Help with telescope resolution (Telescope Showdown)

[pberrett]

Hi everyone
I am looking to get a telescope soon for the first time and I have been reading up on types, theory, cost ect etc etc
Unfortunately none of the online resources can really answer my question about how different telescopes compare when looking at the same object.

Ideally I'd like to nominate a couple of similar objects and have a range of people with a range of different telescopes of different apertures and types post their pictures here for comparison. I would be very grateful for your participation. If you have a goto mount this should not take you very long to do.

The two objects I am nominating are

1. 2009 BH205 and
2. (364601) 2007 RL206

It will be interesting to see what the minimum aperture is required to see these objects. If you can point out or mark the object examined that would also be a big help.

If you are really brave and have a few extra moments you might also post a picture of 121813 2000 AW226 but that might be a bit too challenging.

If you can snap one of these please show the object with a few stars nearby, the telescope you used, and also specify the degree of light pollution in your area.

I suspect that a minimum 6" aperture will be required for this exercise but you never know.

Thanks for your help
Peter

[The Mekon]

You are kidding are you not?? These are very faint minor planets that have magnitudes lower than 21. You could not see these in a 200" telescope. You may be able to image them at long exposures with a 12", but I do not think anyone in this forum would be interested in doing so.

[pberrett]

Sorry I didn't realise that they were that faint and would require such a large telescope.

Thanks for pointing that out.

[mental4astro]

Peter,

What exactly do you want to compare between scopes? Same aperture but different scope design? Different apertures? The combinations of variations are huge because an optical system is not just the scope that is the active element, but so too is the eyepiece AND the eyeball at the end. Eyepieces alone come in dozens of designs and different designs work better in some scopes than others - eyepieces are not neutral in their response to how different scopes handle the light going through them.

And then you have the human factor which is not just the multitude of eye conditions, but also personal circumstances, preferences (such as photo vs visual), Brand prejudices, and even understanding of optics and what one finds acceptable and another person doesn't.

So, your question about comparing different scopes, what are you wanting to compare? Aperture? Design? Quality? See what I mean?

I would normally suggest you go to a local astro club meet to look through a wholeot of different scopes, see how they all work and the many different mounting systems that are available. MOUNTS are another factor too! But with thd current Covid-19 situation this is difficult if not impossible t o do.

Ok, so maybe tell us a bit more about your situation (you live in a house or unit?), your expectations, experience, etc. This will give us a better understanding of you and tailor suggestions best for you

Cheers,

Alex.

[mental4astro]

There is also another factor at play - experience.

Knowing how to see through scope is a learned skill. It comes from understanding how our HUMAN eyes work in low levels of light. AND how to manipulate the scope so to maximize every physiological advantage you can get.

So a straight comparison is a loaded and even unfair question. What I can see and know that is visible and understand what it is I am looking at will allow me to "see more" than what you do if looking at the same object with the same scope at the same magnification.

But i wonder if I'm talking to myself...

[astroron]

I am wondering if there is more than meets the eye with this poster? :question:
Cheers:thumbsup:

[pberrett]

Some context

I have found a few comets and asteroids as part of citizen science programs. I'd like to graduate to finding an asteroid or minor planet the old fashioned way however I have no idea about how big these objects are in say a 6" telescope so I don't know how big a telescope I need or what type. The objects I nominated were seen in images from a 1m telescope and they were relatively bright and clear so I am using this as a yardstick.

I should stress any nice views of planets etc are just cream on top for me. My main interest is finding previously undiscovered asteroids or near earth objects, with an emphasis on examining areas outside those usually searched by the major surveys. Skills is not so important as I would be taking photos.

To get started, I am thinking about buying an 8" dobsonian with an EQ mount. Ideally I would visit an astronomy club night but here in Victoria I am in lockdown.

hopefully that has taken the mystery out of my request. Essentially I am looking for the most cost-effective telescope for taking photos of the night sky in order to find asteroids and near earth objects.

Thanks Peter