Begineers question.......

On Oct 22, 7:35*pm, Nick <[Registered users can see links. ]> wrote:

A very few planetary nebulae will show as apple green in a modest
scope although to see colour I think you might need an 8" or 200mm
aperture. And the UK skies are not the clearest and very light
polluted in cities.

I have crossposted it into uk.sci.astronomy

If you say roughly where you live there is a list of local
astronomical societies and most have observing nights where you can
try out various scopes and see what fits your interests. Lists online
at:
[Registered users can see links. ]
Keen observers are in short supply so if you get lucky the society may
even have unused loan kit once you are a member. Also look for second
hand kit in the back of Astronomy Now or online.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Martin Brown

On Oct 23, 9:44*am, Martin Brown <|||[Registered users can see links. ].uk>
wrote:

Would a Dobsonian make any difference, with the same size - 130mm?,

On Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:44:20 -0700 (PDT), Nick
<[Registered users can see links. ]> wrote:


They would be the same telescope (a 130 mm Newtonian), just on different
mountings. A Dobsonian is just a Newtonian telescope on a simple,
inexpensive altaz mount. Because the mount is so cheap, more value can
be directed towards the optics.

The Skywatcher 130 (which I suspect is not a very good setup- it looks
exactly like a number of generic Chinese scopes I've seen, all very
shaky and frustrating to use) is on an equatorial mount, which is what I
prefer. Many people find altaz mounts (as with a Dob) more comfortable
to use. Another reason to find a club.

Any equipment deficiencies aside, the main limitation with a 130mm
aperture is that it's a bit on the small side for observing DSOs. A
larger aperture will give you better resolution, better contrast, and
higher magnification. That's why I suggested starting with an 8" or
larger. In the U.S. I'd expect a quality 8" Dob to run $300-$500;
anything less I'd be suspicious. Not sure how to translate that in your
case, however.
_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
[Registered users can see links. ]

On Oct 23, 3:02*pm, Chris L Peterson <[Registered users can see links. ]> wrote:

I think it is the usual delete $ and insert £ like most hitech gear.
eg
[Registered users can see links. ]
(they have a very good reputation as a UK maker)

The OP could probably save about 30-40% by waiting until after Xmas
when unwanted presents in near mint condition get unloaded by people
who discover that it is cold outside in the mid winter. AstroFest UK
in London is the place to go to see all the kit and accessories on
offer in the UK under one roof - and some great lectures too. And a
10% discount on some of the kit...

The Astonomy Now website is singularly uniformative about the
programme
[Registered users can see links. ]

Regards,
Martin Brown

On Oct 23, 2:58*pm, Martin Brown <|||[Registered users can see links. ].uk>
wrote:

What about this one? [Registered users can see links. ]

Nick

On Oct 23, 2:58*pm, Martin Brown <|||[Registered users can see links. ].uk>
wrote:

Does this one look any good? [Registered users can see links. ]

Nick

No. Look, either you will 1) spend some time and energy to educate yourself,
2) spend a lot of money, or 3) probably end up with junk. If you choose 1)
then your local astro club will be a huge resource. Far too many folks
choose 3) by default, and that is a shame.

Dennis

[MartinRo]

That piece of equipment would suit the very beginner (kindergarden level i would say) and if you starting to get a little passion on the sky matter you will soon have to replace with a better one.

[star drop]

Hi Martin,

Welcome to the forum.