Visual = Live = Analogue = Retina Busting What is the most impressive place you have ever visited? Maybe a waterfall or a monument? Do you remember everyone around you glued to their phones, taking lots of pictures? A lot of those photos were viewed once and then forgotten. But you still remember that view,…
Buying a Telescope – Start Here
Before buying a telescope for astronomy, consider… If you don’t want to read any of this, get a Bresser 5” tabletop Dobsonian and if that is too much, buy binoculars. If you can afford it, get a 6” or even better an 8” Dobsonian like a StellaLyra/Apertura. What do you want to use it for?…
What’s the best telescope?
If you were asked, “what is the best car?”, how could you give a recommendation without knowing if they were planning to use it to take the kids to school, drive up dirt tracks or go racing? Ultimately the best telescope for you is the one that you use. I think the Dobsonian is the…
Why choose a Dobsonian?
The Dobsonian telescope is the perfect choice for the visual astronomer This is why I chose it I was interested in visual astronomy. I wanted to observe in real-time. I wanted the largest proportion of my budget to be spent on the mirror and focuser so that I got great, pleasing views with no colour…
Using a new telescope
First, don’t rush and enjoy the experience of learning a new skill. It will take time as this is a slow hobby. Check your telescope over indoors. Make sure you can adjust the vertical and horizontal position, that you know how the focuser works and how to change and secure the eyepiece. Don’t try and…
What do I look at?
Like many observers, I enjoy a combination of things to look at but I am happy to limit myself to just a couple of objects in one session. “Turn Left at Orion” (along with SkySafari or Stellarium) is an essential guide for the visual observer. It suggests good targets and explains how to find them.…
Finding dim objects
How to Star Hop Sometimes a dim object like M1 (Crab Nebula) can be difficult to locate as it may take a long time looking through the eyepiece before it becomes visible. This is the method I used to find M1 or even dimmer objects like M97 or M108. Usual Method in a nutshell Search…
Recommended Star Maps
There is a wealth of fantastic resources on the internet I could only have dreamt of when I had my first telescope in 1968. Phone/table apps None of the printed maps are much use when observing as they are not detailed enough and they are difficult to use when observing at night. That is where…
Finding and finder-scopes
With its high magnification and apart from the moon, finding objects can be very difficult for new and experienced observers. Technology can help but a finder will be essential for most telescopes. I use a combination of a non-magnifying finder and then a right-angle magnifying finder (RACI) to locate objects. Most telescopes will come…
Telrad Fitting Adapter
The Telrad is a great straight-through, non-magnifying finder. It’s not so useful for star hopping if you suffer from light pollution. That is why the right-angled finder (RACI) is so useful because unlike the Telrad it allows you to see fainter stars. Not having to bend your neck is great for comfort but can make…
Collimation Checks
The Newtonian telescope is very simple – Two mirrors, one curved and one flat. But to work, it needs to be set up properly with those mirrors and the eyepiece/focus tube aligned. Hanging wallpaper in your house is easier when the walls, floors and windows are square! Collimation is a very simple process made complicated by the…
Through the eyepiece tube
The view through the eyepiece tube of the reflector telescope can be confusing, hence this page. A sheet of yellow paper has been placed behind the secondary mirror to help identify its edge. The view through the focus tube of a typical 200mm (8″) f/6 Newtonian Reflector Showing n reflections in the sight/focus tube >…
The Zoom Eyepiece
The “stock” eyepieces that came with my 8″ 200P Dobsonian were great for me to get started. A new owner should definitely get used to them before considering any “upgrade”. For me, the stock 25mm produced good results but the 10mm was dim and I was disappointed with the clarity of what I was seeing.…
Essential Accessories
This is my essential list of accessories when observing. The aim is to maximise comfort with the minimum amount of carrying. I am assuming that you already have a copy of “Turn Left at Orion” Collimation cap and Cheshire eyepiece/sight tube combination tool Eyepatch – worn half an hour before observing to ensure my eyes…
