Orpington Astronomical Society

Astronomy => Alerts! Questions? Discussions... => Topic started by: ApophisAstros on Aug 01, 2014, 01:26:53

Title: is this how galileo started?
Post by: ApophisAstros on Aug 01, 2014, 01:26:53
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/apophis_ntl/DSCN0364.JPG
the coathanger
ok, its not astrophotography, but its the first group of stars i have found by myself.
took about 10 mins or so.
Title: Re: is this how galileo started?
Post by: Canadian Roger on Aug 01, 2014, 16:18:01
Have you found Saturn?

I enjoyed looking at star clusters and the Moon when I got my first telescope, but it was Saturn that got me yelling out loud...I wanted the entire world to see what I was looking at.

I've since had other moments that caused me to gasp in wonder, or stand transfixed, but Saturn was the first.
Title: Re: is this how galileo started?
Post by: MarkS on Aug 01, 2014, 21:08:46
Well done!  It's a great feeling to find an interesting object for the first time.

Here's a picture of it I took last September:
http://www.markshelley.co.uk/Astronomy/2013/coathanger07092013.jpg

Unfortunately Galileo didn't have a digital SLR camera!
Title: Re: is this how galileo started?
Post by: ApophisAstros on Aug 02, 2014, 01:38:51
Quote from: MarkS on Aug 01, 2014, 21:08:46
Well done!  It's a great feeling to find an interesting object for the first time.

Here's a picture of it I took last September:
http://www.markshelley.co.uk/Astronomy/2013/coathanger07092013.jpg

Unfortunately Galileo didn't have a digital SLR camera!
if he did, which do you think would be more valuable,
photos from that time or masterpiece paintings ?
Title: Re: is this how galileo started?
Post by: ApophisAstros on Aug 02, 2014, 01:42:15
Quote from: RogerH on Aug 01, 2014, 16:18:01
Have you found Saturn?

I enjoyed looking at star clusters and the Moon when I got my first telescope, but it was Saturn that got me yelling out loud...I wanted the entire world to see what I was looking at.

I've since had other moments that caused me to gasp in wonder, or stand transfixed, but Saturn was the first.
i thought about it but i think its too low on horizon.
Saw it on dsc though, not with my own scope.
Title: Re: is this how galileo started?
Post by: ApophisAstros on Aug 02, 2014, 01:52:47
Quote from: Apophis on Aug 02, 2014, 01:38:51
Quote from: MarkS on Aug 01, 2014, 21:08:46
Well done!  It's a great feeling to find an interesting object for the first time.

Here's a picture of it I took last September:
http://www.markshelley.co.uk/Astronomy/2013/coathanger07092013.jpg

Unfortunately Galileo didn't have a digital SLR camera!
if he did, which do you think would be more valuable,
photos from that time or masterpiece paintings ?
also i notice that the images seems inverted, ie the hook on coathanger points left in stellarium and my viewing but right on your photo,
is this to do with the optics, if so why do you not invert it back to present it as is?
Title: Re: is this how galileo started?
Post by: MarkS on Aug 02, 2014, 07:41:06
Quote from: Apophis
also i notice that the images seems inverted, ie the hook on coathanger points left in stellarium and my viewing but right on your photo,
is this to do with the optics, if so why do you not invert it back to present it as is?

My image is the "correct" way round i.e. it is not flipped; not a mirror image.   I probably rotated it to get the hook on top so it looks more like a coathanger.  I don't know how it looks in Stellarium.