Astronomy

[#1]

I woke this morning at 2:15 with one of my 'turns', so by 2:30 I was dressed with a heavy coat and out for a walk.
It was a lovely clear night with only 2 taxis passing to disturb the silence.
On my way back home I noticed a very bright object in the western sky and on my arrival home I got out a pair of binoculars and took a closer look at the object.
Google Sky Map confirmed the object to be Jupiter and with my binoculars I thought I could see a faint moon or two beside Jupiter.
That did it.
This morning I ordered a telescope to enable me to see Jupiter in more detail plus all the other objects like other planets, the moon, Galaxies and Nebulae.

[#2]

Well done, strat..... The only things I can recognise int he night sky, ( apart from the moon ! )... are the plough and the north star.... even with a star map, I find it difficult to locate anything else ! ! ...
so Good Luck to you with your stargazing.... 

[#3]

I can easily identify stars, they're the shiny dots in the sky at night...
Just like earth geography, I'm useless at mapping any specifics up their in the final frontier, I wouldn't be a very good navigator for the Enterprise, that's for sure...

[#4]

I wanted to get an astronomical telescope...

...but I found them to be very expensive. 

[#5]

Get a terrestrial telescope then and use it upside down at night

[#6]

Invent the Smelloscope and you could smell your way round the galaxy...

[#7]

Quote from: Strat

On my way back home I noticed a very bright object in the western sky and on my arrival home I got out a pair of binoculars and took a closer look at the object.

Was it 'near' the moon?  I saw something (like a big, very bright star) just a bit above and to the right of the moon last night.

[#8]

Our Moon wasn't in my field of view when looking at the bright object so...no.

[#9]

I think that telescopes are expensive........nah... sorry... the prices are astronomical 

[#10]

I hope you enjoy your new-found hobby.
You may remember I bought SWMBO a telescope in the summer of 2013. It was fascinating and exciting to see the stars and search for celestial bodies but, unfortunately, she hasn't used it as much as I had hoped due to other more things cropping up

[#11]

Quote from: Mav

I hope you enjoy your new-found hobby.

Maybe not 'new found' as I have been fascinated by the night sky all my short life but usually it's been with either binoculars or a small slip in the pocket type of telescope, certainly nothing greater than x 30.
This is my first 'proper' telescope.

[#12]

http://www.gumtree.com/p/hobbies-collectibles/prolux-900-telescope/1102833556
My son has got one of these a Prolux 900 it lives in our spare bedroom now
When he was living with us I quite got into astronomy. I remember seeing the moons of Jupiter and the cloud formations and the rings of Saturn. The moon was most impressive. 

[#13]

Wow, that is a proper telescope. Deeply jealous.
Can you attach a camera to this (or even a computer)?
You could post some pics if so.
Been watching 'Sky At Night' for decades but never got round to buying a telescope, being in London it was a bit pointless anyway...
Would love to look at some 'live' galaxies, etc. (well, 'live' that is bar a few million light-years...)

[#14]

Quote from: IanSn

(well, 'live' that is bar a few million light-years...)

And as the light we see from distant stars and galaxies is up to millions of years old, it's a bit on the time-delayed side too...

[#15]

Quote from: IanSn

Can you attach a camera to this (or even a computer)? You could post some pics if so.

There is an adapter available to buy for my Canon camera but that for a future project.
My area of Sheffield has all new LED street lighting which substantially cuts down light pollution so I'm expecting better viewing than a year ago.