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Any Amateur Astronomers Out There?

Started by solarscreen, May 25, 2014, 05:49:00 AM

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solarscreen

I have always enjoyed astronomy and enjoy visiting observatories and dark sky viewings when clubs have public activities.  I bought a 4.5" dobsonian telescope to use myself a few years back. It's nothing special but allowed me to share my interests with my children and friends. It's pretty good for viewing the planets and has been fun to have others actually see Jupiter or Saturn and see what the really look like right there in the sky!

Astro-photography is something else I really like but have only just started to try, not so successfully but then I'm just putting a digital camera up to the lens when I get something sighted in!

Here are a few pics captured that way. See if you can guess what they are!

Technology - Home Theater - Astronomy - Pyrotechnics

slink

The first one is obviously the moon.  I am guessing that the second is Mars, because it is red.  That would make the third one Venus, because it is the other most easily observed planet.

solarscreen

Not Venus!  Actually it is rather blurry but you can see some identifying factors if you look for a minute longer.  I missed getting Saturn, but it was really fun seeing that the other night!

Technology - Home Theater - Astronomy - Pyrotechnics

slink


solarscreen

Yeah, sorry it's not clearer!  I'm working on it!

I'd like to move up to a 10" Dobsonian but priorities say otherwise right now.
Technology - Home Theater - Astronomy - Pyrotechnics

slink

When I was a teenager, I kept getting involved with boys who had an interest in astronomy.  I helped to grind two mirrors, but never got to use either telescope.  The second mirror actually got silvered before we broke up.  I used to love to go the Adler Planetarium, but it was not among my mother's favorite places.  When my mother died, I got her Celestron telescopic camera lens, but it is not adaptable to use with the naked eye.  She used it to take close-up pictures of birds.  Buying a telescope has always been on my list, but not at the top.  I think a part of my problem is that astronomy is a night-time interest, and at my age I am a day-time person.  When I was younger, I didn't have the money.  Anyway, I can still look at other people's photos.   :)

rkelly17

I was pretty serious about amateur astronomy at one time--even ground my own mirror and made a series of sketches of the moon--and still read the Canadian magazine Sky News. At a certain point I decided that I had to stop being a dilettante in both astronomy and model railroading and choose one to focus on. I went with model railroading for several reasons: (1) We live in a light-polluted suburb and dark skies mean travel; (2) the guy who had loaned me a telescope wanted it back; and (3) my desires for equipment were bigger than my wallet. Not to mention that the best skies in this part of the world just happen to occur when it is -20 C outside or when the mosquitoes eat you alive (It is no accident that Canada's best known amateur, David Levy of comet-hunting fame, moved to Arizona years ago). A couple of winters ago we lost the heat at our model RR club, but then the owner put in geothermal and now we even have air conditioning in the summer.

solarscreen

Quote from: rkelly17 on May 25, 2014, 09:35:16 AM
...Not to mention that the best skies in this part of the world just happen to occur when it is -20 C outside or when the mosquitoes eat you alive...

I hear ya on the cold temps!  The best nights for viewing Saturn where I live are during the winter. I had some awesome views but too cold to try to pictures!

I'm going to get the 4.5" back out there and see if I can get some better pics.
Technology - Home Theater - Astronomy - Pyrotechnics

salamander

Definitely I am, but really on the amateur side of amateur.  Nice photos.  I've always wanted to get into some photography through the telescope, but the cost was too prohibitive at the time, either using an SLR or what I really wanted to do, one of the digital cameras.  Every now and again the kids and I get the scope out, but the good viewing nights are few and far between in this area.