Jupiters belts

[mikemabel]

Hello

Sorry i'm new here so bear with me

last night on my skywatcher ST120 i finally saw the cloudbelts of Jupiter............amazing !!

I was using a Celstron x-cel x 5mm eyepiece , There was a bit of turbulence which went in and out and one occasion i got at least

3 seconds of stillness. I couldn't make out the great red spot though. The moons were discs not pinpoints and i could tell differences

in colour

As regards chromatic aberration it was not a bother. I wonder if i should try a 4 mm eyepiece or use a barlow with a 7 or 8mm ?

I have a modified Tasco 9TE-5 from my youth, 60mm objective , 700 focal length, TS optics, which is fitted with a  1.25 inch diagonal (no adaptors) so i will try the 5mm

celeston x-cel x eyepiece with this and see how it measures up

[cotterless45]

Just depends on how wobbly the view is , which we call "seeing" or how hazy "transparency". Just start off low and increase the magnification, until you reach your observing limit. I got this last night, not under the best conditions ,

Nick.

[mikemabel]

Ah yes i should have made a drawing after all these years watching Patrick Moore .Will do next time 

Yours is quite detailed. I was not in the best position for observation though our observing times match

Do you recommend a filter ?

I've seen the " killer fringe " mentioned though to me the atmosphere was the limiting factor - the wobblyness .

I feel a purchase of a 3 or 4mm ep coming on and a 2" diagonal . i am determined to see the red spot !!

Thank you 

[John]

You should be able to see the Great Red Spot when it's on our side of the disk with your ST120. I could see it last night with my 102mm Vixen refractor at around 110x. Pumping the power up is not really the answer - often "backing off" shows Jupiters features more clearly.

The 2" diagonal is more about being able to use 2" wide angle low power eyepieces. In itself it won't help with planets really.

[mikemabel]

You have a point there as the night went on and the scope really cooled and presumably my eyes adjusted

The view through the 10mm supplied with the scope was just as clear and sharp as the celestron 5mm

Xcelx ep , if not better

I have ordered a new 90 deg 2" diagonal as the supplied one is a 45deg one and very uncomfortable

To use with this scope and tripod especially with my back !

[John]

I have ordered a new 90 deg 2" diagonal as the supplied one is a 45deg one and very uncomfortable

To use with this scope and tripod especially with my back !

Thats a good move. The 45 degree ones are really not suitable for astronomy purposes and create some abberations of their own.

[alan potts]

I fully agree about the 45 degree prisms. I have one that was with the Baader Vario finder, as a stand alone item Teleskop Service ask 90 Eruos for it I think, I wouldn't give anyone 90 pence for one. I am sure the 2 inch diagonal will improve the situation, the downside is you will now want to buy 2 inch eyepieces, I know I did.  

Alan

[mikemabel]

Yes I can already feel the urge to buy one ! I have been fortunate to have good weather since I got the scope

Last week totally against the usual bad weather this usually heralds !

On another note Venus is too bright to see a good crescent , can you recommend a filter ?

I have stopped down the aperture but it doesn't really help

Mike

[faulksy]

Yes I can already feel the urge to buy one ! I have been fortunate to have good weather since I got the scope

Last week totally against the usual bad weather this usually heralds !

On another note Venus is too bright to see a good crescent , can you recommend a filter ?

I have stopped down the aperture but it doesn't really help

Mike

if you use more magnification this will reduce the brightness as it de creases the exit pupil of the ep.