An inexpensive hand controller for your SynScan mount

I have a Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTi 150P 6-inch collapsible tabletop telescope, which has become my go-to scope (pun most certainly intended) since I am no longer able to heft my 10-inch Dobsonian around on a regular basis. 

This scope uses the SynScan app to control the mount, which appears to me to be a cheaper version of the AZ-GTi mount. My particular scope's go-to works poorly, so I use the mount strictly for tracking when viewing the Moon and brighter planets from my Bortle 8-ish home. I built a more reliable alt-az tabletop mount that I use for everything else.

The SynScan app (shown at left), in my opinion, is rather poorly rendered and clunky. Beyond that, though, my main dislike is the fact that with any app controlling your mount, you have to look down at your cell phone and use the touchscreen to move the scope around. This makes it difficult to see the effects in the eyepiece and I have found it very frustrating.

To solve that problem, I did some google-fu and found that several people have used game controllers to replace at least some of the commands on the app. All I was looking for was one that would let me control the altitude and azimuth movements with actual buttons that I can feel at night without taking my eye from the eyepiece. 

I didn't want a full size game controller, and found a little mini one that someone mentioned on this Cloudy Nights thread that will indeed work for movement control with my scope. For $5 shipped from Aliexpress (you won't get that low price now), I picked up an 8BitDo Zero 2 keychain-sized mini controller. Its Bluetooth paired easily with both of my cell phones (Google Pixels). 

Now I can control the scope without taking my eye from the eyepiece. What a difference this makes for frustration-free viewing! Because the tracking on my scope is rather poor, I frequently need to recenter the object in the field of view, and this makes it much easier than using the touchscreen on the phone. Panning around on the Moon is much more pleasant. Also, my mount has a tendency every once in a while to go slewing off into the ether somewhere on its own, and this way I can quickly stop it and bring it back under control without fumbling with my cell phone. 

I use it one handed, and it works even if I have thin gloves on or hold it inside my pocket. It does have a steady blue light when connected to the phone's bluetooth, so you might need to keep it in your pocket or tape over the light if you use it around other folks in a darker environment. In my light polluted yard, it makes no difference.

While I can't comment on how well this works with other mounts and apps, for $20 (now the lowest price on Amazon), it might be worth a try. Or if you already have a game controller, try that one. It has made a big difference in the usability of my tracking mount.

How to get the most out of an astronomy outreach event

One of the coolest things about amateur astronomy is that we have "star parties." These can be local or informal outreach events open to the public or big events held annually at dark sky sites requiring registration and fees, and attended by people from around the world.

Outreach events

(Above: The Northern Virginia Astronomy Club teams up with Sky Meadows State Park to hold a monthly "Astronomy for Everyone" event for the public where club members provide views of the night sky through their telescopes. That's my white 10-inch in the foreground!)

Many astronony clubs, mine included, have monthly outreach events where volunteers from the club bring our telescopes and show members of the public some of the best celestial objects in the sky. These can have a variety of names, and while not quite the same as the classic star party, they have many elements of one, and the line can be blurred. Generally these are free and open to the public without any prior registration, and having your own telescope or even a knowledge of the night sky is not required—just an interest in seeing interesting objects in the sky and hobnobbing with astro nerds. 

Outreach events are a great chance to dip your toes into astronomy without having to invest in anything other than the gas to drive there and an evening of your time.

Great for beginners

These events are also great for beginners to check out various types of telescopes before buying, and to see what kind of a views can be had with each type and size of telescope. Owners are usually glad to let you look through their telescopes (ask, if there isn't a waiting line) and answer questions about their telescope, being an amateur astronomer, and the objects you are viewing.

If you are the proud owner of a new telescope and need some help, you'll find lots of it at an outreach event. In most cases, members of the public are encouraged to bring their own telescopes. It's always a good idea to get there while there is still plenty of daylight to set up your telescope and see what others have set up. You can get to know some of the other participants and ask them if they can help with your telescope. Just don't expect to show up never having set up your telescope before, aligned it, looked through it, etc. and think someone has the time or inclination to spend their evening getting you started. You need to do as much as you can prior to the event, and if you're still having some issues, explain what they are and ask if someone can give you some pointers. 

Telescopes of many shapes and sizes

There are four basic types of telescope that you may see at an outreach event: 

Refractors: the "typical" telescope that sits on a tripod with the large lens pointed at the sky and a little 90 degree diagonal attachment at the other end containing the eyepiece through which you look. (Pictured: Explore Scientific FirstLight 102mm refractor)

Reflectors: usually consist of a solid metal tube on a tripod or boxlike "Dobsonian" mount with the eyepiece sticking perpendicularly out of the open skyward pointing end of the tube (hidden by the finderscope in this image), or in larger telescopes, a mirror box connected to an upper cage with truss tubes, often requiring a ladder to reach the eyepiece. (Pictured: Apertura AD8 8" Dobsonian)

Catadioptrics ("Cats"): These feature a light path that folds back on itself to create a longer focal length in a short tube. These look like shorter versions of reflectors, with a short, squat tube mounted on a big tripod, and are usually motorized to "go to" objects in a database and track them as the Earth turns. (Pictured: Celestron NexStar 6SE computerized Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope)

You will also increasingly see "smart" telescopes that you don't look through, but are imaging telescopes that build up the image of an object as you watch, usually either on a cell phone or a tablet. (Pictured: ZWO Seestar S30 smart telescope)

The "Big Dobs," (example at right) the second type of reflector described above, will often require a ladder to reach the eyepiece,  and will often have long lines for viewing. Why? Because the larger mirrors used (sometimes 20" or more in diameter and housed in the box at the base of the scope) gather more light and can resolve smaller details. They make it easier to see deep sky objects—star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies—and to discern details that small scopes can't resolve.

