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!

Filters Anyone?

New Eyepeices Anyone?

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!

Chistmas Shopping.... Buying a Telescope (First In Shopping Series)

Happy Thanksgiving! Tomorrow is black Friday. Here is a video that I found about buying your first telescope.... now know I don't agree with this stance of Go-To's to me it is far faster to use a dobsonian style telescope... yes I had to learn the night sky... but why own a telescope if you don't want to LEARN something. I would avoid telescopes at department stores.. instead look at the sites listed below the video:



Good places to shop:
http://www.optcorp.com/
http://www.telescope.com/

Don't get caught up in magnification power... that is useless in astronomy... it is all about the light gathering ability. Bigger is better, the bigger the main lens or mirror the better.

Next blog about staring out in astronomy/Buying a telescope will be tomorrow and it has way better advice than the video you just watched so come on back.

Types of Telescope- Choosing a Telescope

I will be posting some videos and blog posting over the next month or so to help educate those interested in buying a telescope.

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.

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.

Garner State Park Star Party - June 27

This weekend, my wife and I went to Garner State Park for a star party. We met with fellow members of the San Antonio Astronomical Association at Cracker Barrel at 151 and 410 around 9 AM in San Antonio. Then, we caravaned out HWY90 to Garner State Park. We arrived just before noon and set up camp. Once we got hot, we decided it would be nice to hop in the bed of a truck and go take a dip in the frio.

We enjoyed swimming, watching college kids get ticketed for drinking in the river, and watching two of the SAAA members on the rope swing. Once we were good and pruny we got out of the river, changed and drove into Leakey, Texas for some great Italian food.

After dinner, we drove back to the park and we set up our 16" Meade Lightbridge dobsonian telescope. I was able to use my gigapan to snap some wide angle views: (More Blog after Pictures)

Zoom in on these:




After dark, the public showed up for viewing. We kept the scope on the Ring Nebula for that. Then. around 11:30PM I was able to do some serious starhopping. With the help of my lovely wife, we starhopped to many objects. We saw M51, the Sunflower Galaxy, Owl Nebula, and more. I eventually turned in around 2:30am. Viewing was great. I got to bag about 13 objects off my Messier list I'm working on as part of the astronomy League's observing list.

Heat Shink on a Lightbridge by Meade a Marriage Made For the Stars

If you saw my previous website, Astronomer Matthew, then you know that I have a Meade 16 inch lightbridge dobsonian Telescope. I got that telescope in November of 2008. I think that it is a nice value. I know that it isn't a premium dobsonian like an obsession nor did I pay the price of an obsession. The lightbridge is a fairly good scope as it comes from Meade (we'll actually GSO, they make them for Meade, Zuhmell and Astro-Tech) However, there are a few modifications that make the scope even better.

For starters. I painted the tube rings with ultra flat black spray paint. This helps cut down on stray light coming in the tube. This is a simple modification, but I'd like to mention that I feel powercoating would be a better solution and wouldn't chip as the spray paint did. Meade ships the rings white. They are easily removed for painting.

Next, to make life a lot easier I recommend replacing knobs on the secondary housing with "bob's knobs" these are finger grip knobs that make it easy to adjust the secondary without any tools. The 16" already comes with finger knobs for the primary, and newer 10" and 12" scopes should be coming with them as well.

I also feel that a light shroud is a must, especially in light polluted skys. Keeping stary light out of the telescope helps improve contrast. I've seen a fellow lightbridge owner set up under a street light without a shourd it get some views, but those could have been dramaticlly better with the use of a shroud over the truss tube section. I currently use the Astrozap version of the shourd.

For transportation, I was able to modify my base to accept wheel burrow wheels to help move it. This helps when I can't park where I need to setup my scope.

One of the things I don't like was the fact that Meade sends these out with silver truss tubes... that was easily fixed by some heat shrink. I went to Altex in San Antonio, a computer supply store and bought black shrink wrap that was big enough to fit over the tube and just used a heat gun to apply and it worked like a charm. It is a shame that meade didn't think of doing this. It also prevents the poles from clanging around in the back of the car. I'm looking forward to using this mod in the winter when sometimes it is uncomforatable to move the scope because the metal is cold.

I also purchased a 8x50 finderscope from OPT on sale and I was able to add that to the lightbridge, increasing my starhopping ability. To counter weigh the finder scope I got some welding magnets from harbor freight tools.