Low cost astronomy
Re: Low cost astronomy
Did you report it as a typo?oldtrucker wrote: ↑Sep 17th, 2021, 12:19 pm https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#345893
Fake news!
Sad state when a old washed up guy like me with no astrophysics degree and the IQ of a mouse has to ask....In what universe is the Andromeda galaxy 22 million light years from Earth? Seriously?
Its 2.1 to 2.5 million light years away.
Castanet author might want to look at that....
Re: Low cost astronomy
All good I submitted one with some links to source materials ... good catch!
Re: Low cost astronomy
My starchart isn't always kept in my easy recall memory storage ... and much of it actually comes from pop culture references from consuming scifi by the greats (Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke etc) ... so I bow to you ... feel free to share more, I prefer authors who properly research what they are relaying ...oldtrucker wrote: ↑Sep 17th, 2021, 1:01 pmNot the first time I've caught mistakes by the author....but this one was so blatant I kinda had to point it out. The others were minor mistakes that the average reader would have no idea either way so I didn't mention them. I mean, doesn't everybody know it's 2.1 to 2.5 M/ly away?
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- Generalissimo Postalot
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Re: Low cost astronomy
I"ve always enjoyed telescopes and looking at planets and stars. I have been using an iPhone app called ...wait for it.... Planets.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/planets/id305793334
It has been a fantastic app. Check it out if you haven't already
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/planets/id305793334
It has been a fantastic app. Check it out if you haven't already
Re: Low cost astronomy
You're post has paid off ... the article in question has been updated with the correct "2.5 million" valueoldtrucker wrote: ↑Sep 17th, 2021, 1:01 pm Not the first time I've caught mistakes by the author....but this one was so blatant I kinda had to point it out. The others were minor mistakes that the average reader would have no idea either way so I didn't mention them. I mean, doesn't everybody know it's 2.1 to 2.5 M/ly away?
Another thing if talking about the Andromeda galaxy....the central black hole makes the Milky Way's Sagittarius A Star look like a mustard seed to a basketball. It's important
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Re: Low cost astronomy
2.5M lightyears away? You guys must be talking about andromeda (M31).
An interesting note is if your eyes were sensitive enough, you’d see M31 is much larger than the moon as it occupies the sky. The moon has an angular diameter of 0.52 degrees, while M31 has an angular diameter of about 3.2 degrees. It’s huge. Sometimes you look up and think it’s gonna squash you.
An interesting note is if your eyes were sensitive enough, you’d see M31 is much larger than the moon as it occupies the sky. The moon has an angular diameter of 0.52 degrees, while M31 has an angular diameter of about 3.2 degrees. It’s huge. Sometimes you look up and think it’s gonna squash you.
Lord Kelvin - When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it.
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Re: Low cost astronomy
The Andromeda Galaxy (IPA: /ænˈdrɒmɪdə/), also known as Messier 31, M31, or NGC 224 and originally the Andromeda Nebula (see below), is a barred spiral galaxy approximately 2.5 million light-years (770 kiloparsecs) from Earth and the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way.[6] The galaxy's name stems from the area of Earth's sky in which it appears, the constellation of Andromeda, which itself is named after the Ethiopian (or Phoenician) princess who was the wife of Perseus in Greek mythology.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda ... laxy_2.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda ... laxy_2.jpg
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Bring back the LIKE button.
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Re: Low cost astronomy
Yeah, and you’d think existing inside the arm of a galaxy might even make it more visible, but not so much. You can see a faint Milky Way across the night sky on a moonless clear night away from the city. You still have to take a picture to see it well.
Lord Kelvin - When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it.
