Top 10 Astronomy Tips For Beginners

[@angryginger791]

You can also flip the eye patch over to your "seeing" eye when not looking into the eyepiece. It'll help it get extra dark adapted, and protect your night vision in case you have to use a light or a car drives by or whatever. In the military, we used our night vision monocles on on our non-dominant eye so we'd always have good night vision in our shooting eye. I love the channel. You've been a great help getting me started in astronomy. Keep up the great work!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Dave, your welcome my friend, so nice to hear that I am helping people that's the aim of the channel afterall....Love your eyepatch idea...Never thought of that...Funny how such a simple idea could get missed and be so effective :) Stay safe buddy, clear skies.

[@edufau815]

With your permission Mr. Jason, I would add a couple more tips. 1. Avoid placing your telescope near heat sources such as chimneys, walls or facades hit by sunlight during the day, running motors that can give off heat or, of course, heaters, etc. Also move away from open doors or windows through which there may be air circulation that interferes with the line of sight of the tube, or close them. In summary, place the telescope in the most isolated place possible on your terrace, garden or in the field of observation. If you have no choice but to observe from the balcony of your home, which is the case for many colleagues, close the balcony door and try to isolate yourself or at least isolate the aperture of the telescope, for example with a handmade extension of the shield anti-dew, from stray light coming from urban lighting, that will avoid many unwanted reflections and strange figures in your sight. And 2. Prepare your observation in advance, consult astronomical charts, web pages or applications where the main objects visible on that night will be suggested, find out about them, something is always more pleasant to contemplate when you know about it. Select objects accessible to your viewing conditions and the aperture of your telescope, and as high above the horizon as possible, where observing conditions always improve, whatever the atmospheric or seeing conditions of the night, at least above 45º. If there is a Moon that night, it is better to forget about observing deep sky, at least until the moonset, since the moonglow dramatically decreases the contrast with the DSO, that is the time to dedicate for observing the Moon and the planets, but also double stars and open clusters... In short, as we gains experience we become aware of many things that then we execute automatically, but I think that these two tips are important to consider for the most inexperienced colleagues.

[@Astrolavista]

Well done Jason. Tip 7 really is gold for the visual observer. My wife used to think I was mad for wearing an eye patch over my observing eye for a good while before going out so my pupil dilated as much as possible. I would then switch eyes at the eyepiece...dual purpose :)

[@smalloptics753]

Hey Chris. Thanks buddy..Ha ha ha I had a similar experience when my girlfriend saw me for the first time with a eye patch 😂.... That's a great idea of yours to use the eye patch to pre prep your eye..... Funny how I've never thought of that 🤔 a subscriber mentioned something similar...To swap it over to protect your seeing eye in case you do need to go back inside..

[@Astrolavista]

@@smalloptics753 Ah brilliant, triple action eye patch :) What we need is an eye patch with a red LED torch on the out side. Then we can protect our observing eye whilst seeing where we're going and freaking people out thinking the BORG are attacking.

[@smalloptics753]

@@Astrolavista 😂🤣 I don't know how to respond to that.... Nothing can beat that.....Nice one Chris 🤣

[@louboom5711]

This is information that everyone who is starting out in astronomy needs to hear. Great job in helping others get on the right track so as not to get frustrated and quit. Keep em looking up Jason! Clear Skies

[@bushcraftandastronomer.3775]

Great tips and I'd put dew heater or dew straps on to stop lens getting fogged up. Collimate a reflector is good tip but I stick to refractors because they can be used straight away and hassle free. A tip I would suggest to people that they don't have a garden is to find somewhere local that's a safe place where your not going to be seen in case a nasty person sees you. I don't have much of a garden and I go to local area and I know area is quiet at night. Safety first. It's always good to hear some tips that you gave in this video. In 2013 I looked at the blinking nebula through a telescope and then looked at side of it and it blinked at me and I thought thats so cool this nebula knew I was looking at it and it blinked at me. Great tips and very enjoyable video to watch! Stay safe buddy!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Bushcraft, Yes if you have got some kind of heating straps they are a great idea..I too Iike refractors for they no fuss style..But they too need to cool down before use....Yes safety is very important in this hobby, we can become quite vulnerable at times. Ha ha ha love your nebula story...That's a perfect example of how to use the method. You to stay safe my friend.

