Clear night for the telescope

[rmp]

I've been giving picking up a decent telescope some serious consideration.

I've had a few cheap ones, but I'd love a half way decent one. This is lighting the fire in the belly...

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by robj144

Decent starter scopes aren't much money nowadays (like everything else). You can get a decent one for planet observing, lunar observing, and some deep sky (if you have dark enough skies) for about $250 to $400. If you want to take pics you'll need some sort of tracking and a better mount which is why lower level telescopes cost more sometimes.

Of course, like everything, if you really want a nice setup it can be VERY expensive. You pay a premium for quality of optics, size of the telescope, and quality of the tracking and stability of the mount.

I would definitely have to venture out of my home if I want a sky free of city lights. But I’m definitely considering. Thanks for the info.

[12barBill]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fox...-800-years.amp

Hey Rob. This could be an opportunity for some great photos.

[fumei]

Originally Posted by robj144

It is Jupiter... good eye. Jupiter rotates quite quickly, so not seeing the Great Red Spot is not surprising.

And the GRB has been dramatically fading over the last decade. It is nowhere near what it was 50 years ago. But if you can, go look at Saturn. Right now the tilt of the rings is close to maximum, so you can see them quite well. In a few years the tilt will make the rings (from our POV) straight on, and they pretty much disappear into just a line.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by fumei

And the GRB has been dramatically fading over the last decade. It is nowhere near what it was 50 years ago. But if you can, go look at Saturn. Right now the tilt of the rings is close to maximum, so you can see them quite well. In a few years the tilt will make the rings (from our POV) straight on, and they pretty much disappear into just a line.

Yeah, they look cool now.