orion and saw a trio of little dobsonian. Orion makes the little 76 mm Newtonian Reflector that is just like the Celestron First Scope... but this one includes a "red-dot" finder and they kept the price at $49.99 same as the Celestron. Additionally the Orion comes with a tripod mount (something I modified my Celestron to come with). Now instead of recommending the Celestron Telescope I'm pointing to that little Orion.

I tip my hat to Orion Telescopes for producing some nice affordable telescopes for new astronomers. The Dobsonian mount is steady unlike many "Affordable/Beginner/Department Store" telescopes which are very frustrating and shaky. Another downside usually the eyepieces. I tell people to spend an extra $60 to get some nice eyepieces like the like the Celestron X-Cel or the Orion ED-2's both are essentially the same and all powers have 20mm eye relief.

The names of the telescope "Funscope"-the 76mm $49 Reflector, the 80mm "Go-Scope", a refractor for $99, and the 90mm "Go-Scope", a Mak-Cass. for $199.

Keep in mind that the I feel this scope would be great for kids..but adults might want to look else where. I feel the best telescope in this line-up is the "Funscope". The $199 scope is tipping the budget and I feel a person might be better off getting the Orion 4.5" Skyquest Dobsonian or 6 inch Starblast.

**It is important to note I don't work for Celestron, OPT or Orion Telescope.

Types of Astronomers

Lately I've been reflecting on myself the astronomer. As a dual career as photographer/educator I feel securely confident in my abilities and understanding of the subject matter. Astronomy...well at times I feel that I'm lacking.

Recently at a few star parties I've attended I did some basic observations of fellow astronomers. I was trying to see where I fit in. To me there seem to some various types of astronomers:

Type 1- Daddy/Mommy Astronomer
These are the moms and dads who are at star parties for their kids. They might have limited knowledge of astronomy but they are there to foster their kids learning.

Type 2 - Hungry Astronomer
This is the type of person that has had a taste of astronomy and recently decided to come back for additional helpings. This person may or may not have a telescope/binoculars (if they have one it is usually a department store off the shelf model that leaves much to be desired). Generally this type of astronomer comes to star parties to learn more and get advice as they start out in the hobby. This might the most common type, however, sadly, many of these fail to stick with astronomy.

Type 3 - Angler Astronomer
This is the type of astronomer that has some decent equipment they are still starting out in the hobby. The are standing in the water but they don't have the knowledge or equipment to go deep sea fishing yet, but that is the where they are headed.

Type 4 - Inspector Gadget Astronomer
This is the type of person, usually out with a GO-TO, fancy telescope, DSLR, etc... With them it is all about the dazzle of the equipment. They like buttons, little LED lights, things that use batteries. They probably have a smart phone with a data plan and are surfing the net as much as they are stargazing.

Type 5 - Serious Astronomer
This is the person who is "into" astronomy they are rather knowledgeable and have nice appropriate equipment for the type of observing they do: star-hopping, astrophotography, planetary, deep-sky. These people are generally resourceful with the equipment they use.

Type 6- Too Smart for their own good.
This is the most knowledgable person. They know the ins and outs of the universe and astronomy. These people are often so knowledgeable that they often talk over peoples heads and make references to movies and television shows that cause you to move you fingers in awkward positions.


I'm sure there are more types of people out at star parties but thought I'd mention these as sometimes when I'm out with my telescope I feel like I move between being one type of astronomer to another. Sometimes I feel like Type 6 when I'm talking with some people and at other times I feel like type 2.

So what type are you? (Post your comment and explore your inner astronomer.)