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Old 21-09-2009, 01:51 PM
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Allan_L (Allan)
Member > 10year club

Allan_L is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Central Coast NSW
Posts: 3,339
Seeing detail in planetary objects is so much a cocktail of variables, don't necessarily assume you have something wrong.

depending on type of scope, the magnification from the same eyepiece may be too much for your scope (depends on focal length, and to a smaller extent on aperture)

Also, viewing before allowing the scope to cool to ambient temparature can majorly deteriorate viewing experience. Open Newtonians are generaly quicker to cool here than a closed system. And the bigger the set up the longer it takes to cool.

Atmosphere problems have been plentiful as well lately. If close to the horizon, this is amplified. Locally, we have had a lot of crap in the atmosphere from fires and such. And there has been persistent "whispy" clouds that are not apparent visually, but can fuzz up the seeing something bad.

So allow time to cool, view near Zenith, and hope for clear skies.

The tip about closing off some of your (expensive) aperture is also a good one some times. One of my better views on an early Dob was with the end cap on (with the smaller (solar viewing?)opening open).
But make sure your opening avoids the secondary obstruction!)

a simple addition of a Nuetral density (moon) filter can also have a similar positive effect on views of a bright Jupiter.

I'm newish too, and only know enough to be dangerous, but these all conspire to fuz up my Jupiter regularly.

Hope to have helped.
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