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New to Astronomy

  • 26-12-2019 1:56pm
    #1
    freddie1970
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 519 ✭✭✭


    Hi I'm after buying my son a telescope as a christmas present and he will get it when i pick him up tomorrow. Is there anything we could look up tomorrow night or would we have to wait for a full moon ...


Comments

  • #2
    slade_x
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 1,426 Mod ✭✭✭✭slade_x


    freddie1970 wrote: »
    Hi I'm after buying my son a telescope as a christmas present and he will get it when i pick him up tomorrow. Is there anything we could look up tomorrow night or would we have to wait for a full moon ...


    The Astronomy calendar for 2019 Thread would still be of use as their is a new link further down the page.

    Of relevance for now are the entries for the 27th & 28th of December 2019; Moon near Saturn (pm) & moon near venus respectively. For a beginner they should be very easy to find when you know where the moon is :D

    you can also use software like Stellarium to find and plan for any upcoming opportunities you may be interested in and to familiarise oneself with the events of the night sky

    https://stellarium.org/


  • #3
    ThunderCat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,385 ✭✭✭ThunderCat


    freddie1970 wrote: »
    Hi I'm after buying my son a telescope as a christmas present and he will get it when i pick him up tomorrow. Is there anything we could look up tomorrow night or would we have to wait for a full moon ...



    The moon is a fantastic object to view. I always enjoy looking at it and a telescope will reveal the lunar craters in great detail. Contrary to what you may think, a full moon is the least favourable phase for viewing as the brightness washes out a lot of detail. Instead view a partial moon and you will see the impressive sight of shadows cast across the craters along the terminator line (line between light/darkness). It's a real 'wow' moment for anyone who has not had the pleasure before.


  • #4
    freddie1970
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 519 ✭✭✭freddie1970


    Yeah really looking forward to getting out and using it ..Have to get a break in the cloud cover to try and get a good view...


  • #5
    honeybear
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,648 ✭✭✭honeybear


    Moved house recently and am (embarrassed to admit that I am) only now appreciating the beauty of the moon & stars! What telescope (& stand) would you recommend?


  • #6
    Pat Dunne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,015 ✭✭✭Pat Dunne


    honeybear wrote: »
    Moved house recently and am (embarrassed to admit that I am) only now appreciating the beauty of the moon & stars! What telescope (& stand) would you recommend?

    I would suggest that before you invest your money in a Telescope, to buy a set of Binoculars, a Tripod and a Tripod adaptor.
    You get more bang for your buck with a decent set of “Bins” than twice if not 3 time what you can spend on a scope.
    If you really get into the hobby you can splash out on a scope then.


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  • #7
    ThunderCat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,385 ✭✭✭ThunderCat


    Pat Dunne wrote: »
    I would suggest that before you invest your money in a Telescope, to buy a set of Binoculars, a Tripod and a Tripod adaptor.
    You get more bang for your buck with a decent set of “Bins” than twice if not 3 time what you can spend on a scope.
    If you really get into the hobby you can splash out on a scope then.





    Great advice, and I'd second what Pat has said about Binoculars. To be honest, I use mine far more than my telescope because they are easy to grab and look through and therefore always on hand, you get a wider more expansive view of the sky due to them having less magnification than a telescope and most importantly for me at least I find them far more immersive and comfortable than a telescope because I'm using both my eyes. Believe me Binoculars can still deliver plenty of 'wow' moments when looking at the night sky with them. Particular highlights for me would be once again the moons craters, Jupiters moons, the Pleiades and the Orion Nebula. You'll often find aswell that even when people progress to very expensive telescopes, they will still go back to using their binoculars to get a sweeping view of the sky.


    Not all binoculars are equal of course. If they are something that you think you are going to purchase then myself and others could maybe recommend some for you once you let us know your budget.


  • #8
    J6TM1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 ✭J6TM1


    I started with the Celestron - SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars
    Good specification / quality and hopefully shouldn't break the bank...


  • #9
    J6TM1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 ✭J6TM1


    Mars is the planet to aim for in the Jan 2020 night sky.


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