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An Introduction to Astronomy

An Introduction to Astronomy. You don’t need anything apart from your eyes, a little patience and a clear sky…. All sorts of things can turn up!. Comet McNaught 2010. As seen from the UK.

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An Introduction to Astronomy

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  1. An Introduction to Astronomy

  2. You don’t need anything apart from your eyes, a little patience and a clear sky…. All sorts of things can turn up!

  3. Comet McNaught 2010 As seen from the UK

  4. Did you know you can see agalaxy 2.5 million light-yearsaway with your unaided eyes?Craters on the Moon with binoculars?Countless wonders await youany clear night.The first step is simply to lookup and ask, "What's that?”When you do, you're taking thefirst step towards a lifetime ofcosmic explorationand enjoyment…In fact - just like Dr Who,you’re travellingback in time…

  5. LIGHT SPEEDSOME AMAZING FACTS….Light travels at 186,282 miles PER SECOND!Light from the Moon takes just 1.3 seconds to reach us - (238,857 miles)Light from the Sun takes 8.3 second to reach us - (93 MILLION miles !)Light from our Sun’s closest star Proxima Centauri takes 4.24 yrs to reach us!Light from the Andromeda Galaxy takes 2.5 MILLION years

  6. So, what’s up there then…? No matter how big your telescope (or the magnification you use), the stars will always appear as pin pricks of light because they are so far away!

  7. Let’s add someimaginary lines to help… The entire sky is divided into 88 of these patterns - known as constellations, many of their striking shapes and names have been with us for thousands of years.

  8. Well according to the Greeks!

  9. But what, exactly, comes next?Too many newcomers to astronomy get lost in dead ends and quit in frustration. It shouldn't be that way. 1. Learn the sky with the unaided eye.Astronomy is an outdoor nature hobby. Go out into the night and learn the starry names and patterns overhead.Use a monthly naked-eye star chart to showyou which stars are overhead. Buy a Philip'sPlanisphere or download for free STELLARIUM,planetarium software for PC and Mac. Even in a densely populated, light-polluted area,there's more to see than you might imagine. Even if you go no further, the ability to look up and say, "There's Polaris" or "That's Saturn" will provide pleasure, and perhaps a sense of place in the cosmos!

  10. Astronomy is a learning hobby. Its joys come from intellectual discovery and knowledge of the cryptic night sky. But you have to make these discoveries, and gain this knowledge, by yourself. In other words,you need to become self-taught. 2. A few books would help andmonthly magazines also!

  11. Of course the Web is a tremendous resource. There are excellent beginner's sites and friendly forums: TRY: skyatnightmagazine.com stargazerslounge.com cloudynights.com skyandtelescope.com

  12. You don’t even needany equipment tomeasure roughdistances either….Just your arm, hand and fingers!HERE’S HOW…

  13. Lets see the movement of stars then over 1 DAYWatch how Orion moves 1 degree (1 finger remember…!)

  14. Lets see the movement of stars then over 1 DAYWatch how Orion moves 1 degree (1 finger remember…!)

  15. AND NOW OVER 1 YEAR AROUND POLARISStarting tonight

  16. 1 YEAR AROUND POLARISTomorrow night - just 1 degree anti-clockwise

  17. 1 YEAR AROUND POLARISOne month’s time

  18. 1 YEAR AROUND POLARISThree month’s time…

  19. 1 YEAR AROUND POLARISSix months - height of Summer, it’s still light…

  20. 1 YEAR AROUND POLARISNine months - Autumn draws in and the nights get longer…

  21. 1 YEAR AROUND POLARIS12 months completed and back to where we started!

  22. 3. Thinking telescope? Start with binoculars!Binoculars make an ideal "first telescope" for several reasons.They show you a wide field of view, making it easy to find your way around, whereas a higher-power telescope magnifies only a tiny, hard-to-locate bit of sky. Binoculars show a view that's right-side up and straight in front of you, making it easy to see where you're pointing. (An astronomical telescope's view, by contrast, is often upside down, is sometimes mirror-imaged as well!!!Binoculars are also relatively cheap, widelyavailable, and a breeze to carry and store. Bigger is better BUT, too big = difficult to holdsteady for long periods.

