Stargazing in Phuket

[themechanic]

Very interested. Would anyone like to offer lessons?

[bearpolar]

If anyone has a decent used scope for sale? my son keeps asking for one.. It would be a good christmas gift but im not ready to spend 10k baht on his first scope at his age. The junk they sell for 4-5 000 on lazada seems to be horrible from the googling im doing

[JimHuaHin]

If anyone has a decent used scope for sale? my son keeps asking for one.. It would be a good christmas gift but im not ready to spend 10k baht on his first scope at his age. The junk they sell for 4-5 000 on lazada seems to be horrible from the googling im doing

I purchased a 90mm Jiehe refractor which was available on Lazada. Big mistake. The optics are crap, and the telescope is really only good for terresterial views, not good at all for anything astronomical.

There are some great telescopes available on Amazon and a few other sites, BUT no one ships to Thailand!!!!!

I have seeen some good telescope brands for sale at various telescope shops in the Bangkok area. But, the prices are generally 5-10 times what would you would pay for the same scope on Amazon.

[Guest]

One option is to purchase a super zoom camera. These allow to see the moon quite well. It's even possible to see the crescent of Venus and the moons of Jupiter.

The extra benefit is that it's then possible to share the photos with friends. As well as use the camera for other purposes.

Moon taken with Canon SX50, which was about 20.000 baht few years back.

[TheBrit]

What a great photo.

As for purchasing Telescopes - they only decent scopes you can get are really expensive.

Maybe you know someone coming over from Europe or America who can bring one for you - that way you can avoid all the super expensive Custom and shipping costs.

[Dorion]

Still for some reason my Message box says FULL even though I only have 1 message.

Those of you who are in Phuket, I can't contact you because it won't let me send you a message.

Oilinki, Exbikey, Antifreeze, Chainsaw, TKDella - all 5 interested in meeting somewhere in Phuket?

The Admins have fixed my Messaging Bug

I had an old Celestron 10" catadioptric scope that I gave to my friend before relocating to Rawai in October. So I don't have any equipment to offer but would love to join any star-gazing parties locally. There are some nice higher places around Nai Harn that might be good and another poster mentioned Big Buddha Mountain. It's a great idea to get some like-minded people together - not sure if anything has gotten off the ground yet though.

Edited December 10, 2015 by Dorion

[Guest]

My new Thai word of the day: daotok meaning meteor shower.

Don't forget to look up tonight, Geminis are here.

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1450072878&section=14

[VincePhuket]

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/320xq90/r/910/J4UXB2.jpg

Just would like to share my first rookie shot of Jupiter this morning

Celestron evolution 8" / Barlow lens x2/ Neximage 5 / Registax 6

500 Frame / limit bad frame at 50% / Auto white balance setting

[Guest]

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/320xq90/r/910/J4UXB2.jpg

Just would like to share my first rookie shot of Jupiter this morning

Celestron evolution 8" / Barlow lens x2/ Neximage 5 / Registax 6

500 Frame / limit bad frame at 50% / Auto white balance setting

That's a very nice shot!

Thaivisa photo forum has a thread about Space and star photos. It would be nice to see your photos there as you just upped the game quite a lot

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/659495-space-and-star-photos/

Edited December 20, 2015 by Guest

[gk10002000]

Nice to hear there is another amateur astronomer out there. One of my first projects, albeit a failed one was trying to build the standard 6 " F8 Newtonian reflector way back when my friend and I were in Junior High school. We bought the pyrex blank, ground it to something but never finished the project. I had a 3 " cheap cardboard tube reflector and also a 60mm refractor. Both were crop but worked well enough to see rings of Saturn, lots of planetary moons, etc. I had a subscription to Sky and Telescope and that was a strong factor in me later becoming an engineer and working on Space projects. Last December in Karon Beach around midnight, I had some pretty clear nights. I had walked out on the pier on the straight away there just before you get to the curve that starts heading up the hill towards Kata. I had some nice viewing. It was a clear night with the lights of Patong obvious to the North. Unfortunately at that time of night the ladyboys came lurking out of the shadow and this was the only time in 12 trips I was a bit concerned for my safety. I wasn't worried too much about the one lady boy that was calling to me and had appeared about ten meters behind me, from where I don't know. I was more concerned that there was a second ladyboy back at the beginning of the pier. I don't like my exit routes blocked. And tussling with two or more ladyboys on a dark part of the beach was not on my agenda.

[TheBrit]

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/320xq90/r/910/J4UXB2.jpg

Just would like to share my first rookie shot of Jupiter this morning

Celestron evolution 8" / Barlow lens x2/ Neximage 5 / Registax 6

500 Frame / limit bad frame at 50% / Auto white balance setting

Lovely photo

[VincePhuket]

Thanks!! I have time to play around with the telescope a few more time...and just took this shot of Orion Nebula on the 7th..

One shot image, non stacking from A7S with T ring and adapter...no filter or focal reducer.

[VincePhuket]

My set up...right in my car porch

[Guest]

While we have occasional rains and clouds, the sky seems to be very clear where there is no clouds.

Good time to take a look up. I took this photo of our grumpy old neighbour this evening. It's not often possible to see the Moon craters so clearly.

[VincePhuket]

That is an incredible shot!

[Guest]

That is an incredible shot!

Thanks. I'm actually pretty happy of it. But in reality, it's nowhere near to get a shot of deep space object, like you took. That requires quite a lot more planning, equipment and stacking of the photos. So please keep on posting your results.

My own dream is to be able to get a shot of Andromeda's galaxy. It has been for years and hopefully some day it will be possible.

