Backyard Astronomers?
- KathyLauren
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Re: Backyard Astronomers?
Heck, yeah!
Om mani padme hum
Kathy
Om mani padme hum
Kathy
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
Awesome! Kathy you got dark skies?
- KathyLauren
- Posts: 967
- Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:22 pm
- Location: East Coast of Canada
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Re: Backyard Astronomers?
I got to travel to get dark skies, I can photograph the usual M’s and planetary stuff, Wide field constellation stuff, but those deep NGC’s and Milky Way, I have to jump in car and drive 5 hours.KathyLauren wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 11:52 pmPretty dark. Bortle 2 on a good night. More often Bortle 3.
Om mani padme hum
Kathy
Btw, I was doing some fun research on the SDSS website, all their survey data is available to the public, you can spend hours on there digging through spectrums and deep redshift galaxies, you can even flag the objects of interest and submit them. I have an out of date Norton’s 2000, but it’s still good for the RA and Dec to input on that site for objects of interest.
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
Someone just gave us a telescope, and I've been meaning to get it out. My son has been falling into astronomy youtube holes lately and is asking a lot of questions - mostly about the sun eventually exploding - but a lot of more immediate questions, too. I'd like to get him looking through the telescope to fill out his experience and make the connection between what he is learning and the world around him.
Any suggestions for newbies on getting started?
Any suggestions for newbies on getting started?
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
- Caoimhghín
- Posts: 3419
- Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2016 11:35 pm
- Location: Whitby, Ontario
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
Teach him how, as the universe expands, eventually the rate of the universe's expansion will outpace the speed of light, and light from other nearby stars will cease to reach us and there will only be inky black in the night sky. I can't imagine that possibly going wrong.Queequeg wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 3:50 pm Someone just gave us a telescope, and I've been meaning to get it out. My son has been falling into astronomy youtube holes lately and is asking a lot of questions - mostly about the sun eventually exploding - but a lot of more immediate questions, too. I'd like to get him looking through the telescope to fill out his experience and make the connection between what he is learning and the world around him.
Any suggestions for newbies on getting started?
Then, the monks uttered this gāthā:
These bodies are like foam.
Them being frail, who can rejoice in them?
The Buddha attained the vajra-body.
Still, it becomes inconstant and ruined.
The many Buddhas are vajra-entities.
All are also subject to inconstancy.
Quickly ended, like melting snow --
how could things be different?
The Buddha passed into parinirvāṇa afterward.
(T1.27b10 Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra DĀ 2)
These bodies are like foam.
Them being frail, who can rejoice in them?
The Buddha attained the vajra-body.
Still, it becomes inconstant and ruined.
The many Buddhas are vajra-entities.
All are also subject to inconstancy.
Quickly ended, like melting snow --
how could things be different?
The Buddha passed into parinirvāṇa afterward.
(T1.27b10 Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra DĀ 2)
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
LOL.Caoimhghín wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 3:54 pmTeach him how, as the universe expands, eventually the rate of the universe's expansion will outpace the speed of light, and light from other nearby stars will cease to reach us and there will only be inky black in the night sky. I can't imagine that possibly going wrong.Queequeg wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 3:50 pm Someone just gave us a telescope, and I've been meaning to get it out. My son has been falling into astronomy youtube holes lately and is asking a lot of questions - mostly about the sun eventually exploding - but a lot of more immediate questions, too. I'd like to get him looking through the telescope to fill out his experience and make the connection between what he is learning and the world around him.
Any suggestions for newbies on getting started?
Yeah, this freaked ME out.
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
I would start small, the planets and the moon,
Leave the sun out, under no circumstances,
NEVER EVER, not even messing around, look directly or through optical equipment, observe ,look at, or entertain the Idea of looking at the sun, will absolutely cause permanent life long eye damage or blindness.
Get a general understanding of the big constellations, where’s Orion what time of year is it visible? What’s the ecliptic? Why the planets and moon follow that path from east to west etc. Then build from there. Most of those colorful images of nebulas and so on, like what you see in this thread, those objects look nothing like those through telescopes or binoculars. Those are images taken with long exposures with filters and enhanced in software. The thrill of finding a faint greenish smoke ring M57 ring nebula in the constellation of Lyra in the summer, will leave a lasting impression, then you’ll want to bag all the Messier catalogue deep sky objects, all 100+ of them. Then it becomes like a treasure hunt.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_object
Most people don’t realize you can see the 4 major moons of Jupiter with just a pair of binoculars,
and over a few hours see the orbits change.
Sky & telescope is a monthly online magazine that provides monthly star charts, positions of the planets and other interesting sky highlights and latest news etc.
Leave the sun out, under no circumstances,
NEVER EVER, not even messing around, look directly or through optical equipment, observe ,look at, or entertain the Idea of looking at the sun, will absolutely cause permanent life long eye damage or blindness.
Get a general understanding of the big constellations, where’s Orion what time of year is it visible? What’s the ecliptic? Why the planets and moon follow that path from east to west etc. Then build from there. Most of those colorful images of nebulas and so on, like what you see in this thread, those objects look nothing like those through telescopes or binoculars. Those are images taken with long exposures with filters and enhanced in software. The thrill of finding a faint greenish smoke ring M57 ring nebula in the constellation of Lyra in the summer, will leave a lasting impression, then you’ll want to bag all the Messier catalogue deep sky objects, all 100+ of them. Then it becomes like a treasure hunt.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messier_object
Most people don’t realize you can see the 4 major moons of Jupiter with just a pair of binoculars,
and over a few hours see the orbits change.
