What can we see in Singapore Sky?

[yybmage]

Well, like all others said use a bino at first. Go to the west coast where there a big field, you can see Pleides there. I always go there on saturdays. You can also ask others if there is a observation session, they will let you see through there scopes. I got a 12" Meade LX 200 and a 4"Celestron Nexstar 4SE. Feel free to PM me if you want a ob session, well, not only me others as well.

[Zephyrus]

Really make no difference? Wa cool man! And no need waste money on tripod. When i use my bino and see the stars i don know what star is what star. ~.~ I will join you people for observation sessions and learn more. And i have decided to keep my current bino since you said that it makes no difference and if i wannt get a bigger bino, it will require a tripod and it will cost $300-$400. Anyway my bino is bought at sim lim square. The people there mostly cheat money? They up and down the prices whereever they like. But i manage to found one quite reasonable price. ^^ Anyway Zephyrus, you have been a great help to me from the day i put the first post. Thanks very much (: Ya and i saw your post you said that you got your first telescope on Christmas? hahaha! Finally, i always look into the sky and see this 3 star in a row. I wonder what is it and 4 stars around it?

Yup, it won't make much of a difference. By the way, yeah like zamri said, the 3 stars in a row is the Orion belt. The four stars around it is the Trapezium Cluster in the heart of Orion Nebula (click on the link for more info). You can take a look at Stellarium. Although it's not really a good starter application. You should get a David Chandler's "The Night Sky" planisphere from Jim @ McGill for a starter. I got that together with my binoculars and learnt about the constellations by myself. And I do search up wikipedia for information regarding all the "funny" star and constellation names I see.

I'm glad I'm of help to you, because back in July, I was like you too and the members in Singastro helped me out too. Do let us know where you stay so you can find members who are in the same area to observe with. I stay in Hougang, and I usually observe at the big field next to Buangkok MRT station. Do join me if you stay nearby so I can share with you what I know. (:

[heroluvdisc]

Hi,

Im interested too!
I live opp the buangkok big field.
Hope to learn something from you too!

[Zephyrus]

Hey heroluvdisc, PM me your contact so I can inform you if I have any impromptu session because I've been pretty busy with work recently. Haha, I wouldn't say I'm of any position to teach you anything, but I will do my best to share with you what I know. I'm still an amatuer astronomer as well. (:

[guangwei]

Comet Lulin is a hot topic now i guess. Is it visible in singapore?

[Zephyrus]

It is, but it's not easy to find. You have to know roughly where it is, and must be able to recognise it. It's really dim, at magnitude 5 to 6 and can be rather difficult to spot due to haze or light pollution. It's definitely not easy to spot on a binocular as it's will look like a dim fuzzy patch on the binoculars. As for telescopes, you will need to know roughly the precise location of it when trying to find it, or it will take a long time. I'll do a little research on it and hope to find it tomorrow night (if the skies cooperate).

Although I think tonight will be the best to try to find Comet Lulin as it will be near Saturn, which is definitely easier to find. Might be going out later cause the skies look decent tonight althought not the best.

http://www.earthsky.org/article/comet-l ... uary-23-24

[Zephyrus]

Okay, did some research on it since it's too good a night to let Lulin pass by without taking a look at it using my bino or something. I found 2 articles that might help.

For newbies, Comet Lulin definitely looks better on photos, so don't bother finding them. It's super duper near Saturn, but a lot dimmer, and looks blur round fuzzy patch. I believe newbies would rather take a look at Saturn more than Lulin haha. And if you take a look at it through a scope at around 70x magnification, according to Kelvin (Meng Lee), it would be a blur patch half the size of the full moon filling up the whole field. More information can be gotten at the below links:

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/090220-comet-lulin.html

Stellarium Star Map (Add Lulin to your list)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kansashorizons/3224973728 <-- makes your life a hell lot easier to locate Lulin with Stellarium

[guangwei]

Hahaha thanks for the info! But the problem is i don't even know where saturn is ~.~

[Zephyrus]

Saturn is located in the NE direction. Use a compass. It looks yellow/golden. It's the brightest "star" around the NE area right now. And just to quote from SPACE.com why the comet isn't interesting for casual and newbie astronomers is that:

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"For those not-so-seasoned folks, I would advise them not to expect anything awe-inspiring," said Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Night Sky Columnist. "Visually to the naked eye in a dark sky, Lulin looks like a dim, fuzzy 'star' and in a small telescope it appears like a fuzzball ... somewhat brighter and more concentrated near the center and more diffuse around the edges.  As comets go, it's nice, but casual skywatchers are more likely to say, 'That's it?' as opposed to more experienced observers who might actually utter, 'Oh, wow!'"

and also that this comet doesn't have a tail:

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Comets are known for their tails, which, like the fuzzy heads, form when solar radiation breaks up surface ice and minerals. The stuff escapes into space, forming an ephemeral atmosphere that glows with reflected sunlight. Lulin has formed and lost its tail at least twice, when gusts of solar wind tore it off.

[guangwei]

Today i went to science centre's astro scientific PTE LTD shop. I heard that the price there is overpriced? I wonder if it's true. It looks true as i can see a 25x100 bino selling for 1k? The cheapest telescope i saw was $300+ so i was wondering if the prices there are reasonable. And also, spotting scopes are use for astronomy also is it? I was wondering how far the distance can be seen from a spotting scope and a telescope. Example, a normal bino maximum distance to view is only 1km. I wonder if all bino can only see 1km? And how far can a spotting scope see and also a telescope. Cos i ask the person at astro scientific pte ltd he didnt tell me. He just ask me to look into it -.-