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Re: Low cost astronomy
Thinking of getting the Meoptra meopro 8x56 binoculars. Time to get back in to some backyard gazing. Flourite objectives. Pretty good under a grand.
https://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/us/p ... 8x56-3512/
https://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/us/p ... 8x56-3512/
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Re: Low cost astronomy
I was thinking big scope at one time. Had an 8" catadioptric years back but sold it. Such a pain lugging around 100 pounds to the middle of nowhere. I suppose a dobsonian is an option, but good binos give a new view of the sky I've never had. I was considering going for giant binos with separate eyepieces but, then it might not be low cost any longer :-) Also would use filters if one wanted. The brain makes fainter objects easier to see in stereo apparently.
Plus, I could use them for birding too.
Plus, I could use them for birding too.
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Re: Low cost astronomy
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Re: Low cost astronomy
I presume you're talking about giant binoculars like this:Jlabute wrote: ↑Jul 28th, 2022, 11:13 am I was considering going for giant binos with separate eyepieces but, then it might not be low cost any longer :-) Also would use filters if one wanted. The brain makes fainter objects easier to see in stereo apparently.
Plus, I could use them for birding too.
I think this is the same (or similar) model that Yuji Hyakutake used to discover his comet; but the pictures I found of Yuji Hyakutake with his own binoculars are too small and low resolution to be sure of that.
Ideally, I'd want a pair of something like this and a decent telescope.
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Re: Low cost astronomy
^^^ those would be nice Sonny!
Unfortunately, it is not what I bought. I have a pair of Nikon HG 8x42 I picked up on sale. Nice as far as binoculars go, but no where as flexible with interchangeable eyepieces and no where near having 6" objectives. Yet, high quality lenses, small, light, and better than the naked eye. lol.
A telescope will be next, money permitting :-)
Unfortunately, it is not what I bought. I have a pair of Nikon HG 8x42 I picked up on sale. Nice as far as binoculars go, but no where as flexible with interchangeable eyepieces and no where near having 6" objectives. Yet, high quality lenses, small, light, and better than the naked eye. lol.
A telescope will be next, money permitting :-)
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Re: Low cost astronomy
I misunderstood your post a bit, not understanding that you already had a decent pair of Binocs already. I thought you were alluding to what you really wanted (and who wouldn't want this (save for the few hundred pounds to haul around again))?Jlabute wrote: ↑Oct 26th, 2022, 9:07 am ^^^ those would be nice Sonny!
Unfortunately, it is not what I bought. I have a pair of Nikon HG 8x42 I picked up on sale. Nice as far as binoculars go, but no where as flexible with interchangeable eyepieces and no where near having 6" objectives. Yet, high quality lenses, small, light, and better than the naked eye. lol.
A telescope will be next, money permitting :-)
In the past I had a mid-priced pair of 10x50 Binocs that were well aligned, with little distortion, good enough to clearly view Jupiter and the 4 Galilean moons if set on a steady and well aimed surface (Jupiter was still a small disc without further detail, but the moons were obvious). Friends didn't believe me until they looked for themselves on a good night. "Wow, Yeah, I can see them. It's a little Solar System in the sky, bent a little sideways".
A lot like this:
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Re: Low cost astronomy
Oh you are right, I would love a pair of giant binocs. lol. I just recently acquired a small pair of binocs. I was thinking of a large pair, but that would be impossible to hide from the wife, hahahahahaha. It was a tad out of my price range, although 70mm was something I was considering. Well, maybe a future consideration.Sonny Taylor wrote: ↑Oct 26th, 2022, 11:44 pm I misunderstood your post a bit, not understanding that you already had a decent pair of Binocs already. I thought you were alluding to what you really wanted (and who wouldn't want this (save for the few hundred pounds to haul around again))?
In the past I had a mid-priced pair of 10x50 Binocs that were well aligned, with little distortion, good enough to clearly view Jupiter and the 4 Galilean moons if set on a steady and well aimed surface (Jupiter was still a small disc without further detail, but the moons were obvious). Friends didn't believe me until they looked for themselves on a good night. "Wow, Yeah, I can see them. It's a little Solar System in the sky, bent a little sideways".
A lot like this:
I am now waiting for some clear skies :-) and/or birds :-)
Lord Kelvin - When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it.