Do Any of You Double as an Amateur Astronomer?

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
So this thread inspired me and I pulled my half-century-old Cave Astrola scope out of storage yesterday. Found all the other parts and accessories too. I think I have a new side project :). Needs some stainless nuts, bolts, and studs to replace old ones that are moderately corroded, but doesn't look bad at all. Biggest needs are to unstick the latitude adjustment (it's a friction lock in the castings tightened by a rather large bolt) and do something about the horribly wobbly leveling screws. Armed with a mill, lathe and 3D printer I ought to be able to do a lot more with it than I once could have. Not sure yet if the drives are going to need more than cleaning to work OK. Also found a mirror shop up in Anza, CA -- not a very long drive from SD -- where I can get the optics re-aluminized.
 
Do any of you here have an opinion about a Celestron 8SE or the more pricey Evolution model? I have seen a couple for sale online and I've been tempted because they also look like they could be used for both nighttime viewing some rudimentary astrophotography. (I know that's a whole other beast, but I'd like to not only see the planets, but take a couple pictures too.) Definitely more expensive than the Dobsonians, but it looks like they were pretty popular.
 
Aw jeeze guys...
DSCN3116[1].jpg

I took this with my Nikon P610 consumer-level super zoom camera, with optical grade aluminized mylar over the lens. It was tripod mounted and I triggered it with my phone. I think the equivalent 35mm focal length is 2000mm. Probably overexposed a bit, or just the cheapo consumer lenses or something tha gave that haze... maybe even some high-level haze that day.

But thanks to the good prfesser, I have a 119 mm mirror with a 1000 mm focal length and so may be on my way to join your more accomplished ranks.
 
Do any of you here have an opinion about a Celestron 8SE or the more pricey Evolution model? I have seen a couple for sale online and I've been tempted because they also look like they could be used for both nighttime viewing some rudimentary astrophotography. (I know that's a whole other beast, but I'd like to not only see the planets, but take a couple pictures too.) Definitely more expensive than the Dobsonians, but it looks like they were pretty popular.

The 8" Celestron (variations) is a standard of the industry. I personally much prefer a SCT such as the C8 to a Dobsonian and have been using a Celestron 5 for the past 45 years. I highly recommend you look for your answers on astronomy sites. There has been good advice on this thread, and there has been some inaccurate information. Here is a thread discussing the two you mention.....

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/618853-8se-vs-evolution-8/
 
Thanks @Titan II. That thread is great, but it is making me want to spend even more money. I'm convinced that forums like this are full of enablers!

And I only understand about 10% of the lingo in the thread. There is so much to learn, but that's the fun of it.
 
Last edited:
Thanks @Titan II. That thread is great, but it is making me want to spend even more money. I'm convinced that forums like this are full of enablers!

And I only understand about 10% of the lingo in the thread. There is so much to learn, but that's the fun of it.
Good places to start learning are Stellafane and Mel Bartel's site. For a wealth of basic information on simple telescopes and their use, All About Telescopes by Sam Brown and published by Edmund Scientific cannot be beat---if you can find a copy. It's 50 years old but some information doesn't change.

And always remember: a hobby is something that consumes time and money; the desired product is happiness. Spending more money and more time should result in more happiness, right? ;)

Best -- Terry
 
Do any of you here have an opinion about a Celestron 8SE or the more pricey Evolution model? I have seen a couple for sale online and I've been tempted because they also look like they could be used for both nighttime viewing some rudimentary astrophotography. (I know that's a whole other beast, but I'd like to not only see the planets, but take a couple pictures too.) Definitely more expensive than the Dobsonians, but it looks like they were pretty popular.
I have an 8SE, good scope.
It does jiggle a bit, if you can afford the EVO I would go for it.
That said the SE is a decent mount for the price.
It's never failed me in the seven years of ownership :)
 
I just recently gave a rocketry information talk to my astronomy club (ATMoB)...lol

I am a little late to this thread, but I have been a visual observer for decades and last equipment refresh decided to go the EAA and AP route due to my older eyes, although I still love visual observation. My astrobin

full


full


full
 
Last edited:
When I was a young teen, I had a keen interest in all things space, not just rocketry, but Astronomy as well. Also as a young teen, getting started in Astronomy was far to expensive, and was even somewhat discouraged by my parents, as they knew I would be asking them for a telescope for Christmas etc. On a meager military salary, this hobby never bloomed. So, fast forward 35 to 40+ years... While surfing YouTube I happened across an Astronomy channel called Astro Backyard and I spent the better part of a couple-three hours watching some very well made Astrophotography videos. Got me curious and inspired, and left me wondering if maybe I could afford yet another outdoor hobby.

