Astronomy (actual thoughts only!)

[jonesthecurl]

If I use my thumb as a ruler, the lines come out all wonky.

[2dimes]

I think I will buy a 16" in the future that seems like the last entry level price before you need the real big bucks. If I remember correctly, a 20" gets up to the $20k US price range.

Telescopes Canada has an Explore Scientific 20” for just over $10,000 us at the current exchange rate. Probably not helpful but I mention it because I expected it to be way more than the $20k not less.

No idea how tarrifs would affect an actual cross boarder purchase these days.

I don’t know if it’s a health issue but I find trying to observe stars and planets nearly impossible with binoculars. It basically becomes a bouncing blur.

[jusplay4fun]

All things in moderation, as Plato is often misquoted saying.

There are some things which are always good, and there are some things which are always bad, but there is a large class of things that are good when used sparingly but become bad when used to excess. Cilantro, for instance.

It's good to support one's opinions with references, but when there's so much reference that people wonder "what was the point?" then one has gone overboard.

Of course, like all rules-of-thumb, there are exceptions. And then there are exceptions to the exceptions.

Of course, there are rules, exceptions to rules, and exceptions to the exception, as Duk stated so well.

e.g.: "I before E, except after C, except in words like weigh, weird, and seize, and neighbor (and more)."

Often when I post LOTS, it is because I learn LOTS in what I read; I then post what I consider are the salient points from what I have read BEFORE posting. And often I read at least 3 sources to confirm what I have read. People can read what they want, of course. Often I post to support my position (which is called EVIDENCE, btw).

[2dimes]

Your arguments make it look like you never learn anything from reading things posted here.

[WILLIAMS5232]

I think I will buy a 16" in the future that seems like the last entry level price before you need the real big bucks. If I remember correctly, a 20" gets up to the $20k US price range.

Telescopes Canada has an Explore Scientific 20” for just over $10,000 us at the current exchange rate. Probably not helpful but I mention it because I expected it to be way more than the $20k not less.

No idea how tarrifs would affect an actual cross boarder purchase these days.

I don’t know if it’s a health issue but I find trying to observe stars and planets nearly impossible with binoculars. It basically becomes a bouncing blur.

You won't see much detail in planets with binoculars, the best thing made visible, is you can see Jupiter's moons, and you'll be able to track them each night as they orbit Jupiter. (Which is how Galileo theorized we weren't the center) the best thing to do with binoculars, is check out star clusters in my opinion. 8×50 is ideal for just casually looking. It's worth just lying on your back and scanning dense areas of stars, it's like for every one star you can see with your naked eye, 50 more pop out through binoculars.

You can also see Andromeda galaxy pretty easy. It's not much to see, but well worth taking the time to be able to locate it at will. It also helps you form a perspective of seeing the stars as more like a map, rather than just a bunch of points of light

[2dimes]

As soon as I learned about constellations, I always had the mindset that the stars were like a landscape or as you put it a Map. I consider star charts to be maps. I just never spent enough time in my youth to figure out the whole sky.

I added Corona Borealis to the constellations I can find and identify by memory last year. I had hoped to see the nova but it didn’t happen when they were predicting it last summer, then autumn. I considered using one of the less common names for that one since it’s more of a crescent than a crown. Yeah, I’m weird, it’s good and bad. It can suck when normal people misunderstand what I’m trying to say. So I stuck with Corona Borealis.

I understand what you’re saying about extra stars popping out, particularly with the extreme light in our old backyard, we moved closer to the airport but this place has only one streetlight nearby, so the backyard is much darker. When I set up the telescope at the other place where you can literally read in the backyard, I could see so many more stars than with my naked eye, it was incredible. Binoculars will certainly do the same thing.

I grabbed a pair of these a while back, https://store.nikon.ca/p/prostaff-p7-10x42/16773

They were highly rated by a local astronomer that does a fair amount of astral photography. They are not very heavy and have some coating that he figured was exceptionally good for light capture. Like I wrote, I can’t hold them still enough. I don’t regret the purchase because they have been great for plane spotting.

I will try the lay on your back technique. That might be the solution. Can’t hurt.


Update: I wandered out on the deck and laid down on the chaise lounge. It didn’t eliminate the issue but it’s close. So thanks for straightening that out.

I wasn’t out there for long but I watched three satellites go by.

update 2 I was reading an article that claimed there might be a nova happening in Lyra. If it gets clear out again and I am not working I might try to take a look.