What can you see? Can you see Saturn and it's rings when it's the right time of year? Also, with what clarity? I'm thinking of getting one once I can get enough money together. I was thinking of spending about $200 US on one...would that be good enough?
Anyone here have a telescope?
- Thread starter FrogDog
- Start date
I have one! I've been too lazy to drag it out to Viper's house on a good night. Anyway, as I believe, one can only see Saturn's rings every few years (or so). Right now I believe the rings are lined up so that we cannot see them. (they're too thin.)
The University I attend has 4 "towers" which constitute the dorms. They are arranged in a square with each tower on a different corner, about 1500 feet from each other. A telescope is good for looking into the other towers because you can ....... Oops, was I thinking out loud again? 
Yeah, a Mead...couldn't tell you anything about it though, sadly I haven't used it in a long time. It's a nice one though. Was a Birthday present awhile back, it is one of the kind that has the computer controlled thingermajigger. You enter your long/lat. and the time of year and it will tell you where everything is in the sky. Nice.
I have one but it's not that big, and I haven't gotten it out in a long time. I would love to get a nice one but there's so much stuff on the to-get list. *Sigh*
Generally you don't need a telescope to observe the brightest sky objects like Saturn and its rings, you can do it with a plain binocular. And the size of the lens is more important here than magnification.
I have a Meade 4" Schmidt-Cassegrain. I have been able to see the rings opf Saturn, and weas able to see the impact marks when Schumake-Levy hit Jupiter.
You can get the newer Meade ETX-60 for $299 that has an electronic controller that automatically navigates to celestial objects. I highly recommend this for the price range.
Check flea-bay, too.
Sam's Club also carries them if you have one in your area.
Or, get an Astronomy magazine and look in the mail order ads.
I think Adorama carries them, too, and I have had good luck buying oculars from them.
My favorite is an 18mm plossl.
You can get the newer Meade ETX-60 for $299 that has an electronic controller that automatically navigates to celestial objects. I highly recommend this for the price range.
Check flea-bay, too.
Sam's Club also carries them if you have one in your area.
Or, get an Astronomy magazine and look in the mail order ads.
I think Adorama carries them, too, and I have had good luck buying oculars from them.
My favorite is an 18mm plossl.
I have a small one...and a telescope...
Anyway, I can kinda see Jupiter and some of it's moons. Haven't tried for Saturn. The friggin SLC valley is too light for good viewing.
Go here for a nice scope. This page always keeps me drooling....
amish
Anyway, I can kinda see Jupiter and some of it's moons. Haven't tried for Saturn. The friggin SLC valley is too light for good viewing.
Go here for a nice scope. This page always keeps me drooling....
amish
this thread just brought back horrible memory. I saw this ad in a respected newspaper about a telescope: "you can get this high quality telescope for $30. that's $100 off of the suggested retail price!!!" I jumped on the deal. 2 months later, I got this little box in the mail, opened it up, and lo and behold, my POS telescope. it was made of PLASTIC - even the LENS - and you can barely see anything clearly with the stupid thing. needless to say, that $30 went down the drain. those stupid mother fvckers.
Well I don't believe you would be happy with a $200 telescope except for maybe an Orion ShortTube 80mm for quick viewing. It will be good for up to around 100x magnification and you will see fuzzy stuff, rings on Saturn, features on the moon, the GRS of Jupiter (in good seeing), open clusters; mainly though it is good for viewing star fields in a wide field of view.
The most recommended starter scope is a 6" or 8" dobsonian where all the cost goes into the mirror and it has a simple base and movement system. Difference between an 3" and 8" scope is tremendous. Small fuzzy patches like M-11 in a 3" will resolve into 1000's of individual stars in an 8". The Orion Nebula becomes huge and wispy, Slight color on Saturn and Jupiter with features like the cassini division easily seen, bands on Jupiter, etc. With 8" of aperture you can get near 300x of magnification. (about 30-50x per inch is the common rule)
I have a 90mm Meade ETX and a 10" Starmaster dobsonian. The ETX basically just collects dust. starmaster has a nice website at Starmaster kinda expensive but nice scopes
Oh astromart is a great place to buy used equipment at nice prices.
Contrary to folklore size DOES matter... in astronomy.
The most recommended starter scope is a 6" or 8" dobsonian where all the cost goes into the mirror and it has a simple base and movement system. Difference between an 3" and 8" scope is tremendous. Small fuzzy patches like M-11 in a 3" will resolve into 1000's of individual stars in an 8". The Orion Nebula becomes huge and wispy, Slight color on Saturn and Jupiter with features like the cassini division easily seen, bands on Jupiter, etc. With 8" of aperture you can get near 300x of magnification. (about 30-50x per inch is the common rule)
I have a 90mm Meade ETX and a 10" Starmaster dobsonian. The ETX basically just collects dust. starmaster has a nice website at Starmaster kinda expensive but nice scopes
Oh astromart is a great place to buy used equipment at nice prices.
