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September News
Volume 1 issue 2 September 2017
By Manuel Borges
Greeting fellow amateur astronomers, we are on our 2nd monthly newsletter. I hope that this will be a means of keeping you up to date and informed to provide help on astronomy.
I would like to get a name for our newsletter. So far, I have gotten "The Shooting Star”.
This information is from Sky and Telescope on line site. With personal notes added.
I would like to get a name for our newsletter. So far, I have gotten "The Shooting Star”.
This information is from Sky and Telescope on line site. With personal notes added.
As evening grows late, keep watch for 1st-magnitude Fomalhaut to rise about 20° below the nearly full Moon. That is about two fists at arm's length. For those who want to do a drift alignment this is one of the good stars to use.
• Full Moon tonight (exactly full at 3:03 a.m. on the 6th EDT). After dark this evening, look for the Great Square of Pegasus balancing on one corner far to the Moon's upper left. Its upper-right side points down toward the Moon. Overhead, Deneb is taking over the role of zenith star from brighter Vega (as seen from mid-northern latitudes). I have found that the easiest way to find the Andromeda galaxy is to start with the bottom left corner star in Pegasus count out three stars to the left and up three stars and the galaxy is just up and to the right. Andromeda is visible here, with dark skies look for it. Binoculars will help find it and it’s a nice object.
• How soon after sunset can you see the big Summer Triangle? Face east. Vega, the Triangle's brightest star, is nearly at the zenith (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes). Deneb is the first bright star to Vega's east-northeast. Altair shines less high in the southeast.
A note the summer triangle marks the end of summer to me once its overhead the rest of the sky to follow is autumn and winter all in one night.
• Full Moon tonight (exactly full at 3:03 a.m. on the 6th EDT). After dark this evening, look for the Great Square of Pegasus balancing on one corner far to the Moon's upper left. Its upper-right side points down toward the Moon. Overhead, Deneb is taking over the role of zenith star from brighter Vega (as seen from mid-northern latitudes). I have found that the easiest way to find the Andromeda galaxy is to start with the bottom left corner star in Pegasus count out three stars to the left and up three stars and the galaxy is just up and to the right. Andromeda is visible here, with dark skies look for it. Binoculars will help find it and it’s a nice object.
• How soon after sunset can you see the big Summer Triangle? Face east. Vega, the Triangle's brightest star, is nearly at the zenith (for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes). Deneb is the first bright star to Vega's east-northeast. Altair shines less high in the southeast.
A note the summer triangle marks the end of summer to me once its overhead the rest of the sky to follow is autumn and winter all in one night.
As mentioned above
• A winter preview: Step out before the first light of dawn this week, and the sky displays the same starry panorama as it does after dinnertime in late January. Orion is striding up in the southeast, with Aldebaran and then the Pleiades high above it. Sirius and Canis Major sparkle below Orion. The Gemini twins are lying on their sides well up in the east.
• A dawn challenge: Very low in the east as dawn brightens on Saturday morning the 9th, Mercury, now a respectable magnitude 0, glows 1° to the right of Regulus. Note: (Regulus is in the constellation of Leo, it is called the heart of the lion, it also forms the period in the question mark) is the magnitude 1.3. Mars, fainter at magnitude 1.8, is about 3° to their lower left, as shown above. Use binoculars.
Saturday, September 9
• The changes deep in the eastern dawn continue. On Sunday morning the 10th, Mercury glows 1° or less to the lower right of Regulus, while Mars remains below.
Now is real good time to watch the moon from its 1st day on through to its full moon. See if you can get the moon on the first day as a very thin crescent, hard to see if you’re locked in between mountains.
Section 2:
Telescopes and problems:
I wish to call this the problem or what section
This week I’ve started a project on building a German Equatorial Mount (GEM). One of our members has acquired a telescope and needs an equatorial mount. The idea of building this out of easily available parts is important.
We need to start by knowing how a GEM mounts work. Last month I mentioned that the GEM mounts works to keep the telescope pointed in the right direction with only on motion. The mount rotates around the polar axis. Align the telescope to the north celestial pole (NCP). Once the telescope it pointed in the north direction, it will enable you move the telescope around the polar axis.
Viewing Saturn is best after the moon is gone. It is one of the best planets to observe and it can take on some very high magnification. Remember not to overdue the magnification part or else all you will get is blurred views.
Equatorial
This mount is being built is using 2, 1 1/4 inch tee fittings, one 1 ¼ inch floor flange, one 45 degree elbow, 2, 4-inch nipples cut to desired lengths. The bearings (3/4 inch flanged) and collars from Tractor Supply, steel shaft from Vagabond Welding, or other source.
The two tee fittings will be for the right accession and polar axis. The 45 degree elbow will be use to set a rough latitude of 45 degrees. The floor flange will support the equatorial head and allow adjustment for the proper latitude. This basic configuration will allow you to track the telescope as the stars circle the NCP.
One more topic is the eyepiece.
This small but very important piece of equipment can make your night. Eyepieces’ come a vast variety of styles and functions. Most telescopes sold today have at least 2 eyepieces. The manufactures aren’t particular in most cases what they give you. Today you can spend as much for an eyepiece as someone spends on a small telescope.
