In the beginning...

[Guest devil74]

Hi folks,

 

Just thought I would post up last night's 'naked -eye' observing report...from a beginners perspective of course. I just wanted to go out and make a start on learning the night sky really so any stargazing is helpful at this point.

 

Anyway, with it being windy I kept glancing out the patio doors and low and behold there were quiet large patches of clear sky...so out I went armed with my phone. I have three apps for viewing the night sky, Stellaruim, Skyeye and Mobile Observatory...all excellent I add. I have to say Stellarium, I think, has the best 'night mode' - its a nice bright red whereas the others seemed a little faint.

 

Onward and upward...so when the skies cleared I located Polaris and carried on the same distance and had quite a nice view of the 'W' of Cassiopeia.

 

I could also make out most of Canis Major just above the horizon with Sirius obviously very visible. Mirzam was just visible and I think the other two were Wezen and Adhara. 

 

Further to the right I could just about make out the three middle stars of Orions sword (are they called Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka) and down to the right, Rigel. 

All in all for half an hour viewing it was very productive, for me at least. It learnt me some basic positioning which I will of course build on even with the naked eye until I get my 10" Dob. One thing I did think was how useful a Telrad will be. Trying to find Jupiter through Daz'z finderscope and Telrad (yes Jupiter is bright and easy I know) it did show how useful it was, even on this bright star.

 

So this was a (very) beginners attempts at learning his way around the sky. I hope others beginners will read (and laugh).

 

Damian

[Daz Type-R]

Nice report Damian, a fantastic way to start learning the constellations and star patterns and you don't even need any kit!

 

1 thing to pull you up on, Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka are part of Orion's belt, not sword.

 

Didn't want you to get confused if anybody asks which stars you were looking at.

 

Keep up the good work, just wait until the scope arrives!

 

[Sheila]

Good first start Damian.

 

Telrad's are awesome.  I got really lost with a finder and nearly gave up.  Telrad was brilliant and helped

loads.

 

Sheila

[T A WOW]

Nice read thanks. Look forward to your scopes first light.

[BAZ]

Great report Damian, It's good you got out.

This is not wasted time just doing naked eye observations, as you rightly pointed out, you are getting you bearings on the sky. When you get your scope there will be no stopping you.

[Guest devil74]

You hit the nail on the head there Martyn  I cannot wait. Thanks for your kind comments folks.

[philjay]

Nice one Damian, thats the best way to do it, learn your way around the sky then you will know where stuff is when you get your scope, it makes life so much easier

[Guest devil74]

Morning folks..

 

This is my second observing report..carried out last night. Lets see if I learnt anything?

 

With the clouds moving fairly slowly north-south I went out and again and had a good view of the sky except north. I really wanted to to see if I could figure out the sky from the pocket atlas so gave that its first outing (no cheating with the phone this time). 

 

This time though I was able to recognize some of the constellations I had seen a few nights ago. Jupiter was there bright as ever of course with Aldebaran down to its left again. Moving slightly right and higher into the sky I noticed a few pretty bright stars so using the atlas I found myself looking at Auriga. Capella was certainly visible and so was Menkalinen (faintly) with Mahasim and Elnath slightly lower. These seem to make a shape which is very similar to the top of Orions sword (mental map building here I think). Anyway I was certainly happy that I had been able to use the atlas to figure these out.

 

I could easily make out the three of Orions Belt again but tonight I could also make out the top of Orions sword with 'red' Betelgeuse easily visible and Bellatrix just over to the right. Below the belt Rigel was there but just faintly to the left was I think Salph. Again I was happy because I had used the atlas and started to navigate its pages...so well chuffed.

 

All this took me about an hour but about two hours later when I took the kids home, they were dissing me for liking astronomy etc lol...but when we got out the car my daughter (14) asked me 'what's that then dad' - to which I replied thats Jupiter Chloe. She then started asking me where the 'plough' is which I also pointed out, along with Polaris and the 'W' of Cassiopeia. I must have been there about 15 minutes pointing things out which made me really happy showing them and just as good because I had no phone, no atlas to hand, just a mental map.

 

What can I say...very productive again. The 'itch' for the scope gets worse - by the minute.

 

Over and out.

Damian

[BAZ]

Good on ya Damian,  you are getting to know more and more, and even in this short time you have the major constellations sorted.

[Guest devil74]

Thanks Martyn, next time I head out it  will be with nothing but the old grey matter.