There is an Amateur Astronomy thread in the outdoors forum under hobbies, but this seems like it could be a better place once it gets more visitors. Are any of YOU interested (at all) in amateur astronomy? Any scopes or stories? Please share!
Unless you plan on using a tripod, make sure you don't buy more aperture than you can comfortably hold up for extended periods of time. Big binoculars are heavy! I do agree that magnification is a less important specification. Many deep sky objects have a fairly large apparent size, it's just their dimness that's the problem.Deamiter said:Fifty millimeters of aperture is MUCH more important than more magnification when you want to find those faint objects!
I've got a story. One night, a few years back, I was out in my backyard. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just stargazing. After a few minutes, I spotted a fairly bright satellite passing over head. Nothing too unusual there. Before I had glimpsed it, I had been feeling the incredible sense of awe in God's power that I always get while looking out at the stars. As I saw the little speck drifting across the zenith, my thoughts turned to humanity's accomplishments, and how we were such a powerful race, able to send the satellite I was looking at into space. My feeling of awe in God's power was soon replaced by a feeling of awe in humans' power. All of a sudden, a brilliant meteor seared across the path of the satellite, causing me to completely lose sight of it. Needless to say, a night under the stars brings considerably humility for me now.Deamiter said:Any scopes or stories? Please share!
That's a good way to go. Dobsonians are useful for larger scopes. My 4.5" reflector is also on an equatorial mount, but it can be rather difficult at times.OneLastBreath said:Ah, gotta love astronomy. I've used a 4.5" reflector, equatorial mount, and soon I'm buying a 6" or 8" Dobsonian reflector.
Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet by a rigged vote and some think earth had two moons at one time.Are any of YOU interested (at all) in amateur astronomy? Any scopes or stories? Please share!
To what? the version that scientists think the Bible describes it? I don't think so.I heard that Job plutoed outer space.