We found Saturn!

Hi,

Thanks for the tips on locating Saturn.

It took a couple of tries, but I finally found it low in the horizon
directly east of our house which faces east.

It was pretty magnificent looking, even in this cheap telescope we are
using at the moment!

Before I located Saturn I fixed on a yellowish/redish looking star
that I thought was a planet. This star was north of Orions belt. It
was really bright looking and I thought it looked like a planet in the
scope, but according to a sky chart I looked at there was no planet in
that location last night.

Anyone have a guess what that object may have been?

This scope I got our son for Christmas is really hard to use. Worse
than my Sears telescope I had as a boy. It is also not able to aim
well at obects high in the sky. It seems to only recline to about a
60 degree angle. I had to lower the legs on one side just to get it
to point higher in the sky.

Would appreciate any suggestions for something halfway decent that can
aim high into the sky and is easy to use? Last time I posted on this
topic I was pretty close to trying to find a used orange Celestron C8,
but they are hard to find in good condition. Would appreciate any
suggestions for a decent scope I can buy new for under $500. Just
want something that is stable and easy to use and navigate the sky
with.

Thanks in advance,
Steve

In article .com, wrote:

Before I located Saturn I fixed on a yellowish/redish looking star
that I thought was a planet. This star was north of Orions belt. It
was really bright looking and I thought it looked like a planet in the
scope, but according to a sky chart I looked at there was no planet in
that location last night.

Anyone have a guess what that object may have been?

Sounds like Betelgeuse.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betelgeuse

Jim
--
Find me at http://www.ursaMinorBeta.co.uk
Please help to bring two classic works of whisky literature back into print
by visiting http://www.ClassicExpressions.co.uk Thank you.
"The deil's awa, the deil's awa, the deil's awa wi' th' Exciseman."

" wrote:

Thanks for the tips on locating Saturn.

It took a couple of tries, but I finally found it low in the horizon
directly east of our house which faces east.

It was pretty magnificent looking, even in this cheap telescope we are
using at the moment!

Before I located Saturn I fixed on a yellowish/redish looking star
that I thought was a planet. This star was north of Orions belt. It
was really bright looking and I thought it looked like a planet in the
scope, but according to a sky chart I looked at there was no planet in
that location last night.

Anyone have a guess what that object may have been?

A little tip when requesting this sort of information:

Your exact location and the exact date and time (preferably UT) are
of premier importance. Everything in the heavens is on the move,
constantly. And a distance in degrees to the object from a known
object also helps. The object you saw was most probably Betelgeuse,
Alpha Orion. At about the same distance South of Orion's belt you
will see Rigel. Orion is a good place to start locating stars. Off
to the side are Sirius (brightest star in the sky) and Procyon.
Further north from Betelgeuse are the Twins Castor and Pollux and off
to the other side is the Pleiades and Alpha Taurus, Aldebaran.

Eugene L Griessel

Overpopulation: When people take leave of their census.

On Feb 13, 12:52 am, " wrote:
Hi,

Thanks for the tips on locating Saturn.

It took a couple of tries, but I finally found it low in the horizon
directly east of our house which faces east.

It was pretty magnificent looking, even in this cheap telescope we are
using at the moment!

Before I located Saturn I fixed on a yellowish/redish looking star
that I thought was a planet. This star was north of Orions belt. It
was really bright looking and I thought it looked like a planet in the
scope, but according to a sky chart I looked at there was no planet in
that location last night.

Anyone have a guess what that object may have been?

This scope I got our son for Christmas is really hard to use. Worse
than my Sears telescope I had as a boy. It is also not able to aim
well at obects high in the sky. It seems to only recline to about a
60 degree angle. I had to lower the legs on one side just to get it
to point higher in the sky.

Would appreciate any suggestions for something halfway decent that can
aim high into the sky and is easy to use? Last time I posted on this
topic I was pretty close to trying to find a used orange Celestron C8,
but they are hard to find in good condition. Would appreciate any
suggestions for a decent scope I can buy new for under $500. Just
want something that is stable and easy to use and navigate the sky
with.

Thanks in advance,
Steve

" wrote:

Thanks for the tips on locating Saturn.

If you want to build yourself a rough angle estimator - and I mean
rough - get a piece of white cardboard and cut three cutouts in it
along the edge.
One of four inches, one of two and one of 1 inch. Make a hole in the
center and thread a 23 inch length of string through it.
Hold the one end of the string under your eye and extend the cardboard
to the full length of the string. The 4 inch notch is a 10 degree
angle, the 2 inch a 5 degree and the 1 inch a 2 and a half degree
angle. Use this on the sky a while and you will soon be able to
estimate angles without it.

Eugene L Griessel

The nipple - the only intuitive user interface, everything else must
be learnt.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

Thanks for the tips on locating Saturn.

It took a couple of tries, but I finally found it low in the horizon
directly east of our house which faces east.

