Hi,
Go to a few star parties (take your camping gear-the most interesting amateurs don't pack up and head home at 10am...) Most people will be glad to let you look at what they are viewing (ask first) and will happily talk your ear off about what they like and don't like and would do differently in their next telescope. Arrive at the star party well before sunset so you dont ruin everyone's night vision and astrophotographs with your vehicle's lights (all of them- interior and exterior-no white light-cover it with red), make sure you read the star party rules well before the date. Most astronomy clubs have star parties at least once a month-all weekend. Spend a few months learning about the different telescopes hands on in the field using them. Don't be in a hurry for your own telescope-if you can't stand it then get a pair of binoculars-you'd be surprised what you can see. If you have never lived or camped in truely dark skies-you have never seen the sky before:) You won't believe what you can see with your naked eyes. Don't worry if you can't see a lot or what you expect thru a telescope at first-your eyes have to learn to see. What looks like faint fuzzy nothing will eventually become amazing and diverse nebulas and galaxies. It is more than getting your eyes accustomed to the darkness.
Your club may have loaner telescopes and equipt-try this before buying one. Also people often also build their own telescopes and there are seperate clubs for this. There are also 2 large astronomy festivals devoted to telescope building. The Riverside Telescope Makers Conference Astronomy Expo (Ive been to this one-awesome) 3rd week of May in 2008 in southern California, and Stellafane on the east coast in Vermont. People compete for prizes for their telescope designs and give workshops on all aspects of amateur astronomy. Its a BLAST-a nerd heaven. Nothing beats camping out with other astronomy nuts:)
gentle mornin'
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Hi, Go to a few star parties (take your camping gear-the most interesting amateurs don't pack up and head home at 10am...) Most people will be glad to let you look at what they are viewing (ask first) and will happily talk your ear off about what they like and don't like and would do differently in their next telescope. Arrive at the star party well before sunset so you dont ruin everyone's night vision and astrophotographs with your vehicle's lights (all of them- interior and exterior-no white light-cover it with red), make sure you read the star party rules well before the date. Most astronomy clubs have star parties at least once a month-all weekend. Spend a few months learning about the different telescopes hands on in the field using them. Don't be in a hurry for your own telescope-if you can't stand it then get a pair of binoculars-you'd be surprised what you can see. If you have never lived or camped in truely dark skies-you have never seen the sky before :) You won't believe what you can see with your naked eyes. Don't worry if you can't see a lot or what you expect thru a telescope at first-your eyes have to learn to see. What looks like faint fuzzy nothing will eventually become amazing and diverse nebulas and galaxies. It is more than getting your eyes accustomed to the darkness.
Your club may have loaner telescopes and equipt-try this before buying one. Also people often also build their own telescopes and there are seperate clubs for this. There are also 2 large astronomy festivals devoted to telescope building. The Riverside Telescope Makers Conference Astronomy Expo (Ive been to this one-awesome) 3rd week of May in 2008 in southern California, and Stellafane on the east coast in Vermont. People compete for prizes for their telescope designs and give workshops on all aspects of amateur astronomy. Its a BLAST-a nerd heaven. Nothing beats camping out with other astronomy nuts :)
gentle mornin'