I am new to astronomy. My end goal is to do astrophotography as a hobby. I am yet to purchase a telescope. Before I get into it, just need a guidance on the below questions
Did a little reasearch and found that EQ mount Newtonian or Dobsonian tabletops are good for beginners. I prefer EQ mount Newtonian as it looks like a bit complex to set up hence I will be more occupied in this hobby. Can I buy a EQ mount Newtonian and is it easy for a beginner like me to align the telescope to view objects?.
Is there a WhatsApp group for this club, if yes can I join. So I can ask more questions to pick experts brain?.
Is there a guide or a book that explains the path to take to do a good astrophotography. I don’t mind heavy reading and take time at every step as long as it’s engaging. Please recommend a good read or YouTube videos for beginners.
What are basics I should know before I begin my journey?.
No, beginner EQ telescopes are flimsy and badly built and are reputed to be hobby-killers.
Before you buy a telescope/binoculars, you can whet your appetite by learning to use a starchart, identifying constellations, spotting naked eye DSOs and planets, after which, you can get yourself a pair of handheld binoculars (for eg; 7x50s) which are great for beginners.
I am not sure, other members of the club might know. But, Turn Left at Orion by Guy Consolmagno is a great book for visual astronomy. (The book might not be available here, a pdf would do)
Hi @Vasanthkumar_K , AP is considered to be more “advanced” than visual astronomy. IMO Learning visual will greatly help understand both the sky and equipment. The equipment you need for solar system imaging is completely different from what you need for DSO imaging.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t do AP now. If you have a DSLR or a good phone, you can do wide field AP and stack them to get an image.
Just remember, don’t buy equipment before full research.
Astrophotography is a very complex hobby. However you can just consider it as a more technical form of photography. My advice for starting out is just use basic photo gear (I.e a camera, lens, tripod, and an intervalometer if you dont want to click the shutter button many times) and trying out astrophotography.
Nebula Photos youtube channel has some really good tutorial videos on taking astro photos with basic camera gear. You should check him out if you plan on starting AP