Any amateur astronomers out there?

[HenryC]

It's a bit off-topic, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of you weren't into astronomy, and might like to talk about it.

I used to be a lot more active than I used to, but I still observe occasionally.  I have a 4" f/6 rich-field refractor, and a pair of 11x80 binoculars.  Unfortunately, I live in a light-polluted urban area and don't get out much.  The nearest dark-sky site is over an hour away on the turnpike.  So mostly I do planetary and lunar work now.

I also collect star atlases.  I just got Brych's The Great Atlas of the Sky, and I also have the Millennium, both Uranometrias, the AAVSO, Herald-Bobroff, Sky Atlas 2000.0, and all the Becvar Atlases.

Henry

[Glenn Basore]

Yes Henry!

I'm new to Astronomy (4 years now).

I designed and built my 12.5" / f5 open trust Dobsonian.

I'm able to use it on my driveway despite the street lights to see most of the planets and a few nebula's.

Last week I went with some other astronomers to a "dark sky " location about 250 miles north of Los Angeles.

The viewing was incredible and my best view was seeing the "black hole" of the center of our Galaxy.

Glenn B.

[HenryC]

Yo, Glenn

Wow!  A big Dob.  I'm envious.  My biggest scope was a 8" f/5 reflector, when I lived in near San Francisco and had some dark sky sites where I could use it. That's a big scope to build yourself, too;  especially as your first instrument. I salute you.

Keep me up to date on your adventures, and if you have any questions, or need recommendations or suggestions as to what kind of accessories or observing aids to get, please feel free to write. I'm a deep sky object observer myself, although my local conditions don't allow me to do that much any more.

For starters, the bare minimum atlases you're going to need with that size instrument are Sky Atlas 2000 and its companion catalog, and Uranometria 2000, 2nd Ed.  U2K2E is a 3 volume set, one of which is a detailed catalog. If you're just getting started, the first item is what you need to get you rolling.  Uranometria can wait until you start gaining some skills.

Good luck, and keep in touch.  Astronomy is a great hobby.  It keeps things in perspective.  Once you start studying the sky, nothing else really gets to you.

Dark skies and fair winds.
Hank