Australian Astronomers Introduce Yourselves Here!

[admin]

Australian Astronomers Introduce Yourselves Here!

Dont be shy introduce yourselves here, a bit about yourselves and where abouts you are located in OZ

[admin]

Guess I will go first.

I am based with my family (wife and son) in Sydney Australia, north of the central downtown district.

I usually only visit dark skies when I can rent a car so I mainly do imaging/viewing from my balcony in the city.

Really interested in planets, moon, and deep sky objects (mainly globulars, nebulae, galaxies).

Hopefully eventually can get a decent CCD for imaging that is on my most wanted list.


clear skies!

[Starbuck]

Hi there!

I only joined a few days ago. I have very recently redkindled my interest in Astronomy. I had a cheap 40mm Tasco scope when I was a kid (which did quite nicely!) however lost interest, as kids do. It has always been something I've wanted to get back into. I'm now in the negotiation stage of buying a 2nd hand 10" DSH-10 Hardin dob, which I think will make a great re-entry level scope!

I am based on the Far South Coast of NSW, and thankfully have more dark sky than I know what to do with. The main hurdle we have down here is smoke, as alot of folks burn off, especially this time of year.

Anyway, I'm off to browse the beginner section!

Cheers
Pete

[admin]

Hi Pete! welcome

[Kokatha man]

Hi and wellcome also Pete....!

[YogieOne69]

Hi everyone,
My name is Paul. Been interested in whats up in the skys since I was 'bout 14, when I saved up and bought a 30mm department store. (K-Mart actually) I can still remember seeing a partial eclipse of the sun while living in the far north of South Australia when I was about 7. I was facinated by it. When I started work, I got to know some people with a sheep station way up north, and while there, I saw DARK skies. I couldn't even FIND the star patterns that were familliar from the city. I've been interested ever since. more recently, ('bout 9 years) I bought a 3inch reflector, well I had to have something better. I bought a 115mm Saxon about 3 years ago, and I have enjoyed that till now. I am now hooked on Astronomy. I have been a member of the Astronomical Association of South Australia since 2001.

I still have my 30mm, a 45mm and 50mm store type telescopes, my 115mm, 7X50 and 10X50 bonoculars, I have built a barn-door tracker for my cameras. Because I am interested in astronomical photography, and none of my previous scopes had drives on them, I have now ordered a 12" tracking collapsable Dob, due sometime this week. I also have a sympathetic but not interested wife.

I live in Adelaide, South Australia. I take my equipment out bush to dark skies for viewing, usually about 55 Kilometers further north of my home, where the glow from Adelaide's northern suburbs is not as annoying. (where there is clear Views West, North and East.)

[admin]

Hi Paul welcome to the site mate!

[S.Snelling]

Hi,

I'm Skye (ironic I know haha) and I'm from WA. I still haven't purchased my first scope because I want to make sure I get the right one- I'm looking for a good beginner scope that will last a fair while.

I would like an 8" Dobsonian because most sites say they're the best to start with but with 2 kids under 2 it's a little out of my price range. I was thinking a Celestron Astromaster (either 114EQ or 130EQ) but I'm not sure where to get one...
Can anyone please tell me the difference between an Astromaster and a Powerseeker? I found a cheap 2nd hand Powerseeker 114EQ (only $75) but I think the price might be a clue that it's not very good.
Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated

=D

[admin]

Hi Skye,

welcome to the site!

[Dark Flow]

Hey all.
I made an introduction post a while ago in the new members thread but just saw this section now and figured I'd say hi.
Although I am currently not in Australia but Belgium(there is no Belgian section) I am Australian so I hope I still qualify. I have only recently got into astronomy as a hobby and got my first telescope a Skywatcher Explorer while in Belgium and it makes me think back to the perfect viewing conditions that I had in rural SA and never took advantage of it. Where I am now has significant light pollution issues but I can work with that still. I am a complete beginner to astronomy and this site as well so please excuse any silly comments and questions.
Anyway, just wanted to say hello and I have

Cheers

Jarrod.