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Old 19-02-2013, 11:53 AM
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Scorpius51 (John)
Star stuff observer!

Scorpius51 is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Canberra
Posts: 394
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blake View Post
... but how good would I be able to see something as distant as Uranus or Neptune?
...
Dso's seem to be an aperture game to get the best views. My main concern with going for only the 80mm triplet is how much more will I actually be able to see compared to my old 55m refractor? Does an extra 25mm aperture really make a big difference?
...
Also, what seems to be the general consensus on eyepieces and barlows? Are Televue the way to go?
You might see Uranus & Neptune as very small discs in an 80mm under ideal conditions, but don't expect too much detail! I have only viewed them with an 8" f/5 Newt with 2x barlow. Others will advise here.

Going from 55mm to 80mm is a ~ 45% increase in aperture, but ~ 2x increase in light-gathering.

Televue EPs are very good, but quite pricey. I have a few and consider them the best I have used. They appear periodically on IceTrades (like now!) for reasonable prices. As they are generally looked after, they are a good buy 2nd hand. The Naglers are the most popular.

Cheers
John

Last edited by Scorpius51; 19-02-2013 at 01:19 PM.
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