Any other stargazers out there? (as in astronomy) :)
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From: On the lakefront...
Holy cow, AgS2K, those are some awesome pictures!
Very nice!
My dream scope is a 16" LX-200. I just need an observatory in a house in the mountains to put it in! But wow, beautiful shots...!
Very nice!
My dream scope is a 16" LX-200. I just need an observatory in a house in the mountains to put it in! But wow, beautiful shots...!
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From: Erock is da shizzle
I gotta ask, while I do enjoy astronomy. and even own a POS telescope. I gotta wonder, why go thru the bother and expense, when the internet can show you the most beautiful pictures form the comfort of your own chair?
Not flaming, just curious...
Not flaming, just curious...
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From: On the lakefront...
Mike, that's a good question and one that I have heard before. The botom line is that the experience of actually SEEING Saturn's rings or the storm on Jupiter with your OWN eyes, just looking at pictures leaves you a little hollow.
Once you see these kinds of things live and in person, it's a different deal. I will not forget the first time that I saw Jupiter and the rings of Saturn with my own eyes....it was an amazing moment.
Once you see these kinds of things live and in person, it's a different deal. I will not forget the first time that I saw Jupiter and the rings of Saturn with my own eyes....it was an amazing moment.
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From: Desoto
Greg I bought my 6y/o the etx70 last year... we are both learning. I really have not had time to learn all I should but, one thing I did find that bothered me is that you can not get autofocus on the 70, but you can on the new 90! I have to say the 1st time I had it automagically goto to saturn ... was worth the price paid! Learn alot so you can explain some things to me...
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From: On the lakefront...
Originally posted by AgS2K
Images from the HST may have more detail, but there is nothing on-line or in print that can compare with seeing Jupiter, or especially Saturn, through a big scope at high magnification on a clear night. I've lost count of the number of "OH MY GOD!" statements I've heard when letting people look through the scope.
Images from the HST may have more detail, but there is nothing on-line or in print that can compare with seeing Jupiter, or especially Saturn, through a big scope at high magnification on a clear night. I've lost count of the number of "OH MY GOD!" statements I've heard when letting people look through the scope.
This is absolutely true!! The first time I saw Jupiter with my own eyes, it was the first night I had the 4500. I didn't have any information on the sky that night, I just set up the scope, and pointed it at the brightest spot in the sky...which happened to be Jupiter...I'm almost shit! So totally awesome...the image is burned in my mind and I can still visualize it.
Almost the same scenario happened the first time I saw Saturn.
That is part of the thrill of astronomy for me, seeing it with your very own eyes...no picture or book, even as impressive and awe-inspiring as many HST shots are can compare to seeing it with your own eyes.
But I took the scope out last night..there wasn't SQUAT in the sky last night, plus it was kinda hazy, so I just toyed around with it. I have a question. I am assuming that the scope must be oriented to the north for the instrument to be able to know where to slew to/from. This is true, yes?
I hate reading manuals, but I may just do that tonight...
Oh, and yes, most of those color shots of distant nebulae, etc, are long exposure shots taken with a huge scope...I am not expecting to get that kind of resolution or color with my little scope, but even seeing the green gaseous clouds around a distant nebula is quite cool! Plus, really being able to get out to the other planets here, that's going to be a huge thrill...
More to follow!
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From: Richmond, Virginia
[QUOTE]Originally posted by gregstevens
[B]
Oh, and yes, most of those color shots of distant nebulae, etc, are long exposure shots taken with a huge scope...I am not expecting to get that kind of resolution or color with my little scope, but even seeing the green gaseous clouds around a distant nebula is quite cool!
[B]
Oh, and yes, most of those color shots of distant nebulae, etc, are long exposure shots taken with a huge scope...I am not expecting to get that kind of resolution or color with my little scope, but even seeing the green gaseous clouds around a distant nebula is quite cool!
