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And welcome. Welcome to 'UnderSouthWest Skies'. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you find the experience worthwhile. This blog post has been written from my own 'beginner perspective' after doing lots of reading on the topic below. In getting my head around it all, I may have got odd bits slightly wrong; but, like you, I am on a leaning journey, so please forgive any unintentional errors. Meanwhile, clear skies to you. Take care and thanks for visiting Steve aka PlymouthAstroBoy
Beginners guide to accessories you might need on your first astronomy session with your new telescope
When I got my first telescope, my SkyWatcher Star Discovery
150 I wifi GOTO, I was lucky to have chosen a reputable dealer, FIRST LIGHT
OPTICS down at Exeter. I chose them because they were local to me. Why lucky?
Because the moment I emailed them to say I was a beginner, back came some
emails full of advice and tips – including a useful discussion of accessories I
might need to get in addition to the telescope package.
So, here is my list of accessories you will need to consider
and/or discuss with your dealer when you come to choose your first telescope:
1.
A red-dot finder – it’s a sighting device
that sits on your telescope – its aim to simply reduce your frustration level
when trying to find that bit of sky you want to observe! A red-dot finder
projects a red dot onto a small plastic transparent window through which you
view the sky. You will need to align the dot finder correctly with your
telescope - best done during day time – this
short video shows you how. An alternative is a green laser pen pointer. Get a
good quality one and know the rules for using it at night in your area. Try to use
it in a very limited fashion – it bugs the hell out of other astronomers in the
area! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFNKnFQSF38
2.
Something that helps you navigate the night
sky above – so a smartphone app such as Stellarium or SkySafari (which get
regularly updated; and you can zoom in and out on them; and they each have a
huge database of deep sky objects with photos); or a planisphere (weatherproof
of course and for your particular hemisphere). Could use a star atlas.
3.
Eyepieces – I have done a separate post
on these which you can find here by searching the right hand side menu. In
addition these websites also give useful information https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/skills/eyepieces-the-basics
and https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-equipment/telescope-eyepiece-guide/
What I will say though is this: They come
in different focal lengths and magnifications, significantly impact the clarity
and quality of your view and spend as much as you can afford on them. Have a low, medium and high power eyepiece as
a minimum. If you wear glasses – you need to consider something called
eye-relief. You will need eyepieces with more eye-relief. Before buying an eyepiece
work out what focal length you want first, then explore prices, field of view,
barrel sizes and manufacturers. Buy from a reputable dealer – they will be able
to advise you!
4.
If you are starting with some moon gazing then a
moon filter would be good to get. A full moon is a bit of a dazzler and a
moon filter, which is effectively a neutral density filter, will screw onto the
front base of your eyepiece and reduce that glare. Not that expensive, I have a
1.25” size because my telescope uses 1.25” barrel eyepieces.
5.
A Barlow lens can double your eyepiece
collection and this article here gives further details https://www.firstlightoptics.com/blog/what-is-a-barlow.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA-ty8BhA_EiwAkyoa3wAMHObVOwIE97ILIXXntJuzVUw4mDJshB4vgKVSxjwGy4a9g4-F0RoCd0kQAvD_BwE
and https://astrobackyard.com/barlow-lens/
It is a lens that increases the
magnification of your eyepiece. They come in different magnification sizes and
you will need to choose one that matches the focal length of your telescope
rig.
6.
Nothing worse than curtailing a great session
because of dew appearing on your mirrors or eyepieces. A dew shield fits
over the front of your telescope and extends your main tube and delays dew
forming on your optics as well as blocking stray light. Choose one that is made
to fit your scope or measure the outside diameter of the optical tube and buy
one that matches that size. You could get
an appropriately sized dew strap and dew controller. A thin strip of
thick material that has a heater element within it. Wrap it around the outside
of your optical tube and Velcro it in place. I have a simple one that plugs
into my 12v battery power pack. It has an adjustable level switch. Warming the
optics prevents dew forming on them.
7.
An observing chair – depends on what type
of telescope set up you have. I have a simple camping hair; I also have a heavy
folding Kentucky stick chair I built. The aim is to be able to sit comfortably
when viewing through your eyepiece. I confess I never sit down when viewing. My
telescope has the eyepiece at almost standing height – so I just a slight lean
over. If you want to build your own – try this site as a starter https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/build-an-observing-chair
8.
A portable battery pack to power
electronic mount, dew straps etc. I use this one. It has a couple of usb ports
as well. It has a cigarette lighter socket which plugs into the pack. The other
end plugs into the telescope mount. It sits under the tripod out of the way.
Make sure your cables between it and your optical rig can move freely though! To
ecide on what size you need, think about how long your observing sessions will
be. The longer they are, the larger capacity you will need. Also remember what
electronic accessories you might also be using – dew straps, charging smartphone
etc.
9.
Anti-vibration Pads – not completely
necessary – it depends on where you will be doing your viewing from. They
eliminate vibrations caused by footsteps, wind etc. If you are gazing from a
patio, a deck, a balcony, then they may be a god buy.
10.
A headtorch with a red light facility so
I don’t lose my night vision – essential
11.
‘Turn left at Orion’. I LOVE this book;
you will too. I cannot recommend this
enough as the first book you buy when starting out with a telescope. Also worth
getting a monthly guide to night sky book. Each year I get this one ‘Collins
guide to night sky’ or the Philips
equivalent. Either will do. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/books/turn-left-at-orion-book.html
and https://www.waterstones.com/book/philips-stargazing-2025-month-by-month-guide-to-the-night-sky-britain-and-ireland/nigel-henbest//9781849076524?sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=531573&awc=3787_1737997835_a155cc54f42a3038d328ee2bc2c96f5a&utm_source=531573&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=https%3A%2F%2Fshopforward.nl%2F
12.
a case or cover for your telescope – you will
be putting your telescope in and out of the car frequently. Protect it! You can
buy soft sided cases, hard cases, protective covers. I use a plastic crate with
plenty of bubble wrap, cut up closed cell camping mats and blocks of foam. Th
telescope is completely immovable when placed inside it and the lid is on. It
travels a lot with me in my motorhome and is stored in the shower area when on
the road (safely strapped in).
13.
a notebook or journal – for recording
your observations, writing out your observing plans etc. I will write separate
post on my astronomy and astrophotography log books in the near future.
I hope that helps provoke a little thinking about the additional accessories you may need when first starting out. As always, if you have a tip or thought, drop me a comment below. Clear skies and safe stargazing.
Some further reading? Try this: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/new-telescope-accessory-guide.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA-ty8BhA_EiwAkyoa37jR6dZf5Uc5-A9ojQJd9XbsRDtNXjWBnx46tkIdyZgWXIbuyXnF8hoC_AQQAvD_BwE
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