Contrary to folklore size DOES matter... in astronomy.
Can anyone see the space station yet? I know where supposed to be able to see it without a TS but I'd like to see it thru one.
I too am looking forward to 'spying' on the space station.
Lately though, Saturn and Jupiter (with its moons) have been awesome!
Lately though, Saturn and Jupiter (with its moons) have been awesome!
Start with your local/regional amateur astronomy clubs:
Cape Breton Astronomical Society
Minas Astronomy Group
Astronomy clubs have star parties where everyone brings their telescopes and other viewing devices and let practically anybody look through them.
There, you can talk to the telescope owners and find out what about their telescope they like and dislike; what are its strengths, weaknesses and price tag, etc., before you buy one of your own.
Here's another important resource from which to glean information. Use it, that's why they exist.
Cape Breton Astronomical Society
Minas Astronomy Group
Astronomy clubs have star parties where everyone brings their telescopes and other viewing devices and let practically anybody look through them.
There, you can talk to the telescope owners and find out what about their telescope they like and dislike; what are its strengths, weaknesses and price tag, etc., before you buy one of your own.
Here's another important resource from which to glean information. Use it, that's why they exist.
Don't expect to see detailed, color-filled images (like the one in my sig) from any hobby scope you might buy. These sub $600 scopes just don't have enough light-gathering ability or mirror size...and you're on earth so the atmosphere adds blur. Your best bet is to stick with images on the net and in books. In order to view deep space objects in any size and detail you need a scope that's incredibly large and heavy (and expensive).
But if you still want to fiddle, I suggest doing tons of research. You'll discover which type is best for the viewing you want to do (ie. reflector for deep space objects), how to determine the maxmimum realistic magnification given your scopes mirror size and length, and a host of other goodies.
That said, my old Sears refractor gave a fair image of Jupiter and some of its moons...and you could see the rings of saturn, too. Too bad that thing had a wood tri-pod (very unstable).
Oh and good luck spying on that space station IBhacknU.
But if you still want to fiddle, I suggest doing tons of research. You'll discover which type is best for the viewing you want to do (ie. reflector for deep space objects), how to determine the maxmimum realistic magnification given your scopes mirror size and length, and a host of other goodies.
That said, my old Sears refractor gave a fair image of Jupiter and some of its moons...and you could see the rings of saturn, too. Too bad that thing had a wood tri-pod (very unstable).
Oh and good luck spying on that space station IBhacknU.
then again, some decent 10x50 binoculars make for good sky viewing
Amish, just head up to the Uintas for nice "seeing"
Amish, just head up to the Uintas for nice "seeing"
I agree with Bappo and SFA. Take the $200.00 buy a pair of good quality 10x50 Binoculars. You'll be happier with those than a $200.00 Telescope. $200.00 doesn't buy much of a Telescope, plus if you decide this isn't your thing, the binoculars have other uses. With an old pair of 8x32 at a relatively dark site I can make out the Andromeda Galaxy pretty well.
For a 'scope I have a 10" Dob that is great for Deep Sky viewing. I also have plans drawn up for a 20" f/5 Dob but the cost of the mirror is just more than I can shell out at the moment.
Very relaxing hobby.
For a 'scope I have a 10" Dob that is great for Deep Sky viewing. I also have plans drawn up for a 20" f/5 Dob but the cost of the mirror is just more than I can shell out at the moment.
Very relaxing hobby.
Go here:
Astronomy.com
They have lots of beginner information, plus a daily sky map.
I have a cheap telescope (Concorde 400X). I think it has a 4" lens. It cost about $200. This evening, I saw Jupiter + 2 moons, Saturn with "ear" rings, and Venus.
If big binoculars work, I would probably go that route instead. This telescope is really hard to aim.
Astronomy.com
They have lots of beginner information, plus a daily sky map.
I have a cheap telescope (Concorde 400X). I think it has a 4" lens. It cost about $200. This evening, I saw Jupiter + 2 moons, Saturn with "ear" rings, and Venus.
If big binoculars work, I would probably go that route instead. This telescope is really hard to aim.
kami
Lifer
- Oct 9, 1999
- 17,627
- 5
- 81
I have a nice 3" refractor with a 910mm focal length and a few good oculars & a barlow on a equatorial mount. I'm not talking about department store/camera shop crap...this was actually pretty expensive from a telescope store. Not the best but I enjoy it. I would like to buy something in the 10-12" range of aperture but I have to continue saving for college. Maybe afterwards...
saturn, jupiter...easy targets..very sharp views through a refractor. I usually view them at 182x. Orion's Nebula looks pretty good if I'm in a dark sky..and even better with a nebula filter. I've had some good views of the Andromeda Galaxy on occasion..
saturn, jupiter...easy targets..very sharp views through a refractor. I usually view them at 182x. Orion's Nebula looks pretty good if I'm in a dark sky..and even better with a nebula filter. I've had some good views of the Andromeda Galaxy on occasion..
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