Hi,

Recently I personally found out nowadays amateur astronomers in Malaysia or other countries are doing or learning a skills called astrophotography. Even learner or newbies also trying to get involve into it without learning the basic of general astronomy, that is Visual astronomy. Is it Visual astronomy will be chasing out from the astronomy world?

I know still got a large group of people in overseas still doing something called visual astronomy + sketching. Do you guys know what is Sketching astronomy means?
 
So, I will try to get this opportunities to re-introduce the forgotten art of astronomical sketching and visual astronomy. Visual astronomy + sketching is a very general and specialize. It just like astrophotography. But most people will threat this subject as the entrance to the world of astronomy. No matter you are rich or poor, visual astronomy is a fair and equal subjects.

For an example of the sketching of M42 plus observation notes,



Observer:
Jere Kahanp

Constellation: ORI
RA/DEC: 05h 35.3m/-05° 23'
Epoch: 2000
Mag: 4m
Size: 66'x60'
Type: E+R
Ob. Place: Jyväskylä, Finland
Date/Time: 29./30.1.1992, 20.30
Telescope: N 205/1000
Magnification: 133x
Filter:
Field: 22'
Limiting Magn.:
Background sky: 4
Seeing: 3
Weather:
Brightness: 2
Alt:

First of all, I wish introduce a good book to you guys out there about Visual astronomy. If you guys can find it in the bookstore, do buy it.



Clark, R.N., Visual Astronomy of the Deep Sky, Cambridge University Press and Sky Publishing, 355 pages, Cambridge, 1990

Contents

1. About This Book

2. The Human Eye

    * Introduction
    * Rods and Cones
    * Units of Brightness
    * Dark Adaptation
    * Contrast Discrimination
    * Averted Vision
    * Exposure Time
    * Color
    * Vision and Health
    * Summary

3. The Eye and the Telescope

    * Telescope Basics
    * Aberrations
          o Types of Telescopes
          o The Refractor
          o The Reflector
          o Catadioptric Telescopes
    * Telescope Mountings
    * Eyepieces
    * Field of View
    * The Role of a Telescope's f/ratio
    * The Exit Pupil
    * Seeing and Resolution
    * Filters
    * Using the Telescope to Find Objects
          o Celestial Coordinates.
          o Precession
    * Finders
    * Miscellaneous Topics
          o Caring for Optics.
          o Dew
    * Summary

4. The Faintest Star Visible in a Telescope

    * Introduction
    * Magnification
    * Finding Tonight's Magnitude Limit
    * Summary

5. Making Drawings and Keeping Records

    * Introduction
    * Written Descriptions
    * Drawings
          o Drawing Method 1: The Initial-Blind Method
          o Drawing Method 2: Filling In Details
          o Drawing Method 3: The Double-Blind Method
    * Summary

6. A Case Study: The Whirlpool Galaxy Messier 51

    * Introduction
    * Brightness Profile of M51
    * Visual Detection
    * Discussion and Summary

