SAG member Ken Roberts has difficulty observing the night sky through telescopes that use eyepieces. After using the club’s SEESTAR S50 for astrophotography, he fell in love with viewing the night sky again.
He was so enamored with the SeeStar, that he ordered and puchased his own SeeStar S50.
He uses a free website (listed below) to discover brief information on recent astronomical discoveries such as comets, minor planets and novas.
http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/Headlines.html
From this source, he determines celestial objects for observation consideration using his SeeStar S50. Comet C2023-A3, soon to be visible in the October night sky, was his prime target until he released the risks involved. This comet is trackable but still very close to the sun. The S50 likes to track around a bit when orienting. Therefore too much risk exits that it
might end up pointing at the sun, and burn out its sensor.
(Keep in mind that October 12 just after sunset in Stratford is the best time to observe comet C2023-A3 with binoculars or other telescopic equipment. Click HERE to read Ethan Siegel’s article publishing in BIG THINK for more details).
Then, using the SeeStar, why not observe a nova?
Ken describes “an interesting exercise” he conducted, figuring out how to match up the nova image with the AAVSO finder chart, for instance, to photograph a recent nova, V615-Vul.
To read Ken’s article, click HERE
As Ken points out, there is another nova on on the way, T Corona Borealis, getting attention in astronomical news for some months now. Latest prediction is that the nova may occur by the end of Oct-2024. When it happens, it could be a mag 3 or even mag 2 object.
( Click HERE for a post by Ezzy Pearson and Chris Lintott published in BBC Sky at Night Magazine on where in the night sky to see this nova).
Keep looking up.
Tom Kimber – News