But don't neglect the smaller telescopes. Often a high end refractor will show beautiful views of the Moon, brighter planets like Jupiter and Saturn, and double stars and star clusters. "Cats" have narrower fields of view but can also do very well on these objects as well as other deep sky wonders. Smaller reflectors are good general purpose scopes that can give great views of a wide variety of objects. 

Often the owner of the scope will be the biggest factor in determining how much you see and how enjoyable the experience is. Some people just really like to share this stuff, and I count myself among them. We try to give you interesting information about what you are looking at and tips on viewing it to enhance your experience and stimulate your curiosity.

Don't be afraid to bring your own telescope, even if it's very modest compared to others. Many people say that the best scope is the one you use most often. The beauty of small scopes is their portability.

Manage your visual expectations

Each night there are certain objects that will draw many of the telescopes. If Jupiter or Saturn are up, some scopes will certainly be trained on them. Showpiece objects for each season are also popular targets, as we like to show off the "flashy" stuff. The Moon is a great target, unfortunately it washes out the sky for all but the brightest objects, so events are usually planned when the Moon will be out of the way.

However, for deep sky objects, what you see visually in a telescope is nothing at all like the colorful Webb and Hubble space telescope images, or the many other professional or amateur images on the internet. Most people are just floored by seeing Saturn for the first time, but even a bright galaxy might seem like just a colorless faint fuzzy blob to someone seeing it for the first time. It can take years of experience to learn how to see fine detail in these objects.

Left: Messier 17, the Swan Nebula, imaged by the European Southern Observatory (ESO, CC by 2.0, via Flickr)

Left: Messier 17, the Swan Nebula, in the same orientation as it would appear in a typical backyard visual telescope. (Zager Family, CC by 2.0, via Flickr, modified to simulate visual view)

Getting the most from the visual experience

Ask the owner what it is you are looking at, how far away it is, how many stars it contains, does it have a black hole in the center, and appreciate it for what it is. That's the wonder of visual astronomy. Don't expect the view to knock your socks off every time, but appreciate that you're able to see something so huge and far away. Ask what you should be looking for and how to see it. Averted vision, looking away from a faint object slightly to see it better, is one of the big tricks of the trade in visual observing.

Don't touch any equipment unless the owner has told you it's all right. In most cases, the telescope will be aimed properly and you only need to put your eye up to the eyepiece (lens). Ask if you don't know where to put your eye.

For your own part, if you see what looks like bunch of round blobs, it's probably pretty far out of focus and you can ask the owner to help and show you how to focus. Pretty much any view should include many background stars. You want these to look like pinpoints, not blurry dots. When the blobs get smaller, you know you're headed in the right direction. Ask if you're not sure it's in focus.

Sometimes the "seeing," or the steadiness of the atmosphere is not very good, and nothing is completely sharp, but focusing will still get you the best view possible. 

Also, an object may drift out of view in an unmotorized telescope as the Earth turns, or someone may inadvertently bump the scope in the dark, so it may not even be in the field of view anymore. If in doubt, ask if you're looking at the right thing.

If you wear mascara, please don't on this particular night. The grease from mascara can rub off on the eyepiece lens and is very difficult to remove. Some eyepieces in use at outreach events cost many hundreds, and possibly over a thousand dollars. 

For those who wear glasses, some eyepieces have what is called long eye relief, which means you don't have to hold your eye as close to the lens as with some eyepieces to be able to see the entire field of view. In that case, you can leave your glasses on. But if you find much of the view is cut off, taking off your glasses and asking if you can refocus is a better plan, unless you have really bad astigmatism.

Red lights are standard when moving around at an astronomy event. The eye is not very sensitive to red wavelengths, so a red light will preserve night vision. That's why the bridge on a ship at night will use red lights, so the navigators can see out across the waves better. You can buy red flashlights, or put red film or tape across the front of a white light. We hand out rectangles of red film and rubber bands for people to put on their phones, because even a dim screen can still put out a lot of light. 

But a light is a light, so don't shine it in anyone's face or at a telescope when someone is observing or imaging. (Above: Sky Meadows outreach event at night. Image by Drew Prout)

Even in warmer months and climates, it can get much colder at night. Dress warmer than you think you'll need to, and you'll be comfortable. You can always take coats or jackets off. Bring bug spray if needed, but DO NOT spray it anywhere remotely near anyone's optics. Best to get a pump spray, spray on your hand when you're at your car, and then smear it on you.

