Need help

[flick003]

I recently purchased a Meade ETX-70AT. This is my first telescope, EVER. Did I buy a good one? I have used it twice, but have forgotten to take a compass or GPS with me so I had no way of knowing which way was north (needed to align the telescope). As I have been unable to align the telescope, I have not been able to utilize the GOTO feature. I have simply roamed the skies and all I've seen are stars (they look pretty much the same as when I view them with my glasses on). I know the moon will be pretty cool but I would like to see some planets or nebulae or comets or anything really, except things that look the same when I simply look up. Constructive criticism and suggestions are more than welcome. Keep in mind that I bought a telescope with the GOTO feature because I have no clue where celestial objects are in the sky.

 

[lunatio_gordin]

I have an ETX-90. and, well, finding and tracking planets without the go to is incredibly difficult. My autostar stopped working (actually, it broke before i ever had a chance to use it. this is what happens when children get near telescopes.) so i haven't used it much, but i did watch mars at it's closest point a few years ago, and it was quite amazing, but if i took my eye off it for a second to get someone's attention i would lose it. <br /><br />and also, for orienting the telescope, you need to know where at least a few of the larger stars are, so heh, i recommend a sky map <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" />

 

[igorsboss]

<font color="yellow">have forgotten to take a compass or GPS with me so I had no way of knowing which way was north (needed to align the telescope)</font><br /><br />You can use the sun's shadow to find true North.<br /><br />The sun is highest in the sky each day precicely when the sun is directly south. So, at local noon, shadows all point exactly North.<br /><br />Try the following...<br />1) Tape a piece of paper to a flat board.<br />2) Pound a nail into the board, sticking up, so that it casts a shadow. This shadow-caster is called a gnomon.<br />3) Place the board on the ground, making sure it is precicely level. Don't disturb it.<br />4) From time to time throughout the day, place a tiny dot where the tip of the shadow falls on the paper.<br />5) Connect the dots with a smooth curve (a hyperbola)<br />6) Find the spot on the curve which is closest to the gnomon.<br />7) The line from the gnomon through that spot on the curve points true North.<br /><br />When you've finished finding true North, try to find Polaris (the North star) the following night.

 

[flick003]

Wow, that's a pretty innovative way to find North. The only problem is that I work all day, and use my telescope after dark. Maybe I could use your experiment after work when it is still daylight? After work, I still have a good 4 hours before dark. I might just go and get a GPS, but your way is MUCH cheaper. But what about the telescope? Did I choose a relatively good one? I did research before I bought it and I feel like I made a good decision but I guess I'm just looking for reassurance from someone who knows what they're talking about.

 

[alienhunter]

Have a look att these free star maps:<br /><br />The Mag-7 Star Atlas Project:<br />http://www.siaris.net/astro/atlas/<br /><br />The maps doesn't name many of the stars but mark the stars you want to watch or watched and check the names out on your computer with free software like Sky Charts at http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/<br /><br />No GPS? Check your position out with the free software from http://earth.google.com/<br /><br />Everything except the compass (and your telescope) is free, enjoy. <br /><br />Edit: I have the ETX-90 myself but I now would prefer a dobsonian. Goto is overrated for the beginner IMHO.<br /><br />igorsboss, thanks, like tips like that!

 

[igorsboss]

<font color="yellow">Wow, that's a pretty innovative way to find North.</font><br /><br />Sorry, I can't take credit for the innovation, because someone else showed me how to do it. To be innovative would imply that I had invented it, which I didn't....<br /><br />However, I did come up with an innovative twist to this technique that I'd like to share... I tried an experiment once to try to improve the accuracy, and it worked pretty well.<br /><br />A gnomon is the shadow-caster on a sundial. Since the sun is a circle, not a point, the shadow always has fuzzy edges to it. These fuzzy edges limit the accuracy of sundials.<br /><br />To eliminate the fuzzy shadows, I replaced the gnomon with a pinhole, obtaining a sharp image. This also means that a pinhole-projection sundial can be very much larger than a shadow-casting gnomon sundial, which also improves accuracy.<br /><br />I happened to have a windowshade which has little pinholes in it. When the sun shines through these pinholes onto the floor, I can observere an image of the sun on the floor.<br /><br />Here's the procedure:<br />1) Find a roughly south-facing window that projects sunlight onto a level floor. Close the windowshade. Arrange a small hole in the windowshade.<br />2) Starting just before local noon, using a pencil, begin tracking the (hyperbolic) path of the sun's image as it moves along the floor.<br />3) Determine the position of the spot on the floor which is vertically under the pinhole. (A plumb bob is one way to do this.)<br />4) The line on the floor which is perpendicular to the path of the pinhole image and also through the point directly underneath the plumb bob runs precicely North/South.<br /><br />Note: The sun's projected image is distorted into an ellipse because the floor cuts the pinhole's cone of light at an angle. To track the sun's path, mark the point on the edge of the ellipse that is on the longest axis of the ellipse. This is also the point on the image that is closest to

 

[dcford]

Im in a astronomy class this semester and i need help with a homework question. <br /><br />Find out the names, for the positions shown below, of the 3 planets(stars?) seen overhead in the morning sky (about 730am)<br /><br />first is in the NE sky_____________<br />the 2nd over head______________<br />the 3rd in the SW sky____________<br /><br />Do they fall along the present position of the ecliptic line in the sky? Yes______ No________<br /><br />if someone could help me out i would appreciate it<br />thanks

 

[sponge]

<img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> what are your co-ordinates<img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><u>SPONGE</u></em></p> </div>

 

[dcford]

i dont know thats all he gave me<br />

 

[MeteorWayne]

What grade level are you? <br /><br />It would help if we knew what the teacher might expect, and how they might want you to get the information.<br /><br />The first 3 questions can't be answered without knowing at least what country you live in. In the US or Canada, a State/Province would help.<br /><br />The last question requires some more info. No solar system object is ever exacly on the ecliptic for long, except for the sun, which defines it.<br /><br />How close does it have to be? All the planets and the moon are close to the ecliptic, although the moon wanders further from it, as we have discussed in another moon thread here.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[dcford]

I live in Muncie, IN. I have no clue. I can't find it in the text book or anywhere else.

 

[Judee]

<p>A couple years ago my husband bougth me a wonderfull telescope.&nbsp; I have yet o master the use of it.&nbsp; I live in the Salem area of Oregon and wonder if anyone knows of any groups where I might find some help to learn what to do.</p><p>Thanks Judee</p>

 

[crazyeddie]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>A couple years ago my husband bougth me a wonderfull telescope.&nbsp; I have yet o master the use of it.&nbsp; I live in the Salem area of Oregon and wonder if anyone knows of any groups where I might find some help to learn what to do.Thanks Judee <br /> Posted by Judee</DIV></p><p>Check out the Night Sky 45 Astronomy Club, located in Salem:</p><p>http://www.astronomyclubs.com/1/190/39/0/club.aspx</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>