Top 20 Astronomy Tips
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.ค. 2024
- Our top astronomy tips to help you get the best from your telescope and enhance your enjoyment of the night sky. For purchase links and index scroll down.
You can go straight to the topic that interests you on the timecode index below, and you can explore any of the tips in more detail in a back catalogue of videos on our channel.
RED flashlight or torch: Beware, most are vastly too bright for astronomy. Our favourite red torch, (branded Celestron or SkyWatcher) has switchable red and white light LEDs and has adjustable brightness:
To purchase on Amazon.com
Red and white LED flashlight. amzn.to/3sRKSaD
Or amzn.to/3f5Xarb
To purchase on Amazon.co.uk
Red and white LED torch. amzn.to/39ffNFS
For a Moon or neutral density filter, ideal for telescopes over 100mm aperture, the Celestron and SvBony brands fit all 1.25" eyepeieces, and both have good quality glass filters:
To purchase on Amazon.com
Celestron. amzn.to/3ocRsEZ
SvBony. amzn.to/2M2Bbpg
To purchase on Amazon.co.uk
Celestron. amzn.to/3sSV2rr
SvBony. amzn.to/3sVxoL2
For the "Swiss army knife" of filters, a good quality 80A blue filter, ideal for telescopes over 100mm aperture (for over 100mm see 82A filter below):
To purchase on Amazon.com
80A blue filter. amzn.to/2Y4y7va
To purchase on Amazon.co.uk
80A blue filter. amzn.to/2MlGjV2
For telescopes under 100mm aperture an 82A blue would be better as it's a little less dense:
To purchase on Amazon.com
82A blue filter. amzn.to/2MftYlq
To purchase on Amazon.co.uk
82A blue filter. amzn.to/2Y6UEYj
For an observing log (an old page per day diary works well - and just date pages as you go) but if you'd prefer something new and bound, we've found a few here:
To purchase on Amazon.com
amzn.to/2YiIE67
To purchase on Amazon.co.uk
amzn.to/3omXeUL
Disclosures: All opinions are our own. If you click on one of the product links above and choose to make a purchase, our channel will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate/Affiliate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
00:00 Hello
00:39 Love the dark
01:02 Get a red torch - see purchase links below
01:33 Dark-adapted vision
01:46 Smartphones?
02:18 Swedish Chef dress code
02:30 Setting up your telescope
03:09 Take the whole cap off
03:30 Setting up tripods
04:08 Optimising tripods
04:21 Use both eyes (a Cyclops can skip this)
04:41 Toffee apple syndrome
05:28 Temperature acclimatisation
06:05 Observing the Sun safely
07:46 Collimation
08:10 Improve focussing
09:28 Make a focus mask
11:10 The safest solar finder
12:11 Moon filter: less in more - see purchase links below
12:31 The Blue #80A - the Swiss Army knife of filters! See purchase links below
12:58 Hacks for using filters
13.27 Make deep-sky fuzzies pop
14:02 Eyepiece tray upgrade
14:31 Improve your views of the Sun
15:11 Things to do with card when you're board
15:49 Rock your scope!
16:24 Averted vision technique
17:00 Keep an observing log
Warning: Making telescope accessories out of cardboard could seriously damage other peoples wealth (Do they mean me? RJD).
A short note on the topic of numerical inexactitudes.
Before some of you start thrashing your keyboards to shrapnel - yes, we know there are over 30 tips not just the 20 of the title! But we thought 20 sounded so much friendlier than 34! 20 is such a flouncy-bouncy sort of number, so much more rounded, less angular and awkward than 34. And we were worried you might not be able to stomach the idea of 34 astronomy tips in one sitting! But this means we gave you 70% more than you were expecting to get in the 18-minute video! Wow, this means you got two astronomy tips per minute -- that's got to be some sort of TH-cam record!
Clear skies,
Robert
Presented by Robert J Dalby FRAS
Produced by DB Video Services for Astronomy and Nature TV - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
I could listen to this guy all day.
Hypnotic.
