Any amateur astronomers here?

[JWP_EE]

My interest in astronomy began about 40 years ago. I was very active for the first 30 years spending many hours out under the stars with a telescope. The last 10 years I have become an arm-chair astronomer keeping up with what's going on by reading. I have 4 telescopes, all reflectors 4", 6", 8", and 17.5". When I retire I hope to resume my love of the night sky – if it can still be seen.

 

[blasterman]

For casual observation, binoculars are fine but for more serious stuff, nothing beats a good scope.

Quantify 'good scope'. Given my past experience with all manner of scopes I woulnd't touch anything smaller than a 16" reflector. Schmidt-Cassegrains are compact, but they make terrible deep sky scopes because of their long focal lengths. You typically look at a few moon craters, Jupiter, Saturn, the neighbors windows, then go to bed. :huh:

From a dark-sky location you can scan the milky way with a pair of 10x80's binocs and spend hours doing it. It's astronomy in IMAX. Everything from the North American Nebula to Orion complex to the Andromeda Nebula are nearly 3-D with a good pair of binocs. With a 10" Schmidt-Cass you have to squint and strain to see a portion of these objects at a single time.

 

[ganymede]

Perhaps we have different definition on what is an amateur astronomer. As for me, in the context of a flashlight forum, owning any scopes less than 10" is considered as an amateur. However, if I am on CN, perhaps anything less than 16" is considered as an amateur. Also in the context of a flashlight forum, I consider a less than 70mm binoculars to be an amateur binocular, 80mm will be too big and heavy to be hand held especially during long observation.

If one have access to an observatory, anything less than 2 meters might be considered as an amateur.

Quantify 'good scope'. Given my past experience with all manner of scopes I woulnd't touch anything smaller than a 16" reflector. Schmidt-Cassegrains are compact, but they make terrible deep sky scopes because of their long focal lengths. You typically look at a few moon craters, Jupiter, Saturn, the neighbors windows, then go to bed. :huh:

From a dark-sky location you can scan the milky way with a pair of 10x80's binocs and spend hours doing it. It's astronomy in IMAX. Everything from the North American Nebula to Orion complex to the Andromeda Nebula are nearly 3-D with a good pair of binocs. With a 10" Schmidt-Cass you have to squint and strain to see a portion of these objects at a single time.

 

[JWP_EE]

Double Post

 

[JWP_EE]

To me an amateur is someone that does something for the joy of it. The equipment used can be anything from the just your eyes to a large scope. Even a person that gets paid for doing astronomy can be considered a professional and an amateur if they spend their leisure time exploring the night sky.

 

[Stevie]

If you are paid money for doing something, then you are a professional, as the job is your profession.

If you are not paid for it, regardless of whatever activity it is, then you are an amateur.

-

Astronomy is my other hobby. I have a small Russion TAL refector, which frankly, is excellent and built like a tank. I am sure it will outlast me. The optics are first rate.
I have an obsession with Jupiter at present, although it's an early morning object from here in the UK at this time. It will reach opposition in a few months, whereby it will be visible all night :thumbsup:

 

[ganymede]

Jupiter!? My favourite

 

[Stevie]

Jupiter!? My favourite

Excellent! Of course, with your user name being what it is I should have realised that!

What scope you got?

 

[Mr Bigglow]

It's pretty hard to beat a good Saturn though. Through a scope I mean- I've had newbie people totally ignoring a lunar eclipse while fixating on Saturn.

 

[ebow86]

Even professional astronomers who use some of the largest and most technologically advanced telescopes will tell you that some of the most wonderful sights in our night sky are best viewed thought a good set of high powered large aperture binoculars on a good steady tripod. They give a wide field of view and a 3 dimensional effect a telescope can't produce.

 

[saabluster]

Hmm.. Don't know if I qualify to be called an astronomer of any stripe but I have loved the stars as far back as I can remember and I spend time every day at universetoday.com and space.com. If I had the money I would buy myself a telescope in a heartbeat. It is very far down on the list right now though. I at least keep up with the science part even if I cannot get the personal viewing.

I'm sure most that would check into this thread would have already done so but if you have not go see Hubble 3D at the IMAX if at all possible. I drove 5 hours to see it and it was worth every penny.

 

[ebow86]

Hmm.. Don't know if I qualify to be called an astronomer of any stripe but I have loved the stars as far back as I can remember and I spend time every day at universetoday.com and space.com. If I had the money I would buy myself a telescope in a heartbeat. It is very far down on the list right now though. I at least keep up with the science part even if I cannot get the personal viewing.

I'm sure most that would check into this thread would have already done so but if you have not go see Hubble 3D at the IMAX if at all possible. I drove 5 hours to see it and it was worth every penny.

Don't underestimate what a good set of binoculars can do. A decent set of 10X50's can be had for around $150 US dollars

 

[Morelite]

I'm probably below what anyone would call an amateur but I do love star gazing. I recently sold my Celestron C5 to get a C8 and honestly I can't really see a big differrence.

 

[EV_007]

I dream of dark skies where the light of the Milky Way is bright enough to read by.

 

[B0wz3r]

In the last couple of years, in response to my son's interest in it, my wife has also really gotten into astronomy. She bought a used 10" dobsonian reflector, fully manual, and a some eyepieces for it. The base was a little beat up, so I fixed it up and added a 25 lb. barbell weight to it to stabilize it.

In the time since, she's become quite good with it, and has been able to locate and get good views of stuff down to about a 12 magnitude. What really blows my mind is that she does it all manually! No motor drive, no tracker, nothing; just a telrad and her hands.

 

[ganymede]

Flashaholics dream of dark skies so that we can light it up with our lights. :devil:

 

[Mr Bigglow]

The very first LED flashlight I ever saw was a red light LED unit with a roller switch, powered by a 9 volt transistor battery. It was intending for use viewing star maps while preserving night vision (which experiences helped convinced me that red light really is good for that despite the doubters that occasionally crop up on CPF either with or demanding "scientific evidence" for the effect ).

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

I dream of dark skies where the light of the Milky Way is bright enough to read by.

1) I'm there with you on that one. I wish we had less light pollution 40 miles north of NYC.

2) Does anyone know what the bright dot is in the southeastern sky? I watched it last night from bed, since it lined up with my window. I think it is Jupiter, but I'm not sure. It rises after midnight in the early, early morning.

3) I wish I was home during the blackout from Irene. I bet the darkness was favorable for stargazing.

 

[StarHalo]

Does anyone know what the bright dot is in the southeastern sky?

Jupiter is almost directly east and is currently rising after midnight; if it doesn't twinkle and it's brighter than everything else, that's Jupiter.

 

[LEDAdd1ct]

Okay, cool. Definitely Jupiter, then. Used some binoculars and on the highest setting it jiggled all over from my hands. Looked peach.