where to start...

[JOYDIKOSTA]

Everything is finally done, now a little astronomy should be done, 
where should I start my legs, neither binoculars nor
 I know how to use telescope or anything else.

 

visited some pages

Impression of Planet Proxima Centauri with New the stars, Centauri a and Centauri B - Information about  Proxima Centauri .

PROXIMA CENTURI

Edited July 30, 2021 by JOYDIKOSTA

[Nightspore]

Binoculars might be a good start. Astronomical software can be useful for planning sessions and getting used to the night sky.

 

Celestron SkyPortal

 

Stellarium (online and local drive versions)

Edited July 29, 2021 by Nightspore

[AstronomyUkraine]

27 minutes ago, JOYDIKOSTA said:

Everything is finally done, now a little astronomy should be done, 
where should I start my legs, neither binoculars nor
 I know how to use telescope or anything else.

Depending on the light poluution in your location. You can observe the night sky without any instruments at all. Recognising constellations is a great way to find your way around. In the South/SE after it goes dark you can see two very bright objects quite low down, they are Saturn and Jupiter, with Jupiter being the brighter.

[Marmot]

A lot can be seen with the naked eye if you find a dark location and let your eyes adjust to the darkness. Binoculars are simple to use and will also show even more than just the naked eye.

 

Welcome to The Yard.

[Nightspore]

The LROC online Moon Atlas is fun.

[JOYDIKOSTA]

thanks everyone for your respectful suggestions

I don't know where to start, I don't even know which binoculars to use. Let me plan a little list, added the binoculars...

[Nightspore]

A Signal from Proxima Centauri?

 

 

Personally, I'm not optimistic that this is ET.

 

Sky-watcher ST80 on Sky-Watcher AZ5 mount.

 

Starting backyard astronomy is a daunting prospect as there is a plethora of equipment on the market. I'm going to make a suggestion (before anyone mentions a 20" Dob'). As binoculars are not easy to hold steady without some form of monopod, I'm going to suggest acquiring a small relatively inexpensive short tube achromatic refractor. 

 

Celestron AstroMaster 80AZ Short Refractor

 

I don't have any experience with the Celestron in the above link. I know they are manufactured by Synta. They are probably not dissimilar to the ST80. Which are also manufactured by Synta. 

 

  

 

These little ST80 short tube refractors have reached a near legendary status. They are also sold under several brand names including Orion and Omegon.

 

 

Although they have an achromatic doublet that doesn't feature expensive extra dispersive (ED) glass, they give excellent wide angle low power views of the night sky. They can give decent views of the Moon and planets at relatively high magnifications (80x ~ 160x) as well. 

 

ST80 on an EQ1 equatorial mount.

 

I still occasionally use mine although I have an aftermarket focuser fitted to it now. And I use it on a Sky-Watcher AZ5 mount.

 

 

The ST80's are often bundled with a light equatorial (EQ) mount. These feature a counterweight and were designed to mimic the rotation of the Earth (Right Ascension). They are unintuitive to use for beginners though and I'd recommend buying the telescope OTA (optical tube assembly) on its own and then buying a mount like the Sky-Watcher AZ5. The AZ (alt-azimuth) mount is quite easy to use. I'd avoid the Sky-Watcher AZ3 mount as they suffer from mechanical problems in my experience. The mount/tripod is as important as the telescope itself. A telescope needs to be held firmly with no vibration.

 

ST80 on the disappointing AZ3 mount.

 

Above is my ST80 on an AZ3 mount. It would often slip back into this position (pointing at the zenith) unless it was tightened far too much to physically move.

 

 

I suspect the lock washer wasn't up to the job. This seems to be a common problem with the AZ3.

 

So, to sum up the ST80 or any inexpensive short tube achromatic refractor:

 

1/ Relatively inexpensive

 

2/ Robust and portable

 

3/ Gives good wide field views of star fields and can also give high magnifications for lunar/planetary

 

4/ Should be stable on a suitable mount like the Sky-Watcher AZ5

 

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Nightspore

[Nightspore]

 

My 'Orion' ST80 before the TS Optics (Guan Sheng) aftermarket focuser Crayford rail rotating focuser was added. The mount and tripod are a Vixen Porta II and a Vixen HAL 130 tripod. The standard Vixen Porta II mount tripod will hold a small refractor though. The Orion version of the ST80 can be bought on Amazon now for under £110. 

 

 

The 'Crayford' focuser is only held in by three screws and takes five minutes or less to attach.

 

 

The slightly blurry picture below was taken several years ago when I used the Orion ST80 for the first time with the aftermarket focuser. IIRC I observed Jupiter setting in the west at about 150x.

 

 

These little refractors are highly portable yet have good optics for what they cost. There's nothing wrong with the stock rack and pinion focuser, but the addition of a rotating focuser with a dual-speed focus transforms it into a formidable little travel achromat. I've literally had years of fun with my ST80's.

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Nightspore

[MarkAR]

Binoculars are ok but can be a pain to use. Handheld shakes and neck ache from losing straight up. If you do want to try them, hunt around for an old set of 7x50 or 10 x 50 on Facebook Marketplace, or Ebay. Expect to pay around £30 or less, definitely not over £50.

 

I have to agree with @Nightspore regarding an 80mm achromat doublet for starters and a decent mount. Look for Orion, Skywatcher, Vixen, Celestron, TS Optics and other better regarded brands. If you're not sure then just post up a link to what you are looking to buy.