7. A Visual Atlas of Deep-Sky Objects

    * The Personal Equation
    * Averted vs. Direct Vision
    * The Observations and Drawings
    * Definitions
    * M31, The Andromeda Galaxy (NGC 224), M32 (NGC 221), M110 (NGC 205) Galaxies in Andromeda
    * NGC 246 Planetary Nebula in Cetus
    * NGC 253 Galaxy in Sculptor
    * M33 (NGC 598) Galaxy in Triangulum
    * M74 (NGC 628) Galaxy in Pisces
    * M76 (NGC 650-651) Planetary Nebula in Perseus
    * NGC 891 Galaxy in Andromeda
    * M77 (NGC 1068) Seyfert Galaxy in Cetus
    * NGC 1365 Barred Spiral Galaxy in Fornax
    * M45 The Pleiades Open Cluster in Taurus
    * M1 (NGC 1952) The Crab Nebula: Supernova Remnant in Taurus
    * M42 (NGC 1976), M43 (NGC 1982) The Great Nebula in Orion
    * NGC 2023, NGC 2024 IC 434 (The Horsehead Nebula) Nebulae in Orion
    * M78 (NGC 2068) and NGC 2071 Diffuse Nebulae in Orion
    * NGC 2261 Hubble's Variable Nebula in Monoceros
    * M46 (NGC 2437) Open Cluster in Puppis with
    * NGC 2438 a Planetary Nebula
    * M67 (NGC 2682) Open Cluster in Cancer
    * NGC 2903 Spiral Galaxy in Leo
    * M81 (NGC 3031) Spiral Galaxy in Ursa Major
    * M82 (NGC 3034) Peculiar Galaxy in Ursa Major
    * M96 (NGC 3368) Galaxy in Leo
    * M105 (NGC 3379), NGC 3384, NGC 3389 Galaxies in Leo
    * M108 (NGC 3556) Galaxy in Ursa Major
    * M97 (NGC 3587) The Owl Nebula: Planetary Nebula in Ursa Major
    * M66 (NGC 3627), NGC 3628, M65 (NGC 3623) Galaxies in Leo
    * M109 (NGC 3992) Galaxy in Ursa Major
    * NGC 4038, NGC 4039 The Ringtail Galaxy in Corvus
    * M99 (NGC 4254) Galaxy in Coma Berenices
    * M106 (NGC 4258) Galaxy in Canes Venatici
    * M100 (NGC 4321) Galaxy in Coma Berenices
    * M84 (NGC 4374), M86 (NGC 4406), and 13 Other Galaxies in Virgo
    * NGC 4449 Galaxy in Canes Venatici
    * M87 (NGC 4486), NGC 4476, NGC 4478 Galaxies in Virgo
    * NGC 4565 Edge-on Galaxy in Coma Berenices
    * M90 (NGC 4569) Galaxy in Virgo
    * M104 (NGC 4594) The Sombrero Galaxy in Virgo
    * M94 (NGC 4736) Galaxy in Canes Venatici
    * M64 (NGC 4826) The Black Eye Galaxy in Coma Berenices
    * M63 (NGC 5055) Galaxy in Canes Venatici
    * NGC 5128 Peculiar Galaxy in Centaurus
    * NGC 5139 (Omega Centauri) The Great Globular Cluster in Centaurus
    * M51 (NGC 5194) The Whirlpool Galaxy in Canes Venatici, NGC 5195
    * M83 (NGC 5236) Galaxy In Hydra
    * M4 (NGC 6121) Globular Star Cluster in Scorpius
    * M13 (NGC 6205) Globular Cluster in Hercules
    * M20 (NGC 6514) The Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius
    * M8 (NGC 5623) The Lagoon Nebula in Sagittarius
    * NGC 6530
    * M16 (NGC 6611) The Eagle Nebula in Serpens
    * M17 (NGC 6618) The Omega Nebula and Open Cluster in Sagittarius
    * M11 (NGC 6705) Open Cluster in Scutum
    * M57 (NGC 6720) The Ring Nebula in Lyra
    * M27 (NGC 6853) The Dumbbell Nebula in Vulpecula
    * NGC 6888 The Crescent Nebula in Cygnus
    * NGC 6946 Galaxy in Cepheus
    * NGC 6960 and NGC 6992-5 The Veil Nebula in Cygnus
    * NGC 7000 The North America Nebula in Cygnus.
    * M15 (NGC 7078) Globular Star Cluster in Pegasus
    * M2 (NGC 7089) Globular Star Cluster in Aquarius
    * NGC 7293 The Helix Nebula in Aquarius
    * NGC 7331 Spiral Galaxy in Pegasus
    * NGC 7662 Planetary Nebula in Andromeda
    * Conclusions

8. Appendices

    * A. Suggested Reading
    * B. Star Clusters for Finding Your Limiting Magnitude
    * C. Air Mass Function, Atmospheric Extinction, and other calculations
    * D. Symbols and Their Definitions
    * E. A Catalog of Deep Sky Objects
    * F. Optimum Detection Magnifications for Deep Sky Objects

Bibliography

So, this book is to encourage learners or newbies to understand the concept of visual astronomy and also the skills of sketching. For those who really cannot afford to buy expensive telescope or camera, now it is a time to take out your pencil and paper and look through your so called cheapo telescope and eyepieces and start drawing the surface of the moon and some star clusters.