Because we are at the mercy of nature, it's always possible that an event will be clouded or rained out. Keep an eye on the weather forecast, paying special attention to whether it is predicted to be clear or cloudy. Even in a partly cloudy sky, you may still be able to observe many objects. And we all know forecasts are not always right. Some events will happen rain or shine, with presentations and activities in the event of bad weather. Check the announcements to know what to expect so you don't make a trip out and find you're disappointed.

Astronomy events are great for kids

Kids love events where they can be out at night and see cool stuff. But they are notorious for wanting to just give a telescope a great big bear hug when they step up to look in one, so if you're bringing the little ones, explain in advance that they shouldn't touch the equipment. In most cases, it won't hurt the telescope, but it may knock it off the target, requiring the operator to recenter it. Putting fingers on the lens is a big no-no. (Credit: Aurore Simonnet, CC by 4.0, via WikiMedia)

Kids love to run around in the dark, but running around telescopes can be dangerous and can damage expensive equipment. Usually there is room for kids to run on the periphery of the star party, as long as they are away from the parking and driving lanes.

Many owners will have small step stools for younger kids to be able to reach the eyepiece comfortably. Ask if you don't see one. Don't try to hold your child up to the eyepiece. It's unlikely you will be able to hold them steady enough to get a decent view. Give them time to adjust to looking in the eyepiece. They might say they see the object, but kids often don't want to admit when they don't, so the owner might ask a few questions to make sure they are seeing it and it's in focus. 

What not to ask

Some questions or comments can be a bit troublesome for some astronomers, so here are a few to avoid:

• How much does this cost? Telescopes and equipment can cost for several hundred to many thousands of dollars. How expensive one is really doesn't matter and might be embarrassing to some owners unless you are into a conversation about buying a similar scope. They also don't want to advertise that they have expensive equipment that someone might be tempted to walk away with once they turn their backs. You can look up prices on the internet.
• Can you see the [flag, landers, footprints] on the Moon? These are way too small for any Earth-based or even Earth-orbiting telescope to see. It's not really a stupid question, but a little thought can probably get you the answer on your own. Check out the related links in my Becoming a Lunatic post if you're interested. Better question: Can you show me where Apollo 11 (or other lunar craft) landed?
• How did you get into Astrology? Astronomy is science. Astrology is mysticism. Two different disciplines entirely. (And it's "Scorpius," not "Scorpio"!) Substitute "Astronomy" for "Astrology," and you've got a great question there.
• Can I take a picture through the telescope with my cell phone? Holding up a cell phone to the eyepiece is not an easy thing to do, and often yields a pretty mediocre image. It will also take time away from others who want to view. There might be astronomers in attendance who have "smart" scopes where they can share digital images that you see on the screen- just ask.

The Classic Star Party

The strict definition usually used for a star party is a regularly occurring gathering of amateur astronomers who travel to a dark sky location to observe together over the course of several nights. These usually require registration, often well in advance, and include a fee for camping and participating. They will usually have guest speakers, workshops, vendors, and other organized activities during the day, with observing at night.

A few examples of the biggest star parties in the United States include Cherry Springs/Black Forest Star Party (Pennsylvania), Oregon Star Party, Texas Star Party, Okie-Tex Star Party, and in Canada (Ontario), Starfest. Go Astronomy has a good list of major star parties in the U.S., Canada, UK, Ireland, and Australia. 

Above: Starfest, held in Ayton, Ontario, is the largest star party in Canada.

Astronomy Magazine's article on star parties is a good start to get an idea of the attraction of these star parties.

Eyepiece cheat codes: Becoming a Lunatic

Most of us probably live in light polluted urban or semi-urban areas. My home usually exhibits a Bortle 8 sky at best (no hope of seeing the Milky Way and only the brighter constellations visible on a good clear night). We eagerly await the period around new moon so we can get somewhere darker and do some deep sky observing: galaxies, clusters, nebulae, hoping that we might have some clear nights.

We've all probably observed the Moon when it was up. But have we really observed it?

I am by no means an accomplished lunar observer, primarily because for many years, like many of us, I waited for new moon to do my observing. Now that I'm unable to get out to a darker sky as often, I have developed a new attitude toward our little rocky satellite, and I've discovered that lunar observing is pretty damn B A D A S S.

Having a 6-inch reflector as my current "go to" scope, I can't see many of the smaller features that someone with a 12-inch with consistently excellent seeing might see. Yet, given my limitations, I've found lunar observing to be something I look forward to as much, and sometimes more, than deep sky observing. 

[Want some Pink Floyd on YouTube to accompany you while you read this post? Click here.]

Catch the excitement

When I was much younger, the race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union to put spacecraft and eventually people on the Moon was exciting for the general population, and even more so for space nerds like myself, whose favorite movie then (and now) was 2001: A Space Odyssey. Say hello again to HAL 9000.

Now, with spacecraft once again landing on the Moon, some of that excitement is returning. Where are the landing sites? Where did the Apollo astronauts land? What are the various features visible in small telescopes? Can I see the flag on the Moon? (No, a flag is much too small to see in a backyard telescope. Buzz Aldrin saw the Apollo 11 flag blown over upon ascent from the lunar surface, but the other five flags planted in the Apollo program are still standing, although they may be quite faded and deteriorated from the ultraviolet light and temperature extremes. See this LROC explanation and this NASA evaluation for further discussion of the flags on the Moon.)

