Post by mustangsally on Aug 15, 2011 16:00:50 GMT -6
Hello and greetings from a Kentucky astronomer. I’ve been a nomad around the forum for a while. I thought I would finally join in. I also haunt other astronomy forums as well as Facebook. I’ve studied various different sciences including paleontology and biology. Now I am hooked on astronomy. I live under reasonably dark skies in a rural area. It’s very quiet except for the occasional coyote.
The first several years all I had was a cheap pair of binoculars and a sky atlas. I learned to navigate the sky really quick that way. Then my dad purchased a telescope because he was interested in it even before I was. He had a small refractor as a kid and remembered how much fun it was. He decided to get a big complicated advanced telescope. At the time this scope was too daunting for me and for him. It was a C10-N Reflector on a CG-5 Equatorial mount. I decided to get the much smaller less complicated Astromaster 114. I had fun with this little scope; I could pick it up and carry it anywhere around the yard. Saw a lot of faint fuzzies and Jupiter and Saturn.
At this point the C-10N was setting in the closet collecting dust. I couldn’t let it set anymore. I’ve been using this beast for two years and now the poor little Astromaster is collecting dust.
Even though I’m a college student and somewhat of a starving artist I still manage to pull together some nice equipment. I’m slowly getting into astrophotography. Soon I hope to be getting some new equipment, including a new OTA better suited for imaging. The OT I have now is not made for imaging and is very shaky on the mount. The mount is rated for 35lbs and the tube alone weighs 31lbs. I can get good moon images, but not much of anything else. The mount is in good shape but the weight of the OT has to come down.
I hope to share lots of pictures, info and to learn from other astronomers.
Clear Skies
The first several years all I had was a cheap pair of binoculars and a sky atlas. I learned to navigate the sky really quick that way. Then my dad purchased a telescope because he was interested in it even before I was. He had a small refractor as a kid and remembered how much fun it was. He decided to get a big complicated advanced telescope. At the time this scope was too daunting for me and for him. It was a C10-N Reflector on a CG-5 Equatorial mount. I decided to get the much smaller less complicated Astromaster 114. I had fun with this little scope; I could pick it up and carry it anywhere around the yard. Saw a lot of faint fuzzies and Jupiter and Saturn.
At this point the C-10N was setting in the closet collecting dust. I couldn’t let it set anymore. I’ve been using this beast for two years and now the poor little Astromaster is collecting dust.
Even though I’m a college student and somewhat of a starving artist I still manage to pull together some nice equipment. I’m slowly getting into astrophotography. Soon I hope to be getting some new equipment, including a new OTA better suited for imaging. The OT I have now is not made for imaging and is very shaky on the mount. The mount is rated for 35lbs and the tube alone weighs 31lbs. I can get good moon images, but not much of anything else. The mount is in good shape but the weight of the OT has to come down.
I hope to share lots of pictures, info and to learn from other astronomers.
Clear Skies
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