[@kennethwilson8633]

Number one tip is get outside and practice this makes you a better observer.

[@robmains6195]

Really great tips Jason, really liked 6 & 7 you make this hobby simple. Keep it up my friend. 🌜

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Rob, Thank you, great to hear my videos are coming across that way.. it's how I intended them to be :) No point including all the technical jargon...That just makes people's eyes glaze over lol. You too stay safe my friend...Clear skies:)

[@jimwebster5790]

AWESOME! You've answered so many questions I had in this video. I can't wait to get outside (when it's warmer) and use your tips and tricks. Thanks again!

[@dimensio_italian_magician]

Same... it's so cold and cloudy... i can't even see the sun during the day and there's almost ZERO daylight...

[@abdulrazak9945]

Great experiential sharing, very helpful...

[@kubaduch1]

Thank you Jason 😀

[@smalloptics753]

Hey Mariusz, your welcome my friend.

[@nobrakes3765]

As a Canuck, I have a rule when I am out at night to dress for 20 degrees lower than the actual temp. Extreme I know, but I find it easier to open my coat or take off my scarf than get warm later.

[@ferdinandoesposito8088]

Thank you for explaining about the dust cap filters. I have the same telescope as the one you have on this video and that dust cap is a pain :)

[@nekelly123]

Great tips. Thank you!

[@milansvetna3096]

Newcomer to your channel. You are great at what you do! Thank you for informing me

[@pkschack]

I just bought my first telescope, an Orion 90mm, with 910 mm focal length. Doing fine with low power. (25mm, but having difficulty getting an image with my 10mm eyepiece)

[@epic_playz4283]

And june bugs here in the southeast are crazy and gotta worry about them getting in your tube if you own a reflector like me and there in the eastern U.S., but mainly in the southeastern U.S.

[@smalloptics753]

Yeah! bugs can be a bit of a problem for reflector uses, pollen can also cause issues.

[@RobBob555]

your videos a very good.. far better than most . thanks :O)

[@smalloptics753]

Thanks Rob, I appreciate that :)

[@kornman]

Really really good video!! Thank you so much!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello kornmanist, Thank you... And your more than welcome :)

[@therepresentative1619]

Love your videos brother.❤

[@Doomclown]

As long as you have an eyepatch on, make sure you switch it to your viewing eye if you have to go inside to preserve dark-adaptation!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Doomclown. Yes that's a good point, something I forget to mention.. Thanks for bringing it up bud. :)

[@Babayaga-pf5dt]

Good idea bud👍

[@ianmckenney9080]

Going to try the eyepatch if I can find one! I learned the both eyes open technique when using a microscope and sketching what I was viewing, but with the scope there are too many distracting light sources.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Ian, yes, the eyepatch trick is a great method for making those faint fuzzies pop that bit more...You can also swap it over to your seeing eye if you need to go inside for anything...Saves your night vision...Best of both worlds :)

[@nobrakes3765]

You could make sure you have lots of distance from your peers and move your COVID mask over your eye :)

[@mtippett80]

always wondered what the small caps at the end of the dust cover were for!!!!!

[@mubarakhayath]

Interesting tips Jaison ❤️🤟 Love that eyepatch trick😂 Where do you get your weather updates? Mine is always way off😭

[@smalloptics753]

Hey Mubarak, Thanks buddy. I use a website called "Clear outside" by First light optics for the weather, it's quite reliable, you can also get it as a app. I don't know if it covers India though.

[@mubarakhayath]

@@smalloptics753 aha Let me try it out 😀✌️

[@toml.8210]

I know the value of having dark-adapted eyes, from my backpacking trips into the Rockies, to see the sunsets and sunrises. And I only set up my Dob inside the house after clearing the entire room- it's the same as opening an umbrella! Then you take it out as soon a you can to acclimate to the night air.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Don, Yes, dark adaptation and cool down is so important. STay safe buddy:)

[@avt_astro206]

Great Tips Jason..Keep It up🔭🌌

[@smalloptics753]

Thanks Deep sky. Stay safe, clear skies :)

[@javierdeleon7597]

You're awesome at explaining things. New guy here. Question I just bought a Celestron Omni AZ102 with D=102mm and F=660 f/6.5 what's the best eye piece I can get to see Jupiter better?