Above: The Apollo 11 landing site viewed by the Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter Camera showing the Lunar Module (LM) just left of center and several instruments left by the astronauts. The image is roughly 225 meters across, or about 738 feet. In comparison, an 8" telescope will only resolve details as small as about seven times the width of the image, or about a mile across, or half an arc second in perfect seeing. With a good Moon map, however, you can identify the general location of the various spacecraft landing sites. (NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University)

Get started being a lunatic

I recommend starting your lunar observing by simply perusing the surface, especially along or near the terminator—the line demarcating sunrise or sunset, where the shadows highlight the relief of the various features. Don't worry about names until you get curious. What is that crater with the long bright rays? How about that one with the straight radial line inside it? What is that U-shaped valley by that bright crater? What is that long cliff-like feature? How about that gap in that huge mountain range? Discovering these features on your own and then looking them up on a Moon map is part of the fun.

The ever-changing shadows

One of the many great things about lunar observing is that the view is continuously changing as the Sun's light marches across the Moon, with the terminator highlighting new vistas every night. One rule of thumb is that the period between new moon and full moon, centered on first quarter, will place the Moon best for observing in the evening sky, and the nights centered on last quarter will place the Moon best in the morning sky. First quarter in the first part of the night, last quarter in the last part of the night. In the evening, you'll be seeing sunrise marching across the Moon. In the morning, sunset.

You can look up the rise/set times and current phase of the Moon on many websites, including Time and Date. There are also many apps available, such as Moon Phase Calendar.

The importance of good seeing

With lunar observing, we really want to see detail as sharply as possible, with little to no blurring by the atmosphere. A night with steady air, or good "seeing," will yield more detail than a night of poor seeing when the Moon looks like it is rippling, undulating, or just plain fuzzed out. How do you know when the seeing will be good? Well, if you're like me and live under the jet stream, it won't happen very often that you get excellent seeing. But usable seeing can often be had. 

Check apps or sites like Astrospheric or Clear Dark Sky (R.I.P, Attilla Danko) for seeing predictions for your location, understanding that they are just predictions. Other factors can affect seeing, especially from urban locations where heat rising from streets, driveways, and roofs can turn an otherwise good night of seeing into churning soup. If your telescope needs some cool down time, typical for reflectors or SCTs, try to set it outside for at least 30 to 60 minutes and use a fan or insulation to reduce internal tube currents.

Charts and Moon map apps

While my favorite charting app, Sky Safari Pro, shows lunar features when zoomed in, I find it difficult to see in night mode, with the features just too dim. Since I do most of my observing of the Moon from home, I can hop indoors and check out the excellent (and free) Virtual Moon Atlas, which I highly recommend if you have a Windows or Linux operating system.  Once you set it up, it will show you where the terminator is currently, you can turn labels on or off, zoom in to an astonishing level of detail (thanks to Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter Camera imaging), look up information about various features, and even orient the view to match your telescope's. There are other apps available that you may prefer. Try Moon Globe for iPad, or the online Real Time Map of the Moon. 

Left: Virtual Moon Atlas showing the phase on a particular date and time and set up for a 180 degree rotated image with south up and astronomical west to the left, as seen in a reflector. The Moon is about 31 arc minutes in diameter, or half a degree as seen from Earth. On the other hand, the Earth is about 2 degrees in diameter as seen from the Moon.

Note that when describing directions on the Moon, we use the convention of east being toward Mare Crisium, the circular dark plain just below center near the left limb in the image. This conforms with how terrestrial maps work, and is opposite from directions described for the night sky and deep sky objects. The idea was that lunar explorers would not get confused by "backwards" maps of the surface, compared to terrestrial maps. The crater Copernicus is on the terminator just below center.

Right: Zooming in on the crater Copernicus, which is about 58 miles in diameter. 37 mile-wide Eratosthenes is the crater in the lower left. The image is about 3.5 arc minutes wide.

Left: Zooming in further into the interior of Copernicus. This image scale and detail is beyond the capability of most backyard telescopes. The image is about 25 arc seconds across.

The central peaks are almost 4,000 feet high, ,while the crater wall at left is about 13,500 feet high. The detached part of the central peak just to the right of center is about 9 miles wide, or about 7 arc seconds in the telescope.

Lunar features and naming conventions

Features on the Moon are labeled in Latin (and you thought it was a "dead" language!). These are based on names first proposed by Giovanni Battista Riccioli, an Italian astronomer and Catholic priest (hence the Latin) who lived in the 1600s. His Moon maps were drawn by Francesco Maria Grimaldi, his colleague and fellow scientist/priest. They both have large walled plains, close to each other on the western limb, named after them. Many features, mostly craters, have been named since then. For more on naming, see the Smithsonian Magazine's How are Places on the Moon Named?

Some of the main types of features include:

Mare ("sea"): the expansive darker, smoother basaltic plains formed from molten rock that can be seen with the unaided eye. Examples: Mare Tranquilitatis (where the Apollo 11 astronauts landed), Mare Crisium, and Mare Imbrium.

Left: Mare Crisium (Virtual Moon Atlas. South is up.)