  23. You can have fun looking at the Moonand sweeping the star fields of the Milky Way,but that will wear thin pretty fast. However, if you've learned the constellationsand obtained detailed sky maps, binocularscan keep you happily busy for years.They'llreveal dozens of star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae. They'll show the ever-changing positions of Jupiter's moons and the crescent phases of Venus. You can identify dozens of craters, plains, and mountains on the Moon.You can split scores of interestingdouble stars and follow the fadingsand brightenings of numerous variablestars. If you know what to look for!

  24. 4. Join an Astro Group! (just like us here!)We meet on the last Friday of the month. YOU DON’T NEED ANY EQUIPMENT TO COME!Joining a group offers a fine opportunity to try different telescopes, learn what they will and will not do, pick up advice and new skills, and make friends.You learn from others’ (sometimes expensive) mistakes and it can help you decide what is the best scope for you…. Different scopes are better at different things: DEEP SKY OBJECTS, PLANENTS & LUNAR VIEWINGPHOTOGRAPHY - although none see through cloud!!!The best scope for you IS NOT ALWAYS THE BIGGEST!

  25. 5. When it is time - make the right decisionThis is no time to skimp on quality; shun the flimsy, semi-toy "departmentstore" scopes offering 400+ magnificationthat may have caught your eye.The telescope you want has twoessentials. The first is a solid, steadysmoothly working mount.The second is high-quality,"diffraction-limited" optics.You'll want aperture (size), but don't lose sight of portability and convenience. Remember, the best telescope for you is the one you'll use most. Sometimes gung-ho novices forget this and purchase a huge "white elephant" that is difficult to carry, set up, and take down, so it rarely gets used.

  26. 6. Computerised GOTO - or not…?Many new telescopes have built-incomputers and motors that can, in theory,point the scope to any celestial object at thepush of a few buttons (after you do someinitial setup and alignment).These "Go To" scopes are fun to use and cancertainly help you locate sights you mightotherwise overlook.BUT "flying on automatic pilot," at least forbeginners, keeps you from learning to fly onyour own. It's important, at least for backuppurposes, to be able to use a sky chart andhave constellation knowledge to find telescopicobjects by yourself… especially if the scope'sbatteries die after you’ve set-up!!!

  27. Galileo - Venice 1609

  28. What are all these different types of telescope then…? The ‘Newtonian’ telescope was invented by Sir Isaac Newton in 1668. The optics may have got BIGGER and better, but the general design is much the same today….The ‘Dobsonian’ telescope is the same as a Newtonian telescope - just it’s on a Dobsonian base - invented by John Dobson (an American astronomer) as recently as 1960!

  29. MountsThe sturdier the better - off set by how portable you want it… Simple Alt/Az (UP and DOWN) and the more complex GEM.One axis (R.A.) is tilted to your latitude (your position on the Earth N or S of the equator) and the other (DEC) parallel to the celestial equator - like the Earth’s equator but in the sky.

  30. How do I align my telescope then for visual use…?North leg of tripod pointing North. Get the tripod LEVEL. Tilt polar axis (R.A) to angle of your latitude - find on web. Check by looking along your scope or through finder! You can now rotate the RA axis to follow the motion of the stars. Fine tune with a POLAR SCOPE as required!

  31. 7. Lose your ego! *WARNING!*Astronomy teaches patience and humility and you had better be prepared to learn them!Not everything will work the first time ;-( You'll hunt for some wonder in the depths and miss it :-( and hunt again, and miss it again. This is ‘normal’ :-0 With increasing knowledge, you will succeed ;-) .There's nothing you can do about the clouds, the extreme distance and faintness of the objects of your desire, or the special event that you missed because you got all set up one minute late. The universe will not bend to your wishes….Most objects that are within the reach of any telescope, no matter what its size, are barely within its reach. So most of the time you'll be hunting for things that appear very dim or very small. If flashy visuals are what you're after, go watch TV!!!