[@vibhavsharma4522]

10mm plossl

[@PanyingPilot]

Green laser pointer speeds up communication with members of your viewing party.

[@martinlegg8642]

Just to say what an excellent channel. I’ve only recently taken the hobby up and am gradually working my way through your videos. Wish I’d seen the collimation video prior to ordering a laser collimator. Never mind, I’m finding all this learning very enjoyable nonetheless. Thank you for the great content and excellent presentation. Great work 👍🏻👍🏻

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Martin. Thank you for your kind words my friend..Hope you enjoy the rest of my videos. Stay safe, clear skies 🙂🔭🌙

[@martinlegg8642]

@@smalloptics753 Hi Jason. I notice in a couple of your videos, you have another smaller telescope attached to the top of your main one. Just interested in the reason for this. It looks a bit like the first telescope I bought back in November. Anyway, just being curious. Eye patch ordered btw 👍🏻 Many thanks 🔭🌙🪐💫

[@TheUrbanAstronomer]

Very useful tips and perfect for a beginner,Jason!

[@smalloptics753]

Thank you my friend ☺️

[@hooper365]

Thank you

[@SimRacingVeteran]

My 8” dobsonian out of the box was out of collimation. I didn’t collimate it the first time playing with it. All I could get was a blurry view of the moon.

[@naaahevers2093]

Thank you, was very helpfull! Feel a bit stupid as i had tip number 9 left on on my very first view 😂

[@StargateMax]

It's cute how you pronounce "telescope" like "telly-scope" :D

[@trieditusedit5846]

Thank you. I’m new to this. Learnt a few things with this video. Collimating still baffles me though. Followed your vid on the subject and a few others but can never get it spot on. (Cheap scope won’t help I suppose). Thank you again.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello there friend. You're more than welcome. Collimating can be a little challenging at first, don't worry too much about getting it absolutely spot on as long as the views you are getting are ok you will be fine. If you need more help on collimating your your telescope have a think about joining our Facebook group ( link in description).. You will be more than welcome.. Take care, clear skies 🙂

[@trieditusedit5846]

@@smalloptics753 I’m one of those who actually doesn’t use Facebook (yeah there are a few of us 😂). I will keep an eye on your channel though I’ve subscribed.

[@smalloptics753]

@@trieditusedit5846 Ha ha ha I'm one of the few to... I've just started to use FB because one of my subscribers asked me if they could set a group up for my channel....So I was obliged to really.. Take care, Thanks for your support :)

[@ashok7181]

Hi Jason.. want an advice on is it worth to upgrade to 12 inch dobsonian from 10 inch dobsonian for visual astronomy??is the difference in view substantial?? Thank you for uploading good and informative videos.keep it up..have a nice day..clear skies..

[@vibhavsharma4522]

If you really wanna upgrade it Go with a 16 inch or at least 14 inch dob Not worth for 12inch dob Not much difference

[@ashok7181]

Thanks for the advice..appreciated..clear skies..

[@GrnXnham]

@@ashok7181 I went from a 10 inch dob to a 12.5 inch. The weight difference was substantial. The visual difference was noticeable but not worth the weight difference. I don't recommend the upgrade. And remember if you go all the way to a 14 or 16 inch, your set-up time will increase.

[@horacespooner1974]

Hi Jason I have a Skywatcher 130 EQ2 telescope which I have owned for just over a month now. I have been struggling with a number of problems with regards to understanding and using my telescope suffice to say it doesn’t help living in not so sunny Manchester If you have time would you be able to help resolve the issues I have been having. I have a red dot Finder on my scope I have managed to align my telescope using the red dot Finder. When I use the red dot Finder do I use this to locate stars etc? I have tried several times to locate stars all to no avail. Also during the night when it is dark using the red dot Finder kind of hampers my night vision. Thank you for any advice you can help me with. Kind regards Horace

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Horace, sounds to me that you're finding scope isn't calibrated with your telescope. Have you ever done this? If not have a look at this video and I'm hopefully it will help you out. Apologies for the production quality it is one of my early videos🙈 kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6Xbf4ejmJVgnrs

[@ummaaron]

bloody hell i took off the small dust cover but i didnt realise the whole end comes off!

