Pursuing Observational Astronomy

Where is Andromeda Galaxy? Where is Orion Nebula? Where is Sirius the brightest Star located? How I can find out where is the planet Saturn, Jupiter and other astronomical Objects? What instrument I should use for observation?

Andromeda Galaxy from a very clear sky and far from light pollution area

These are the question I have observed in common people/ students, who love to find some astronomical objects  in sky. But they don't know the way to pursue tthat. There are so many basic rules and ideas to follow in order to start observing the sky. Today I will try to explain you those ways and will help you to become a beginner in celestial observation 

First things first

There is nothing like impossible. It depends how much dedicated you are and how much You can capture.  Initially you will feel like you can't find the star or nebula, you will give up and after that your passion  for astronomy will vanish in the course of time. So you have to try again and again without losing faith in yourself.


What you need at the time of observation ?

You will need few some basic things to start with your observation.

1.  A dark field from where horizon is clearly visible.
2. The Place must be far from light pollution area.
3. A flash light  with red filter on it.
4. A Notebook and a Pencil
5. A skymap or Smart phone with Apps (Like Sky Safari, Google Skymap or Stellarium)
6. A binocular (for beginners) A telescope (for pro)
7. A laser Pointer (optional)

Instruments for observation (My Nikon 16x50 Binocular, My Celestron Astromaster 130eq Telescope)

What you need to know before observation ?

Before going for an observation session, you must be prepared.  There are certain things you must understand before going to an observation session.

1. You are going to a dark area for approx 2 hour observation.
2. Try not to go alone. Always go with relatives or friends who love astronomy so that your observation will be entertaining and you will not feel alone.
3. Be careful for wild animals. Don't go to very interior place where there are risk of animals or reptiles.
4. Carry food and water bottle in case you feel hungry
5.  Prepare your observation chat carefully and list down what you are planning to observe tonight.
6.  Draw rough map of sky for your reference.
7.  If you are doing observation in Winter, then carry winter cloths.
8. Clean your optics carefully

Basic rules of Observation

Observing sky is not a limited job. Starting from Galileo to Hubble Telescope, all are observing the sky for objects which we may or may not see in naked eye. But basic observational astronomy started with no instruments but our own eyes. So to know your sky better, you first need to observe the sky with your own eye. There are some steps to be done initially.

1. Try to remember the name of Brightest Starts.
2. Taking reference to those Brightest stars, and taking help of online software, try to remember the name of constellation they belong to.
3. Try to draw those constellation maps again and again so that while looking the night sky you will imagine the structure of the constellation in your mind.
4. Try to know about those constellations and bright starts from internet. (Their name, composition, size, structure, distance from our sun and Earth etc.)
5.  Try to understand basic astronomy Principles behind them (Color, Temperature, Distance, Optics, etc.)
6. Try to follow every day sky map and record movement of every planet in the sky.

Your first instrument of observation

When you become expert in naked eye observation, when you memorise all the constellations visible in your sky, when you remember or know to track all the planetary and stellar motion according to days, months and year, when you figure and confidently say at what time which planet or which bright star is at what direction or which position of sky easily then you jump to the second step of observation i.e. Optical Astronomy.

Optical astronomy is the most fundamental observation platform which is nothing else but observing the sky in visible spectrum. Which is visible in the sky but not enough big to observe by naked eye, we use optical instruments like telescopes, binoculars and spotting scopes.

Before entering into Optical World, You must understand one thing very carefully that Optical Astronomy consumes a lot of money from you. You better start making group or join any association or astronomy club where you can access different type of powerful Optical Instruments.

Optical astronomy starts with a small binocular which is the best Observational instrument after your own eye for observation. Which helps you to learn how to keep your hands steady and strong for observation. Makes you sharp and focused. There are many companies which are producing Magnificent Binoculars. I am giving here 3 type of binoculars according to price range I used personally . You can choose any one of them.

CELESTRON 10X50  (Below 5000 INR)

       

This is a mostly used binocular by basic observers. Light weight, and affordable.

