Quote:
Originally Posted by jjajadam
Hey all, im still sorta new to this and what i know is only what ive read
I was just wondering if anyone can tell me if telescope is any good for looking at deep sky objects, ive tried to find some and i just cant. I have a SkywatcherRefractor scope. its 90 by 910 and to be honest im not entirely sure what that means
Any help would be greatly appreciated
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Hi Josh & welcome to the IIS forum.
Your 'scope is probably a 90 mm diameter objective (the big lens at the front), with a focal length of 910 mm. This means that it is an ~ f/10 focal ratio refractor 'scope. This 'scope is probably better for lunar & planetary viewing, but don't let that stop you enjoying the deep space/sky objects (DSOs).
With this scope, for DSOs you are better off using a low power eyepiece, say 20 - 40 mm for a wider field. If you are using shorter focal length eyepieces, say 10 mm or less, then you may have more difficulty getting a good view. Can you focus it properly on any object - the Moon, for instance?
Also, is your finder scope properly aligned with the main 'scope tube - if not, then you will have trouble finding your way around the sky? To do this, through the scope find a clearly visible object in the sky (NOT THE SUN - if daytime!) or on land. Centre it in the field of view. Then look through the view finder and see if you can adjust it to centre the same object in the finder.
Just to recap - start your sky search at low power, then increase if necessary.
Cheers
John