Posted by Larry Hoover on June 1, 2005, at 17:59:43
In reply to advice about telescopes - Deneb, or anyone else?, posted by JenStar on June 1, 2005, at 17:01:33
> A friend of mine at work was really into astronomy & used to bring in these fantastic pictures he took of the moon & other "things" (I'm so ignorant I don't even remember what they were.) I'm actually interested in getting a telescope, not too expensive, but something I can use to check out the moon & the other "stuff" that is out there.
One of the best ways to find out what stuff is available is to join an astronomy club. Often, a long time member will have upgraded their equipment, and have some good quality stuff available at a steep discount, compared to new prices.
In the summer, there are often "outreach" evenings, where a club will set up a number of telescopes for novices or interested people to use.
> I love taking pictures so eventually it might be cool to add a camera to the mix (can you take pictures thru a telescope?)
Sure, with the right adapters. One problem is the dimness of most celestial objects. In order to capture enough light to record an image, you have very long exposure times. The Earth's rotation through space becomes a significant factor in all but the briefest of exposures. You have to get a special motorized telescope mount to cancel out the rotation of the Earth.....otherwise the Earth rotates right out from under the object you're photographing.
Again, used equipment can save a bundle.
> Does anyone have expertise and could give me advice on what would be a good starter setup?
>
> thanks!
> JenStarDepends on exactly what you want to view. If you want to photograph deep space objects (e.g. nebulas), your equipment will differ somewhat (more costly) from that needed to view or photograph e.g. planets.
The best thing is to hang with people who already have the equipment. Most are enthusiastic to share what they have and know about the subject.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:506401
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050525/msgs/506443.html