Sinus ("bay"): A smaller plain similar to a mare. Similar smaller "maria" include Lacus ("lake") and Palus ("marsh"). Examples: Sinus Aestuum, Sinus Iridum, Lacus Lenitatis. 

Left: Sinus Aestuum, with craters Eratosthenes below center and Copernicus at right edge (Virtual Moon Atlas. South is up.)

Crater: 95% of named features on the Moon are craters, almost all of which were caused by the impact of meteors or asteroids. They are named after dead scientists and explorers. Examples: Copernicus, Tycho, Clavius.

Left: Clavius, amid many other craters in the lunar southern hemisphere. This was the home of the fictitious moon base in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey (Virtual Moon Atlas. South is up.)

Mons/Montes ("mountain/mountain range"): These can be individual mountains or massive mountain ranges. Examples: Montes Apenninus (named after the Apennines on Earth), Montes Alpes (named after the Alps on Earth), Mons Piton (named after a peak in the Canary Islands).

Left: Montes Apenninus (Virtual Moon Atlas. South is up.)

Vallis ("Valley"): Usually, but not always, named after a nearby crater. Examples: Vallis Schröteri, Vallis Alpes, Vallis Rheita.

Left: Vallis Schröteri. The deep crater to the left is Aristarchus. The valley's end points to the crater Herodotus. (Virtual Moon Atlas. South is up.)

Rima/Rimae ("rille/rilles" or narrow channels): These were mostly formed by lava flows, collapsed lava tubes, or grabens caused by the sinking of the surface between faults. Examples: Rima Hyginus, Rima Cauchy, Rimae Ariadaeus.

Left: Rima Hyginus. Crater Agrippa is in the upper left. (Virtual Moon Atlas. South is up.)

Rupes ("scarp" as defined by the IAU, but actually a fault looking like a huge cliff): Examples: Rupes Altai, Rupes Recta, Rupes Cauchy.

Left: Rupes Recta, the "Straight Wall,"  on the southeast edge of Mare Nubium (Virtual Moon Atlas. South is up.)

Dorsum/Dorsa ("ridge/ridges"): Tectonic features found in maria, these "wrinkle ridges" are long, thin folds formed by the cooled and solidified edges of lava flows. Examples: Dorsum Heim, Dorsa Smirnov, Dorsum Zirkel.

Left: Dorsa Smirnov, curving vertically down the center. The crater Posidonius is at bottom left. (Virtual Moon Atlas. South is up.)

Advanced lunacy

If you really want to get into all the details of the Moon's orbit, phases, libration, etc., check out NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio. 

For more ideas on lunar observing, and what others are looking at, see The Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) Lunar Section.

If you don't mind logging your observations in detail, you might consider joining the Astronomical League and trying out their Lunar Observing Program, which contains features to view with the unaided eye, binoculars, and a small telescope. Even if you don't log your observations to get the certificate, this gives you a list of prominent lunar features to observe.

Welcome to the lunatic asylum!

How much does amateur astronomy cost?

tl;dr: It costs whatever you have to spare that you want to invest in it.

I was recently reading a thread on the Cloudy Nights amateur astronomy forum in which the poster was complaining how some people are always claiming how expensive amateur astronomy is, when it "really isn't." These threads pop up periodically, and usually follow the same course. (Above: Andrew Magill from Boulder, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Astroboy by Astronomerica)

First, let me comment that many of the most frequent posters on Cloudy Nights seem to mostly be retired engineers, white collar skilled workers, or successful retired "boomers" (full disclosure: I am a retired "boomer") who have fairly large disposable incomes. Often someone will state that compared to expensive motorcycles, high end photography, golf memberships and green fees, high end gaming, skiing equipment and lift fees, and the like, amateur astronomy is cheap. Well, if you look at it that way, it is. Until you buy land out in the boonies and build your own observatory to house your 6" refractor imaging rig. But most of us will never have the money, opportunity, or life situation to do that.

But how about those people, and not just kids, who don't have thousands or even hundreds of dollars to spend on a hobby? I remember when I lived in a 24' travel trailer, had a minimum wage job, and thought that buying a 4.5" Tasco 11TR department store reflector for almost $200 was a huge splurge—and it was for me. By the way, I did start out with $20 Tasco binoculars before I could afford the telescope.

I grew up being frugal and I still am as a matter of principle. Even if I can afford something more expensive, I like to see how much enjoyment I can get out of a less expensive option. That extra 300% in price often only buys a 10% improvement in what really counts: enjoyment. Maybe 1000% will buy a 50% improvement, but that often takes the expense well out of a person's budget range. (Above: At Bull Creek Wildlife Management Area in Central Florida, 1993, with myTasco 11TR department store reflector. Some of the happiest nights of observing in my whole life.)

Hence, with Astronomerica I attempt to demonstrate that it doesn't take a lot of money—whatever that means to you—to enjoy amateur astronomy. We constantly read about "hobby killer" cheap telescopes. That's probably what my 4.5" Tasco was considered by many at the time, yet it helped me develop a hobby that I have enjoyed for the rest of my life, because if you don't approach it from an elitist perspective, it's not a bad scope. 

No one wants to buy crap, but even now there are some decent telescopes for $250 or even less. I just picked up a Svbony SV510 solar telescope (above) for less than $10 new that actually shows sunspots pretty well, even if it's on a very rickety tripod. If that's what you have to start with, then go for it. Just understand the limitations. "Perfect is the enemy of good" (Voltaire).

