Specific Lenses??

[mickeytg (Michael)]

Hi All,

I'm sure this has been asked a millions times but I'm struggling to find anything. We have a Saxon Velocity 1309EQ2 Reflector Scope and with it came a super 10mm lens, super 25mm wide angle lens, a 2x 1.25 Barlow lens and a SR4mm lens. At the moment seeing the moon and all it's detail is no issue with the Barlow lens and attaching the super 10mm lense albeit very up close and personal (the edges of the moon). I'm wondering to see in detail planets like Mars, Saturn, Jupitor etc do we need different lenses or filters? At the moment when spotting those planets we look at them but they are still stars through the telescope. Any ideas?

Cheers,

Michael

[raymo]

I'm wondering what you are looking at. With the 10mm +barlow you should
be able to see the cloud belts on Jupiter clearly, +its four bright moons.
Saturn should be good, with its rings clearly visible. Mars should be a
discernible disc, although you won't see much detail other than the polar ice cap or a large area of white cloud.
raymo

[mickeytg (Michael)]

Originally Posted by raymo

I'm wondering what you are looking at. With the 10mm +barlow you should
be able to see the cloud belts on Jupiter clearly, +its four bright moons.
Saturn should be good, with its rings clearly visible. Mars should be a
discernible disc, although you won't see much detail other than the polar ice cap or a large area of white cloud.
raymo

Me too sometimes!! Being new to the caper I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong. We are still learning and coming to grips with using the telescope as well but it's all about trial and error. Is it worth getting other eyepieces or just sticking with thwt we have got.

[iborg (Philip)]

Hi

Try downloading Stellarium, it may give a better idea of what you are looking at.

Philip

[raymo]

If you can't see something like I described, I would get your problem
sorted before worrying about other eyepieces. I wouldn't bother with
the SR4mm, you'll find it easier with the 10mm + barlow.
Jupiter and Saturn could not look like stars with the 10mm, let
alone with the barlow as well, so I think that you are looking at something else. It cannot be that you are not properly focused, because they would look even bigger when out of focus. When you look at both J and S with the naked eye they have a subtly different appearance to that of a star, usually no
trace of twinkling[scintillation], and a sort of creamy white.
raymo

[mickeytg (Michael)]

Originally Posted by raymo

If you can't see something like I described, I would get your problem
sorted before worrying about other eyepieces. I wouldn't bother with
the SR4mm, you'll find it easier with the 10mm + barlow.
Jupiter and Saturn could not look like stars with the 10mm, let
alone with the barlow as well, so I think that you are looking at something else. It cannot be that you are not properly focused, because they would look even bigger when out of focus. When you look at both J and S with the naked eye they have a subtly different appearance to that of a star, usually no
trace of twinkling[scintillation], and a sort of creamy white.
raymo

No worries. I'll be trying again later tonight to see how i go.

[guipago (Geoff)]

Download that stellarium, it makes finding the planets easier! I'm new at this as well & probably have the exact same eyepieces with my SW 120x600mm refractor, i'm getting Jupiter with the 25mm +2.5 barlow first, focus, then switching out to the 10mm piece, bit of a refocus & I've got Jupiter, 2 bands & 4 moons noticeable, Mars is smaller, Saturn has rings showing, so your gear should work, practice on the focusing, as raymo said they get bigger, then sharpen up when they go smaller.

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Hi Micheal and welcome .

Raymo gives good advice here as normal , top bloke he is and Stellarium is awesome as the guys say .

On the seeing details on the planets it take time and patience for your eye and brain to combine so you can see all the detail available on any given night , some nights are way better than others , tho rare so stick with it and you will see more and more the longer you observe .

Oh yes . your scope is quite capable of showing good detail on Jupiter and Saturn but Mars is a very difficult planet to observe being small ( even at its closest ) and red , our eyes are not that sensitive to red , hence that's why cars have red tail lights .

Just ensure the scope is well collimated and cooled before observing , patience is a virtue in this hobby and most of all , enjoy yourself as you learn .

Brian.

Originally Posted by mickeytg

Hi All,

I'm sure this has been asked a millions times but I'm struggling to find anything. We have a Saxon Velocity 1309EQ2 Reflector Scope and with it came a super 10mm lens, super 25mm wide angle lens, a 2x 1.25 Barlow lens and a SR4mm lens. At the moment seeing the moon and all it's detail is no issue with the Barlow lens and attaching the super 10mm lense albeit very up close and personal (the edges of the moon). I'm wondering to see in detail planets like Mars, Saturn, Jupitor etc do we need different lenses or filters? At the moment when spotting those planets we look at them but they are still stars through the telescope. Any ideas?

