Guest hadden Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 hi all. im new to all this star gazing and i'm hoping to get my own telescope within the next few weeks(or days ) anyways i'm an apprentice plumber so i'm not on alot at the minute so was just wondering if there are any scopes out there in the £50-£80 range.i know its not alot but everyone has to start some where.i live in the city center so there's alot of light pollution but in my back garden its not too bad.also i spotted 2 extremely bright stars about 45 mins ago,i just checked and there still there.definatley not planes but there really bright.are these just stars that are fairly close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldfruit Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Hi James, if the "stars" are over in the Westerly direction it is probably Venus and Jupiter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Hi James You can download "Stellarium" (free) to your PC and it will show you the night sky at your location - you'll be able to identify anything you see. It does sound like you saw Jupiter and Venus as Mark mentioned - you'll see Mars in the East quite soon as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Fluke Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 James, the really bright one on the right is Venus, and close by to the upper left is Jupiter Look out for what the other guys and gals suggest, but if I had your budget I'd forget a scope for now and get yourself a good pair of binoculars instead. With no set-up time they'll help you navigate & learn the night sky that much quicker. Just as important is a decent sky atlas so you know what you're looking at. I've got this one recommended by the guys from here:/>http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sky-Telescopes-Pocket-Atlas/dp/1931559317 Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hadden Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 just downloaded it.thanks for that.cant believe there planets!thought old fruit was messing with me at first.shows how much i have to learn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyboy1970 Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Hi, I would seriously consider Binoculars to start with, its amazing how much more you can see with a decent pair of bins over a cheap scope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 That's not a lot of money even in the secondhand market, you might be better of with a good pair of binoculars while you are finding your way around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 You can get a half decent pair of binocs for around £15 from Liddls - look for the Rockwell ones when they are on offer - they're rebadged Bressers and if you get a well collimated pair they'll show you the 4 main moons of Jupiter. That will get you some time to save a bit for a decent basic telescope which tend to begin at about £150. Meantime pay a visit to a dark site with us and have a look through a few telescopes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hadden Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 yeah sounds brill.when and where are these dark sites.i think i will start off with a pair of "bins" first then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daz Type-R Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Hi James, check this section of the forum out....... />http://www.eastmidlandsstargazers.co.uk/topic/66-how-to-become-a-dark-site-member/ then keep an eye on the announcments section, normally on a Friday / Saturday night when the weather is good, somebody will post a link detailing when a meet is on, directions will be provided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brantuk Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 You're first visit is free James to see how you like it and if you want to join up - so do come to the next one and meet the guys - have a look through some scopes and have a fun evening - and then decide from there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyboy1970 Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Just avoid the Bins with coloured lenses, as long as they are fully multi-coated you will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Strings Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Hi and welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catman161 Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I recommend the celestron Skymaster 15x70 Bins. Can't fault mine-a little heavy after a while of gazing upwards so I put mine on my camera tripod-is not ideal but does the trick. They retail at approx £65 and you can see the 4 Galilean moons of Jupiter. If you come to a dark site meeting you're more than welcome to have a look through them and my scope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cosmic dave Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Go for some 10 x 50 bins and and I would start with sky at night magazine, just take ur time to learn the sky, most important of all enjoy yourself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAZ Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I would also suggest some Bins and the S&T pocket star Atlas. Take your time to get familiar with the major constellations, start with the bigger brighter ones such as Leo, which has Mars in it at the moment, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor, as that has the pole star in it. Cassiopeia and Perseus are superb binocular objects with the double cluster hanging between the two. If you come down a dark site, you would be very welcome to have a look at stuff through the scopes there, and may give you a taster of what would suit you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now