Surprise, surprise, the IAU has read my mind!

We now have officially Eight Planets, and Pluto is out. So much easier to remember the list of planets in our Solar System now.

I find Pluto pretty easy to remember actually as its the same name as Mickey Mouse's dog aint it?

Unfortunately, I don't qualify for the Mickey Mouse club anymore.

8 is easier to rember than 9, and certainly a lot easier than 12, not to mention trying to keep track of the order of the planets. Is it Neptune before Pluto, or the other way round?

So now, Pluto is no longer a planet.

Hey, whats up on the 27th at 12:30 am? Planet sightings or something?

Don't tell me you've got that email too.

Read my blog about this hoax.

http://www.astronomynotes.net/2006/08/12/f...p-by-mars-hoax/

It's been some time ever since i got here....? any new events...?

This post has been edited by Eithanius: Aug 26 2006, 12:44 PM

No I didn't get it thru mail. Just that last night during supper I was discussing Pluto's emmision from our line of planets when a friend of mine told me to get ready for the 27th of August. I was like "Whats on that night?". Then my friend said some planet can be seen clearly or something. So I post here to check lo.....

ya, tonight about a zillion people will be straining their necks looking for the BIG red planet........and you are just in time!
What happened to your SNP?

julchin_09, tomorrow you can ask your friend innocently if he missed his beauty sleep.

Yeah, ask him innocently! He will say.... I should sleep.

trying to get version 6....

Don't forget to tell me the lobang yar... The non-ahem version costs almost RM800...

RM800!
Has version 6 got the revised planetology? If not, its money down the drain.......

I am not sure though. What about you check their website? I am interested in the plus version which can do serious astrophotography.

Currently, I am trying on Maxim DL to do CCD imaging. If you read my blog, I am going to get a CCD imager. I just find that the current LPI is not suitable for deep sky imaging.

Just to tell you that the tomorrow dawn, there is a close up of Saturn and Venus.

uh I'm kinda new to this astronomy thing but was wondering how much i have to spend to view those planet and star closer?

currently i only have minolta i5000x with 35-80mm lens... can only see the moon. it have a bulb function so ... how do i start?

ps is there a not so expensive telescope say around RM300++?

Thanks

What's your budget? Planetary observing doesn't need any big scope as the DSO (Deep Sky Object) needs. So, a 3" or 4" is decent enough for this. Maybe you got to topup your budget for a telescope.

If you are not going to get a telescope, you can get an equatorial mount for tracking purpose (that's mean you will get the photo of stars in dot but not a line as the Earth rotates).

By using the telescope, you can either mount your camera on the scope or do prime focus. What's prime focus? When you mount your slr or dslr to the telescope, the telescope is now the lens of your camera, this is called prime focus.

What else do you want to know, please let me know.

DSO hmmm beautiful too

just say if i get a telescope how much would it cost?

how about the equatorial mount?

can a telescope be upgraded or added length to become DSO?

my bugdet not that much for starting i would like to invest somewhere RM300++ [second hand equipment also good for me, as long as still good and in working condition]

RM300 is way too low for a true astronomical telescope, blueye. At the minimum, if you want to do basic visual observation (forget about astrophotography at this entry level) be prepared to spend RM1,500++ for one with at least a motor drive for sidereal tracking (to compensate for the earth's rotation).

Get something less than that, I guarantee you, you will lose interest in astronomy out of sheer frustration in no time.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to get a reasonable second hand telescope (except from a friend) because most people will only sell off a used telescope if it is an under performer.

I don't wish to discourage you, but you are only wasting your money if you invest in equipment at too low an entry point. Upgrading a telescope usually means buying a new one with larger aperture and sturdier mount - you will be replacing almost all your initial investment.