Do we have many Amateur Astronomers here on the forum?
I was a serious active amateur astronomer until about 12 years ago.

I built a two story observatory with a 10’ dome to house a permanently mounted computerized 12” LX200 with a ccd camera and professional observatory grade color fillers.

But the scope drive electronics died long ago and I got on to other things such as high power rocketry instead of fixing it.
 
Last edited:
I just recently gave a rocketry information talk to my astronomy club (ATMoB)...lol

I am a little late to this thread, but I have been a visual observer for decades and last equipment refresh decided to go the EAA and AP route due to my older eyes, although I still love visual observation. My astrobin

full


full


full
What do you need to get pictures (or views) like THAT?
 
Daytime shot of the sun through a 4" reflector, solar filter, cell phone holder, and phone camera. Milky Way is dead overhead too if you have a really dark area to visit and look up about 10PM. That I shoot with my DSLR and a wide angle lens with a remote shutter release (Nikon D3400)
 

Attachments

  • 279844795_10219716993410576_274399697006322700_n.jpeg
    279844795_10219716993410576_274399697006322700_n.jpeg
    373.9 KB · Views: 0
I wish I had a place to live where I could have an observatory and a 11" Celestron, the same model that the guy in France captured the astronaut doing a spacewalk on the international space station last year.
 
Detailed info is in her link. Go to a pic and click the calendar or small set of 9 squares.
Thanks!

Edited to add: I clearly know NOTHING about astronomy equipment or astrophotography! My mind was blown by her list; filters I understand, but never heard of some of that equipment OR the manufacturers! o_O
 
Last edited:
I just recently gave a rocketry information talk to my astronomy club (ATMoB)...lol

I am a little late to this thread, but I have been a visual observer for decades and last equipment refresh decided to go the EAA and AP route due to my older eyes, although I still love visual observation. My astrobin

full


full


full
Fantastic imagery
 
What do you need to get pictures (or views) like THAT?

A lot of reading...seriously.

I have a long time background in astronomy and am a math and science teacher, so I had a bit of a head start, but regardless, astrophotography relies heavily on various systems of different disciplines.

Like I mentioned, at my last equipement refresh, I decided to "dip my toes"* into EAA (Electronically Assisted Astronomy) and AP (AstroPhotography)
This is can be a very incremental hobby like rocketry, but I knew where I wanted to be ultimately, so I just went straight there from the onset.

While many folks use a DSLR camera for astrophotography, and get great and amazing results, those cameras are not the best suited tool for the job. there is no denying the benefits of a dedicated cooled astronomy camera. It is a small niche market. Astronomy cameras are purpose designed for long exposure and continuous use, with sensor chips that would otherwise not be well suited for daytime use. From there you end up building a system around the camera. Or at least, that is what I did.

*amateur astronomers will recognize irony of "dipping your toes" into AP.
 
Thank you
A lot of reading...seriously.

I have a long time background in astronomy and am a math and science teacher, so I had a bit of a head start, but regardless, astrophotography relies heavily on various systems of different disciplines.

Like I mentioned, at my last equipement refresh, I decided to "dip my toes"* into EAA (Electronically Assisted Astronomy) and AP (AstroPhotography)
This is can be a very incremental hobby like rocketry, but I knew where I wanted to be ultimately, so I just went straight there from the onset.

While many folks use a DSLR camera for astrophotography, and get great and amazing results, those cameras are not the best suited tool for the job. there is no denying the benefits of a dedicated cooled astronomy camera. It is a small niche market. Astronomy cameras are purpose designed for long exposure and continuous use, with sensor chips that would otherwise not be well suited for daytime use. From there you end up building a system around the camera. Or at least, that is what I did.

