East Africa and binoculars.

Next week I will be traveling to east Africa, taking some binoculars with
me. The binoculars are mainly intended for the animals. But seeing that
the stars will probably be very bright in a place like east Africa I'd
like to use them for some sky watching too.
But I have absolutely no experience with that, I have no idea what will be
visible with those binoculars. The enlargement factor is 10 and the lens
diameter is 25 mm.
So my question to you is what objects can I expect too see?

I have a program on my computer called KStars wich is really neet and
comtains lots of sky objects and info about it. So locating the objects
won't be a very big problem. It's just that I don't know wich will be
visible with my binoculars and wich will not (assuming that the binoculars
actually add something to the things I will see). Like will I be able to
see rings around Saturn? Or some shape in the Omega Centauri or the Orion
Nebula? Or are those things too far fetched and should I just look at the
moon or something.

Thanks in advance for every reply you make.

--

.......GNU......

Omnis enim res,
quae dando non deficit,
dum habetur et non datur,
nondum habetur,
quomodo habenda est.

Stars, lots of stars.

If you've never used binocs for star gazing everything will be new.

Don't worry about what your seeing, just enjoy the view.

Spend most of your time with the binoculars AWAY from your eyes, the view
should be beautiful, assuming
your far away from light pollution. I don't imagine that the lighting of
cities in Africa is any different than cities
elsewhere. Light pollution is light pollution.

With those binoculars you will just be able to detect the rings of Saturn,
but see them clearly? No.

Some shape to Omega Centauri or the Orion Nebula? Sure........ some, but
not a whole
heck of a lot.

If your not familiar with the night sky and haven't spent much time
observing in the past, I don't think
that having any software is going to make locating the objects shown in the
program easy.

In fact, the darker the skies the more stars you'll see and the easier it
will be to get confused.

If after you return from your trip, and if you get really jazzed up about
the night sky, I would suggest
finding a local astronomy group, or if your not into groups, get a
planisphere, go outside on a clear night
and start learning.

Have fun in Africa,

F Marion

"francis marion" wrote in message
newsE1xc.64756$Ly.35995@attbi_s01...
Stars, lots of stars.

If you've never used binocs for star gazing everything will be new.

Don't worry about what your seeing, just enjoy the view.

Spend most of your time with the binoculars AWAY from your eyes, the view
should be beautiful, assuming
your far away from light pollution. I don't imagine that the lighting of
cities in Africa is any different than cities
elsewhere. Light pollution is light pollution.

Yes, you're right about that. I just come back from 2 weeks in Sinai (Sharm
el sheik), and the sky there, although cloudless, was disappointingly light
polluted + there was very often a sort of haze around. All in all, I've seen
better skies in Scotland! The exception was when we spend a night on a boat
at sea: beautiful!

Philippe

On Mon, 07 Jun 2004 17:32:04 +0000, francis marion said this:

Stars, lots of stars.

If you've never used binocs for star gazing everything will be new.

Don't worry about what your seeing, just enjoy the view.

Spend most of your time with the binoculars AWAY from your eyes, the view
should be beautiful, assuming
your far away from light pollution. I don't imagine that the lighting of
cities in Africa is any different than cities
elsewhere. Light pollution is light pollution.

Ok, but I will be going to the serengeti wich is the biggest conservation
area in the world so no big cities there.
And I have read some experiences by other people and they all said the sky
was superb. So I'm hoping to see alot of stars.


With those binoculars you will just be able to detect the rings of Saturn,
but see them clearly? No.

Some shape to Omega Centauri or the Orion Nebula? Sure........ some, but
not a whole
heck of a lot.

Ok thanks for clearifying.
And I just found out that the Orion Nebula won't be visible in east Africa
and neither will saturn.


If your not familiar with the night sky and haven't spent much time
observing in the past, I don't think
that having any software is going to make locating the objects shown in the
program easy.

In fact, the darker the skies the more stars you'll see and the easier it
will be to get confused.

Probably, but with the print I just made I know at least in wich
constellation I'm looking or should be looking, wich still is a
bit confuzing to me.


If after you return from your trip, and if you get really jazzed up
about the night sky, I would suggest
finding a local astronomy group, or if your not into groups, get a
planisphere, go outside on a clear night and start learning.

We'll see about that, I live in the Netherland wich isn't exactly light
pollution friendly and is covert in cloud almost 150 days a year.
But maybe I like it that much that I don't care and start watching anyway.

Have fun in Africa,

Thanks.


F Marion

--

.......GNU......

Omnis enim res,
quae dando non deficit,
dum habetur et non datur,
nondum habetur,
quomodo habenda est.

"Alex" wrote in message
news

Ok thanks for clearifying.
And I just found out that the Orion Nebula won't be visible in east Africa
and neither will saturn.

Large and Small Magellanic clouds, Omega Cen, Eta Carina nebula, the Jewel
Box (next to BeCrux a.k.a. Mimosa) and 47 Tucane are all great binocular
targets.

On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 07:19:43 +0000, Paul Lawler said this:

Large and Small Magellanic clouds, Omega Cen, Eta Carina nebula, the Jewel
Box (next to BeCrux a.k.a. Mimosa) and 47 Tucane are all great binocular
targets.

Thanks for the tips, too bad some of them will be under the horizon.
But i made a note of them anyway, maybe for later.

--

.......GNU......

Omnis enim res,
quae dando non deficit,
dum habetur et non datur,
nondum habetur,
quomodo habenda est.

"francis marion" wrote in message news:oE1xc.64756$Ly.35995@attbi_s01...

I don't imagine that the lighting of
cities in Africa is any different than cities
elsewhere. Light pollution is light pollution.

Hah! You sound like someone who's never been out of the fully
industrialized world. In most places, electricity is *much* too
expensive to throw wildly into the night sky. Take a look at
the map at http://www.lightpollution.it/worldatlas/pages/fig1.htm.
Nairobi has almost 2,000,000 people, and it's light pollution is
barely visible.

Flying into a big third-world city at night is a remarkable
experience; all you see is a big, diffuse, dull red glow,
like embers in a fireplace.

- Tony Flanders

Tony Flanders wrote:
"francis marion" wrote in message news:oE1xc.64756$Ly.35995@attbi_s01...


I don't imagine that the lighting of
cities in Africa is any different than cities
elsewhere. Light pollution is light pollution.


Hah! You sound like someone who's never been out of the fully
industrialized world. In most places, electricity is *much* too
expensive to throw wildly into the night sky.

It is hear (in CA) too -- but we do it anyway.

Take a look at
the map at http://www.lightpollution.it/worldatlas/pages/fig1.htm.

One wonders at some of the "hot spots" in Africa (e.g., on the West
central coast). Bonfires or burning buildings?

Phil

"Alex" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 07:19:43 +0000, Paul Lawler said this:

Large and Small Magellanic clouds, Omega Cen, Eta Carina nebula, the
Jewel
Box (next to BeCrux a.k.a. Mimosa) and 47 Tucane are all great binocular
targets.

Thanks for the tips, too bad some of them will be under the horizon.
But i made a note of them anyway, maybe for later.

All depends on how late you want to stay up... or how early you want to get
up. g

Phil Wheeler wrote in message .. .

One wonders at some of the "hot spots" in Africa (e.g., on the West
central coast). Bonfires or burning buildings?

Lagos, Nigeria, one of the largest cities in the world, about equal
to the entire L.A. conurbation combined. Also flares from oil fields,
I imagine.

- Tony Flanders