Author Topic: Comet Hunting? (read if you have a telescope or binoclulars) (Read 12275 times)

atomic7732 · « **on:** May 09, 2010, 04:28:23 PM »

http://www.nightskyhunter.com/Visual%20Comet%20Hunting.html

If you have a telescope, and you would like comet hunting...

I think we should make a search program for people that are on these forums. Something like "Universe Sandbox Comet Search" (USCS) or something. Even just 15 minutes of thorough searching a night for this program would be good.

Anyone have a scope?

Bla · « **Reply #1 on:** May 09, 2010, 10:11:30 PM »

I have a telescope. But it's bright during the whole day, and I always go to bed at 21:00 my time, so... Hmm.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 10, 2010, 07:11:27 AM »

Yeah... Summer is a problem over there isn't it! You could wait half of a year, but then it's like -20C or something. I'm not sure.

I tried to search last night. But I went out a little TOO early, and also I had no relative stars so i couldn't focus, cause I came from looking at Saturn. So I wasn't gonna take all that time, and I had to go in anyway...

I actually am going to build an 8" Dobsonian (Newtonian), I think I am needing something more than a 5" Nexstar, and the cheapest 8" around is like $900! No way I am paying for that. So I'll just pay around $100, and take a few weeks!

Btw, what is the aperture of your telescope?

Bla · « **Reply #3 on:** May 10, 2010, 07:53:59 AM »

Aperture?

My telescope is a Skywatcher Explorer 130. I think it's best at nebulae etc.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 10, 2010, 04:02:28 PM »

5.12 inches.

Aperture is an opening.

Nebulae? You've seen them? Do you use the AutoAlign? I just scope it in (thats the problem) The AutoAlign never worked for me. Since I can't scope it in, my dad helps me. He can't ever get anything he can't see. I can see more than him... so... Yeah. I wanted to get the Owl Nebula (i think that was it), and my dad couldn't even understand where I was telling him it was!

deoxy99 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 10, 2010, 04:07:46 PM »

OH! THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT APERTURE SCIENCE IN PORTAL!

Aperture Science, means Opening Science, because a portal is an opening.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 10, 2010, 04:15:35 PM »

Yup.

deoxy99 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 10, 2010, 04:16:47 PM »

Quote from: NeutronStar on May 10, 2010, 04:15:35 PM

Yup.

Yup.

Bla · « **Reply #8 on:** May 10, 2010, 10:27:10 PM »

My aperture is 130 mm.

And I haven't seen any nebulae yet. In fact I haven't seen anything in it yet, except some plants, but it's always bright, so I can't use it yet.

deoxy99 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 10, 2010, 10:41:13 PM »

Quote from: Bla on May 10, 2010, 10:27:10 PM

My aperture is 130 mm.

And I haven't seen any nebulae yet. In fact I haven't seen anything in it yet, except some plants, but it's always bright, so I can't use it yet.

130 mm is 5.11811024 in.
So your aperture is a little bit shorter than NeutronStar said yours was.

Dan Dixon · « **Reply #10 on:** May 10, 2010, 10:45:56 PM »

Quote from: deoxy99 on May 10, 2010, 10:41:13 PM

130 mm is 5.11811024 in.
So your aperture is a little bit shorter than NeutronStar said yours was.

But if you round 5.11811024 in up to just 2 decimal places you get 5.12 in.

The difference of .002 in is only 1/20 of a mm (.002 in = .05 mm).

So for all practical purposes 130 mm = 5.12 inches.

deoxy99 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 10, 2010, 10:47:48 PM »

Quote from: Dan Dixon on May 10, 2010, 10:45:56 PM

Quote from: deoxy99 on May 10, 2010, 10:41:13 PM
130 mm is 5.11811024 in.
So your aperture is a little bit shorter than NeutronStar said yours was.

But if you round 5.11811024 in up to just 2 decimal places you get 5.12 in.

The difference of .002 in is only 1/20 of a mm (.002 in = .05 mm).

So for all practical purposes 130 mm = 5.12 inches.

I like high precision, when I made a game board, the answers of the question cards were not rounded.

deoxy99 · « **Reply #12 on:** May 10, 2010, 10:49:01 PM »

Quote from: Bla on May 09, 2010, 10:11:30 PM

I have a telescope. But it's bright during the whole day, and I always go to bed at 21:00 my time, so... Hmm.

9:00 PM! I go to bed at 10:00 PM my time.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 11, 2010, 07:21:34 AM »

Quote from: deoxy99 on May 10, 2010, 10:49:01 PM

9:00 PM! I go to bed at 10:00 PM my time.

22:30 to 23:00 over here.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 11, 2010, 07:22:44 AM »

Quote from: Bla on May 10, 2010, 10:27:10 PM

My aperture is 130 mm.

And I haven't seen any nebulae yet. In fact I haven't seen anything in it yet, except some plants, but it's always bright, so I can't use it yet.

Did you get it just recently? Or did you just happen to forget, on all of the winters you've had, about your telescope.

deoxy99 · « **Reply #15 on:** May 11, 2010, 08:21:39 AM »

Quote from: NeutronStar on May 11, 2010, 07:21:34 AM

Quote from: deoxy99 on May 10, 2010, 10:49:01 PM
9:00 PM! I go to bed at 10:00 PM my time.
22:30 to 23:00 over here.

24 HOUR! I don't like that way of measuring time.
So, I read this on Wikipedia, and the time you go to bed at is:

10:30-11:00

atomic7732 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 11, 2010, 03:47:56 PM »

Yeah... 24 hour is simple, you don't have ante meridiem and post meridiem

Bla · « **Reply #17 on:** May 11, 2010, 10:30:10 PM »

Yes, I got it recently.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #18 on:** May 12, 2010, 07:24:27 AM »

For what? This topic?

jk

When did you get it and why?

Bla · « **Reply #19 on:** May 12, 2010, 08:01:51 AM »

I got it a few weeks ago (I got money for it when it was my birthday, on 20100424). I had considered getting it for more than a year.
I wanted it because I wanted to look at the sky through it.

I want to see the Andromeda Galaxy IRL, and the Orion Nebula, and... Everything.

deoxy99 · « **Reply #20 on:** May 12, 2010, 08:03:49 AM »

Quote from: NeutronStar on May 11, 2010, 03:47:56 PM

Yeah... 24 hour is simple, you don't have ante meridiem and post meridiem

Who cares if there is no Ante Meridiem or Post Meridiem? I would rather use them.

atomic7732 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 12, 2010, 04:11:57 PM »

Not to unconvince you, but... They look... well... gray. Not colorful. You need a camera mount, for like 5 minutes up there to make it have color.

Bla · « **Reply #22 on:** May 13, 2010, 03:22:57 AM »

I know.

I've seen it before in another person's telescope, and... Yes. Hopefully the shapes will be exciting, if they're visible at all.
But I have no motor on the telescope, and no camera either. And I don't have a camera mount either, so...

atomic7732 · « **Reply #23 on:** May 13, 2010, 07:28:15 AM »

Why do you not have a motor... Didn't it come with one?

Bla · « **Reply #24 on:** May 13, 2010, 05:10:25 PM »