Many times I read posts where people say for $500 a particular piece of gear is too good of a deal not to buy, even if it's just to try it out. After all, it's "only" $500! Don't we all wish we had that kind of mad money? Others consistently recommend finding a higher quality piece of gear used. But most people don't want to wait weeks, months, or even years for that particular equipment to come up on the used market, just to see it sold to a retired "boomer" engineer before they can even get home from school or work to check the classifieds.

I know from experience that there are ways to get a lot of enjoyment out of amateur astronomy for very little cost.  But as you get more into the hobby it can cost you more. Want to get away from your Bortle 9 city lights out to the country? Better have a car and gas money, or a friend who has both and is also into astronomy (good luck with that). Want to buy that perfect beginner 8-inch Dobsonian? Better have $600, plus a phone with a charting app or money for a star charting book, plus a suitable observing chair, plus good cold weather gear, etc. 

It does get expensive by many people's standards. But do we really need that 8-inch dob as our perfect starter scope that will "serve us well for a lifetime?" No. You can get good binoculars for a third of that price, and "recommended" cheap binoculars for perhaps half of that. Cheaper if you get them on sale, or the price of club dues if you're lucky enough to have a local astronomy club that has some to borrow. (Above: Apertura 8-inch Dobsonian, the "perfect" starter scope for those with $600 to spare.)

While I love forums like Cloudy Nights, Stargazer's Lounge, and Reddit (r/telescopes), there is a strong tendency for the frequent posters to make it sound like if you don't get this or that recommended equipment, then you're making a huge mistake. "Better to buy once and cry once," is the mantra. Easy to say if you have the money on hand to do so. If not, they then suggest you wait and save your money until you can. Depending on your situation, that might take many months, if not years. There really is no reason not to start with whatever modest equipment you have, even if it's a cheap lawn chair, your own eyes, and a bottle of bug spray. (Left: Nikolay Andreyev, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, modified for amateur astronomy FOMO)

I recommend you read those forums but don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to have a pile of high quality equipment to enjoy amateur astronomy. Consider the situations of those making the recommendations, and consider your own situation. One user may have 20 telescopes, 50 eyepieces, and a fountain of experience (who is also the one that tells you "Better to buy once and cry once!"). You don't need to be that person. You aren't that person. You can enjoy the night sky the way you can, given your own means and situation. Don't feel like you're missing out. You're seeing the same things everyone else is. Someone will always have a better view. Don't let that keep you from looking up.

Enjoy the journey, wherever you start and wherever you wind up.

Taking an astronomy trip by air

Whether you're taking a trip purely for astronomy observing, or you'd like to do some observing on the side, having something to magnify your view can really add to the experience. Here I'm not talking about scopes that pack into the car for a drive but ones that you can carry with you on an airplane. That's a big difference. Your standard "grab 'n go" scope may not make a good airline travel scope once you try to put it in your luggage.

When to go

The Southern Cross from Florida in September?
Not gonna happen!
(Naskies at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0,
via Wikimedia Commons)

The most obvious consideration for when to go is to plan it around new moon. Consult an app or website to see when it gets dark and when the Moon rises or sets. If you are likely only to observe during the early part of the night, go within the week before new moon, when the Moon rises in the early morning hours. 

Research your destination and find out what months have the best chances for good observing weather.

Consider what objects you would really like to see. For example, going to the Florida Keys to see the Southern Cross, Omega Centauri, and NGC 5128 won't work in September. Use a charting app such as Sky Safari or Stellarium to see what will be up throughout the night.

Choosing a destination 

First and foremost, you'll want dark skies that have frequent clear nights and good seeing. Harder than finding that, though, is finding a place where there are no local lights to ruin an otherwise great sky. Non-astronomy people will often rave about the great sky, with no attention paid to all-night lighting that would be a deal-killer for astronomers. Even a single LED on a nearby outbuilding can be incredibly annoying.

Unless those traveling with you are as excited about astronomy as you are, and even if they are, it's good to have alternate activities available so everyone is happy and you have some variety. If they aren't into nature and the outdoors, you'll probably be limited to a fairly mediocre sky with lots of lights. Most destinations also have a chance of cloudy nights.

I recommend a place that has a kitchen, so you can prepare your own meals. You won't spend as much money, you'll be able to be set up and ready at dusk, and you'll be able to plan the meals and snacks around your observing and sleeping schedule.

Excepting stays in really posh digs, the largest part of the budget will likely be the air travel. You might find dark skies closer than you think unless you're bent upon seeing the opposite hemisphere. After all, the constellations are the same until you change latitude significantly.

Access to a telescope at your destination

The most convenient travel solution is to have a telescope waiting for you at your destination. You could ship your equipment, but that could be expensive and any delay could ruin your chances to observe. I have read about some people doing this for very distant trips, and maybe that's a decent solution in that case.

Above: The non-profit Reach for the Stars in Tucson, AZ, rents telescopes. Check for telescope stores or astronomy clubs at your destination that might be able to set you up with a telescope.