[Conquestador]

Hi, Can you set up a group at xxxxx for stargazing on Phuket. I am also a Brit living there and agree with the clear sky a lot of the time its a good place to see the night sky. I am buying a Telescope this week, Cheers.

Edited to remove email.

LK

[VincePhuket]

I am setting up a group called Phuket astronomy club on Facebook, so we can share images and arrange meet up for an incredible stargazing nights. Cheers

[simon43]

Unfortunately at that time of night the ladyboys came lurking out of the shadow and this was the only time in 12 trips I was a bit concerned for my safety.

Off-topic, but isn't it annoying when your favorite hobby is ruined by some of the night-time 'activities' on the beach?

I'm a radio amateur, and like to go down to a quiet beach at night to try out new rigs and antennas, away from the power cables and street lights, (which create noise on radio frequencies). On more than one occasion, I have had to abandon my hobby, due to unwanted 'interference'.

Never had this sort of problem in the Scottish woods at night...

[LeungKen]

Please contact interested parties via messages & not by email addresses published here.

20) You will not post any member's personal information including emails

[TheBrit]

Hey all,

Glad to see the thread is still going.

Good idea for the FB page or something similar.

I got my scope out last night just to have a look at the moon - forgot how much enjoyment I get from it - apart from the mosquitoes.

Anyway - I know this thread was originally for all of us to meet up, so I hope this can happen this year.

As for night time interference, I don't think it will be a problem when there are a few of us, rather than doing it alone in the middle of the night.

So - lets try and get something arranged and where

[VincePhuket]

Hi guys...the facebook page is up and running. You can search "Phuket Astronomy Club" and find it easily. please feel free to suggest date, time and venue... January is good month so hope we can meet up soon

[VincePhuket]

Ok guys, i would like to suggest this Friday night at 8:00 pm, meeting right at British International School.... The road quite dark at night.

Orion nebula is up as well as Andromeda galaxy ...

Please leave your comment / confirmation / other suggestion on the facebook page

Phuket Astronomy Club

Cheers!

[LivinginKata]

Ok guys,

Will we ba able to see the 5 planets in a row here in Phuket, and waht direction do we look. I can't find anything on Google that applies to Thailand.

I read in on http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2016/01/the-planets-are-about-to-align

The alignment will be visible to the naked eye from 20 January from 5.30am-5.45am AEDT until 20 February 5am-6am AEDT.

Hold your arm up in a straight line from the horizon to the moon and the planets should fall along that line.

Try to find a flat horizon and a dark sky.

Dont give up! It may take more than one early morning to see the full alignment.

[Guest]

The planets should be visible here as well. The moon is quite high at the moment, already in the evenings so the planets should be visible at the moment.

[LivinginKata]

The planets should be visible here as well. The moon is quite high at the moment, already in the evenings so the planets should be visible at the moment.

But what orientation from the moon ?

[Guest]

The planets should be visible here as well. The moon is quite high at the moment, already in the evenings so the planets should be visible at the moment.

But what orientation from the moon ?

I have too many trees on my view, so that I can't check the real situation.

However I assume it should be self explanatory, once the planets are visible.

Venus is the brightest object on the sky, after naturally the Sun and the Moon. Jupiter is also very bright, so those two should be easy to identify.

Venus is closer to the Sun than we are, therefore it's only visible after the sunset and before the sunrise. Mercury is even closer to the Sun, so the time when the sky is dark enough to see it and it's above the horizon, is very short. Other planets can be seen high up in the zenith during the midnight as well.

The article mentioned that all the planets are visible just before the sunrise. Therefore look to the Eastern sky, before the sunrise, where the Sun is going to rise.

I don't remember ever seen Mercury. If you can skip seeing it, then look maybe 4-5am from the Moon towards to East. If you stay at the west coast, the hills might obstruct the view to the east. (I hope I did not screw my thoughts up and hope it's right. Others will correct if I did so. )

[beechbum]

The planets should be visible here as well. The moon is quite high at the moment, already in the evenings so the planets should be visible at the moment.

But what orientation from the moon ?

I have too many trees on my view, so that I can't check the real situation.

However I assume it should be self explanatory, once the planets are visible.

Venus is the brightest object on the sky, after naturally the Sun and the Moon. Jupiter is also very bright, so those two should be easy to identify.

Venus is closer to the Sun than we are, therefore it's only visible after the sunset and before the sunrise. Mercury is even closer to the Sun, so the time when the sky is dark enough to see it and it's above the horizon, is very short. Other planets can be seen high up in the zenith during the midnight as well.

The article mentioned that all the planets are visible just before the sunrise. Therefore look to the Eastern sky, before the sunrise, where the Sun is going to rise.

I don't remember ever seen Mercury. If you can skip seeing it, then look maybe 4-5am from the Moon towards to East. If you stay at the west coast, the hills might obstruct the view to the east. (I hope I did not screw my thoughts up and hope it's right. Others will correct if I did so. )

Given that this is TV, I'm quite amazed that no ones asked or posted pictures of Uranus yet.

Poor efforts at humour aside, some quite interesting reading:

http://nineplanets.org/uranus.html

[TheBrit]

If you want to know what you can see - I recommend this program.

http://stellarium.org/ - 120mb download

Time/date/location and then you will know what and where everything is.

So I will put in Phuket, 22-1-16 @9pm and it shows we can see....

Planets

Moon

Uranus but will be gone by 11pm

Jupiter will be visible from 11pm

Saturn 5 am

So its not a good time for planets, but maybe we can see some deep space objects

I don't have a laptop but this program is very good to take along - I have some on my Mobile - I just hate small screens.

Edited January 21, 2016 by TheBrit