I am a newbie to astro

Got a question on astronomy that you'd wanted to ask? Ask your questions here and see if the old timers can give you some good answers.
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IceAngel
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Post by IceAngel »

hmm... i have another question to ask... are there telescopes that can be attached to a digi cam to take picture??
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VinSnr
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Post by VinSnr »

IceAngel wrote:hmm... i have another question to ask... are there telescopes that can be attached to a digi cam to take picture??
i think most telescopes can be attached with a digicam. All you need is the right adaptors for your digicam.

Talk to Samuel of Harlequinn astronomics for this. He has plenty of adaptors for different digital cameras
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IceAngel
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Post by IceAngel »

VinSnr wrote:
IceAngel wrote:1) i use public transport as i am still a student..
2) actually any scope will do...
3) i also dunno wat will the scope price.. when i know the price, then i can set budget.. i need a range 1st.. coz i scare i will give an unreasonable price..
There are two scopes I will recommend to you. One is an 80mm refractor which I think is a good starter scope with very good portability. Another one is a 5" Mak, very good value, but bigger than the 80mm refractor so portability will be a little more of a hassle than the 80mm scope.

Both with a camera tripod should be less than $1K. To buy the 5" scope, you can look for McGill. If you want the 80mm refractor, I think Samuel of harlequinn astronomics has one for sale at a very good price. Maybe just the one you need.
hmm... i have read through the newbie FAQ posted by acc... and i find that Mak is suitable for me.. coz i need a better image and cost...

"Portability, Cost and image quality are all relative to the individual. Most of the time, you can only choose 2 out of the 3. If portability and cost are your main considerations, you may want to choose a short achromat refractor or a smaller (5”) SCT or MCT on an alt-az mount. If cost and image quality matter to you, you can choose a simple reflector or the Mak-Newt. These will give the best images for the dollar." by acc

so i choose :

Mak-Newt e.g. Intes MN61, Intes Micro MN66
• Very good images, almost on par with apos of same aperture
• Good for both wide-field and high power views
• Moderate cost
• No CA
• More expensive than reflector and SCT/MCT of same aperture
• Needs collimation for best performance

is this alright for me? where can i get this info from website??
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IceAngel
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Post by IceAngel »

is www.iteastronomy.com a good site to learn abt astro??
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IceAngel
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Post by IceAngel »

can binoculars also be used to see stars??
but it doesnt focus much right??
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
Grievous
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Post by Grievous »

Well, i'll recommend u to start off with binoculars if you have'nt grasped much about the night skies. A good pair of binos will really turn out to be an eye-pleaser and a good learning tool.

For a student like you, why not get a binos first and familiarize yourself to the night skies, then when you are financially stable, get a good maiden scope. Of course, by then, you wouldn't want to dispose your binos yet. It is an indespensable tool during your observing sessions.

2 eons worth
Charlie

P.S: How old are you? Just started out in this hobby?
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weixing
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Favourite scope: Vixen R200SS & Celestron 6" F5 Achro Refractor
Location: (Tampines) Earth of Solar System in Orion Arm of Milky Way Galaxy in Local Group Galaxies Cluster

Post by weixing »

Hi,
I think a 5" or smaller MCT/refractor is more suitable for you, for the following reason:
1) It is much cheaper than the INTES MN61. I would not recommend you to spent too much money for your first scope.
2) It is more portable than a INTES MN61. Importance if you will be observe alone.
3) The MCT/refractor normally do not require to collimate. This will save your time and have more time for your observation. For someone new, collimation is not so easy.

Anyway, I own a SkyWatcher 5" MCT and I'm very happy with it... value for money... :D

Have a nice day.
Yang Weixing
:mrgreen: "The universe is composed mainly of hydrogen and ignorance." :mrgreen:
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harlequin2902
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Post by harlequin2902 »

Hi IceAngel,

For portability, I don't think a Mak-Newt will meet your requirements. They are usually quite long and heavy (especially those from Intes), and a simple alt-az mount is not able to handle them. You will need a sturdier equatorial mount to support them which makes the whole package very bulky and not-very-portable in the end.
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IceAngel
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Post by IceAngel »

Grievous wrote:Well, i'll recommend u to start off with binoculars if you have'nt grasped much about the night skies. A good pair of binos will really turn out to be an eye-pleaser and a good learning tool.

For a student like you, why not get a binos first and familiarize yourself to the night skies, then when you are financially stable, get a good maiden scope. Of course, by then, you wouldn't want to dispose your binos yet. It is an indespensable tool during your observing sessions.

2 eons worth
Charlie

P.S: How old are you? Just started out in this hobby?
i am 19, currectly studying in Temasek Poly.. if i start off with bino, i already have one average type bino with me.. but i tried to use it and see.. it doesnt satisfy me.. sorry.. maybe i am too fussy..
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
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IceAngel
Posts: 330
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2003 1:05 pm
Favourite scope: Sky 90
Location: Tampines

Post by IceAngel »

weixing wrote:Hi,
I think a 5" or smaller MCT/refractor is more suitable for you, for the following reason:
1) It is much cheaper than the INTES MN61. I would not recommend you to spent too much money for your first scope.
2) It is more portable than a INTES MN61. Importance if you will be observe alone.
3) The MCT/refractor normally do not require to collimate. This will save your time and have more time for your observation. For someone new, collimation is not so easy.

Anyway, I own a SkyWatcher 5" MCT and I'm very happy with it... value for money... :D

Have a nice day.
for MCT/refractor, is it possible to get one within the range of $200 - $500?? pardon me if my budget is too low..
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
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