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[michaelturner]

I want to say hi to everyone so HI. My name is Michael my son just turned a year old and I have always loved space i can sit down and watch the universe all day long anyway i think it would be a great father son activity to get a nice telescope and go up on the monument at watch stars. What i am asking is does anyone have any suggestions on a nice starter telescope at a fair price!!! Any help would be great thanks so much!!! Also if you know of any good visible stars or planets i can see from Colorado Thanks Again ;D

[michaelturner]

I know he is not ready at the age of one but i want to know what i am talking about when he is ready i dont want to sound like an idiot!!! LOL ;D

[Paulie pchris00]

Hi Michael! Joe recently wrote a story evaluating beginner telescopes, but a lot of it is determined by how much you are willing to spend, how big a telescope you can practically own and use.

astronomer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Equipment&action=display&thread=2847

I hope the above thread is useful for you. Also, any objects we are observing here from Chicago should be observable for you in Colorado, unless for example Jupiter's Great Red Spot is visible here just after sunset, by the time it's dark enough for you to observe, it may be rotated out of view.

Jupiter is a great naked eye planet right now, pretty much the only nice planet available for extended viewing. It will be the brightest "star," and will be in the east-southeast just after sunset, and will drift up and west before setting not long before sunrise.

[michaelturner]

Thanks so much for your answer and the link to the post i am a huge newb so if i sound stupid i am sorry ;D

Oct 1, 2010 17:13:40 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Hi Michael! Joe recently wrote a story evaluating beginner telescopes, but a lot of it is determined by how much you are willing to spend, how big a telescope you can practically own and use.

astronomer.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Equipment&action=display&thread=2847

I hope the above thread is useful for you. Also, any objects we are observing here from Chicago should be observable for you in Colorado, unless for example Jupiter's Great Red Spot is visible here just after sunset, by the time it's dark enough for you to observe, it may be rotated out of view.

Jupiter is a great naked eye planet right now, pretty much the only nice planet available for extended viewing. It will be the brightest "star," and will be in the east-southeast just after sunset, and will drift up and west before setting not long before sunrise.

[cathy]

You are one lucky dude, Michael.
I live in Chicago now but I lived in Cheyenne, WY for a couple of years and the stargazing is PHENOMENAL there. Never seen anything like it before or since, and I went to Gila, NM for the Leonids this year. Couldn't even compare, though that was fabulous too.

I will say that the Leonids of (I believe) 2001, which I saw in Wyoming, were the most amazing thing I've ever seen in the night sky.
Highly, highly recommend the Cheyenne area for a vacation for any skynuts.
There are so many deserted, beautiful areas to stargaze.
(Wyoming = 6th largest state sizewize, FORTY NINTH in population. Gotta love it.)

[cathy]

Also Michael, you're dead-on about stargazing being such a wonderful hobby for fathers and children.
My father, who died in April of 2009, spent HOURS with us outside with the telescope.
It was a cheapy scope and he wasn't a pro by any stretch, but we felt SO SPECIAL just sitting out there with him, looking at this and that.
It was one of the only times it was just US and HIM - and we KNEW it was special to him, too.
It was our thing - no mom, no older brothers and sisters (he did it with them too but by the time #8 and I (#9) came along, it was just us, mostly.
Have you ever heard Jack Johnson's song 'Constellations'?
It's about stargazing with your father. If you've never heard it, just look on You Tube.
We always say he wrote it about us.

[michaelturner]

I am sorry to hear about your father but it is nice to have those memories to remember him by and carry with you the rest of your life. I have never done any stargazing before but here lately i have been watching the stars and have been hypnotized by there beauty and i am hoping that my son will get as much pleasure out of it as me maybe he will be my little astronaut lol thanks for your reply and suggestions

Oct 1, 2010 17:53:19 GMT -6 cathy said:

Also Michael, you're dead-on about stargazing being such a wonderful hobby for fathers and children.
My father, who died in April of 2009, spent HOURS with us outside with the telescope.
It was a cheapy scope and he wasn't a pro by any stretch, but we felt SO SPECIAL just sitting out there with him, looking at this and that.
It was one of the only times it was just US and HIM - and we KNEW it was special to him, too.
It was our thing - no mom, no older brothers and sisters (he did it with them too but by the time #8 and I (#9) came along, it was just us, mostly.
Have you ever heard Jack Johnson's song 'Constellations'?
It's about stargazing with your father. If you've never heard it, just look on You Tube.
We always say he wrote it about us.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Michael,

Welcome to the Chicago Astronomer!

Where sharing the skies knows no borders - city or country...it's all very cool.

Astronomy of called the noblest of the sciences...and I agree. Where else can you stand before the universe and with tools, pry out the secrets of the cosmos...?