Sky & telescope is a monthly online magazine that provides monthly star charts, positions of the planets and other interesting sky highlights and latest news etc.
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
Thanks!
There is no suffering to be severed. Ignorance and klesas are indivisible from bodhi. There is no cause of suffering to be abandoned. Since extremes and the false are the Middle and genuine, there is no path to be practiced. Samsara is nirvana. No severance achieved. No suffering nor its cause. No path, no end. There is no transcendent realm; there is only the one true aspect. There is nothing separate from the true aspect.
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
-Guanding, Perfect and Sudden Contemplation,
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
We just had a series of amazing astronomical spectacles visible with the naked eye and probably fantastic with a telescope, including a new comet and a (semi-regular) meteor shower. If you start looking on the Net, there are sites that will notify you when this stuff is coming, and IMO it's great for kids to be interested in it.
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
Yes, people think you need big telescopes to sky watch, but honestly there’s so much naked eye observing one can do, planet conjunctions are fantastic to observe. Really can give you a sense of perspective of the solar system etc.tingdzin wrote: ↑Thu Oct 01, 2020 6:12 pm We just had a series of amazing astronomical spectacles visible with the naked eye and probably fantastic with a telescope, including a new comet and a (semi-regular) meteor shower. If you start looking on the Net, there are sites that will notify you when this stuff is coming, and IMO it's great for kids to be interested in it.
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
There's another meteor shower going on this week.
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
Yeah the Draconid meteor shower, a medium or moderate shower, best seen early hours of the night/morning. Draco is a constellation near Polaris (North Star), in Ursa Minor, in the northern hemisphere. So very easy to find.
Check for last quarter moon setting times, so shower doesn’t get washed out by moon light.
Check for last quarter moon setting times, so shower doesn’t get washed out by moon light.
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Re: Backyard Astronomers?
New enthusiast here/ ready t0 start scanning!Danny wrote: ↑Wed Sep 23, 2020 10:50 pm
Most people don’t realize you can see the 4 major moons of Jupiter with just a pair of binoculars,
and over a few hours see the orbits change.
Sky & telescope is a monthly online magazine that provides monthly star charts, positions of the planets and other interesting sky highlights and latest news etc.
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
A nice pair of 10x50 magnification,
BAK 4 prisim, multi coated surface optics, with a tripod adapter, binoculars is the way to start, is a great jump off point to begin with. Use a tripod for steady viewing. It keeps the cost down, without shelling out for expensive gear. Light weight, portable and can go anywhere, and you’ll spend more time looking than setting up.
Enjoy.
BAK 4 prisim, multi coated surface optics, with a tripod adapter, binoculars is the way to start, is a great jump off point to begin with. Use a tripod for steady viewing. It keeps the cost down, without shelling out for expensive gear. Light weight, portable and can go anywhere, and you’ll spend more time looking than setting up.
Enjoy.
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
Planet Mars is in opposition for the next few days, that means it’s at its best that it’s been in past 2 years. Look towards the east, can’t miss it.
Or won’t be this close to earth again until 2035.
Mars is notorious for observation. I’ve seen the large surface mare’s and polar ice caps with a 4.5” newtonian under pretty poor seeing, it’s a stretch, but doable. Larger scopes, no problems.
Or won’t be this close to earth again until 2035.
Mars is notorious for observation. I’ve seen the large surface mare’s and polar ice caps with a 4.5” newtonian under pretty poor seeing, it’s a stretch, but doable. Larger scopes, no problems.
Last edited by Danny on Thu Oct 15, 2020 2:33 am, edited 4 times in total.
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
Yep, plus a map!Danny wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 1:38 pm A nice pair of 10x50 magnification,
BAK 4 prisim, multi coated surface optics, with a tripod adapter, binoculars is the way to start, is a great jump off point to begin with. Use a tripod for steady viewing. It keeps the cost down, without shelling out for expensive gear. Light weight, portable and can go anywhere, and you’ll spend more time looking than setting up.
Enjoy.
Re: Backyard Astronomers?
Yeah lots of easy apps for phones these days. I learnt my way around the old fashioned way.tobes wrote: ↑Thu Oct 15, 2020 2:12 amYep, plus a map!Danny wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 1:38 pm A nice pair of 10x50 magnification,
BAK 4 prisim, multi coated surface optics, with a tripod adapter, binoculars is the way to start, is a great jump off point to begin with. Use a tripod for steady viewing. It keeps the cost down, without shelling out for expensive gear. Light weight, portable and can go anywhere, and you’ll spend more time looking than setting up.
Enjoy.
A Norton’s 2000 and a red bulb flashlight.
Of course there’s the “go to” computer stuff on telescopes as well.
- KathyLauren
- Posts: 967
- Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 5:22 pm
- Location: East Coast of Canada
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Re: Backyard Astronomers?
This is my best Mars for this year. Seeing was poor, so the focus is off.