Beginner - Issues, Magnification and Astro photography

[quakemeister]

Hi,

I'm pretty new to the field of astronomy and i've got a couple of simple questions and an issue.

I have a beginner setup at the moment with a Sky-watcher P13065EQ2 scope (http://www.skywatcher.com/product.php?cat=4&id=43) and im trying to setup for some planetary observation along with a bit of photography.

I've gotten hold of a T-ring for my Canon 500D and a Celestron Telescope T Camera Adapter with a 2x Barlow Lens. All of this fits fine to the camera. When i attach this to the Focuser on the scope though im getting no real image on the camera at all. What am i doing wrong?

I have read that in some cases you insert an eyepiece into the t adaptor and then attach to the cameras. Is this right? Or should it just be as is with no eyepiece?

My other issue is that im not really getting any decent viewing out of the scope with the 10mm or 25mm eyepieces at the moment. Originally when i first setup in a nice dark site i managed to view Saturn and Jupier with its moons as well as some stunning views of the Moon but recently viewing has been a bit......M'eh!

Looking at magnification on my setup im only getting a fraction of the possible magnification that the scope is capable of. 65x with the standard 10mm and 130x with the 2x barlow and 10mm eyepiece. Is it worth looking at getting a smaller eyepiece (was thinking of the 6mm Celestron Omni Plossl) or is this going in the wrong direction?

Any help would be most appreciated

Thanks

[steppenwolf]

I'd take things one step at a time and resolve each issue in turn:-

1. A 'smaller' (i.e. shorter focal length) eyepiece will increase the magnification but right now you need to find out why you are getting poor views from your telescope and existing eyepieces

2. Some Newtonian telescopes struggle to focus with a camera attached as there is insufficient inwards focus travel. The situation can be helped (but not always resolved by use of the Barlow lens that you have

3. For now, try and get an image of Moon - easy to find, easy to focus - with the camera attached but no eyepiece

4. At a later time, you can try using the eyepiece and camera once you have got the hand of using just the camera

5. Once you have achieved good views with the existing eyepieces, you could consider increasing the magnification by using a shorter focal length eyepiece but magnification is not the be all of astronomy observations and there are diminishing returns in using high magnification with a telescope of your aperture mounted on a mount like yours.

[Tinker1947]

Try without the barlow it should come to focus you can test it in daylight, just keep it away from the direction the sun is.......

[ronin]

You are I would suspect unlikely to get an image on a DSLR. The focal plane of the scope generally does not reach "out" far enough for the image plane to make it to the DSLR sensor. As replacing the focuser is impractical the "normal" method is to move the main mirror up the tube by 15-25mm. This pushes the focal plane out and then you may be in luck.

Usually for planetary imaging an SCT/Mak is used with tracking, and a barlow of 2x or 3x.

With a DSLR imaging is usually prime focus = no eyepiece, basically as it sounds you have it.

Also it is normal to take a video and then select and process the individual video frames.

Any and all planets will be small, your focal length is reletively small.

Magnification, you will get 130x fairly easy, 150x also should be not difficult, 180x will be close to the real maximum.

The supplied eyepieces and barlow are generally poor.

[Tinker1947]

You are I would suspect unlikely to get an image on a DSLR. The focal plane of the scope generally does not reach "out" far enough for the image plane to make it to the DSLR sensor. As replacing the focuser is impractical the "normal" method is to move the main mirror up the tube by 15-25mm. This pushes the focal plane out and then you may be in luck.

Usually for planetary imaging an SCT/Mak is used with tracking, and a barlow of 2x or 3x.

With a DSLR imaging is usually prime focus = no eyepiece, basically as it sounds you have it.

Also it is normal to take a video and then select and process the individual video frames.

Any and all planets will be small, your focal length is reletively small.

Magnification, you will get 130x fairly easy, 150x also should be not difficult, 180x will be close to the real maximum.

The supplied eyepieces and barlow are generally poor.

Copy and Paste from the SW website...

""Short focal length design, ideal for astrophotography." "