  32. 8. Relax and have fun!!!!Don’t get upset at your telescope because it's less than perfect. Perfection doesn't exist, no matter what you paid.If you find yourself getting wound up over Jupiters's invisibility, or the aberrations of your eyepiece, take a deep breath and remember why you're doing this.Amateur astronomy should be calming and fun.Learn to take pleasure in whatever your instrument can indeed show you. The more you look and examine, the more you will see and the more you'll become at home in the night sky.Set your own pace, and delight in the beauty and mystery of our amazing universe. It helps to have an ‘observing buddy’ or understanding wife/partner to share this great hobby also!!!

  33. Let’s get started then!How do we find this ‘Pole Star’ - POLARIS? We use the Great Bear/The Plough Big, bright and visible all year round in the north - it even has 2 ‘pointers’!

  34. Looking NorthAll the stars appear (over time) to rotate around Polaris. Brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor (Little Bear) 430 Ly from the Earth!

  35. Time Lapse Photography Star Trails

  36. Looking EastAuriga - ‘The Charioteer’ at the topGemini ‘Twins’ in the centre

  37. Looking WestM31 The Great Andromeda GalaxyCygnus the Swan (a summer constellation) NOTE: Jupiter setting - close to Uranus at the moment…

  38. Download a free observing sheet to remember what you’ve seen!

  39. SouthOrion The Hunter and M42 the Great Orion Nebula Red Giant star - Aldebaran in The Hydes and Taurus The Bull

  40. What can I expect to see then…??? ***WARNING***If you’re expecting to see colour like those fantastic Hubble Telescope pictures….. Well, you’re in for a big disappointment… Sorry!

  41. M42 The Great Orion Nebula

  42. M31 The Great Andromeda Galaxy2.5+ million Ly away!More than double the size of our own Milky Way!! Approximately 1.23 TRILLION stars!!! And heading towards us!!!

  43. And what you might hope to see in a scope…

  44. One of my own!NGC 457 Owl Cluster (ET Cluster:Caldwell 13)and NGC436 Open star cluster in Cassiopeia

  45. And another - The Double ClusterA naked eye cluster (or two!) in the constellation Perseus

  46. Last one - M27 The Dumbbell NebulaIn the constellation Vulpecula1,360 Ly awayIs a Planetary Nebula - ejecting hot gasses from a dying star

  47. What other tips would we offer…?1) Your eyes need to become dark adapted - so turn off any lights, go outside and give your eyes 15 minutes to adjust to that darkness - you’ll be amazed how much more you’ll see!2) Make sure you are comfortable - it really helps and you’ll stay out longer! Wrap-up warm, even in the summer. A hat and gloves are a must, thick socks and walking boots too!3) A red torch to help read the sky charts you remembered to print out(!) and red acetate over that laptop screen to maintain your dark adapter eyes!4) Invite a friend/family member to observe (offer encouragement and help - they can hold the chart and hot chocolate also!!!)5) Take your time. Some objects are really faint. With practice you’ll find and observe in greater detail - promise!

  48. The best scope is the one you’ll use most!1) The smaller and lighter it is, the more likely you’ll venture outside dodging between the clouds.2) A permanent observatory, shed, or roll-off unit is ideal…3) The smaller the scope, the quicker it should cool (under an hour) - otherwise you’ll be looking through temperature currents and objects will be blurry - the moon will look like it’s ‘boiling’.4) Magnification (unless on bright planets and the moon is not required). Most observers find that less is more. The more magnification you use the DIMMER the object!5) The best way to upgrade a good quality scope is with better complimentary accessories (star diagonal and eyepieces).6) Get out to a dark site and you’ll see SO MUCH MORE!

  49. Final tips from those that have gone before…!1) Make sure you have a good finder attached (or two) and that they ARE ALIGNED!!!

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