Some astronomy-suitable vacation rentals (dark sky, minimal light pollution) come with telescopes, but while I was doing research I found that most don't. I think trying to maintain them is more of a hassle than it's worth, except for a very few number of places dedicated to astronomy observing. Most places cater to a wider variety of interests because, let's face it, the market for astronomy vacation rentals is pretty miniscule.

Above: The Marathon Motel Sky Park in Marathon, TX, provides nightly observing programs with their 20" and 24" Dobsonians, as well as powered telescope pads if you bring your own.

Still, if I had a rental property where I knew astronomers would be staying, I would probably have an 8 or 10-inch Dob available because there's not much you could do to break one of those. However, then you have to have a chair and eyepieces and a finder and all that kind of stuff that can be broken, lost  stolen, or ruined fairly easily. So I understand the lack of available equipment.

As a renter, you don't know what kind of shape the equipment is in, or what comes with it. So it's good to bring, at the very least, binoculars, and if you can manage it, a small telescope and a small collection of eyepieces.

On my recent trip to Arizona Sky Village, I had arranged several options for on-site telescopes in advance, including observing with somebody who lived in the area and renting a telescope from a place near the airport. In the end we just used what I had brought with me. I couldn't have even rented an 8 or 10-inch Dob because it would not have fit in the rental car with three of us and all of our luggage!

What makes a good air travel scope

I'm not a refractor guy, not because I don't like them, but because refractors have never really fit into my style of observing. Many people use wide field refractors, for example 80mm refractors, as travel scopes. It seems like a good idea because they're small and relatively lightweight, and many people go that route. Little Maksutovs are also a popular choice, and although they have a limited field of view, they can double as a terrestrial scope with an erecting prism.

For me, it makes more sense to bring a good pair of binoculars than a wide field refractor or "Mak" of small aperture. Binoculars can be used for birding and nature watching in addition to astronomy and don't require much else. And what can be better than lying back while you're observing? See my Bino Body Mount post for a great lightweight mount for binoculars, pictured at left, that you can easily break down and pack in a suitcase.

Therefore, If I'm going to bring a telescope, I want something with as large an aperture as possible because I already have the low power/wide field experience covered with the binoculars. But it's problematic when you have to pack a telescope for a plane trip. 

Do-it-yourselfers have built some pretty incredible travel telescopes with larger apertures. But most of us don't have the skills, the time, or the money for that. Commercial versions are pricey. So we look for mass-produced telescopes that are lightweight and small but pack as much aperture as possible. 

Can a 6-inch be a travel scope? 

I can definitively say yes. I took my collapsible Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTI 150P (6-inch) optical tube assembly (OTA) off its bulky go-to mount and built a travel mount for it. The entire setup weighs about 25 lbs. I took it with me from Virginia to Arizona and back by air and rental car, and was really glad to have that much aperture to appreciate the dark Arizona skies. 

If you want to go with a refractor or Maksutov, fine. You'll need that, a tripod, and some eye pieces, at a minimum. If you want to sit, you'll need some sort of chair you put outside and move around. 

I don't recommend a high-end scope or even a medium-end scope for air travel, because you may never see your luggage again, it may get broken, and even if you carry on the OTA, you still have to pack it well and there's a chance you may end up having to gate check it. 

I packed my OTA in a 22-inch hard shell carry-on suitcase, packing all my warm jackets around it, and it did fine. The mount, tripod table, and associated gear all fit in a 26-inch checked roller suitcase. My wife and I carried on the eyepieces, finderscope, and two pairs of binoculars (15x70 and 10x56) in a case and a small bag that fit under the seats. You can't put lithium batteries in your checked bags, so I carried them in my "personal item" bag that fits under the seat.

For eyepieces, I brought a Celestron Xcel-LX 25mm (30x), an Astro-Tech UWA 10mm (75x), a Svbony 7-21mm zoom, and a Svbony 2x barlow, giving me a range of powers from 30x to 214x, plenty for a 6-inch.

My Sky-Watcher 150P came with a go-to mount, which I wasn't about to take apart, and it was too big to fit in any kind of suitcase I want to be lugging on a plane. I decided to put together a new mount for it, and chose the Svbony SV225 alt-az mount. It's relatively inexpensive, weighs a bit more than 5 lbs., it's sturdy, and can be compacted into a pretty small form factor. I fit it in a plastic shoebox with foam padding. I also built a tripod table which could be broken down flat, upon which I bolted the mount.

The biggest challenge was finding a chair that I could bring with me that was the right height for the telescope. I do not like observing standing up, especially for many hours at a time. The chair I usually use is a big heavy Denver style adjustable chair, which is too big and heavy for airline travel. 

I looked online and finally found a folding tripod chair where each leg folds in half, making it even more compact. It's called a GCI PackSeat. It weighs just over 1 lb. I stuck tennis balls on the bottoms of each leg to keep it from sinking into soft ground, and that worked great. It was just the right height, about 18", for my telescope once I added a stool cushion, fastening it to the chair seat with sheet stays.

Your rental may not have any outdoor chair suitable for use with the telescope, so if you're planning a trip and planning on sitting at your scope, make sure you know what height chair you need, and what they have at your destination, or bring something the right height to sit on.

