Introduction To Astronomy

Introduction to Astronomy

This class is meant to be an introduction to amateur astronomy for teenagers and adults. The class covers the basics including:

• What to expect from amateur astronomy
• What equipment is needed
• What resources are available
• Common pitfalls for beginners
• Q&A session

Below is a PDF of the slides presented in the class:

  RAC Constitution April 2018 (112.6 KiB, 655 hits)

Links Discussed in the Class

Raleigh Astronomy Club – http://www.raleighastro.org

Good Telescope Manufacturers:

• Orion Telescopes – http://www.telescope.com/
• Meade – http://www.meade.com/
• Celestron – http://www.celestron.com/
• Explore Scientific – http://explorescientificusa.com/
• iOptron – http://ioptron.com/
• Televue – http://televue.com/
• Vixen – http://vixenoptics.com/

Good Telescope Retailers:

• Southeastern Camera (Local to Raleigh) – http://www.southeasterncamera.com/
• Astronomics – http://www.astronomics.com/
• Oceanside Photo and Telescope – http://www.optcorp.com/
• B&H Photo and Video – http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
• Woodland Hills Camera & Telescope – http://telescopes.net/

Software and Apps:

• Stellarium Planetarium software – www.stellarium.org (free)
• Cartes du Ciel Star Chart Software – http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/start (free)
• Mobile Observatory (Android) – http://zima.co
• Star Walk – http://vitotechnology.com/star-walk.html
• Sky Safari – http://www.southernstars.com/products/skysafari/

Other Equipment and Articles

• Buying a telescope –
• Choosing a telescope – link to article
• Giving a telescope as a gift – link to article
• David Levy Planisphere – link on Amazon
• Good Green Laser Pointer – http://www.genaldi.com/greenlaserpointer.html

Books & Atlases:

• Turn Left at Orion – link on Amazon
• NightWatch – link on Amazon
• Backyard Astronomer’s Guide – link on Amazon
• S&T Pocket Sky Atlas – link on Amazon
• Objects in the Heavens – link to author’s page

Online Tools

• Tonight’s Sky – http://tonightssky.com/
• Sky & Telescope’s This Week’s Sky at a Glance – http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance
• Clear Sky Clocks for North Carolina – http://cleardarksky.com/csk/prov/North_Carolina_charts.html
• Finding the Hubble Space Telescope or the ISS: http://heavens-above.com/

Online Forums and Classifieds:

• CloudyNights – http://www.cloudynights.com/ (free to join)
• Astromart – http://www.astromart.com/ (free to browse but yearly subscription fee)

Maintenance & Tips

• >Polar Alignment (for equatorial mounts): http://www.arksky.org/Kochab.htm
• Cleaning of optics: http://www.arksky.org/asoclean.htm
• Aligning Your Finder Scope (video): http://youtu.be/ztlSv2JOMr0