*amateur astronomers will recognize irony of "dipping your toes" into AP.
Thank you, @ChristineZ . I had started to figure out from what you and others were saying that those images aren't what you see if you look through the 'scope with your unaided eyeball. So it's not like you can take the grandkids out in the backyard even with a very good telescope and point it at the sky and see those images directly - long exposures, filtering, even post-processing of the images, layering, and so on.

But I hope to build a small reflector here soon and prepare for the 2024 eclipse that will pass through eastern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania, with some way of recording it and projecting so the grandkids can safely observe it. However, April in western PA, you gotta hope and pray for a clear sky!
 
What do you need to get pictures (or views) like THAT?
Fun fact: planets generally look better thru the telescope (eye) than their photos, though that's no longer entirely true due to modern digital processing. Nebulae, galaxies, clusters and the like look better in their photos because (A) long exposures show many more stars too faint to be seen with the eye, and (B) colors show up much more intensely because of the increased amount of light.

Best,
Terry
 
...So it's not like you can take the grandkids out in the backyard even with a very good telescope and point it at the sky and see those images directly - long exposures, filtering, even post-processing of the images, layering, and so on.

There might be a way to show the grandkids stuff like this in real-ish time. I attended the Grand Canyon Star Party earlier this year. It was incredible! Here is a picture of a 28" Dobsonian that was there. But arguably the coolest telescope was a small scope clear in the back. It had a dedicated astronomy camera attached to it and a wireless system that was sending a stacked image to an iPad. So you could see exactly what the scope was pointed at in real-time. I'm sure it was not cheap, but it was really cool. #astronomygoals
FV-ZVr5UAAE98Kc.jpeg
 
Yup, since 2004. Have a number of scopes from small refractors for solar work up to a 16" f/4.5 dob. In 2009, I ground and figured an 8" f/8 mirror and built it into a dob. Took this shot of Saturn through it after temp putting it on an EQ mount.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0011.JPG
    IMG_0011.JPG
    22.6 KB · Views: 0
  • IMG_0017.JPG
    IMG_0017.JPG
    50.4 KB · Views: 0
I'm glad this thread woke up again after a longish nap. Since I posted above I've gone a long way into a resto-mod of my 1975 Cave 8" newt. The OTA and base/legs are done and so far have come out great with big improvements in mechanical stability, rust removal, and refinishing of all the painted parts, saddles converted to Losmandy/Vixen rails, and addition of a nice AT80 finder/aux scope. The primary mirror is amazing even though it came from a time when Cave quality was getting wobbly.

I'm diving into the equatorial head now; just scored a pair of vintage Byers worm drives (9" and 7.5") to replace the dinky little 4" ones that Cave had on the mount. I'm super stoked, those things are legendary as probably the best astro drive gear systems ever made. They will get re-motored from the old AC sync type to DC steppers driven by OnStep and I'll suddenly -- well, OK not so suddenly, some machining and electronics integration required -- get slewing and goto capability on a mount that once was so unsteady that objects would bounce out of the field of view at 75x.

Build thread over on CloudyNights is here:
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/742954-cave-astrola-8-f7-model-b-deluxe-restoration-upgrade/
 
There might be a way to show the grandkids stuff like this in real-ish time. I attended the Grand Canyon Star Party earlier this year. It was incredible! Here is a picture of a 28" Dobsonian that was there. But arguably the coolest telescope was a small scope clear in the back. It had a dedicated astronomy camera attached to it and a wireless system that was sending a stacked image to an iPad. So you could see exactly what the scope was pointed at in real-time. I'm sure it was not cheap, but it was really cool. #astronomygoals
View attachment 531651
Yes, this is what is called “live stacking” and EAA. While my main AP camera is mono, I simultaneously shoot with an one shot color camera for display to folks at outreach events.

While live stacking generally is pretty good with several options available, even subtracting some rudimentary sensor calibration frames, and being able to set quality parameters, nothing beats a beautiful dark sky site, and seeing visually a new object for the first time.
Peoples expressions the first time they see the rings of Saturn, or Jupiter and it’s many moons. Or even the blue of Neptune. Some on the many small bright objects like M27, M57, NGC6772, or it’s fainter companion. M97, the Virgo Galaxy Cluster, M81 & M82, M51, the Leo Triplet, the recent supernova in M60, heck any of the Messier objects, especially the Globulars or open clusters. And there are enough bright nebula visually too. Of course, everyone’s fav Orion, but the whole southern sky in summer, graced this summer by comet K2.