The simple thing to remember is what are your interests and how much can be spent on an eyepiece that will only be used occasionally.
I feel that limiting yourself to a few good eyepieces’ is sufficient. Most of us will not be looking for the fine detail of planetary nebula or galactic structure. We want to see a pleasing image of the object and enjoy the sky. For a small amount of money, this will get us what we want without killing our bank account. Remember the more glass you have the more money it is going to cost you.
I started with Ramsden, Erfle and Orthoscopic eyepieces; they were economical and worked well for what I was doing. I later and now use Plossl eyepieces they offer a good choice for price and function. There classes of eyepieces’ those offer a larger field of view and flatter fields.
*Magnification = Telescope focal length/eyepiece focal length, do not exceed 50 times of aperture, best case.
Below is list of various eyepieces used in most telescopes. The basic type of eyepieces available are:
NOTE: Huygens and Ramsden eyepieces are rarely use. The Huygens eyepiece is the type used in microscopes. The image formed is between the field lens and the eye lens. I use Ramsden eyepieces for solar projection as they have on cemented components.
Enjoy the view.
Questions or comments, you can ask Manuel simply by sending him an email.
• A winter preview: Step out before the first light of dawn this week, and the sky displays the same starry panorama as it does after dinnertime in late January. Orion is striding up in the southeast, with Aldebaran and then the Pleiades high above it. Sirius and Canis Major sparkle below Orion. The Gemini twins are lying on their sides well up in the east.
• A dawn challenge: Very low in the east as dawn brightens on Saturday morning the 9th, Mercury, now a respectable magnitude 0, glows 1° to the right of Regulus. Note: (Regulus is in the constellation of Leo, it is called the heart of the lion, it also forms the period in the question mark) is the magnitude 1.3. Mars, fainter at magnitude 1.8, is about 3° to their lower left, as shown above. Use binoculars.
Saturday, September 9
• The changes deep in the eastern dawn continue. On Sunday morning the 10th, Mercury glows 1° or less to the lower right of Regulus, while Mars remains below.
Now is real good time to watch the moon from its 1st day on through to its full moon. See if you can get the moon on the first day as a very thin crescent, hard to see if you’re locked in between mountains.
Section 2:
Telescopes and problems:
I wish to call this the problem or what section
This week I’ve started a project on building a German Equatorial Mount (GEM). One of our members has acquired a telescope and needs an equatorial mount. The idea of building this out of easily available parts is important.
We need to start by knowing how a GEM mounts work. Last month I mentioned that the GEM mounts works to keep the telescope pointed in the right direction with only on motion. The mount rotates around the polar axis. Align the telescope to the north celestial pole (NCP). Once the telescope it pointed in the north direction, it will enable you move the telescope around the polar axis.
Viewing Saturn is best after the moon is gone. It is one of the best planets to observe and it can take on some very high magnification. Remember not to overdue the magnification part or else all you will get is blurred views.
Equatorial
This mount is being built is using 2, 1 1/4 inch tee fittings, one 1 ¼ inch floor flange, one 45 degree elbow, 2, 4-inch nipples cut to desired lengths. The bearings (3/4 inch flanged) and collars from Tractor Supply, steel shaft from Vagabond Welding, or other source.
The two tee fittings will be for the right accession and polar axis. The 45 degree elbow will be use to set a rough latitude of 45 degrees. The floor flange will support the equatorial head and allow adjustment for the proper latitude. This basic configuration will allow you to track the telescope as the stars circle the NCP.
One more topic is the eyepiece.
This small but very important piece of equipment can make your night. Eyepieces’ come a vast variety of styles and functions. Most telescopes sold today have at least 2 eyepieces. The manufactures aren’t particular in most cases what they give you. Today you can spend as much for an eyepiece as someone spends on a small telescope.
The simple thing to remember is what are your interests and how much can be spent on an eyepiece that will only be used occasionally.
I feel that limiting yourself to a few good eyepieces’ is sufficient. Most of us will not be looking for the fine detail of planetary nebula or galactic structure. We want to see a pleasing image of the object and enjoy the sky. For a small amount of money, this will get us what we want without killing our bank account. Remember the more glass you have the more money it is going to cost you.
I started with Ramsden, Erfle and Orthoscopic eyepieces; they were economical and worked well for what I was doing. I later and now use Plossl eyepieces they offer a good choice for price and function. There classes of eyepieces’ those offer a larger field of view and flatter fields.
*Magnification = Telescope focal length/eyepiece focal length, do not exceed 50 times of aperture, best case.
Below is list of various eyepieces used in most telescopes. The basic type of eyepieces available are:
NOTE: Huygens and Ramsden eyepieces are rarely use. The Huygens eyepiece is the type used in microscopes. The image formed is between the field lens and the eye lens. I use Ramsden eyepieces for solar projection as they have on cemented components.
Enjoy the view.
Questions or comments, you can ask Manuel simply by sending him an email.
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Also during the year, Please Join us, as we team up with the Southern California Desert Video Astronomers and
The Joshua Tree Astronomy Arts Theater for
Go to www.scdva.org or www.jtaat.com
For dates and times of events
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