I agree - this presenter's ability and skills relegate many other claimed "experts" on any subject to also-rans. Full marks for content and clarity.
Darn.... After watching tons of Astronomy vids and getting some great advice my biggest finding is astronomers tend to be just plain old good people. So willing to share knowledge and encourage people new to the science. Thank you so much!
Are you just getting into Astronomy like me? It's exciting!
I agree
Just got my dob and some nice eyepieces so learning is a must.nothing worse and looking at something and not knowing what it is!
This packs more useful information into 18 minutes than every single other astronomy video I've watched combined. Brilliant. Thank you.
Excellent, especially the home-made focus mask around 11 mins.
99Crell n
Just wanted to say thank you. I watched your tips yesterday; in the evening , I set up my telescope to view Jupiter. I hung a plastic bucket with some metal pieces in it from the lens tray after leveling and aligning. It's a beginner's scope which is fairly light overall. Once I had Jupiter in sight, I noticed an immediate improvement. Normally, I've found that the set-up has the shakes like crazy even on the calmest of nights. Last night, I was able to slow dial my RA cable and everything including Jupiter moved smoothly. The other tip that helped was regarding viewing. I tried to keep both eyes open and I remembered to try and take in my peripheral vision as well. Next thing I know was able to discern two bands on Jupiter, and I saw four moons (I'm fairly certain they were anyway). They were relatively in a straight line! For me a beginning astronomer, it was exciting. I also happened to see while I was setting up what I think was a satellite move across my field of view before I got Jupiter in sight. Thank you! I tried making the cap with two holes to aid focus. Turns out a Breakstone sour cream cap fit my lens perfectly, but i think I made the two viewing holes to large and close together. Next round of onion dip, I'll try again.
This quick and dirty 20 tips was amazing. Thank you for putting this together.
Absolutely the best astronomy channel on youtube without any doubts! I love all of your videos!
This is beyond awesome. Thank you so much for sharing!
Great to see another long awaited video. I always look for ur vids in my news feed.pleaseeeeee keep them coming
Great guide. Thanks!
Such deep understanding! Im impressed!
Wow, I forgot to take the whole part of the lens off... I only took off the tiny part... THANK YOU! YOU HELPED ME SO MUCH!!!
Why is there a smaller cap at all?
idk
for viewing the moon for example, to make it less bright by reducing the aperture
So useful! Thanks a lot!
What a delightful video! I have learned so much. Thank you
Thanks for the tips Bud. Most appreciated!
Very helpful and well done. Thank you!
Super helpful for a beginner, thanks no end! Clear skies to you!
Awesome video with some great tips!
Thank you!
My own trick: Eye-patch. Keep it on your primary eye until it's time to view
then use it on the other eye to avoid sqiunting
Very useful tips thanks you guys, great job! Keep them coming.
LOVE IT. Thanks for the video.
As a newbie this video is most helpful. Thanks for taking the time to do it. Having done educational videos I appreciate the time and energy it takes. There is a lot more going on than what appears on the screen.
You're creating really interesting videos! It's a pleasure watching them.
Thank you, great video!
I'm so glad that this video was recommend on my feed. Great video..
I'm new to astronomy, I found this video very informative.
Thanks!!.
John.
Great video, well made and very informative
Pure class. ‘Nuff said!
These videos have been the most useful, to the point videos for beginners. Thank you!
Thank you for all the amazing tips!
Excellent suggestions, thank you.
Excellent, if too concise. You are among the top three tutorial chaps (if not chief among them) on telescopes, on TH-cam! Thanks so much.
Absolutely excellent tips 👍 Thank you🙂
Possibly the most helpful video for a new comer there is! Thank you
Thanks a lot ! Great video for us (beginers).
Holistic, Clear and Lucid. Thanks for the amazing videos.
Just bought my first telescope, and found all your video's to be a great help. Many Thanks.
Wow, just recently got a telescope and if you didn't mention the other lens cap we'd be scratching out heads forever
A truly excellent tips video. The best I have seen to date, and I have been doing this for decades now.
