Do it! I have fond memories of winter nights wrapped up against the cold peering into my telescope following planets, nebulae, etc, including a dim Halley's Comet in 85/86. Funnily enough, last night was freezing cold but beautifully crystal clear and I was thinking back to my stargazing days.

And as I squinted at Halley's Comet as a youngster I suddenly realised I'd probably be dead the next time it came round - the first time I had considered my own mortality. Deep.

Cronus wrote:Do it! I have fond memories of winter nights wrapped up against the cold peering into my telescope following planets, nebulae, etc, including a dim Halley's Comet in 85/86. Funnily enough, last night was freezing cold but beautifully crystal clear and I was thinking back to my stargazing days. And as I squinted at Halley's Comet as a youngster I suddenly realised I'd probably be dead the next time it came round - the first time I had considered my own mortality. Deep. My memory of Halleys Comet was slightly different http://jerrychicken.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/well-how-was-i-to-know-that-happy-hour-meant-drink-twice-as-much/

Cronus wrote:Do it! I have fond memories of winter nights wrapped up against the cold peering into my telescope following planets, nebulae, etc, including a dim Halley's Comet in 85/86. Funnily enough, last night was freezing cold but beautifully crystal clear and I was thinking back to my stargazing days. And as I squinted at Halley's Comet as a youngster I suddenly realised I'd probably be dead the next time it came round - the first time I had considered my own mortality. Deep. My memory of Halleys Comet was slightly different http://jerrychicken.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/well-how-was-i-to-know-that-happy-hour-meant-drink-twice-as-much/

I think it's 2062 the next time Halley's Comet will be around and that'll make me either 91 or 92.

Then don't listen to anything anyone else tells you, but find out the next meeting of your local astronomical society, turn up, and have a look and a play and see what they use, and what it does and what you think.

They are all very active this time of year, as you can't beat it for cold nights and clear skies, and they will almost certainly meet at least monthly.

This you can't beat. Even better, you will have any number of enthusiastic people who have all been there done that all of whom will give you ecxcellent practical advice on a scope suited to your needs, all with the benefit of experience. Best of all not only will you have a brilliant evening, its all free!

And, somebody usually knows somebody who is moving on to a better/bigger scope and is selling one cheap . . .

I’m looking forwards to the Geminids, as I live at the coast the light pollution issue isn’t as severe, however, the likelihood of a clear night

Oh and for a decent article about buying your first scope have a look at this: http://www.astro-http://www.astro-baby.com/astro_baby_astronomy_articles.htm

Oh and for a decent article about buying your first scope have a look at this: http://www.astro-http://www.astro-baby.com/astro_baby_astronomy_articles.htm

Its amazing the difference light pollution makes to the night sky.

We go down to Anglesey a few times each year to a place called Church Bay and I will never forget the first time I want out at night and looked up at the sky, shooting stars and meteor showers are a regular occurance and there was one earlier this year that was simply spectacular with what looked like parts of burning rock shooting into the Irish sea, all this without a telescope.

The only problem is that is usually very cold even in the summer.

http://www.stellarium.org/ I downloaded this a while ago , They maybe better sites but this does me for a complete novice like me .

http://www.stellarium.org/ I downloaded this a while ago , They maybe better sites but this does me for a complete novice like me .

I have always wanted a telescope but being a city dweller the light pollution is a real downer.

However I have thought about getting a telescope so that I can take it with me when I go for weekend breaks in cottages in rural parts of Scotland/Wales etc, there are some cracking clear skies sometimes and it would be incredible.

I remember being in South Africa a few years back when they had power outages on and used to cut the electricity for 2 hours every day. When they did the 8-10pm slot everything suddenly went black and you had an amazing southern hemisphere sky, very different from the northern sky, the Milky Way is really visible, you could see the black horses head shape in the middle of it, there were loads of meteors.

I tend to be hard to impress with art or 'natural beauty' and usually say its a load of crap but I have to say a clear night sky always fills me with the same excitement and wonder it did as a kid.

Thanks for that, it's a superb bit of free software. I've just been having a look at the night sky view of Earth from the surface of Mercury