ASTRONOMY
Some basic guidelines
NEVER LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN AS THIS WILL PERMANANTLY DAMAGE YOUR EYES.
The first, and probably most important point is - do NOT spend vast amounts of money on expensive equipment when you first start! To gain skill in Astronomy requires patience, NOT a huge telescope. A pair of binoculars is more than adequate to start with - a good size for binoculars is 10 x 50. The 10 refers to the magnification and the 50 refers to the diameter of the objective lens (the main lens). Once armed with a good pair of "bins" (binoculars) you can do a surprising amount of Astronomy.
TIP - to keep your "bins" more stable during observing sessions, sit them on a soccor ball (which can be put on top of a wall) this gives stability yet offers easy movement for "star hopping".
Once armed with your bins, you can start recognising some constellations. A good way to do this is to find one constellation whch you can easily recognise (i.e. the plough) then draw imaginary lines between start to act as "pointers" to other constellations or stars. An example of this can be seen below.
One good way to practice star hopping is to look at a Star chart - a map of the Stars. These can be commercially purchased but as a start, a visit to your library can be good as a lot of Astronomy books have Star charts at the rear of the book. It is best to have your own Star chart but a borrowed one is a good alternative. Another example of Star hopping is as follows
Once you have masterd this then you are well on your way in the fascinating world of Astronomy.
TIP - When you go outside to observe, wait about 10 minutes before you observe. This gives your eyes time to become adjusted to the darkness and you will be able to see the start better. Also have a small torch with a red bulb (painted red or red plastic over the torch) this means you can use the torch to see your star chart without loosing your dark adapted vision.
The final and possibly the most important thing you need is a clear sky!! Unfortunatly, I have no tips there :-(
Good Luck and may I wish you clear skies.
Meteor Shower Report for June 98 - Dec 98
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