O.K guys, for as long as I can remember, I have allways wanted to be able to visually examine details in planets : the intricate structure of the belts and ovals on Jupiter and variations in the rings of Saturn.........bla, bla, bla,............you know what I mean
I am fully aware that seeing conditions play a big part in this particular field and know that some scopes need to be perfectly collimated/cooled down etc. to stand a chance at revealing any of the fine details I'm after.
I am also aware that what one sees through the eyepeice is not necessarily the same as what is captured and stacked with expensive astro cams and software
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After my last humorous and light hearted post, I thought I might ask for some honest opinions from those who have owned the many various scopes available to the amateur astrononer and are aware of the different performance levels and the reality of what to expect
The questions are as such :
does aperature still rule in revealing planetary details
How does a 12 inch SCT compare against a 12 inch or even a 16 inch dob at the same magnification
Does the dob/newtonian need spectacular optics to begin to approach the SCT
Will a 4-5 inch good/medium quality(and price) APO or ED refractor cream all the above at the same magnification
Last of all, are high quality, small aperature(compared to the sizes mentioned above) refractors the ''ultimate'' for planetary viewing or is this just wishful thinking
Love to hear your thoughts
Rob.