When people see M16, the Eagle Nebula, even with a pair of binoculars, then see a live stack of Hubbles most famous early image, the “pillars of creation“ in M16 for themselves, they kind of get this profound connection to the universe…that they can be part of this grand adventure too.

late July through August sees us under the delta Aquariid and Perseid meteor showers. No special equipment other than your family or grandkids and a blanket and bug spray necessary. Just look up after midnight to predawn.

Bring a pair of binoculars too, and sweep the sky and see what you can find. Discovering your first nebula or globular or open cluster, learning your way around the sky is a very educational and fun, sketch what you see even if you don’t know what it is your looking at…yet!
 
If anyone is interested in a Celestron 6SE, I have one that is available. I am very close to Pensacola, FL and my skies are very bright. Humidity doesn't help this. I may get two weeks per year where I can actually look at things.

If you are interested in this scope, let me know.
 
..... Humidity doesn't help this. I may get two weeks per year where I can actually look at things....

Donnager, don't give up. The Celestron is a long focal length scope and is great for planets and globulars and even the brighter planetary nebulas or which there are scores of objects (indeed just about a third of the Messier catalogue is Globular Clusters). It will struggle with dimmer or face on spiral galaxies, esp in high Bortle skies and dimmer more diffuse objects. There should be areas close but out of city lights where you can point it south toward the Gulf and your skies should be dark enough...There are dozens of objects around Sagittarius that the 6SE with a wider eyepiece (>15mm), even in your area, is well suited for.

Also humidity can actually improve astronomical seeing as long as it's humid higher in the atmosphere too, as it reduces thermal currents that lead to turbulence. High atmosphere turbulence can really spoil seeing, humidity, not so much. Some of the best viewing sites for planetary are actually in relatively high humidity areas, lol. For bright objects like the moon and planets, humidity may actually be your friend...lol.
 
I think a tremendous amount of light comes from a papermill down the road and (mostly) my neighbors lights. Usually we get a few weeks in late October (between tropical systems), where the skies are clear. I have a nice spotting scope that I will be adding a laser "aiming sight" that seems to have useful resolution. The Celestron requires a pretty good bit of effort to hook up the battery and line it up. When Skies aren't clear, that tends to be problematic.

This is not a knock on Celestron. It works great. I just have to decide if I can use it in my location. I back up to a creek and could probably get rid of neighborhood light, but I'm not sure how much better I can make it.

Prior experience in Northern Arizona may have spoiled me.
 
I think a tremendous amount of light comes from a papermill down the road and (mostly) my neighbors lights. Usually we get a few weeks in late October (between tropical systems), where the skies are clear. I have a nice spotting scope that I will be adding a laser "aiming sight" that seems to have useful resolution. The Celestron requires a pretty good bit of effort to hook up the battery and line it up. When Skies aren't clear, that tends to be problematic.

This is not a knock on Celestron. It works great. I just have to decide if I can use it in my location. I back up to a creek and could probably get rid of neighborhood light, but I'm not sure how much better I can make it.

Prior experience in Northern Arizona may have spoiled me.

Ahhh, we all pine for those lovely dark skies. Even here in the northeast, my youthful eyes have memories of a horizon interrupting the flow of the Milky Way, when M31 was clearly naked eye visible, when only a pair of your dad's binoculars was needed to so see things that made you want a star atlas hoping not to find your latest discovery...lol.

Now, only at new moon in near perfect seeing can even the faintest hints of the Milky Way be seen overhead. I would need to travel a couple of hours to get into much darker skies and a couple hours beyond for truly dark skies. Coastal regions are the closest now, but LED lighting and peoples unending need for effects lighting have ruined the night sky.

Backyard astronomy has changed with the times, primarily why I do EAA and AP now too.
 
Last edited:
I have a 10" f4.5 Meade reflector that I bought in 1995. I used it just long enough to realize that the focuser was junk, and rebuilt it with a new secondary, 2" focuser, and extension baffle. Lined the 12" sonotube with black velvet which increased the contrast dramatically. Then added a Televue wide angle lens. It's like looking out through a picture window.
 
Back
Top