First Light??

I’m very new to astronomy- well is being 51 years old actually new to astronomy?  I’ve always been interested in the sky since I was a boy.  Even owned a telescope when I was in middle school growing up in TX.  I’ve taken a college class or two on astronomy also.  But now it’s different.

I actually pulled the plug and bought a scope.  Televue 85.  Talk about being excited- you bet!  So in the mean time the kids and I went over to a friends place (www.hollydome.com) and tried looking at Jupiter.

We got there, found Jupiter in the night sky and figured, point the scope at the planet and Whamo, you will see it in the eyepiece.  Nope- hour and a half later we finally got it in the eyepiece after both my kids and I tried to coax that little planet into the eyepiece.  Something about field of view I’ve got to learn about I think.

But seeing Jupiter in the scope with all four of its moons shining back at us was way cool.  We could see a few bands but that was about it.  We were wore out and a little sore in the back trying to find it.  None the less way cool!

Back to the scope purchase.  How do you stick the scope on a tripod?  Oops!  Bought a Celestron VX mount- very nice but you need a bracket to fit the scope to the mount.  Neither the scope nor the mount literature I saw said you need it.  So I bought a mount, I think will work.

The scope arrived in a day!  The mount won’t be here for 7-10 days.  They must have to mine the metal and all to get it to me?!  So now I’m checking everything else to see what else may bite me and see if I can head it off before doing so.  Next, I took out the Celestron Power Tank and found out you have to plug it in and charge it for 24 hours before using it.  Got time now, so I start that off yesterday.  BUT, when the grandson woke up from a nap he saw a shiny red light and decided to push the switch by it.  Which, turned the charge off.  Oops!  Started charging it again.

Today I check to see if the bracket has shipped- No, and the vendor has a holiday starting 4/21-5/1.  Now I’m not getting the bracket until the first part of May!  Oops.

One thing for sure Astronomy is teaching me is patience!!

So what do I do in the mean time?  I’m taking an Astronomy course through Udemy called Astronomy- State of the Art.  Great course (FREE)!  Chris Impey does the teaching and does a great job.  Highly recommend it.  I also have to learn the sky a little more.  So the kids and I are studying Orion.  Also lenses, what types I need and how to pick out good ones.  As Willie Wonka would say- so much to do, so little time to do it.

I also started this blog.  Goal is to make it fun and interesting.  To share what I learn about Astronomy as I learn it.  Hope you will enjoy it as well.

Roger