Hi. I am new to all this some help required please :)

[Guest icetiger22]

Hi

 

I have just bought my son a telescope for his 7th birthday and want to show him some planets and things but have no idea where to point it

Its his birthday next week so havent tried it out yet, didnt really know what sort to get so just got the celestron first telescope as the reviews were good.

 

Is there places too meet or can anyone give me advice thanks

[+RonC]

Go to www.stellarium.org and download the planetarium software there. We all use it and it will tell where stuff is in the sky at any given moment, give it a try!

 

Cheers

Ron

[philjay]

Hi Michelle and welcome to EMS

 

1st thing is you need a clear night which is a rarety these days but when you get one find out where north south east and west are from your viewing area (be it garden or wherever). Use a compass or an app on your phone.

 

At around 20:00 hours once you have found where south is lookin that direction and look up quite high then look slightly to the west you will see a really bright starlike object, this is Jupiter. Take a look at that with a low power eyepiece 1st and you will be able to see up to 4 of Jupiters largest moons around the disc of Jupiter it like stars in a line and you may be able to see some belts on Jupiter itself.

 

Thats your 1st target. When the moons up (say next week) try that, it will knock your socks off with the views of the craters

 

Then as Ron suggests use stellarium or even googlesky app on a phone (I prefer a good astronomy book or atlas) to learn the sky and see whats up there

 

The main thing is get out there with teh scope and have a look around

 

Enjoy

[Guest skegnesstown.as12]

If you have an Iphone/Ipad or anything with Android software there is an App called Nightsky, once its loaded it will pin point your location and show you anything visible at that time, it moves as you move too.

hope this helps

[Brantuk]

Hi Michelle and a warm welcome to EMS

 

Stellarium is a great place to start as Ron suggests - it's free to download and configurable for your location so you see the stars exactly as they are outside your front door. http://www.stellarium.org/

 

We have get togethers when the weather allows at either or both of our dark sites in Belper and Wymeswold. You be most welcome to bring your lad along and join us for some observing - you'll find the members are very friendly and welcoming and you're guaranteed some help.

 

Keep an eye on the Info and Announcements section (EMS Meets board) for full details of the next meeting - hopefully this weekend fingers crossed - meantime enjoy the forum and any questions just pop up a thread in the beginners section with your query.

[Sheila]

hi and welcome to EMS

 

Sheila

[Guest Ely Ellis]

Hi Michelle and welcome from me too.

 

I bought my (then) 6 year old the same scope, but the Skywatcher version of it, just over a year ago.

 

It is a nice little scope, I still use it sometimes as a quick grab and look. It comes in very handy and remember it is a proper scope, not a toy like you would get in the highsteet.

 

Unfortunately my son didn't take the interest I wanted him too, but it set me off down the rocky road

 

Martin

[Tweedledee]

Hi Michelle, and welcome to EMS.

[catman161]

Welcome to EMS hope you get to use the scope soon

[T A WOW]

Hello. Welcome to EMS. Enjoy the forums. Toby

[Daz Type-R]

Hello and welcome to EMS.

 

I agree with all the advice above and will just add, if you get really stuck and need some help and you can't get to a meeting, then you are more than welcome to pop round, I can explain as much as I can without trying to confuse you.

 

I`m only in Hucknall so not a million miles from you (15 minutes ish).

 

The wife is quite getting use to strangers turning up - lol.

 

Anyway, hope to see you at a meet soon and I hope you enjoy the forum.

[Guest icetiger22]

Thanks everyone for your replies, some great advice

[BAZ]

Hi Michelle welcome to EMS.

 

There's loads to see with your scope, it just takes a bit of experience finding your way round the sky. I found that it was difficult trying to gauge how big stuff is, and it's surprising how big some objects are. If you want a nice easy object to look at, find Jupiter as Phil described. Then look to the right and up a bit at about " 2 o' clock", you should see a misty patch. This is a star cluster called the Pleiades, and will look fantastic through the new scope.

 

Iam just up the road at Watnall, so if Daz can't make it, I would be happy to help out.

[Mark Harper.]

Hi Michelle welcome to EMS. There's some great advice above, The best place to start as said by Ron is Stellarium (it is free) then as you get more into it, you might try some of the more mobile options for your phone/iPad some of the better ones will cost a few quid I love Sky Survey, as it has a lot more detail and shows things that you might not have picked up on, it also gives you pictures and background information about what your looking at.... You might also like to grab a book, The Works is one of the best places I've found for price.

Good luck, Mark.

[Craig]

Hi Michelle and welcome to EMS.

 

I think it's great that you're introducing your son to this hobby at such a young age. Looking up at the sky when I was younger is one of my fondest and most vivid memories!