MY TOYS

I thought it might interest some people to see the toys I have to look at the Stars at night. I bought a old second hand 8" aperture Newtonian telescope last year just out of curiosity. It came on a huge, heavy tripod on which there was was a computerised motor that would turn the telescope to any star you pressed a button for. They call that system GOTO [in other words it will Go To where you tell it to.].
After visiting a few Astronomy sites for months I got the confidence to take the telescope apart and improve and replace some of equipment on it until I thought it was how it should be. It is an old telescope but still a very good one and gives some great views of the Stars and Planets. But after a while the motor on the tripod "died" after giving long service with the previous owner. So, I bought this to replace it

This toy is really smart in that it can find and track Stars, Nebulas, Planets and is also very quiet and powerful while being able to take the weight of and move easily large heavy Telescopes. The other one sounded like a Coffee Grinder when it moved the Telescope and it's old age didn't help.
The trouble, for me, is that hobbies can be addictive. So I got "hooked" on Astronomy and wanted to go a bit bigger and better............so I bought this:

This is a 10 inch aperture Newtonian Telescope and it gathers more light than the old Telescope and so can see further into the skies. It has to come on and off the tripod to move it when not in use and trying to lift and manoeuvre it can be "interesting" This Telescope is brilliant and gives some great views of Stars etc when the skies are clear and the seeing is good.But one of the quirks of Newtonians is that they need the mirrors collimating, [calibrating], nearly every time you use them.
Now I did say Astronomy can be addictive, [well, that's my excuse], and there are different kinds of Telescopes that you can use. There are some really knowledgeable, and fanatical, amateur Astronomers out there and it's can be catching. So I bought this:





This is a 9.25 inch Schmitt Cassegrain Telescope. It's a bit of a strange size as all other telescopes don't have that extra .25 of an inch. It's only about half the length of the Newtonians but is as good at light gathering as the 10 inch Newtonian. It's also easier to put on and off the tripod as it's smaller and lighter...........and it very rarely needs the mirrors to be calibrated. Then there's the accessories that you "need" such as eyepieces, heaters, shields, Laser finders, filters etc................but that's another story.

 

To be honest, Harry, it's a bit "above" me in that I'm still learning. But I like learning new things, reading up on subjects and Astronomy is such a fascinating subject and goes off in many paths. I'm just a person who finds enjoyment and fun in viewing the skies, but there are people out there with double figures in telescopes, and are lucky enough to have clear skies most nights..........unlike us in the UK, and are really passionate and out there every night. You can have all the knowledge in the world and all the impressive kit, like many of them do, but if there's clouds out there you might as well have a toy scope

 

I won't argue with that, Victoria!!

 

Unfortunately, mr c, you can only use up to around 500 to 700 magnification at the very best if the skies are ideal, but even then you will not be able to see the flag or the left over space module. But the Earth's atmosphere is always turbulent and so conditions are such, even on a clear night, that resolution is not perfect and you can only use between 300 - 500 magnification. Most of the really close up pics you see have been taken by satellites or probes. Having said that, an evening spent looking at the Moon is breathtaking, because the Telescopes are so optically good, so that it feels like you're actually there. The Moon looks smooth around the edges but it's really ragged with mountains, craters, etc. When it's full Moon it's so bright through a telescope you need a filter to stop getting spots in your eyes!!

 

I did contemplate one of those, bigbore, as lugging a big heavy tripod out followed by the telescope, then attaching cables, hand controls etc, can be a pain. But after doing some asking and some research I've opted for one of these. It's a Pulsar Dome Observatory

So in the last week or so of July I'm having a concrete base put down along with a power conduit and then when it's set, cured and hardened off, I can put the final order in for the Observatory. It's got a motorised roof that will turn and/or if connected up to the Telescope mount will turn with the Telescope as it tracks the target you've chosen.
The trouble with the sliding roof Observatory's is that when you slide back the roof you're open to the skies and elements. The one big "enemy" of Telescopes, especially the Schmitt Cassegrain type, is Dew. When the night cools the air deposits moisture onto lens, mirrors etc, and fogs them up and a open roof Observatory is just ideal for dew. The Dome lets less air in and so cuts down the dew to minimal. So hopefully, by the end of August I should have the telescope installed permanently in the Dome and I can just go out and start observing.

 

I'll be so glad to have the Observatory installed, Sheal. It will take a couple of weeks to fit LED lighting in, power sockets, alarms, fittings etc and then it should be all done. The neighbours are insisting on a Star Party to celebrate when it's finished.........which should be interesting!!