I'm just a beginner and i have a low budget

[klutz]

Dude, dun worry about the energy or enthu part. I am so fully packed with it that you might thought I had Energizer for breakfast, lunch, dinner + supper. ;) But setting a scope up may be a killer... I thought the scope is simply an "open & aim" sort of equipment...?!?! (@_@)
If the sky's too cloudy, as long as it doesn't "pee", I guess I could observe and watch the clouds...

Thanks for the warning though!

[Aryanto]

hehehe. Want also can lah.
Somehow I think it is an asian influence huh. Want to Sell?
If you want, why you sell????

English is soooo confusing. I wish people speak math.

I think "Want to sell" is correct grammer.

Yes it is a correct grammar.
I am just picking on english construct.
Knowing a bit here and there of a few language actually let you see how complicated languages are, and despite their best effort, something is still lost in translation between toughts and the spoken/written words.

[alvinsclee]

Know what? Guys, I'm really touched and glad to have you ppl to guide me thru, to provide me informations etc...

Agree! The people here are extremely helpful.

I'm very new to astronomy too. I have a 12 X 42 bino which serves me well for bird-watching and beginning bino astro. I started with looking out for the planets... many of which are visible to the naked eye, closer to Earth and easier to spot.

I sort of 'cheated' by first using a computer program to determine the positions of these planets... and with the info, I go hunting for them. I used a number of such programs. One of them can even be downloaded onto the mobile phone!.

At least it is a start ;) Welcome to a wonderful hobby.

[weixing]

Hi,

I sort of 'cheated' by first using a computer program to determine the positions of these planets...

This is not cheating... most of us do that... ha ha ha

Happy observing and have a nice day.

[Tachyon]

By the way, there's no such thing as cheating in Astronomy - the only person who you can cheat is yourself! These are tools, and they are meant to enhance your experience... so enjoy!

[HoO_Germany]

Hi everyone..
I have some help needed.. I am a beginner in astrophotography, a total newbie.. but have had an interest in it long ago.. I nv tot i would decide to get a telescope .. but now i really wan to have a telescope of my own.. but there's one thing.. telescopes are expensive.. but i have a low budget of like 100 bucks .. wat can i get as a beginner ? and where do i get it ??

Hope for ASAP replies
THANKS !!

Hi EdNet

I would recomand you for your first telescope to waite a small time longer as you can spend some more money for your first telescope. And your wish to take directly photographies shall be put back as long your expiriences shall grow on this hobby. But after you can spend maybe somewhere up to 600 S$ you will be able to get your first 8" Dobson telescope. Such a mounted scope is not really good for using it to make photos, but it is a very big size and for a beginner one of the best choices to get for the first years a lot of fun in the sky.
You know, there make no sense to take a small and cheap scope only to throw you money out, it is better to save the money until you can spend some more for a good scope.
So as best you can do is to meet some astronomers in your near enviroment to go with them and let have a look trough as much scopes as possible, so you can make you own impress about what you want to see.
This because there are a lot of different telescopes, they shurely show you NOT the same.
There are telescopes with small focal length, these show you very nice objects you need a big sky-area, but there are also scopes with a long focal length, they show you very nice the planets and other interresant things, the small focus lenght never could show you.
You see...there is not easy to make a decission and for this, my tipp...go as much you can and meet astronomers and take a look trough their scopes to can make your own decission.

Clear skys
Robert

[alvinsclee]

The selfless sharing and helpfulness is truly evident in this community. We beginners are already feeling very much at home with patient mentoring from the 'old birds' (or shall I say, 'navigation stars') here

The problem is, he doesn't like Astro, no interest on stars/moon etc... and he didn't really like me being in this Forum, talking to you ppl, going obb, loaning bino from "strangers"... If you can influence him, I'll give you watever I have...

(quoted from your reply post in the "Bino" topic of this Beginners' Forum)

I wish your hubby will soon be one of us. He'll enjoy the company of these guys... but do watch out for naughty things guys can be up to when we are on the loose (my wife couldn't agree more!)... haha

[alvinsclee]

I din't know a Bino can be used for star gazing... Perhaps I'll try to use it for star-peeping tonite. Perhaps I'll need a compass?... Meanwhile, I can try to figure out some star maps first.

For beginning amateur astrologers starting out with binoculars, I find the 3D realtime sky-rendering software Stellarium useful to have an idea of how the sky will look like before venturing out into the open.

Another software I found useful is MicroSky, which can be downloaded onto a mobile phone or PDA with Java support.
Very useful to get a quick visual direction towards a desired sky object for observations.

But I guess it would be exciting to "explore" and "discover" some stars. If only we can travel to space as easily...

For absolute beginners in amateur astronomy, there is an online site called A Practical Guide to Astronomy (edited Fabrizio J. Napoleone), from Hot Liquid Magma, which presents much of the astronomy stuff in true layman terms.

Happy sky-watching!

[alvinsclee]

Anyway, when the sky is clear, you bring the book to an open area at around 9pm and you find the constellation, Orion, in the book. Look at the three stars that form the straight line... the Orion Belt in the book and look straight up overhead and you'll see that same three stars in the sky... and you find your first constellation! Also, try to look out for the M42/M43 beside the three stars and you'll find your first deep sky object!!

I was strolling in the park after dinner with my wife tonight when I looked up... lo and behold, Orion is right up there! Of course, I related to her the mythology of Orion the Hunter and how he has to avoid Scorpius the Scorpion. She also learnt about the 3-stars-in-a-line arrangement of the Orion Belt.

Good way to impress wife (or girlfriend, if you are courting) how good we are at seeing stars... presumably more intelligent than mere romancing in the moonlight ;)

[Aryanto]

Good way to impress wife (or girlfriend, if you are courting) how good we are at seeing stars... presumably more intelligent than mere romancing in the moonlight

Of course. need to go darker place some more... like those soo kee ad. you prepare the other star to put on her finger or not?