Brisbane Astronomical Society recommends beginner astronomers should start their astronomy journey with a Dobsonian telescope. The reasons for this recommendation are outlined in our blog article on the topic of “What telescope should I buy”.
However, there is more to using your new scope than just plonking a Dob down in the backyard and taking a look. There are a few basic steps and procedures we recommend you learn as soon as possible. Skipping the basics can quickly lead to frustration and your telescope relegated to a cupboard and hosting spiders.
BAS has created three tutorial videos to get you, and your Dob, started.
Dobsonian Telescope a Beginner’s Guide
This video shows you how to setup your telescope, align the finderscope and push the scope around to get target objects in the eyepiece field of view. Find the video on our Youtube Channel.
https://youtu.be/mfToaBjc1W8
Light Pollution – Go beyond the City
This video explains why it can be frustratingly difficult to see astronomical objects from within the light pollution bubble of cities and major towns. It also provides advice on what to do about the problem. Find the video on our Youtube Channel.
https://youtu.be/Q2_8XirciTE
Stellarium Tutorial on Deep-Sky Star-Hopping
This video provides an introduction to the Stellarium planetarium application and how it can help you find and observe countless deep-sky objects such as star clusters, globular clusters, nebulae, comets and galaxies. Find the video on our Youtube Channel.