07/06/2008
Observation# 8 Date: 7/6/08 Scope: 10"f/8 Reflector
Ursa Major is going down into the west and the trees and city glow interferes with seeing.
NOTES:
15mm. Well, 51A&B are just gray balls at first glance.
12.4mm.(162X) 51A widens slightly.
9.7mm.(209X) After observing for about a half an hour, 51B remains the same. 51A seems to widen a little more and with some imagination may see possible spiral structure, but still see no connection between the two. I've hade better observations in the past, even with my 4.5"reflector.
|
07/21/2007, Andromeda Gal. M31
Comparing Distance:
One Astronomical Unit (AU) = about 93 million miles, or150million Km. The earth's average distance from the Sun.
One Light Year (ly) = the distance light travels in one year. Approx. 9500,000,000,000 km.
Light travels about 300,000 kilometers per second.
One Parsec = 3.3 ly.
------------------------------------------
Scope Comparison Logs:
November 24, 2006
4.5"Bushnell reflector w/12.4mm.eyepiece @ (72Xpower)
10" Home made reflector w/15mm. eyepiece @ (76Xpower)
M15 Glob. in Pegasus:
NOTES: OK, now I'm pleased. 4.5" Looks like nebulous star, faint glow, small, fairly bright core; it's like a small bright Planetary nebula. See only two stars nearby with dark surroundings.
10" shows a brighter core, larger halo and brighter surroundings. A few more stars pop into view but still small with no resolution tonight. The two scopes have very close to the same FOV. Makes for a good comparison.
M33 Gal. in Triangulum:
NOTES: 4.5" Just a hint of a glow, disappointing really.
10" Still not a great view. It's very dim, but does show a much larger elongated glow. Not as clear of a view as previous log, possibly brighter sky due to waning crescent moon just went into horizon.
M110 Gal. in Andromeda:
NOTES: 4.5" Just a hint of a glow, possibly make out some elongation.
10" SE-NW elongation with brighter central region. Very dim, I don't think I would have found tonight with 4.5" alone.
M32 Gal. in Andromeda:
NOTES: 4.5" Small, dim with bright core. Like nebula or small glob.
10" Still small but very bright core. Round with a slight halo.
M31 Gal. in Andromeda:
NOTES: 4.5" Bright ball with elongated halo.
10" Spiral structure overflows my FOV. Brightens quickly into the core, and darkens just as quick to the North. No dust lanes evident, but I may imagine possible lanes with the 6.4mm. (179X) but overall not much difference.
|
07/21/2007, Pleiades M45
I only have been star gazing for two years now. I classify myself as green, just a beginner. I have positively identified 266 objects beyond our solar system, ranging from a very dim magnitude of 12.3 galaxy(Ngc 4625) to a very bright magnitude of 2 open cluster(M45).- Image at top.
I don't know for sure, but it seems like if you're not the inventor of the Hubble or you were not observing since the 1800's, you're an amateur. So, I came up with these categories; green or beginner , advanced, amateur astronomer and dead with a discovery:) It would be nice if you had the opportunity to make a career out of astronomy, but for the most part do it for your own satisfaction.
In regards to what to expect, don't get mesmerized by color photos. This is NOT what you are going to see. Photo images, for me, are very valuable in verifying your observation, so you should have some. Look for images that are taken by amateur astronomers and are in black and white such as; in my Lime Green blog, "M42" (a.k.a."The Orion nebula") a star forming region in the constellation Orion. These images will be much closer to what you should actually expect to see. Cameras can detect more light than you eye, therefore they can process the colors more vividly.
Most of all, you need to study and recognize the constellations. Most likely if you're just starting out you will not have an expensive computerized telescope that pinpoints the location of objects for you. You will have to search (Star Hop) for yourself and it is invaluable to know and recognize the individual stars of the constellation you are searching for objects. If you haven't got a telescope yet, research your options first
When I first started I didn't know anything at all about what to expect or what I would see. It was only when I started to read and search for information on what's up and how to look for it, that I realized how I should actually be going about it. I began by downloading sky maps from the internet each month looking at only the brightest objects like star clusters. Even the Andromeda galaxy M31 (Ngc224) at a magnitude 3.4 was hard to find for me.
It can be really quite hard to find anything in the sky if you don't now how or where to look, or for that matter recognize the object once you've found it. For this reason I suggest all first timers to get some star maps somewhere. The ones I used are at; http://www.skymaps.com This site is not only for star maps and it's a great site for beginners. Better still is to get some kind of astronomy software. There are many to choose from and may be free, but the one I use and recommend is "DeepSky Astronomy software" You can make your own star maps and it is designed to grow with you from a beginner to an advanced observer. Visit there site at; http://www.deepsky2000.com
Once you've acquired yourself a telescope and find you may be somewhat interested, but still find it a pain in the neck to locate objects, start thinking about upgrading your equipment. I suggest first purchasing a good finder scope with correct view, especially if you're using a reflector. Make sure its magnification is about 9X50 and that it comes with its own mount so when you upgrade your telescope you can still use it and it doesn't become garbage. (Unless you have extra money to burn.) After the finder scope, maybe some new eye pieces.
There are much more tips and advice to be had, but my final offerings for now would be, to star gaze with a friend to keep you interest heightened or, unless you're a loner like me, join a club. Subscribe to an astronomy magazine or buy a book. I recommend "Star Ware" 4th edition - the amateur astronomer's guide to choosing, buying, and using telescopes and accessories - by Philip S. Harrington. This book is packed full of information that even an advanced star gazer would learn something from. The authors web site is at www.philharrington.net
Log all your observations whether you see the object you're searching for or not. It is very useful and interesting to look back on your journal to review what you saw previously or to figure out what you might have been doing wrong on a previous attempt.
Keep at it, you will learn what you need to know along with some different techniques like averted vision used to see dim objects and you will be successful to a certain degree, but remember, only a few ever reach the level of "dead with a discovery".
|
|
07/07/2008 | parleef (parleef att nbnet dott nb dott ca)
Very impressive reading John. It would be good if beginners would read it.
|