Excellent video. Super informative.
Thank you so much! I have a six inch dobsonian coming in a few days and it will be an absolute blast observing, especially with these helpful tips.
Fantastic. I've learned a lot, and had a great time!. Thank you and greetings from Spain.
fantastic videos thank you
Outstanding video! Great hints!
That was absolutely professional. Thanks for sharing the tips!
Thank you so much
A really good video for newbies like myself. Thanks for all of the great advice!!
Some great tips I'd never heard of before.
Thank you for sharing these excellent tips in an easy to understand way. You've just enabled me to show my young children the beauty of the sky at night. They were amazed. And so was I.
Wonderful video with great tips!
now i have a clear view by watching the 20 tips.
thank you.
Thank you!
so great to see a new video....This one is great
Thank you for the great tips Robert. I have shared this to my Stargazing with Steve page and telescope Addicts on Facebook!
Thanks for the great tips, great channel too.
Well done. Really sound advice and tips.
What a great video. Thank you. I am new to the hobby and learning every day. Your videos certainly help. Cheers.
Thank you. Very informative.
This is an awesome video. Thank You!
Great set of tips. Thank you.
So much great information. I used to observe with some friends and their parents when I was younger and have been wanting to get back into it again and this was very helpful. Thanks!
Outstanding!
Outstanding tips here! I've been an amateur astronomer of one sort or another for ~30 years now, and I learned a few things from this video.
Good video. Very professional. Thank you
Well Done! Great Tips. Thank you!
Very helpful video and this gentleman is a legend! Thanks 👍
Thanks for this - am just starting, and this really helped! Off outside to see what I can see!
a lot of great tips here!
As someone new to the hobby I love this video, right to the point, all great tips! Earned a sub!
Excellent video!
I'm a newbie,who found this most informative.Thank you.
Great video. Well done.
Good stuff thanks , great video.
This is the best video around
im saving up for a telescope and this video helped me a lot on info about telescopes
the two image fucus trick was new to me
now need to make up a cap myself
Holy smokes. This is seriously one of the best videos for new comers to telescopes! I've lost count already how many tips you've given that will save me lots of frustration. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Thanks and love you sir...from India
good work, nice to watch I enjoyed it
gee thanks! that's a ton of tips i have to absorb!
Great video !!! I very very like your all videos. I am a beginner in astronomy. Your all videos really helps me a lot to increase my knowledge about astronomy. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Found this extremely informative as I'm new to amateur astronomy. I have a little 70mm Celestron and I never thought that using my 20mm eye piece was actually less powerful than the 10 or 4mm that came with it. Least, that's what I think I'm getting. Got a lunar filter coming soon too but I shall definitely invest in a bluey.
Loved the laid back nature of this video too. Thanks a bunch!
awesome tips
I've been "stargazing" for years but still managed to pick up some useful tips, many thanks!
some great tips, ur a beast!
This vid really helped
Hooray! I missed these videos!
Thanks
thank you for this helpful Video!
greetings from germany
Great tips.
Excellent
Great stuff
Some people are good at things and some people are amazing--you are amazing--Thanks for the great vids!
Just getting my 10yr old daughter her first scope and I know nothing about them, this helped a huge amount, the sun info very important, thank you
Just to add a couple of tips I've found, I have a Petzel Tekka 2 plus head lamp that has 3 white and 2 red light level settings that works great. A headlamp frees up your hands and is less likely to get lost on the ground in the dark. I also wrote with a sharpie the color and number of my filters on the bottom of their case to help find the one I need in the dark. Great vid and thanks for the tips.
Many thanks, this was really helpful sir. Best wishes from the southern hemisphere, home of Carina and the Magellanic ladies.
Best video ever
2:30 And there goes our night vision. Was watching this in the dark. Then you blasted us with bright sun next to a white wall. Geeeeezzz.
love the music.
Wow, would not have thought of some of these. Going to try the focus test on binoculars (if it words for them) to get each eye perfect focused.