I have spent hours solo at the telescope, examining subtle details of objects bigger, older and sharing the same elements as I do. There is a bond and familiarity one creates over the years with familiar objects, welcoming them back each season or anticipating their swing around the Sun.

And although I enjoy my alone time time the Universe, it always great to share it with fellow Astronomers....hence this site.

In terms of telescopes...that link Paulie posted is good. It was response to a nice woman with a specific line of scopes she was interested in. But, I always recommend that the beginner astronomer start out with a Dobsonian scope....

A aperture of at least 6" will bring in enough light to enjoy faint deep space fuzzies, robust to take abuse and light enough to easily transport.

No go-to or motor drive features, it's all push and pull...but that's ok. Star hopping is a great way to learn the skies and get you to your target. Stay away from the cheapo big store 60mm refractors. The mounts are usually weak and wobbly and the optics barely acceptable.

When you are ready, we will help you select a scope that will meet your needs.

I anticipate your observations from your patch of the world Michael and share the great enthusiasm all seekers of astronomical enlightenment have.

[michaelturner]

I have been looking at telescopes for a couple of days now i have about 3 grand to spend i am not worried about mobility and i want a scope that is great for deep sky objects i would also like a scope i can take pictures with and a motor would be nice. I know that this kind of scope would not be for beginners but i think i have the money for a good one so why not any suggestions would be nice and thanks so much for looking!!!!

Oct 2, 2010 0:46:23 GMT -6 Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe said:

Michael,

Welcome to the Chicago Astronomer!

Where sharing the skies knows no borders - city or country...it's all very cool.

Astronomy of called the noblest of the sciences...and I agree. Where else can you stand before the universe and with tools, pry out the secrets of the cosmos...?

I have spent hours solo at the telescope, examining subtle details of objects bigger, older and sharing the same elements as I do. There is a bond and familiarity one creates over the years with familiar objects, welcoming them back each season or anticipating their swing around the Sun.

And although I enjoy my alone time time the Universe, it always great to share it with fellow Astronomers....hence this site.

In terms of telescopes...that link Paulie posted is good. It was response to a nice woman with a specific line of scopes she was interested in. But, I always recommend that the beginner astronomer start out with a Dobsonian scope....

A aperture of at least 6" will bring in enough light to enjoy faint deep space fuzzies, robust to take abuse and light enough to easily transport.

No go-to or motor drive features, it's all push and pull...but that's ok. Star hopping is a great way to learn the skies and get you to your target. Stay away from the cheapo big store 60mm refractors. The mounts are usually weak and wobbly and the optics barely acceptable.

When you are ready, we will help you select a scope that will meet your needs.

I anticipate your observations from your patch of the world Michael and share the great enthusiasm all seekers of astronomical enlightenment have.

[michaelturner]

This is one i have been looking at but i have no idea about the price on something like this probally way over my budget but it seems like everything i want is there tell me what you think.. www.astro-professional.com/html/zeus.html

[cathy]

Michael,
Yeah, he was very very sick for a long time - I guess he started getting really bad when I was 20 or so. (I'm 38 now.)
So unlike my older brothers and sisters, Dad and I never really went out for a beer together or went to football games together or did much "adult" stuff together.
Stargazing is just about the only thing we really had together.
What's fantastic is that the heavens never change. (Well, yes, they change over millions of years but the same Orion Dad and I spent so much time looking at is the same Orion I look at with my kids, and they'll look at with their kids.)
And I never feel closer to Dad nowadays than when I'm stargazing.
He told me once when I was a very young child that the light from Betelgeuse (a star in Orion which we happened to be looking at) left that star when Columbus was setting sail for the New World. (Give or take a few years.)
And he told me that even traveling at the unbelievably fast speed of light, it was just getting to us now - it had begun it's journey so long ago only to wind up in OUR very eyes.
That blew my mind.

That still blows my mind.



Viva stargazing!

[patrickm]

Michael,

For $3000 you can score an 8" Celestron CGEM EdgeHD plus quality eyepieces, a Barlow, and battery pack, all of which still portable enough to get out of the closet on relatively short notice or haul out to a local star party.

I just got my 9.25 CGEM EdgeHD and I can only remember a few times when I have been happier. I hope to finally post my first light report later today.

It is not a beginner scope, so you will have a fairly steep initial learning curve, but the manuals are good if you bother to read them, and there is ample help here for any questions. I would also recommend Cloudy Nights as a great venue for recommendations and answers on scopes, gear, and especially astrophotography. One opinion that seems universal is to spend a year familiarizing yourself with your new scope and observing the skies BEFORE diving into photog. The scope and mount are more than adequate for both when you work up to photos.

