c/backyard-stargazing-club

Spotted 15 Messier objects with just my old binoculars this month

I set a goal to find 10 with my 10x50s from my driveway in Portland, but last night the Double Cluster in Perseus put me over at 15. What's a good next target for basic binoculars, maybe something a bit harder?

I finally stopped trying to see everything at once and it made my backyard nights way better

My old binoculars broke and I had to choose between a cheap new pair or fixing them myself.

I found a repair kit online for about $25, but a basic new set was $40. I went with the kit, followed a video guide, and now they work better than before. Has anyone else fixed their own gear instead of replacing it?

My neighbor insisted I needed a $400 telescope to see Jupiter's moons from my deck in Portland

I proved him wrong last night by clearly spotting them with my old $50 pair of 10x50 binoculars and a steady chair, so why do people think you need fancy gear to start?

My neighbor saw me setting up my telescope and said 'why bother when you can just look at pictures from NASA'

Remember when you could just point a scope at the sky and find something?

Honestly, I spent like three months trying to get a decent polar alignment from my driveway in Phoenix. My old manual mount was fine, but I got a used motorized one and the instructions were useless. Tbh, it took watching a specific YouTube video from 2017 and using a literal carpenter's level to finally get it right last night. Ngl, I almost gave up and went back to just using binoculars. Has anyone else had a fight with an equatorial mount that just would not cooperate?

Finally saw the Andromeda galaxy with my own eyes

Had to choose between staying up past midnight or giving up for the night. I waited it out with a blanket and my old 10x50 binoculars, and it was just a faint smudge but I'm so stoked lol. Anyone else have a go-to spot in their yard for a specific target?

Update: My cheap binoculars finally paid off

Tried for three nights straight to spot the Hercules Cluster with no luck. Last night, I gave it one more shot from my driveway in Springfield. After letting my eyes adjust for twenty minutes, I found it. It was just a faint smudge, but seeing it with my own eyes felt huge. Anyone else have a good target for basic 10x50 binoculars?

Hot take: you don't need a perfect dark sky to see something amazing

A friend came over to my place in the suburbs last fall and scoffed at my setup, saying 'Why bother from here with all the streetlights?' We went out anyway and I pointed my old binoculars at Jupiter. He saw the four big moons clear as day and just went quiet for a full minute. It happened right there on my patio in Tempe. Has anyone else had a moment like that change someone's mind?

My old star charts from the 90s are falling apart, but I still use them more than any app on my phone.

My best night ever was ruined by a neighbor's new floodlight in Phoenix

Spent 45 minutes trying to find Jupiter with my binoculars

I had my planisphere and knew exactly where to look, but I kept focusing on a bright streetlight three houses down thinking it was the planet. My neighbor finally came out and asked why I was staring at his new security light for so long. Has anyone else mixed up a man-made light with a celestial object from their yard?

Bought a 'premium' star map app for $14.99 and it was a total bust

Got the 'Stellar Guide Pro' app because the ads said it would identify any star I pointed my phone at. Tried it out in my backyard in Phoenix last month, and it kept calling Jupiter 'Saturn' and couldn't find basic stuff like the Big Dipper half the time. Wasted that cash on something my free sky chart does better. Anyone know a good, actually reliable app that doesn't cost a fortune?

Watching the Perseids from a friend's farm outside Boise

I drove out there last August expecting a great show, but their yard light was a huge sodium vapor lamp that washed out half the sky. We ended up just lying on a blanket in the dark pasture behind the barn, and the view was incredible. Has anyone else had to get creative with finding a truly dark spot on someone else's property?

My 'perfect' meteor shower viewing in Flagstaff got ruined by a neighbor's floodlight

A kid at the library asked me why we even look up anymore

I was picking out a star chart at the local branch last Tuesday, and this boy, maybe ten, asked his mom that. She just shrugged. It got me thinking about how we forget to just look. That night, I dragged my old camping chair out and just stared for an hour with no plan. Saw three satellites and remembered the names of two constellations I'd forgotten. What's the simplest thing you've seen lately that just made you stop and watch?

I was out near the old quarry in Millfield last month and the Milky Way was so clear I could see the dark rift without any filters.

I just used my dad's old 10x50 binoculars and a worn-out camping chair, and it made me wonder if anyone else has a favorite dark spot they'd drive an hour for.

I was checking my phone for star charts for months before I realized it was ruining my night vision

Trying to get my old binoculars to work for Jupiter's moons took me three nights

I dug out my dad's old 10x50 binoculars from the garage to try and spot Jupiter's Galilean moons. The view was just a blurry mess for hours. I spent the first night cleaning lenses, the second trying to steady them on a tripod adapter that didn't fit, and finally on the third night I realized the main focus wheel was completely stuck. A tiny drop of sewing machine oil and 20 minutes of gentle work got it moving. Has anyone else had an old piece of gear fight them this hard on a simple project?

My buddy told me my star charts were making things harder, not easier

I was trying to find the Andromeda Galaxy with a printed map and my basic binoculars, getting really frustrated. He pointed out that I was holding the chart upside down because I was facing south, not north like the map assumed. After he showed me how to align the chart with my actual view, I spotted it in under a minute. Has anyone else had a simple tip that fixed a big stargazing headache?

My neighbor's kid finally saw Saturn's rings through my old telescope

Last Tuesday night, I was setting up my basic 70mm refractor in the driveway when the 8-year-old from next door wandered over. I showed him Jupiter first, but he just shrugged. Then I aimed at Saturn, and after a minute of fiddling with the focus, his whole face lit up. He said, 'It looks like a sticker someone put in the sky.' It was so simple, but it reminded me why I bother dragging the gear out. Has anyone else had a moment like that with a total beginner?

I thought I needed a fancy scope to see anything cool, but a pair of cheap binoculars proved me wrong

For over a year, I only used my small telescope, thinking my old binoculars were just for bird watching. Then, during a camping trip in the Adirondacks last fall, I forgot the telescope mount. Out of boredom, I pointed the binoculars at the Milky Way. The wide view of so many stars at once, something my scope never showed, completely stunned me. What simple tool changed your stargazing the most?

My old star chart book vs. a free phone app

I used to plan my viewing with a worn-out paper star chart from 1998, squinting at it with a red flashlight in my Michigan backyard. Last summer I finally tried the SkyView app on a whim, and it instantly showed me Jupiter's moons through my binoculars, which I'd never even thought to look for. How many other easy targets have I been missing all these years?

Rant: I used to fight my yard light for hours before looking up

For years I'd wait until after 10 PM to start stargazing, trying to avoid the glare from my own porch light in Portland. Last spring I finally bought a simple red flashlight for $12 and a piece of cardboard to make a shield, and now I can start right at dusk. What's one small change that made your backyard viewing way easier?

A stray dog in the park showed me the best way to find the North Star

I was trying to spot Polaris near the swings in Miller Park, and a loose beagle kept staring at the same spot in the sky. I followed its gaze and realized I'd been looking at the wrong 'pointer' star in the Big Dipper the whole time. Anyone have a better trick for lining up those two front stars?