Unexpected fun evening yesterday wtih a telescope

[vontar]

My wife and I have both been working on trying to get in better shape.  We have been going for more walks and and eating better and such.

 

A few weeks ago, we saw a guy setup with a telescope with a group of people around him.  We thought he was probably a teacher with his class on a field trip

 

 

Well last night he was back setup and only a few people around so we decided to walk up and started talking with him.  Found out he just enjoys setting up his telescope and sharing views of the moon and planets with people.  He showed us the moon at 250x which was just stunning.  About then Venus became visible so we got to look at Venus as well   He told us if we would be around for about the next hour or so, Juniper, Saturn could also be seen.

 

Well we did wait around and got to See both Juniper and Saturn.  I put on a 500x for them.   You could see the cloud bans on Jupiter and the 4 galilean moons.   The moons were in a perfect aline mine as Jupiter was in the bottom of the view and the 4 moons where in a straight line away from the planet.  In short, not behind it or across the face of Jupiter. The Red spot seemed to be on the far side so it was not visible for us.  Saturn we could see the planet and rings,

 

This was the first time I ever actually looked at the planets with a telescope meant for such.  (tried a few times in the past with a gun scope but not the same thing by far.)

 

As the evening was coming to an even, We looked at the moon with the x500.  I don't even think I can fully describe the view.  It looked better then any pictures I have seen on TV of the moon and he said the view at x500 would be like flying over the moon at 1,000 miles if I understood him correct.  You could see some real detail.

 

I am now following him on Facebook.

[Grand Torino]

That's cool...I've never been able to see the planets like that either. I'd be interested in doing so someday.

[tercel89]

Now that is just cool ! I have always wanted to get a good strong telescope but never got my butt up and leanred abut which one to get and all. I love stuff like that and would love to see those planets and moons. Does he have some pictures on his facebook page ?

[btq96r]

I'm taking Astronomy 1030: Exploring the Universe and the lab for it during the June semester.  As a former space geek kid, to say I'm syked would be an understatement.  The syllabus for the lab has night viewings, which I'm very much looking forward to.

 

Concur with wanting this guys Facebook page.  Hopefully it's not locked so I can see what he has posted.

Edited May 23, 2015 by btq96r

[vontar]

Now that is just cool ! I have always wanted to get a good strong telescope but never got my butt up and leanred abut which one to get and all. I love stuff like that and would love to see those planets and moons. Does he have some pictures on his facebook page ?

 I will check.  I just added him as a friend last night.  not had time to visit his page. yet.\

He told me he got his at http://www.telescope.com

 

This appears to be vary similar to the setup he had.  http://www.telescope.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=102013

 

He didn't have a motor or anything like that setup.  He did have that electronic thing you see on the side, however he didn't us it.  He said he can setup and be looking while other people are playing with the electronic aiming systems.

 

 

I just looked though his facebook page https://www.facebook.com/owen.hoffman?fref=ts , didn't see any pictures from his telescope yet.

 

Found this post where he is standing with a 20 inch telescope but in the thread is a picture of his and he tells about it.  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205541560931141&set=a.1500269839462.68264.1615670230&type=1&theater

Edited May 23, 2015 by vontar

[RED333]

In the Navy on one of the ships I was on there was a set of Binoculars

on the very top deck, you could see the rings of Saturn. you had to track with the motion of the ship, made it fun.

A few years ago one of the planets passed in front of the sun, used a 24 power scope and a welding helmet to see it.

Edited May 23, 2015 by RED333

[vontar]

In the Navy on one of the ships I was on there was a set of Binoculars

on the very top deck, you could see the rings of Saturn. you had to track with the motion of the ship, made it fun.

A few years ago one of the planets passed in front of the sun, used a 24 power scope and a welding helmet to see it.

That was Venus.  transit of Venus .

[Raoul]

I thought this was gonna be a peeping tom thread.......

[MphsTiger1981]

I thought this was gonna be a peeping tom thread.......

 

This, especially since the OP began, 'wife and i have been trying to get in better shape.".... I was expecting something along the lines of "Dear Penthouse, you'll never believe what recently happened to me."

 

Congrats to the OP for having some old fashioned good clean fun. I was at an arts and crafts show with the wife a few years ago when one of the guys from the local planetarium had a large telescope set up to let people watch a solar eclipse. It was pretty awesome. 

[peejman]

That's cool...I've never been able to see the planets like that either. I'd be interested in doing so someday.

Look up your local observatory or planetarium. Those folks will get you started.

[Dustbuster]

I was waiting for. Ring around Uranus joke [emoji37]

[vontar]

I thought this was gonna be a peeping tom thread.......

 

When I was trying to put a title on this thread, I knew it was going to sound like that.

 

I was waiting for. Ring around Uranus joke [emoji37]

 

Na, in Futurama the scientist put an end to that.

 

 

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=54c_1319310704

[Dustbuster]

Hahahaha urectum