Observing Chairs and Stools
I find a height-adjustable chair or stool an essential accessory when observing. The longer you look through the eyepiece the more you see. This is especially the case for clusters and galaxies. I would also find sketching impossible without a chair. The Lybar Simple, lightweight and cheap, the Lift Your Butt and Rotate seat is…
Observing Log
I keep a log of observations in a spreadsheet (download here). This is uploaded to the cloud so that I can update it when I am away from the desktop computer. The log has four main sections (sheets), Binaries (double and multiple stars), DSO (Messier and NGC objects), Solar System and Other (everything else). The…
Dobsonian Astrophotography
So what about the other 1%? I said I was a 99% visual observer who prefer “live” views, but once in a while to use a smartphone to capture an image. The Dobsonian mount is very limiting and imaging with a smartphone is fiddly and with no stacking or processing (I have better things to…
Dual Speed Focuser Upgrade
The Crayford focuser that is supplied with the 200P works well but having a dual-speed focuser makes it easier to precisely achieve focus in order to get a good view. This upgrade is worthwhile and significantly improves the observing experience. The kit used was manufactured by Lacerta and purchased from 365Astronomy at a cost of…
Mirror Cleaning
Over time dust will build up on the mirrors of a reflector telescope and the amount will depend on the conditions where you live and how you store your telescope. Dust can be minimised by keeping the aperture capped when not in use and storing the OTA with the primary mirror facing down. Dust will…
Telrad Dew Reduction
The glass of the Telrad is rather a dew magnet. To reduce this I have used these anti-fog wipes and built a dew shield made from an A4 sheet of black foam and some velcro cut into small squares. It is very easy to make and the details for doing this are below. More details
Flocking
Lining the OTA of the telescope reduces unwanted internal reflections and has the additional benefit of keeping dew off the mirrors. To flock the OTA of my 8″ 300mm telescope, I used two 1m rolls of Black Velour Material. This is easily fitted to the tube without rippling. As I was removing the secondary and…
Solar Filter
A solar filter made using a sheet of Baader AstroSolar Safety Film. Important – Do not point a telescope or finder at the sun as this will result in permanent eye damage. When using the filter ensure caps are on the finder. Use tape to ensure the filter is secure. The film comes with instructions for…
Finder safety harness
The findersope bracket and mount on the Skywatcher 200P has been (presumably) designed so that if the OTA is lifted using it, there is no danger of the finder and bracket becoming detached. The problem is that unless the knurled screw is very tight, there is a danger that in the vertical position, the finder and bracket may…
Carrying the Dobsonian
One of the advantages of the 8” Dobsonian is that it gives good views but at 21kg is not too large or heavy. It still needs moving with care of course. For transportation in a car, I separate the base and place it on the back seat with the feet adjacent to the door. From…
Skywatcher 200P impressions
This was my first telescope since the toy 2″ refractor I owned as a child in the late 1960’s. Since then I’ve just been a naked eye and binocular observer. Why did I choose the Skywatcher 200P Dobsonian? It was ordered at the end of October 2020 and was packaged in two parts. It is…
Navigation with a push to app
Push-to apps use the technology of a smart phone to guide you to targets. Astrohopper is an open source web app that get good user views. It’s more accurate than SkEye. SkEye is an app that like the excellent Stellarium allows you to find objects in the sky. It dispenses with ‘bells and whistles’ so…
Top 500 double stars
A file of over 500 double stars selected and recommended as targets because they are a sight to behold. Double stars make brilliant targets for light polluted skies Download The data file is in a spreadsheet for ease of sorting and modifying in Excel, Google Sheets, Libre Office etc. The fields include object name(s), location…
Star Gazing – Useful Information
Key Advice This is a slow hobby. Take your time and be prepared to learn. Don’t rush things or spend/waste money on upgrading until you have come to the conclusion about what is right for you . Therefore ignore advice to buy X or Y until you can answer why you actually need X or Y. Glossary and…