Welcome to the forum! We are always happy to have new voices and new energy. There are a lot of smart, experienced people here who I am sure will be happy to share their hard earned knowledge.
Take care,
Patrick

[michaelturner]

Ok first off i want to thank you so much that scope looks like what i have dreamed about in telescopes. One question tho the pictures they are showing is that what you see through the scope because that looks amazing. I still have chills LOL I have already downloaded both of the manuals. I still have to talk to my wife but she has already said i can spend 3 grand on a scope so look out space here I come LOL ;D

Oct 2, 2010 12:56:43 GMT -6 patrickm said:

Michael,

For $3000 you can score an 8" Celestron CGEM EdgeHD plus quality eyepieces, a Barlow, and battery pack, all of which still portable enough to get out of the closet on relatively short notice or haul out to a local star party.

I just got my 9.25 CGEM EdgeHD and I can only remember a few times when I have been happier. I hope to finally post my first light report later today.

It is not a beginner scope, so you will have a fairly steep initial learning curve, but the manuals are good if you bother to read them, and there is ample help here for any questions. I would also recommend Cloudy Nights as a great venue for recommendations and answers on scopes, gear, and especially astrophotography. One opinion that seems universal is to spend a year familiarizing yourself with your new scope and observing the skies BEFORE diving into photog. The scope and mount are more than adequate for both when you work up to photos.

Welcome to the forum! We are always happy to have new voices and new energy. There are a lot of smart, experienced people here who I am sure will be happy to share their hard earned knowledge.
Take care,
Patrick

[patrickm]

Oct 2, 2010 13:17:00 GMT -6 michaelturner said:

Ok first off i want to thank you so much that scope looks like what i have dreamed about in telescopes. One question tho the pictures they are showing is that what you see through the scope because that looks amazing. I still have chills LOL I have already downloaded both of the manuals. I still have to talk to my wife but she has already said i can spend 3 grand on a scope so look out space here I come LOL ;D

Oct 2, 2010 12:56:43 GMT -6 patrickm said:

Michael,

Heya Michael.

I am not sure to which pictures you are referring. If they are planetary, then mostly yes, that's what you see (*see below). If they are deep space objects (DSO), or faint fuzzies as they are sometimes called, like galaxies or clusters, then yes, but for the most part no color. Our eyes don't work that way at night. Those color photos are achieved by stacking long exposure photos on top of each other shot while the scope tracks the object (and you do something else).

*And of course the further away from light pollution you are, the more detail you will see on anything. Some objects just can't be made out at all in the city, and it all depends upon seeing conditions and transparency of the atmosphere at the time of viewing. YMMV.

But where those scopes really shine, and I have seen it with mine own eyes, is that the stars are near perfect circles from edge to edge (thus the name) of even a wide field eyepiece. On my little Celestron 4.5", they most assuredly are NOT. Another advantage of the CGEM mount is that they are heavier and thus more stable and smoother when slewing to an object as well as tracking it afterwards. The downside is...that they are heavier. Much heavier! My 4.5" scope AND mount fit easily into a photo backpack with my tripod hooked to the outside. I would need a couple of mules to accomplish the same for my CGEM.

You have TONS of options besides this, even with Celestron, and they are all cheaper, which means you have more money to buy additional gear like eyepieces, filters, dew shield, cases, batteries, etc. This is just the route I chose for my upgrade after 9 months based upon my wants, experience, and research. The old saw is that "the best scope to buy is the one that you will actually use."

A while back, when I was thinking about this purchase, I posted a question open for suggestions. You may want to read there as well. Very good discussion of the pros and cons of several scopes of similar size. I can say that the 9.25 is HEAVY and requires a cart to move around when it is broken down. I knew what I was getting in for, and would probably have bought an 8", or even a 6", if I did not already have my trusty 4.25" to use as my grab and go scope. And make no mistake, even though generally "aperture rules" when comparing scopes, I have located and observed objects with my little scope that larger scopes, run by real astronomers, could not track down at the same time. It is a very good little scope!

Here is the link.

Also check the Cats and Casses thread over at Cloudy Nights. Loads of different opinions in answer to your same question, and I've read nearly every one of them. Lots to consider and weigh.

Before you plunk down, I strongly encourage you to find a local astronomy group and go hang out, look through scopes, make friends, and ask questions in person!!

Got more questions? Fire away!
P

[Paulie pchris00]

Patrick is exactly right. Before buying a telescope, find a star party in your area. Try to look through as many telescopes as possible, and gather up as much information as you can from their owners. Most astronomers will be happy to help find the right telescope for you. Have an idea of what you can expect to see from different models and apertures. just because you can go all out on a huge, fancy first scope doesn't mean you should. It might be better to go with something smaller, and simpler to operate while learning the sky. If you find that astronomy isn't for you, it might be easier to find a buyer for a smaller beginners scope than an overwhelming monster.

[patrickm]

Oct 3, 2010 7:28:00 GMT -6 Paulie pchris00 said:

Most astronomers will be happy to help find the right telescope for you.

And all astronomers like showing off their gear!