It was pretty magnificent looking, even in this cheap telescope we are
using at the moment!

Before I located Saturn I fixed on a yellowish/redish looking star
that I thought was a planet. This star was north of Orions belt. It
was really bright looking and I thought it looked like a planet in the
scope, but according to a sky chart I looked at there was no planet in
that location last night.

Anyone have a guess what that object may have been?

This scope I got our son for Christmas is really hard to use. Worse
than my Sears telescope I had as a boy. It is also not able to aim
well at obects high in the sky. It seems to only recline to about a
60 degree angle. I had to lower the legs on one side just to get it
to point higher in the sky.

Would appreciate any suggestions for something halfway decent that can
aim high into the sky and is easy to use? Last time I posted on this
topic I was pretty close to trying to find a used orange Celestron C8,
but they are hard to find in good condition. Would appreciate any
suggestions for a decent scope I can buy new for under $500. Just
want something that is stable and easy to use and navigate the sky
with.

Thanks in advance,
Steve


Congratulations on finding Saturn. Now that you now where to find it --
remember -- Saturn rises earlier each day, thus, if you look for it at the
same time each day, you'll have to look higher and higher in the sky.
Eventually, Saturn will disappear from view as the Earth and Saturn move to
opposite sides of the sun.

Here's something you might want to do. Did you notice the moons of Saturn?
Saturn has 19 or so moons:
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/l...urn/moons.html

You should be able to see the 3 - 5 largest moons in your scope -- they look
like little stars near Saturn. Now -- here's what to do:
-- Check out Saturn every night at the same time, or close to the same time.
-- Draw a sketch of what you see -- it doesn't have to be to scale, perfect,
or beautiful. Be certain to note the locations of the little points of
light you see around Saturn -- these are Saturn's moons, they look like tiny
stars. In fact, you may also see stars behind Saturn.
-- As you compare the sketches from day to day, you'll notice that some of
the "stars" around Saturn are in different positions each day -- these are
Saturn's moons. You'll notice that other "stars" don't move from day to
day -- these are stars that are in the scope's field of view. The moons
change position because they orbit around Saturn and what you are seeing ss
the changes in the moon's positions as they move around Saturn.

If you're looking for a better scope, I recommend the Orion XT-6 or XT-8.
These are Dobsonian-mounted reflectors and are very good scopes. They come
with two eyepieces -- you could add a Barlow which would double the number
of eyepieces.
http://www.telescope.com/jump.jsp?it...EGORY&itemID=9

If you have a few extra bucks, you might get the Intelliscope feature. In
fact, an XT-8 Intelliscope would be a very good buy.
http://www.telescope.com/shopping/pr...oductID=237857

Go here and check out my experiences with the XT-8 (lost in Hurricane
Katrina) and my XT-12 Intelliscope.
http://www.schlatter.org/Dad/Astronomy/my%20scopes.htm

Those orange tube C 8's come up for sale on Astromart regularly. It
will cost you
10 or 12 bucks now to register but it is money well spent.

You can get a lot of scope under 500 bucks. Check out Orion at
telescope.com

A dob in the 6 - 8 inch range will serve up some nice views and be
steady.
Its up to you to decide if you want push to goto, being new to the
game it
would be a good investment, though many get by without it.

Refractors are nice, but in this price range you are looking at
aperture deficiency and more
of the same "shakey" mounts.

While you are tooling around in the constellation Orion, look closely
at the "sword"
Its a small region just below Orions belt.

Be warned, astronomy is a terrible affliction. Have fun with it!

Charles



On Feb 12, 5:52 am, " wrote:
Hi,

Thanks for the tips on locating Saturn.

It took a couple of tries, but I finally found it low in the horizon
directly east of our house which faces east.

It was pretty magnificent looking, even in this cheap telescope we are
using at the moment!

Before I located Saturn I fixed on a yellowish/redish looking star
that I thought was a planet. This star was north of Orions belt. It
was really bright looking and I thought it looked like a planet in the
scope, but according to a sky chart I looked at there was no planet in
that location last night.

Anyone have a guess what that object may have been?

This scope I got our son for Christmas is really hard to use. Worse
than my Sears telescope I had as a boy. It is also not able to aim
well at obects high in the sky. It seems to only recline to about a
60 degree angle. I had to lower the legs on one side just to get it
to point higher in the sky.

Would appreciate any suggestions for something halfway decent that can
aim high into the sky and is easy to use? Last time I posted on this
topic I was pretty close to trying to find a used orange Celestron C8,
but they are hard to find in good condition. Would appreciate any
suggestions for a decent scope I can buy new for under $500. Just
want something that is stable and easy to use and navigate the sky
with.

Thanks in advance,
Steve

On Feb 13, 12:52 am, " wrote:
Hi,

Thanks for the tips on locating Saturn.

It took a couple of tries, but I finally found it low in the horizon
directly east of our house which faces east.

It was pretty magnificent looking, even in this cheap telescope we are
using at the moment!

