Telescopes

Archive for December, 2009

I am just a beginner an I don’t know anything about a telescope but I have a great interest in astronomy. I want to see things as far as neptune. Please help me out.

You should only buy a telescope from a store which specializes in telescopes and astronomy, even if that means buying over the internet. Much better than getting a junk Telescope from a local store.

Here are a few web pages with good information on beginner’s telescopes:
http://www.gaherty.ca/tme/TME0702_Buying_a_Telescope.pdf
http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html
http://observers.org/beginner/j.r.f.beginner.html

For more advanced information, read Phil Harrington’s Star Ware, 4th edition (Wiley).

You’ll get the greatest value for your money with a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount, such as these:
http://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~VIEW_INDEX=0/~VIEW_SIZE=1000000
http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/product.php?class1=1&class2=106

Buy from a store which specializes in telescopes and astronomy, either locally or online; don’t buy from department stores, discount stores or eBay as mostly what they sell is junk. Find your local astronomy club and try out different telescopes at one of their star parties:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/organizations

I strongly recommend that beginners steer clear of astrophotography until they have learned their way around the sky. Astrophotography is by far the most expensive and difficult area of amateur astronomy.

Many people who buy telescopes have no idea how to find interesting things to observe. A good introduction to finding things is NightWatch by Terence Dickinson (Firefly). A more advanced book is Star Watch by Phil Harrington (Wiley).

I got it today and i set it up and took all the lens cvers off and the dust covers. there are 3 piece things you put into the eye piece and i think its the magnifiiers. on them it says 12.5mm 8mm and sr4mm. what do they mean? i put the 12.5mm in and i cant see anything except black. i tried focussing it on something but i couldnt see anyting so i couldnt focus it on anything. any suggestions? i really want to use it!!!
heres a link to the telescope intstruction manual:
http://bushnell.com/manuals/telescopes/SkyTour_Voyager.pdf

thank you!!!
haha never mind. i made reallly stupid mistake. the thing that pokes out of the side of the selsecope i thought had to be at the bottom and you look up at the other end. i was wrong. that parts supposed to be at the top. haha and i thought the picture on the instruction manual was wrong. THANKS BOTH OF YOU THOUGH!!!!

Did you remove _both_ parts of the front lens cover? These often come in two parts, like a doughnut and its hole, and you must remove _both_ parts, so that the entire end of the Telescope is open. Try using the telescope in daylight first, to get used to how it works, focusing on something at least a quarter mile away. If it’s still black, the telescope may need collimation: alignment of its mirrors. If you look in the eyepiece holder without an eyepiece in place, you should see the secondary mirror. In it should be a reflection of the primary mirror at the bottom of the tube, and in that a reflection of the top end of the tube with the secondary mirror in the middle supported by three or four struts. All three mirrors should be concentric. Adjust the secondary mirror to centre the reflection of the primary mirror, and adjust the primary mirror to centre the reflection of the secondary mirror: ((o))

The three eyepieces provide different magnifications. You will use the 12.5 mm the most: it provides 72 power. The 8mm gives 112x. The 4mm would give 225x, but this is more power than this telescope is capable of. Use the 12.5mm!

I recommend NightWatch by Terence Dickinson (Firefly) as a good book to help you get started.

I just got the Meade ETX-80AT-TC Astro Telescope with AutoStar for Christmas today and I am toying around with it trying to figure out how exactly it works and how to see stars, planets, the moon etc. but when I tried looking through it and adjusting it I wasnt able to see anything really and I even waited for a little while for my eyes to get used to the dark and it isnt cloudy or too lit up where I am directing my Telescope….any tips from personal experience or telescope knowledge in general someone out there might have to help me to see things in the night sky?

Just a few suggestions
1) For the same price that you paid for an 80mm scope you can get and 8" Orion Dobsonian telescope. In terms of viewing ability the 8" (203.3mm) scope blows the doors off of the 80mm ETX. So if you can take it back do so and get the scope at the link below.

2) Goto Scopes are the hardest to master especially one without a view finder. First I would try to set it up so you could view something during the day. This will help you learn to operate the scope instead of trying to figure it out in the dark.

3) I’m sure you’ve already done this but do make sure the dust cap is off of the from of the scope.

4) Next do the two star alignment that they suggest. In order for the GoTo to work properly the two star alignment must be performed.

5) Once the two star alignment is complete. Set the scope in precision mode. This mode will help you get the perfectly centered stars and planets every time. Be sure to read up on precision mode in the auto star guide before attempting to set it.

6) The Meade ETX is popular brand among amateur astronomers. You might contact your local astronomy club for help. They can also be a great resource for helping you learn the night sky.

Good luck and drop me an e-mail if you have further difficulty.