Don't forget to inquire about reclining chairs if you plan on doing binocular observing. Some people use tripods or monopods, but for me they are tough on the neck for more than a few quick looks well below the zenith. The place I recently rented had Adirondack chairs that worked well.

Sizing it up 

The three main rules for traveling by air are keep it light, keep it compact, and make it easy to assemble and disassemble. If you already have some luggage, it may be fine for your scope and mount/table/tripod. Otherwise buy luggage that will fit what you're designing or buying. I found that a 22-inch hard shell carry-on roller suitcase was the perfect size for the 6-inch collapsible 17-inch long OTA with suitable padding, namely my ski pants, a hoodie, a light down jacket, some gloves, and a hat. 

Try to use stuff you're going to bring anyway for padding rather than packing a lot of foam and dedicated padding. Just make sure it's packed well enough that it's not likely to receive damage under normal handling. 

Someone on Cloudy Nights mentioned they packed their OneSky 5-inch tube in their checked baggage in a duffel bag filled with clothes, and it made it fine. It depends on your own risk aversion how you want to handle that. I feel much more comfortable carrying the OTA on.

Watch your baggage weights and sizes and make sure you stay within the airline's limits. My 26-inch roller suitcase (above) that held the scope mount, table, bino mounts, observing stool, tools, windscreen, and other gear was pretty close to the max limit of 50 lbs. 

Disassembly and assembly

You want to make sure you have all the tools and bolts and other things that you'll need to assemble and take apart your gear. I found it was a good idea to go through the whole disassembly and reassembly process once I had collected all my tools and equipment, using just those things that I would be packing. That way I would immediately recognize if I was missing some key tool or item. 

Bring a few extra critical bolts, screws, washers, and other items in case you drop them and lose them. A single bolt could shut you down if you lose it. If you need a wrench, bring a compact 3/8 inch socket wrench and bring sockets in the right sizes that you'll need. Get a cheap stubby screwdriver if you need one.

Plan for the weather at your destination

Research the environment you're going to be in. For my trip to Arizona Sky Village in late October/early November, I realized based on my research that it was likely to be quite cold at night, possibly going into the mid-30s. Therefore, I made sure I brought plenty of warm layers, wool gloves, headband, hand warmers, and anything else I would normally wear for winter observing. It rained on the last night, and the nearby mountains (left) were covered with snow in the morning. 

I recently got a heated vest that's powered by a pocket power bank. It took up very little space but kept me very warm along with a hoodie and a light down jacket. Use several layers instead of bringing one huge bulky coat. You can add layers as it gets colder.

Even if it's nice and warm during the day, it may get quite cold at night, depending on where you're observing. So do your weather research in advance. 

The Arizona high desert can have some pretty strong winds, so when I went there, I brought a privacy screen I found at a Lidl grocery store (similar to this one) and used that. It worked very well, but I had to replace the cheap steel wire shepherd's hook stakes with aluminum gutter spikes. They were lighter and a bit stronger than the shepherd's hook stakes, which bend if you just look at them wrong. I used a local rock to pound in the stakes. I set the screen up at my local observing site first (above), so I knew how to do it and could evaluate the components.

A wind screen can also double as a light screen in case you encounter some unexpected all-night lighting, or a steady stream of car headlights.

If you will be observing in cold weather, your Mukluk or Sorrel boots are great, but they take up a lot of space in your luggage. Instead, bring chemical hand warmers, for example Hot Hands, and slip one under your toes in each shoe. Unless you're observing in sub-freezing weather, they will keep your toes warm all night. If the warmers are still hot and soft when you're done observing, put them into a Ziploc sandwich bag to cut the air off, and you'll be able to reuse them the next night. I used one pair of hand warmers three consecutive nights doing that, wearing them for probably a total of 12 hours.

Observing

Bring whatever charts you're going to need, whether on an app or if you use paper charts. Don't forget a red light for when you're moving around or reading at night. Pack some spare batteries and a small charger if you think you'll need one, as well as wall chargers and charging cables. Even a non-electric setup probably has some requirements for juice. 

If you're going to be going in and out of a brightly lit house, room, or cabin, you can get a pair of red goggles that are used for laser work to protect your night vision when you go in for a snack or go to the bathroom. The darker the sky, the more important it is to protect your night vision.

What finder scope are you going to use? I packed my RACI finder with my eyepieces in a carry-on bag. I wrapped each one in bubble wrap.

Make a list of those objects that you really want to see. Maybe they're ones that you can't see from your light polluted home or typical observing site, or ones that are perhaps further south than you can ever view from home. Make sure they're reasonably high above the horizon at some point during the night from your destination location.

Above: Sky Safari Pro allows you to make your own observing lists. I made one for my recent trip to Arizona. Easy to load it in the app and cruise around to view your "must see" objects.

Dealing with an "oops"

It's a good idea to bring a small bottle of alcohol or lens cleaner and some q-tips and lens tissues. You might end up dropping an eyepiece in the dirt, as I did, and it's great to be able to just clean it right off and go right back to observing. See Televue's instructions on cleaning optics.

I brought a roll of white duct tape. I flagged the guy lines for the windscreen with them, which allowed us to see them easily at night so we didn't trip over them. I also made a repair to a plastic box that got broken on the outbound flight.