Amateur Astronomy advice

[Norman Potting]

Oldest Potting offspring is developing an interest in astronomy, encouraged by the recent "Stargazing Live" session we attended at the Amex.

Any advice on what best to start with for sky spotting activities, telescope or reasonable quality binoculars (brand/source/price would be useful), her birthday is rapidly approaching.

Thanks chaps and chapesses!

 

[Paskman]

Start with a good (Nikon, Opticron) pair of Binoculars. A start chart - book not computer, so she can take it outside, red torch, planetarium prgramme for computer/tablet. Then just have fun.

 

[Eggmundo]

I got into astronomy a couple of years ago and purchased a celestron 130e telescope. With hindsight I would have been better starting off getting a decent pair of binoculars, nothing massive, 7 x 35 should give you a good view. My fellow astronomers now all have go to mounts (type what you want to look at and it go's to it- obvious really) but I can't justify the outlay so spend most of my time searching for what i want to look at then keep tweaking the mount to track it.

Right now looking at the pleiades cluster with a pair of binoculars should be enough. But the scope is excellent for jupiter.

But as I say I am an amateur amateur astronomer...there's a good telescope shop in Goring (worthing astronomy centre) run by the guy who organises the Worthing Astronomer group. He's well worth talking to.

 

[RyFish]

A pair of 7x50 binoculars would be the best start, and a decent book on astronomy for beginners - Dorling Kindersley, that sort of thing.

 

[clippedgull]

Oldest Potting offspring is developing an interest in astronomy, encouraged by the recent "Stargazing Live" session we attended at the Amex.

Any advice on what best to start with for sky spotting activities, telescope or reasonable quality binoculars (brand/source/price would be useful), her birthday is rapidly approaching.

Thanks chaps and chapesses!

This page may be helpful.

GETTING STARTED IN ASTRONOMY

 

[Phat Baz 68]

Oldest Potting offspring is developing an interest in astronomy, encouraged by the recent "Stargazing Live" session we attended at the Amex.

Any advice on what best to start with for sky spotting activities, telescope or reasonable quality binoculars (brand/source/price would be useful), her birthday is rapidly approaching.

Thanks chaps and chapesses!

I think there is also an online Astronomy course run by John Moores Uni in Liverpool my mates son did it and loved it !!

 

[GreersElbow]

Depends on her age, perhaps buy Patrick Moore's astronomy dvds. And/or Astronomy for dummies, which is actually really, really good!

 

[RexCathedra]

Because there are too many variable stars, and too few professional or academic astronomers, in the field of variable-star observations, amateurs do most of the work. Real contributions to our store of astronomical knowledge can be made by folks quite early on, with exiguous equipment




AAVSO (the American Association of Variable Star Observers) is one of the largest astronomy groups in the world, and not, despite its name, just for Americans.