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#1
08-11-2020, 10:31 PM
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OT: Amateur Astronomers, hook me up w/ a swanky telescope!
One of the things the missus and I enjoy perhaps more than anything (well... nudge-nudge) is stargazing. We mostly do it with the naked eye (nudge-nudge, wink-wink...okay, sorry, I'll stop) though on occasion we'll whip out a pair of binoculars. But one of our most memorable stargazing experiences took place ~15 or 20 years ago, when the proprietor of a B&B we were staying at took out his swanky telescope with computerized GPS aiming gizmo, and gave us a tour of the planets.
I have no idea what kind of telescope it was. It was maybe 4 feet long, 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Had a big hefty tripod. The coolest part of the rig was the automated aiming system. I vaguely recall he had a laptop computer hooked up to the thing. He typed in our longitude and latitude, and also (I think?) the date. And then he simply entered "Jupiter" from a drop-down list in the software, and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTT servo motors instantly move the telescope to be aimed directly at Jupiter! And it was a fabulously clear, up-close view of Jupiter. It took up probably half the field of vision (or whatever it's called). When he dialed in Saturn we got a clear view of the rings, and the space between the rings and the planet. We were able to see the color differences between Mars and Venus explicitly and clearly. Anyhow... Ms. Thing and I have decided that A) we finally have the wherewithal to procure a similar telescope and aiming thing for our very own entertainment, and B) given the quarantine thing, there's no better time than now to invest in some stargazing apparatus. But we have no idea where to even begin. What are we looking for? What will get us that same experience we had ~15 or 20 years ago: Vivid clear impressive magnification of the solar system, and a computerized aiming system that takes the guesswork out of planet-hunting? Hook us up, yo. Thanks. 
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#3
08-11-2020, 10:58 PM
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I don't have a telescope, but sometimes I check out the various online sky maps to see "what's out there." And, of course, they're free, so it's a super-easy way to start. Add some binoculars, and you're good to go.
Most are pretty neat and have lots of interactive features. Here's one that's I've set to NYC. Click on a object you want to locate and it will tell you where it is. It also gives you some info on how easy it is to spot the various big hitters. https://www.timeanddate.com/astronom...t/usa/new-york Here's another one: https://skyandtelescope.org/interactive-sky-chart/
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#4
08-11-2020, 11:01 PM
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Here's just one article: https://www.space.com/31229-best-beg...elescopes.html
I know a couple of people that have bought Celestron scopes and been happy with them (wink-wink). Almost all the scopes nowadays can be bought with the software/hardware to focus on whatever you want to view. I looked into buying a scope about 20 years ago and it's a deep rabbit hole, like bikes, and you can spend a lot of money. Personally, I wouldn't spend a lot of money unless you can get to an area with dark skies. You can view plenty in urban areas even with light pollution. I've been fortunate to look through some nice scopes over the years but I've stuck with my nice birding binoculars for watching the night sky. I got some nice views of comet Neowise last month. Good luck. Space is cool--about 4 Kelvin I'm sure there are members here that can give you even better advice.
__________________
Life is short-enjoy every day.
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#6
08-12-2020, 07:12 AM
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#7
08-12-2020, 08:05 AM
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Here's one off Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Meade-Instrum...10046287&psc=1
seems to have what your looking for. quick google search will produce others.
__________________
Cuando era joven
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#8
08-12-2020, 08:13 AM
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Step 1 is probably:
- Buy the B&B Cause it's going to be really hard to have this as a hobby in NYC due to light pollution. Otherwise (I used to own a telescope years ago): - Ideally you want a place you can permanently/semi-permanently mount the telescope, otherwise you have to align the mount every time you take it out. The mount needs to be aligned to the earth's axis of rotation. - You want something reflective IMO, refractive is a disaster at small sizes. - I would totally go for computer controlled, otherwise you're constantly turning the knob to counter the earth's rotation.
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#9
08-12-2020, 08:19 AM
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__________________
And we have just one world, But we live in different ones
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#10
08-12-2020, 09:01 AM
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 computer controlled telescope looks like fun...let us know when you get it and we'll have a viewing party. I'll bring a case of Monkeynaut, a very hoppy IPA.
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#11
08-12-2020, 09:28 AM
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Everything I wrote can be ignored if neighbor hunting. NO need to align the mount with the earth's axis of rotation, light pollution will be no issue, refractive will be totally fine, no need for computer control at all.  I had a refractive manual telescope. It was easy to look at the moon wherever. I sighted Jupiter once with it, but the telescope wasn't big enough to see Jupiter in color, just B&W. I was living in NH at the time. I had to drive out of the city I was in (100k people?) to get away from the light pollution which was nothing compared to a real city. Then align the mount, since my telescope was not so great the tripod wasn't rock solid. If the mount is off at ALL the controls get messed up and your ability to dial in coordinates from an app gets all screwed up. Given my setup I remember feeling like it was a big accomplishment to successfully sight on Jupiter. It was B&W, but you could see the spot. Basically below a certain level of sophistication it's really frustrating. Maybe a good computerized reflective scope you can just punch in the coordinates right on a balcony in NYC and since it aims perfectly for you the light pollution isn't an issue. I went to the observatory in Cincinatti once right in the middle of the city... if you're talking about a telescope that size you can stick it in the city and still see the moons of the outer planets just fine right in the middle of the light pollution.
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#12
08-12-2020, 09:35 AM
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Okay, I got two different answers for options around that price range: a Meade LX 90 ACF or a Celestron NextStart 8SE. The person who recommended the Meade said that the Celestron would also be "fine." The person who recommended the Celestron said that the Meade would also be "excellent."
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#13
08-12-2020, 09:35 AM
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What a fun hobby!
We bought an Orion Skyquest XT10 "used" many years ago. It stays up at our cabin which is on the edge of the BWCA. The detail of vision is amazing on the scope and is super easy for beginners to use. Wait till you have a satellite fly through your field of view or if you are lucky, a meteor! We have moved on to a more expensive full featured Celestron model (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...e.html/reviews) that has all the bells and whistles, but we still use the XT10 during the summer. Here is a primer for the beginning astronomer on the Orion website. https://www.telescope.com/content.js...og&src=footer1 Hope this helps!
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#14
08-12-2020, 01:31 PM
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We should change the name of this forum to "I didn't know I needed / wanted that". Terrible enablers, all of us!
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#15
08-12-2020, 01:35 PM
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__________________
And we have just one world, But we live in different ones
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