Jupiter is in the Eastern sky

[♪alt13]

Good view of Jupiter right now(it's the brightest one on the eastern horizon). I wish I had a bigger telescope. I'm going to go back out and try out some binoculars. Check it out it's pretty clear right now.

 

[LogGrad98]

What kind of telescope do you have? I have had a Celestron NexStar 8 for a while now. Good field of view at distance and relatively easy to use. Has a camera adapter for pics. Was awesome watching the last lunar eclipse with it, like you could reach up and grab it. We like to go out by Pyramid Lake northeast of Sparks, where light pollution is next to nil and we can get a great wide view, horizon to horizon.

 

[♪alt13]

I used to have a half decent one with I think a 3&1/2 inch lens. Just bought my daughter a cheapo celestron refractor, it is only 40mm. Do you have a good city scope? I have read that reflectors don't work so great around a lot of light pollution.
I would like to get a nice reflector as well since we have property in the desert it is nice and Dark out there. Nearest street light is about 30 miles away and the next one is another 45 mile drive from there.

 

[LogGrad98]

I used to have a half decent one with I think a 3&1/2 inch lens. Just bought my daughter a cheapo celestron refractor, it is only 40mm. Do you have a good city scope? I have read that reflectors don't work so great around a lot of light pollution.
I would like to get a nice reflector as well since we have property in the desert it is nice and Dark out there. Nearest street light is about 30 miles away and the next one is another 45 mile drive from there.

Yeah they don't work all that well in a lot of LP but they are getting better. Mine is about a year old maybe, and it separates it pretty well, but it helps to have the bigger mirror so you can look farther out, for lack of a better term. But we still usually take it away from the city when we want to see something in particular or have a night of mapping or something going on, like trying to take pics of the milky way or planets. I am part of a group that gets together now and then for astronomical gatherings, I will ask around about a city-friendly higher mag scope.

 

[♪alt13]

Yeah they don't work all that well in a lot of LP but they are getting better. Mine is about a year old maybe, and it separates it pretty well, but it helps to have the bigger mirror so you can look farther out, for lack of a better term. But we still usually take it away from the city when we want to see something in particular or have a night of mapping or something going on, like trying to take pics of the milky way or planets. I am part of a group that gets together now and then for astronomical gatherings, I will ask around about a city-friendly higher mag scope.

Right on that would be awesome. A decent telescope to use from the old porch would be a convenient thing to have.

 

[ema]

Can you see any moons of Jupiter? I joined in a observation festivity last year in Saklıkent(south Turkey) and the most amazing feeling was to see the planets floating in the sky with its satellites.

It was something like this, but bigger and much more clearer.

 

[LogGrad98]

I can get a pretty clear view of Jupiter and the moons circling, but they are usually faint until the sun catches them just right. When it is set up well and the weather is very clear it can be unreal. Almost looks like a mini-display at a museum or claymation movie prop or something. Have seen Saturn like this too. But with mine you can get very close shots of the moon, closer than I have seen other than on my friend's freaking huge 16" Meade. But that one isn't anywhere near as portable.

 

[ema]

I can get a pretty clear view of Jupiter and the moons circling, but they are usually faint until the sun catches them just right. When it is set up well and the weather is very clear it can be unreal. Almost looks like a mini-display at a museum or claymation movie prop or something. Have seen Saturn like this too. But with mine you can get very close shots of the moon, closer than I have seen other than on my friend's freaking huge 16" Meade. But that one isn't anywhere near as portable.

Damn, I'm tempted, I'm gonna go outside a few hours later. Right now it's midnight here, Jupiter will be on the horizon in an hour or so but I will wait till the 2-3 am because I can't see the horizon from where I am. I have a decent binoculars that I use for watching landscape and birds etc. I think I may be able to see the moons as very little, tiny dots.

 

[♪alt13]

I'm going to take my daughter out at dusk and see if we can catch Saturn and Venus out west before they set. I'm fairly sure this little scope will be only good for observing the moon though. I think we are going to join the Salt Lake Astronomical Society. It seems like $20 a year and taking some training classes(which should be fun anyway),is a killer deal for access to their telescopes and observatory.

 

[♪alt13]

Damn, I'm tempted, I'm gonna go outside a few hours later. Right now it's midnight here, Jupiter will be on the horizon in an hour or so but I will wait till the 2-3 am because I can't see the horizon from where I am. I have a decent binoculars that I use for watching landscape and birds etc. I think I may be able to see the moons as very little, tiny dots.

My binoculars last night weren't too terrible(low expectations to begin with) the color was drained out but I could see what I think were moons but they could have been storms for all I know.

 

[ema]

Mine is 12X40 and can gather the light in the dark but the problem is, it's old and doesn't have image stabilizer so it's hard(too shaky) and tiresome to observe the sky.

Damn, I just checked the weather, it's somewhat cloudy, I hope it opens a little bit more.

 

[Deleted member 365]

I've been wanting to get into star gazing but don't know where to begin. I loved astronomy when I was little and had a small telescope.

Now that I'm older I'd love to get into this stuff.

What are some good telescopes and what kind of cost am I looking at? Heck, where do they even sell telescopes these days?