I've recently (sort of) taken up naked-eye observing. Our skies at night are too beautiful to ignore (even if not completely unhindered by light). My deck looks out east, and I get a decent view of the southern-to-eastern quarter of the sky.

Even a few days ago, Orion and the Ursas were the only constellations I could find by sight. It's a pedestrian accomplishment, but thanks to help from the Stellarium software, I can now identify Taurus, Aries, Gemini, Triangulum, and Perceus. I can also find the star 'Atlas', though that's the only star I've memorized by name (other than Polaris and Sirius and the like).

I need to find a decent dark-sky site around here so I can see the whole sky. One website listed Burr Oak, which is a park we've been to in the past. It's an hour away from home, but that's still realistic for special excursions. The only part that worries me is the website listed the camp sites as the designated areas and that you have to reserve a spot, and if there's others there camping with bonfires or what not that wouldn't be ideal.

Just 20 minutes south of wear I live is lightly populated, very wooded area. It would be suitable, but I don't know any safe places to go. The parks don't allow visitors after dark, and too many gun-totting hillfolk (really) to just pull over somewhere.

Anyway, any tips for a newbie?

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I'm like one of those idiot savants...well, except for the savant part.
Ignore enough evidence and anything can be called mysterious or unexplained.

Why not join the Columbus Ohio Astronomy Club and use their sites?
http://www.the-cas.org/

Rick

I hadn't looked at Columbus' clubs because they tend to be north of Columbus, and I'm already 40 minutes SE of Cols. When I first pulled up that link, it indeed lists them as being well north of my location; but one of their listed viewing sites is like 20 minutes away from me. Now* I'll be itching for the first non-work-night clear sky. ¡Gracias senior!

*ETA: The local site is for members-only w/ permission from the park, so I'll be waiting for the first clear, non-work night after becoming a member.

__________________

I'm like one of those idiot savants...well, except for the savant part.
Ignore enough evidence and anything can be called mysterious or unexplained.

Congrats Fazor! I hope this turns into a life-long hobby for you. Once you're hooked, you'll notice the dramatic increase in cloudy nights...

Let us know if/when you're ready to discuss astronomy equipment. If you don't already have a decent pair of binoculars, that would be a great place to start. If you do have binocs, by all means bring them with you to your site.

Hi all,
I have just myself similarly discovered the skies at night and can identify many constellations etc in just three days with a telescope of a friend. Hope you guys can help with a question.

We have been looking at stars, and Mars using a Celestron 4SE. When I increase magnification, it looks like a black ball with a white circle around it. Can't see any colour or texture on Mars. Do we need extra filters for that?

The manual doesn't seem to have anything on this. Any advice that can point me in the right direction would be just great.

Thanks guys.

PS: I am so hooked by the way.

Most nights it's difficult to see much detail on Mars because of atmospheric conditions. It usually looks like an orange disk, with views of one of the ice caps about 50% of the time for me.

Not sure how you're seeing a 'black ball with a white circle' though, are you sure you're in focus? What magnification are you using? A 4" scope won't give you more than 100-120X or so on a decent night because of atmospheric conditions. What about collimation, have you checked that?

My bold for reference. That is what a star image looks like when a typical reflecting telescope is out of focus. The black ball is a silhouette of the secondary mirror. Turn your focuser back and forth until you get the smallest possible spot.

Welcome to stargazing, canis!

I shouldn't be surprised, but the past two nights have been crystal clear, absolutely beautiful. But I couldn't really go out because I've been exhausted and have work in the mornings. Tonight, with Saturday late-morning waiting for me, it's raining and completely cloudy. Bah humbug!

I have been able to see Gemeni and Mars (I think, I should probably verify the Mars thing) out my bedroom window, at least.

__________________

I'm like one of those idiot savants...well, except for the savant part.
Ignore enough evidence and anything can be called mysterious or unexplained.

Always remember this...

It doesn't matter what you're looking at.
It doesn't matter what you're looking through.

it NEVER looks like the pictures...

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"If a tree is cut down in the rainforest, and is used to make paper to print a book, and the book is really bad, and there's nobody that will read it, do you still hear a sucking sound?"
Charlie in Dayton, A.AsC.

I just had to bump this thread to re-quote this. Bah! I don't think I've seen a star in two weeks. There were a few nights where the clouds were just thin enough to get a hazy glow from the moon behind them, but that's it.

Good thing I didn't get a telescope or binoculars or the like for Christmas!

__________________

I'm like one of those idiot savants...well, except for the savant part.
Ignore enough evidence and anything can be called mysterious or unexplained.