Amateur Astronomy
by Ron Robisch
I haven't always considered myself an amateur astronomer.
Like many other guys my age, I simply enjoyed science, read lots of Isaac
Asimov, and grew up watching Star Trek. I had a cheap, tiny telescope
as a kid, but never looked at anything other than the moon and maybe a
couple of bright stars. Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, I had
never seen the Milky Way, and the only constellation I could recognize
was the Big Dipper.
Skip ahead to about 1992 when my big brother
bought me a pair of binoculars for Christmas. I soon found myself
atop Mt. Trashmore, near where I then lived in Virginia Beach, with my
binocs and an issue of Astronomy Magazine. Using a little star chart
in the magazine, I started actually finding things: when I successfully
identified the fantastic stellar nursery known as the Orion Nebula, I was
hooked!
I soon learned that there was a plethora of objects
to find in the night sky, objects easily detected with a decent telescope,
binoculars, or even the naked eye. I began keeping notes of what
I found, and eventually I got a really nice telescope: a Schmidt-Cassegrain
with an 8” diameter mirror. I've seen numerous galaxies, nebulae,
open and globular star clusters, binary stars, and supernova remnants.
Closer to home (relatively speaking), I've seen all of the planets except
Pluto, 5 of Saturn's moons and its rings, 4 of Jupiter's moons, ice caps
on Mars, several comets and asteroids, gigantic sunspots, and gorgeous
craters on the moon. Probably my most memorable observations were
of the impacts that fragments of Comet Schoemaker-Levy 9 left when they
crashed like a giant celestial freight train into Jupiter in July of 1994.
People often ask me how to get started in
astronomy. Honestly, the first step is simply to go outside and look
up. Find a relatively dark location with a good horizon, and learn
some of the constellations. If you are ready to buy equipment, what
to get will depend on many things, not the least of which is how much you
are willing to spend. In general, if you're not willing to spend
about $300 or so on a telescope, GET BINOCULARS. I know they lack
the Wow! factor of a telescope, but a poor telescope is
junk. It will be frustrating to use and will end up collecting
dust in somebody's closet. You can't go wrong with binoculars, though.
They are fairly inexpensive (maybe $100 for a nice pair of 7x50mm binoculars),
comfortable to look through, and extremely portable. And you'll be
amazed at what they can reveal in the night sky.
If you can afford $300 or so, then you can really get a decent telescope.
The most important characteristic of any telescope is the diameter of its
lens or mirror. Bigger is better. The bigger the mirror, the
more light it collects which make faint objects easier to see. For
a given size, refractors are more expensive than reflectors, so I recommend
reflectors. About $300 should be enough for a 6" reflector.
Go up to $400 or so and an 8" reflector is within range -- a telescope
optically similar to mine. One warning: Stay away from cheap
telescopes that advertise their magnifying power. Magnification is
dependent upon the eyepiece used in the telescope, and, theoretically,
any telescope can achieve high magnifications. In practice however,
getting more than 50X per inch of diameter is not realistic; beyond that
the image will deteriorate rapidly.
Whether you're interested in a telescope or
binoculars, one accessory is a must: a good star chart. If you're
not from DC you'd need a map to find Iwo Jima, right? The same rationale
applies to stargazing. You need a map to find stuff. Border's
usually carries a decent star chart or two for maybe $20.
If you’d like to learn more about amateur
astronomy, please feel free to ask me! Also, you can visit my web
site at http://www.stargazer.netfirms.com/ , where you’ll find lots of
information and links about stargazing, telescopes, amateur astronomy clubs,
and star parties (gatherings of stargazers). Clear skies!
Spiral Galaxy NGC 5248 in Virgo a) as plotted on my star chart;
b) as sketched while viewing with my telescope; and c) as photographed
with a 16" telescope.