Cheers,

Michael

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

Learn about collimation. Get a collimating tool (Cheshire style) if you haven't got one and learn how to use it. See, e.g., http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astro...tor-telescope/
(I'd advise against a laser collimator. It only complicates things because the laser itself can go out of colliimation and will need collimation.)

A decent 15mm Plossl, 10mm Plossl and a 2x barlow should show you everything the scope is capable of. GSO brand EPs and barlow would work nicely with your scope (but there are plenty of other options; look for multicoated and/or fully multicoated optics). In addition, a 32mm Plossl for wide field would make for a well rounded kit.

You don't need more magnification than a 2x barlowed 10mm (effectively 5mm) EP gives you. You won't see any more detail in an f/6.9 scope just a bigger, dimmer and blurrier image; and magnified distracting vibrations of the EQ2 mount and telescope tube. I know the "theoretical" max magnification is 260x, but the sweet spot for planets will be around 150-180x. With a barlow you can always boost the magnification further anyway by adding an extension tube between the barlow and EP.

[AEAJR (Ed)]

This is a video taken through an 80 mm 400 mm FL refractor, an ETX 80. You should be able to Saturn like this with the eyepieces you have now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_dR52yib0c


here is Jupiter through a similar scope. You see the planet and the moons. Usually you would expect to see at least the two main cloud belts but it looks like this video is a bit over exposed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piwgm5IqwxI

Don't know the mag on this but I am guessing about 200X. This is better than the view I usually get.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXra97RUHMs


Just to give you some idea of what you might be able to see. These are shot with simple webcams and I don't think they are processed. I think these are raw footage but others might be able to comment.

Atmospheric conditions can have a MAJOR impact on the quality of the image as well. Some nights it is like I am looking at Jupiter through boiling water at 160X. Other nights I can achieve pretty good focus at 260X with just minor drift in and out from the atmosphere. And I live in a very light polluted area.

[mickeytg (Michael)]

Originally Posted by brian nordstrom

Hi Micheal and welcome .

Raymo gives good advice here as normal , top bloke he is and Stellarium is awesome as the guys say .

On the seeing details on the planets it take time and patience for your eye and brain to combine so you can see all the detail available on any given night , some nights are way better than others , tho rare so stick with it and you will see more and more the longer you observe .

Oh yes . your scope is quite capable of showing good detail on Jupiter and Saturn but Mars is a very difficult planet to observe being small ( even at its closest ) and red , our eyes are not that sensitive to red , hence that's why cars have red tail lights .

Just ensure the scope is well collimated and cooled before observing , patience is a virtue in this hobby and most of all , enjoy yourself as you learn .

Brian.

Brilliant advice. Thanks....now to learn about collimating....oh dear

[mickeytg (Michael)]

Originally Posted by janoskiss

Learn about collimation. Get a collimating tool (Cheshire style) if you haven't got one and learn how to use it. See, e.g., http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astro...tor-telescope/
(I'd advise against a laser collimator. It only complicates things because the laser itself can go out of colliimation and will need collimation.)

A decent 15mm Plossl, 10mm Plossl and a 2x barlow should show you everything the scope is capable of. GSO brand EPs and barlow would work nicely with your scope (but there are plenty of other options; look for multicoated and/or fully multicoated optics). In addition, a 32mm Plossl for wide field would make for a well rounded kit.

You don't need more magnification than a 2x barlowed 10mm (effectively 5mm) EP gives you. You won't see any more detail in an f/6.9 scope just a bigger, dimmer and blurrier image; and magnified distracting vibrations of the EQ2 mount and telescope tube. I know the "theoretical" max magnification is 260x, but the sweet spot for planets will be around 150-180x. With a barlow you can always boost the magnification further anyway by adding an extension tube between the barlow and EP.

Awesome thanks!

[mickeytg (Michael)]

Originally Posted by AEAJR

This is a video taken through an 80 mm 400 mm FL refractor, an ETX 80. You should be able to Saturn like this with the eyepieces you have now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_dR52yib0c


here is Jupiter through a similar scope. You see the planet and the moons. Usually you would expect to see at least the two main cloud belts but it looks like this video is a bit over exposed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piwgm5IqwxI

Don't know the mag on this but I am guessing about 200X. This is better than the view I usually get.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXra97RUHMs


Just to give you some idea of what you might be able to see. These are shot with simple webcams and I don't think they are processed. I think these are raw footage but others might be able to comment.

Atmospheric conditions can have a MAJOR impact on the quality of the image as well. Some nights it is like I am looking at Jupiter through boiling water at 160X. Other nights I can achieve pretty good focus at 260X with just minor drift in and out from the atmosphere. And I live in a very light polluted area.

wow, nice work, thanks!