Astronomy on the cheap

I want to get my Dad some kind of telescope tracker type thing that he can use with a digital camera (he has all manner of digital cameras). I can only seem to find expensive ones ($500 and up), but seeing as I don't really know what they're called I may be just searching for the wrong kind of thing. Anyone know anything about these? Is it possible to get one for closer to $300?

"tracking mount"

http://photos.bahneman.com/tricks/article.php/2006092712472663

Thanks StanM! The review of this one was very helpful. I'll follow some of the links to get some comparisons with other products... Anyone got first-hand recommendations? Caek?

I don't have/use one - as with most photographic accessories, I'd guess more expensive = better, but also: well known brand = too expensive...

apparently obama is just givin out $3m astronomy bullshit u could ask him

Hey ljubljana - you aren't in Washington yet - what's wrong with pounds, shillings and pence?

Ned, for some reason the US prices seem cheaper than the same stuff in the UK, so it's just optimism...xpost...

Uncle, I will be doing that professionally in Washington :-) (kind of - coming over to build relationships between UK and US research funders - including astronomy bullshit)

http://www.woolgarstoys.co.uk/385-019_night_sky_stickers.gif

Maybe you'd better move to Hollywood if you want to see the stars up close :-)

Moon In My Room

Er, that could be misinterpreted, but luckily I believe not even Ned has pictures of my own actual room for photoshopping purposes

http://cinemonkey.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/the_who_keith_moon.jpg

In this day and age, surely I should be able to buy a telescope which plugs into a USB port, so I can see its output on my monitor instead of peering through a little eyehole? Surely it should be giving me images at about 8MP? And surely I should be able to just type in "SATURN" and (because the telescope has GPS and an internal clock and a built in compass and eveything) it should just be able to point at and focus on saturn for me? Surely I should be able to buy something that does all this for about £450?

I agree!

http://www.alibaba.com/product-gs/201689287/Sky_watcher_Telescope.html

okay, not cheap. but the they're out there.

http://www.opticalvision.co.uk/astronomical_telescopes/sky-watcher/sysncan_az_go-to_computerised_telescopes

Ooh, ok, I'm excited.

I never really pay attention to this stuff, but Jupiter and Venus were so bright in the sky tonight, Mars too. Could see a couple of the moons orbiting Jupiter with just my birding binoculars, nice to be able to show my kids ~the wonders of the solar system~. Cue fruit orbiting the fruit bowl on the kitchen table trying to explain it all to them.

Also that star chart app on my iPad, so worth it.

Jupiter and Venus were just nuts tonight! And so close to each other.

you should be able to see mercury a little bit after sundown if you can see that close to the horizon too. it'll be in the path between jupiter/venus and where the sun went down. and saturn comes up later in the evening down below mars!

http://media.skyandtelescope.com/images/WebVic12_Mar12ev.jpg

Yah Jupiter and Venus were last night closest to the earth since some long time, and if you're into astrology apparently it also forms something called a "Grand Trine" with Pluto, which is v auspicious so Ive read. All happened on my b'day too, which felt confidence-boosting!

I really noticd that venus/jupiter lineup the last 2 nights though, really amazing!

Happy birthday!