If you can, view it when it has risen higher in the sky later at
night. Generally the higher above the horizon, the better the view as
you are not looking through so much of the Earth's atmosphere.


Before I located Saturn I fixed on a yellowish/redish looking star
that I thought was a planet. This star was north of Orions belt. It
was really bright looking and I thought it looked like a planet in the
scope, but according to a sky chart I looked at there was no planet in
that location last night.

Anyone have a guess what that object may have been?

As others said most likely Betelguese.


This scope I got our son for Christmas is really hard to use. Worse
than my Sears telescope I had as a boy. It is also not able to aim
well at obects high in the sky. It seems to only recline to about a
60 degree angle. I had to lower the legs on one side just to get it
to point higher in the sky.

Would appreciate any suggestions for something halfway decent that can
aim high into the sky and is easy to use? Last time I posted on this
topic I was pretty close to trying to find a used orange Celestron C8,
but they are hard to find in good condition. Would appreciate any
suggestions for a decent scope I can buy new for under $500. Just
want something that is stable and easy to use and navigate the sky
with.

An 8" Dobsonian such as those sold by Orion are probably a very good
option for your price range.

Bill




Thanks in advance,
Steve

Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord


--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html


wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

Thanks for the tips on locating Saturn.

It took a couple of tries, but I finally found it low in the horizon
directly east of our house which faces east.

It was pretty magnificent looking, even in this cheap telescope we are
using at the moment!

Before I located Saturn I fixed on a yellowish/redish looking star
that I thought was a planet. This star was north of Orions belt. It
was really bright looking and I thought it looked like a planet in the
scope, but according to a sky chart I looked at there was no planet in
that location last night.

Anyone have a guess what that object may have been?

This scope I got our son for Christmas is really hard to use. Worse
than my Sears telescope I had as a boy. It is also not able to aim
well at obects high in the sky. It seems to only recline to about a
60 degree angle. I had to lower the legs on one side just to get it
to point higher in the sky.

Would appreciate any suggestions for something halfway decent that can
aim high into the sky and is easy to use? Last time I posted on this
topic I was pretty close to trying to find a used orange Celestron C8,
but they are hard to find in good condition. Would appreciate any
suggestions for a decent scope I can buy new for under $500. Just
want something that is stable and easy to use and navigate the sky
with.

Thanks in advance,
Steve

Steve wrote:
Thanks for the tips on locating Saturn.

It took a couple of tries, but I finally found it low in the horizon
directly east of our house which faces east.

It was pretty magnificent looking, even in this cheap telescope we are
using at the moment!

I never doubted you for a moment.

Before I located Saturn I fixed on a yellowish/redish looking star
that I thought was a planet. This star was north of Orions belt. It
was really bright looking and I thought it looked like a planet in the
scope, but according to a sky chart I looked at there was no planet in
that location last night.

Anyone have a guess what that object may have been?

This isn't really a guess. It was Betelgeuse, a star that got its name
from an unfortunate misreading of the Arabic yed-ul-jawz, rhymes with
"bed'l how's."

You would do well to visit http://skytonight.com/howto/basics. At the
same time, you should buy a planisphere, perhaps something like this
http://www.shopatsky.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=100
or something that you find at your telescope store -- the one staffed
by experts and that sells only telescopes and related gear. If you
don't know where that is, search the web and ask someone in your local
astronomy club, or call Company Seven http://www.company7.com. Every
club that I know of welcomes beginners. After you've mastered the
planisphere (which you should do because it will teach you just about
everything you need to know about celestial mechanics) you need to get
and learn to use a sky atlas. These
http://www.shopatsky.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=35
are widely admired. Learn to use it well to navigate your way around
the sky. /Then/ , as a graduation present, give yourself a planetarium
program. There are a zillion of them around for Linux, Mac OS, Unix,
and Windows, and many of them are free or inexpensive.

This scope I got our son for Christmas is really hard to use. Worse
than my Sears telescope I had as a boy. It is also not able to aim
well at obects high in the sky. It seems to only recline to about a
60 degree angle. I had to lower the legs on one side just to get it
to point higher in the sky.

Would appreciate any suggestions for something halfway decent that can
aim high into the sky and is easy to use? Last time I posted on this
topic I was pretty close to trying to find a used orange Celestron C8,
but they are hard to find in good condition. Would appreciate any
suggestions for a decent scope I can buy new for under $500. Just
want something that is stable and easy to use and navigate the sky
with.

You should base your purchase decision on what interests you in the
sky. Deep sky? Moon? Planets? All of those? If the latter then a
Schmidt Cassegrain telescope of modest size (8-10") would be a good and
/relatively/ inexpensive place to start. Again consult your local
telescope store or contact Company 7 http://www.company7.com, which
is one of the best in the business.

Once you are started, need I say that the sky's the limit?

Davoud

I am not affiliated with "Sky and Telescope" or "Company Seven."

--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com