Features:

• 10x magnification multi-coated optics increase light transmission resulting in brighter and sharper images with high contrast levels
• Ergonomic thumb indents and finger ridges for extra non-slip comfort and ease of use
• 7.01m close focusing distance
• Stylish rubber covered aluminium body protects from rough handling
• 50mm objective lens diameter
• 117.53m field of view at 1000m

Preference Level : 10/10

Nikon 16x50 (Below 15,000 INR)

• Objective Diameter: 50 mm
• Magnification: 16 x
• Real Field of View: 4.2 degree
• 
  
• The black 16x50 Aculon A211 Binocular with Magnification: 16x from Nikon is a handheld fixed-magnification optic with multicoated aspherical lenses and an ergonomically-designed housing. For the redesigned Aculon series, Nikon packages the Aculon A211 binoculars with environmentally-friendly Eco-Glass elements composed of responsibly-sourced arsenic-free material. The Aculon binocular's Porro prism design delivers enhanced depth of field, and its multicoated aspheric optical path with 50mm objective lenses deliver the image clarity, brightness, and flat FOV demanded by nature observers. Also new to the 2013 version of the Aculon binocular is a sculpted rubber-armored housing that is designed to fit comfortably into the observer's hand and provide non-slip handling. Grooved ridges atop the housing and a generously-sized focusing wheel enable adjustments to the interpupillary distance and the point of focus even while wearing gloves. Nikon's Turn-and-Slide eyecups allow quick adjustment to the eye relief. The combination of image quality and user-friendly design make the 16x50 Aculon A211 a cost-effective option for long-range glassing.

     

     Preference Level : 8/10 

                     Heavier than celestron 10x50,

                     Costs higher than celestron 10x50, 

                     Field of view is lesser than celestron 10x50 hence cover less area in sky

Steiner 10x 42mm (Below 40,000 INR)

• CAT Color Adjusted Transmission amplifies contrast in the peak human vision sensitivity range, to spot game in any environment
• Optimized Light Transmission with latest generation advances in low light performance and brighter images and up to 3-4% better light transmission
• Lightweight Roof Prism Design has less bulk to fit in your pack and stay out of the way while hunting
• Fast-Close-Focus central focusing wheel requires minimal rotation for quick, absolute sharpness from close up to infinity
• Makrolon housing is durable polycarbonate with NBR Long Life rubber armoring, creating a lightweight, rugged chassis that withstands 11 Gs of impact

 Preference Level : 6/10 

                Very high Cost

                Amazing quality and light weight

Celestron 52250 80mm Ultima Zoom Spotting Scope (Below 25,000 INR)

Brand	Celestron
Model	52250
Model Year	2012
Item Weight	2.2 Kg
Product Dimensions	50.8 x 17.8 x 15.2 cm
Item model number	52250
Has Image Stabilization	No
Optical Zoom	60 X
Min Aperture	80 Millimeters
Min Focal Length	500 Millimeters
Batteries Included	No
Batteries Required	No
Real Angle Of View	50 Degrees
Includes Rechargable Battery	No
Has Tripod Mount	Yes

Preference Level : 9/10

Highly recommended for those who like to observe deep sky objects for hours.
Amazing Optics, Higher Zoom for planets and nebulae.
Lil Bit costly but you won't regret



These are the instruments which will help you to go beyond naked eye. There are some nebula, galaxy and clusters which will be very clearly visible through these instruments. Observing through these instruments you will

Pleiades open star cluster

find more amount of stars in a specific area rather than naked eye. For example 

when you watch Pleiades open star cluster without any optical instruments, you will see a group of stars (roughly 10 stars in a very dark sky)are there

When you use a 10x50 binocular, you will find more than 30 stars.

But using  more than 10x binocular, more magnification you have, less area you will cover resulting less part of the sky you will observe unless you use instruments with more area for gathering light and that is the time when you will need a telescope.

celestron astromaster 130eq

Observation with Telescopes

Milky Way Galaxy

Telescopes are the instruments which are next level instruments after binoculars. After gathering better knowledge about deep sky objects location and position, you will jump to the next step i.e. observation through larger instruments to analysis the structure of celestial objects better way. 
Where you observed with binoculars having 10x magnification, now you will be able to see the sky with 100 to 300x magnification !!!

In order to master with such huge magnification, long time practice needed. This is not a task of one hour or one day. It will take months of dedication and effort which will make you able to find objects through telescope within seconds. There are a lot more to discuss. On my next blog I will share some more ideas about Night Sky observation. 

Please share your ideas and views about the post and reply to me if any mistakes you found. If you are interested to learn Telescope observation techniques, you can contact me and come to my place. I can help you with that.