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Observing Tips
Finding Objects Some are natural and some just can't figure it out. Finding objects is actually very easy! Think of it as a giant "Dots the Dots" book. All you have to do is either find 2 stars in the sky that the object sits exactly in between of(A) or make a triangle with 2 stars with the object(B). Of course if the object sits right next to a bright naked eye star then it makes it that much easier to find. NGC404 is a prime example. I highly recommend a Telrad for finding objects. It may have a hefty $40 price tag but you will quickly realize it's the best investment you could ever do in astronomy. A Rigel finder or red dot finder will work also and take up less space if your limited. A finderscope itself won't get you very far. Though, an easier way to use one is to keep both eyes opened so you can see the crosshairs and the night's sky and simply use that crosshair to locate your object. This technique is also effective if your Telrad is dewed up as most Telrad users know it's the first thing to go. There is Telrad dew casings you could buy but they do not help and tend to fall off.
Nothing is as frustrating in astronomy than dewing up on a great night. Those near bodies of water know exactly what I mean. Here on the eastern shore of Maryland, every clear night is a struggle to keep the optics dry. It starts building at sunset and by nightfall there's a large body of fog surrounding you. That's what I get living between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. So what do I do to keep dew off? Well I finally bought a dew system! But before this luxury it wasn't that easy.
Shipping Primary Mirrors Though this isn't observing related, it is a common question from those who needs to send their old mirrors out for recoating. We all hate and try to avoid doing this but sometimes it has to be done. I found that the best way to do this is to find a box that is 2 or more inches wider then your primary mirror and about a foot tall. Either find or buy a block of styrofoam and cut it into sheets the same thickness as your mirror. Fill the box with the sheets halfway and cut a hole in the middle sheet in the center the size of your mirror. Carefully stick your mirror inside with a soft Bounty paper towel on top tucked into the edges around the mirror. Finish putting in styrofoam sheets to the top. Make sure it's tight with no room to shake around. A heavy duty box is recommended.
Faster Cool Down
Times Own a cassegrain? Tired of the ridiculously long cool down times? I owned a mak for a while and I couldn't stand the cool down time that was required for a clean, crisp, sharp image. There's one thing you can do to cut the cool down time almost in half. When finished setting up the telescope, remove the objective lens cap. Tilt the telescope so that the objective is facing the ground. Remove the diagonal from the back. This creates a chimney effect. This greatly reduced my cool down time. This will also work for large refractors.
More tips coming soon... |
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Dew
Control
So
what did I do? Stock up on HotHands Handwarmers! They're cheap and
produce enough heat without the hassle of batteries or wires to get
in your way. They're available at alot of department stores during
winter hunting season but only available at hunting/fishing stores
and few department stores out of season. I like to use the
handwarmers over the footwarmers due to size. The footwarmers
produce more heat but you really don't need a lot to keep dew away.
Always bring extra with you to the field, sometimes you may have a
dud. This happens if the packaging was mistreated or slightly
cracked. What I use to keep the handwarmers attached is a ponytail.
They work perfectly and don't have to double wrap them. You can
attach them to eyepieces, diagonals, finders, objects, and hand
controllers.