Gostargazing and the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks Dark Skies Festival

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 Gostargazing and the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales National Parks Dark Skies Festival

The last two weeks have been joyous. A programme of inspiring and interesting astronomy and astrophotography zoom presentations as part of the Dark Skies Festival.

 If you follow this blog you will know that I have just started exploring the world of astronomy. I plan on taking my new telescope with me in the motorhome. I have written a few posts for anyone else who is new to astronomy and thinking of pursuing it whilst motorhoming. Just scroll down the blog main pages to find them.

Neill of the GoStarGazing blog did a fascinating beginner’s guide to telescopes. Well, he did it three times, I think. Here are the basic notes I made from his presentation (and also some notes I made whilst listening to other presenters during the week), useful for any other newbie astronomers. They are not in any particular order. Neill gave his tips through a ‘question-and-answer session’ with new astronomers.  His enthusiasm, knowledge, advice and ability to move people on in their learning and confidence was incredible. On the session I attended, he really helped people overcome many basic starter problems.

The brief basics –

·        a telescope collects light and makes things appear brighter – it brings this light to a focus and a tiny image. An eyepiece magnifies the image but this means there is less light reaching your eyeball. The more magnification you use, the worse the views (except for the moon); the less magnification you use the better. Tip: stick with lower magnification eyepieces e.g., x 25mm.

·        Don’t use a Barlow lens (except for the moon) as it cuts out light.

·        Collimate any finder scopes or red dot finer scopes during daylight – use a distant chimney pot and then line it up with telescope. The object needs to be about half a mile away. Use your lowest magnification eyepiece. Point the telescope in the general direction of the object you are using for alignment and get the view as sharp as possible and as close to centre as possible in the viewfinder. Then lock the telescope so it cannot move. Look through the finder scope to see where the object is and use the adjuster screws to centre its alignment on the object you are using. Do a final check back through the telescope to make sure it hasn’t moved.

·        Practise how to focus your telescope during daytime.

·        Make sure you have removed all of the telescope cover and not just a small part of it.

·        If your stars appear flared – then your mirrors are out of alignment and collimation is required. Big tip – always keep the telescope tube horizontal when collimating so that if you accidently drop something, it doesn’t immediately fall down onto your primary mirror assembly at the bottom of the tube (depending on what type of telescope you have).

·        If using a GOTO mount – start with the telescope horizontal and pointing north before you start your alignment. Best alignment stars lie to the east and west of you.

·        Learn ten stars and simple constellations e.g., plough, Orion etc.

·        Remember telescope images may be upside down and back to front depending on the type of telescope you have

·        If your telescope fogs up – use heated handwarmer pads and elastic bands or better still a 12v hairdryer, if you have a 12v powerpack with your telescope.

·        Join your local astronomical society and attend their meetings when COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed.

·        Adjust your tripod so that your eyepiece is at an appropriate height.

·        Try not to look at objects which are low in the sky, close to the horizon – this is because atmospheric interference and distortion will be greater. Aim for looking at objects which are higher in the sky.

·        It takes around 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust fully to the dark – use a low intensity red flashlight. If your eyes become tired do some eye exercises e.g., roll your eyes side to side and up and down for 20seconds and then relax and close your eyes for 30 seconds. You can wear an eyepatch over your observing eye before you start your session, so that your observing eye is then fully acclimatized when you start.

·        Up your vitamin A intake – cheese, carrots, eggs and green veg.

·        Scout the weather ahead – use apps to ascertain how good seeing conditions will be.

·        Combat the cold – so overpack. Pay particular attention to head and feet heat losses. Dress in layers and have handwarmer packs with you.

·        Know the limiting magnitude of your telescope.

·        Take a three-step utility ladder with you – very useful for reaching higher mounted eyepieces

·        Record your observations – digitally or graphically on paper.

·        Take DEET to combat the midges.

·        Make a packing list – eyepieces, tripod, accessories such as Barlow lens, dew shield and filters; beach towel to spread blow tripod, red flashlight etc.

·        Know your way around the night sky in advance – basic stars and constellations. “You don’t buy a boat before learning to sail – so it is the same with a telescope – you don’t buy a telescope before learning something about the basic night sky”. (He clearly hasn’t met me because I did build a boat before I learned to sail and I did buy a telescope before learnings some of the…. never mind….just trust me…it happens!!)

·        Mange your expectations – what you expect to see and what you actually see will be different. Remember you haven’t got a Hubble!

·        Take three sizes of Plossls’ – small one for moon, medium for star clusters and nebulae, large for faint Deep Space Objects (DSOs).

·        Dampen your tripod vibrations using low-cost vibration suppression pads. Tighten everything so nothing moves. You can add weight to your tripod if that helps – fill an empty 1-gallon jerrycan and tie to tripod; or relocate to the lawn or compacted earth.

·        If you are in a light polluted area try using a light pollution filter.

 

Anyway, there we are. A few tips from Neill and other presenters during the fortnight.  Visit Neill’s website at https://gostargazing.co.uk/

You will find lots of useful advice for beginners.

In the meantime, we are fast approaching April 12^th when we can get away once more in our motorhomes. I am hoping that my telescope will have arrived by then and that it can accompany us on trips around the UK during 2021. As always, stay safe, have fun and remember ‘take care out there’.

Steve