Learning how to star hoping is the most basic skills that you need to learn. Do let other people give some comments and opinions about this subject. Hope can bring up more attractions from amateur in Malaysia.

Regards,

Tommy   

I see. That's good.

Tommy

hehehe... macam ku pernah dengar teleskop ni, tapi di mana yerk?   

Walaubagaimanapun, saya rasa itulah keindahan dunia astronomi. Tak perlu kita terlalu obses dengan satu-satu kaedah, sehingga memandang rendah dengan kaedah lain. tak gitu?

Astronomi secara visual memang sesuatu yang unik, dan mempunyai tarikannya tersendiri. Sebenarnya, setelah saya cuba-cuba dengan video astronomi, jarang benar saya angkut keluar 'meriam buluh' tu untuk buat cerapan. Tetapi sejak akhir-akhir ini, terasa seronok kembali..lebih-lebih lagi ketika buat aktiviti yang mana ahli-nya tak berapa ramai.

Sabtu lepas, ketika aktiviti untuk Astronomy Club Signs Lab, saya bawak 'meriam buluh' tu, dan mendapati ahli-ahli kelab yang hadir sungguh teruja dan seronok melihat zuhal, bulan, marikh, M42 menerusinya. Senang nak setup dan senang nak simpan! 

Setiap satu kaedah adalah baik apabila si pengguna appreciate kaedah yang digunakan dan mahu berkongsi pengalaman dengan orang lain dan mahu terus belajar untuk memperbaiki kaedahnya. Itulah win-win situation. Ilmu tak rugi untuk dikongsi! It'll continue flourish and blossom

 

Setuju sekali. Green laser pointers and astrophotography are not meant for each other.

For outreach and if you want the young people to become more interested in astronomy, show them the real thing. Boleh guna video astronomy and canned astronomy hanya sebagai ajinomoto saje.

So you need more Dobs lah. 

cheers

Either visual or photography astronomy, it can be co-exist in a session of astronomy activity. Everytime I do astrophotography, for sure I will take a little while of time to look at the target, then only hook up camera for photography. Even during a public viewing session, we can use a compact digital or camera on mobile phone to take moon and planets image. Although those imaging might not as good as using webcam, but that is kind of astrophotography which we can call it afocal projection close-up astrophotography.

I almost always everytime tell people who follow me for an astrophotography session, please use our naked eye to look at the starry night sky for some time no matter how busy we are during astrophotography session.

When will we have stargazing session again?

salams and pardon my intrusion. i agree with each and everyone of you. astronomy used to be a passion of mine. "used to" because i got turned-off by the almost-always cloudy nights and light-pollution in KL. i've stopped gazing into the sky for more than 10 years now. and it is always good to know that more people are being lured into the wonderful world of astronomy. in my humblest opinion, the best and most basic approach into astronomy is through naked-eye observations. this is where we'd have the chance to learn the fundamentals of astronomy - the basic stuff that requires no more than your own pair of eyes and perhaps just a pair of binoculars. i find it fulfilling to be able to know the stars and constellations just by looking at the sky. i used to be able to locate many constellations and other celestial objects using the belt of Orion as a guide or starting-point. but, everyone has his or her own preferences and methods. it's like choosing between a point-and-shoot digicam and a conventional SLR (for normal everyday shooting, not astrophotography) - some people may find joy in experimenting the settings and techniques rather than simply pushing one button. 

mmm....
bagus gak bende ni...
tp kadang2 ade kelemahan sikit... kalau susah nk cari, putar2 je la mouse tu sampai keluar pointer clik...
ape2 pun, i'm love it.


p/s: takde ke constellations lain2 lg? tak kan 2 jer....