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Aaron. Don't worry it's a common mistake, you will find that you're veiws will be a lot brighter now🙂

[@dnjj1845]

Don't put it on a wooden deck, it will pick up every minute vibration.

[@scottbogfoot]

How do you determine if your collimation is out? I'm sure if it's bad it's apparent but what if it's off by a smidge?

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Scott, If a telescope is a little out of collimation it's not going to effect your viewing experience, but if it's out by a lot then you will notice something not quite right. The easiest way of checking your collimation is by doing what's called a star test, it's hard to put into words exactly how to do one but very easy to do. If you take a look at this video at 13 min 14sec on that video I talk about how to do a star test. Hope this helps :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXKnoY2Vjb-eiZo

[@scottbogfoot]

@@smalloptics753 perfect, I don't know if mine is or not I only just bought it. Can any telescope be corrected if it has a fault? Mine is a celestron astromaster 70az. Thanks!😃

[@HaleiwaGirl808]

#6 & #7 🤯🤯🤯

[@pacman4568]

My top tip for beginners. Pay more attention to the tripod or stand and then think about a telescope to sit on it. Save your self hours of frustration. The rubbish that comes with start up telescopes are woefully inadequate.

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Bob. I couldn't agree more, why on earh telescope manufacturers put usually decent little scopes on such shoddy Tripods is beyond me. They would be better off putting all types of starter scopes on a table top dob mount.. My next video is going to be about improving these sticky wobbly excuses for tripods as I feel sorry for folk who have one.. To put it bluntly, cheap tripods usually means HOBBY KILLER!

[@jackofalltrades28]

Mounted a telescope on a telescope?? In interesting in knowing why 🧐

[@martzxr]

Hi, I've got a celestron travel telescope d70, what options have I got to upgrade the tripod and mount?

[@smalloptics753]

Hello Martzxr, you can of course upgrade the tripod and mount but you have to take into consideration that even if you do it on a budget it is going to cost you at least twice as much as you paid for your telescope. if that's not a problem, then other things to consider are what type of mount you want..... Alt-AZ like the one you already have is probably going to be the cheapest, your next option is a EQ mount and if you have really deep pockets a Go-To mount.... All of these options are available for your telescope but it just depends on how much you are prepared to spend.... To be honest with you to upgrade it's going to cost you as much as buying a new/bigger telescope with the mount and tripod included... I know the tripod and mount on the Travel 70 are not the sturdiest there is, but they are not "bad" ...I have used worse.... So my advice is to stick with the set-up you have for now and maybe save for a new telescope and mount later on...Afterall....the Travel 70s are great little telescopes. Take care friend, clear skies :)

[@martzxr]

@@smalloptics753 thank you for your reply, totally understand where you are coming from. I have just been keeping an eye out for a second hand mount and tripod for the telescope as it was a gift from my daughters so I would like to continue using it. Are the mounts a universal fit?

[@smalloptics753]

@@martzxrGreat gift :) Usually Yes, they are the same as most camera tripod fixings, so you could also mount your telescope on a good quality camera tripod, they are usually a lot better than the one provided wih entry level telescopes.....I think you are doing the right thing by looking on the 2nd hand matket it's probably your best bet. It's hard to give you a straight answer (sorry) and point you to one particular product because there are many options to do what you want to do but obviously vary in price considerably. Stay tuned as I am doing a video soon on how to improve a entry-level telescope...You never know it might save you some mony :)

[@ericastier1646]

one of your better videos but the audio fase on/off transitions with your own voice interrupting your own startled me.

[@harryedwards9391]

Ok

[@wyattmedley7171]

I replaced every lightbulb in my house with smart rgb bulbs so I can red out my whole house on those clear nights

[@harryedwards9391]

Ok