Join an Astronomy Club to Jumpstart Your Stargazing

Don't you wish you could sit down and look through a large telescope? The Subaru telescope at Mauna Kea, Hawaii built in 1999 with an M1 F# of 1.8 made of ULE on a Mitsubishi mount would be great.

But, don't think you can't see some great stuff or get good views of galaxies or even asteroids with a good home telescope.

Lisa Carr of Columbia got a Superachromatic for graduation. She found that it was easy to set up. With the motor drive it could follow a star.

However, she found out that she had trouble keeping track of what she was looking at.

Probably the quickest way to get up to speed using your Superachromatic is to join an astronomy club. There are many astronomy clubs in most countries of the world and in most states of the USA. Here are a few in the US: Shoals Astronomical Society, Inc. in Florence, AL; Amateur Astronomers Assn. of Princeton, Inc. in Princeton, NJ; Ryerson Astronomical Society in Chicago, IL; Young Harris College Sky Club at the Young Harris College in Young Harris, GA.

In fact, it would be a better idea to start attending an astronomy club before you go out and buy a telescope. They will not only let you look through their telescopes but can recommend some good references. To see what amateur astronomy telescopes are capable of attend a few star gazing parties. A good way to start would be to buy a pair of 7x50 binoculars. Take them with you to the star gazing party. They will let you see anything from the craters on the moon to the closer planets.

When you go to your first planet viewing party, you will be surprised at how eager people are to let you share their equipment with you. However, there are a few thinsg to consider. Their equipment is expensive, so be careful. If you have children with you, make sure that they are careful as well. A small child running around will make people nervous very quickly. You may need a flashlight to make sure you don't trip over things. But, you will want to put a red filter over the end. Red light lets you see around you while protecting your night vision. Be sure to dress warmly. Sitting still at night can be chilly - even in the summer.