Why can’t I see anything through my telescope?
I have a Bushnell North Star "Go To" telescope. I got it yesterday. I assembled it and then took it outside to search the night’s sky. Although, I couldn’t see anything! Every time I align the red dot with the celestial object, for example, the moon, I look through the eyepiece(20mm) and see total darkness. It says something about looking through the main telescope tube in the instruction manual, although I don’t see why I would….I see nothing in it as well. The instruction booklet is very poorly written. I don’t see what I’m doing wrong here. I took the 20mm eyepiece out of it’s 2 plastic tubes and removed the protective thing off the main telescope tube. Am I missing something here?????
Oh, and earlier today (during day) I looked through my eyepiece when I had the red dot finder scope thing pointed at a tree, and I was able to see the tree clarified and zoomed in on my eyepiece like it’s supposed to be. However when I looked through it tonight, I got zip, nothing, nada.
Sounds as though the sighter scope is not correctly aligned with the main telescope.
The reason the instructions ask you to look through the main tube, is to confirm that the image you see in the sighter scope, is the same image in the main telescope.
Generally, the sighter scope has 3 small screws that you have to carefully adjust, so that it aligns with an objecgt correctly.
You have to repeat the adjusting exercise a few times (sighter, then telescope, then sighter, then telescope etc) a few times to get the alignment correct.
Secondly, lining up celestial objects is harder to do than lining up terrestrial ones such as a tree; this is because the margin for alignment error is greater in the former case, and will continue to be the case until you line up the sighter with the Telescope correctly.
Repeat the exercise with the tree, tonight, and sweep toward a really bright object such as the moon or Venus (not sure of your location, so maybe the moon is your best shot)
Be patient, and enjoy 
You need to align the finder scope with the telescope. During the day time pick a fixed object on earth, like a telephone pole and aim the telescope at it. Once you see the pole in the telescope, adjust the finder scope until you see the pole. Now, both scopes are aligned.
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are you sure you took the cap off the end of the eye piece.
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You focused on the tree during the day. The tree is a lot closer than stars. You need to refocus on stars. Try pointing at the moon – that’s bright enough you should be able to tell if it’s in the eyepiece. Then start turning the focus knob. It can take a long time.
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It’s because you have a magic telescope that makes all the planets invisible (only planets become invisible though, which is why you could see the tree)….invisifying telescopes are very rare…take good care of it!!!!
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my own knowledge of the world and it’s wonderous inventions.
Sounds as though the sighter scope is not correctly aligned with the main telescope.
The reason the instructions ask you to look through the main tube, is to confirm that the image you see in the sighter scope, is the same image in the main telescope.
Generally, the sighter scope has 3 small screws that you have to carefully adjust, so that it aligns with an objecgt correctly.
You have to repeat the adjusting exercise a few times (sighter, then telescope, then sighter, then telescope etc) a few times to get the alignment correct.
Secondly, lining up celestial objects is harder to do than lining up terrestrial ones such as a tree; this is because the margin for alignment error is greater in the former case, and will continue to be the case until you line up the sighter with the telescope correctly.
Repeat the exercise with the tree, tonight, and sweep toward a really bright object such as the moon or Venus (not sure of your location, so maybe the moon is your best shot)
Be patient, and enjoy
References :
Your finder scope is not aliened.Take your telescope out in the daytime( DON’T LOOK AT THE SUN)put the larger mm eyepiece in find an object at least 1/4 mile away (I use a power line tower) and center it in your field of view,then adjust your finder so the object is centered in it.Be sure its still centered in the eyepiece then switch to the smaller mm.Be sure the object is still centered.
Now you should be aliened.
Wally
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