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Reflections of the mirror ???


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New telescope from my son as Xmas present. Have set it up, i can focus on objects during the day, can find and focus on the moon (eventually) but trying to see and focus on a star is a problem. I managed to find a planet in my sight but when I enlarge the magnification of the lens I see a reflection of the mirror with a shadow across the middle that is the same as the front of the scope. What am I doing wrong ? It is a celestron astromaster 114. I turn the focus knobs up and down but no clear image appears and I have tried the 10mm and the 20mm lens same problem. Help

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Welcome to SGL!

Getting started is always difficult.

The easiest way of getting the practise (in finding the focus) is to look at some distant landmarks during the day.

Once you get the hang of it...the rest is easy.

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you need to focus very carefully as it's easy to focus too far in or too far out and miss the correct focal point. start with the 20mm e/p as it will be easier than the 10. definitely line up the finderscope with the main scope in the daytime. maybe look at the moon first as it's easiest to find?

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Try focusing on a distant object in daylight with your lowest power eyepiece, the one with the largest number on it, for example a chimney, a telegraph pole.

Once focused, leave it until the evening when the moon is up. Turn the scope to the moon, and get it centred in you eyepiece. Gently turn the focus knob so that the eyepiece moves inward towards the tube. Do it slowly, as you might go past the focus point. The moon should come into sharp focus. Once you have it, put the higher power eyepiece in, and again, gently turn the focus in towards the tube, and you will get a more magnified image of the lunar surface.

It will help you a great deal if you get the finder scope aligned with the main telescope. This can be done in daylight too, and fine tuned at night on a star at night.

Remember one thing, if the circle of light you see in you eyepiece has a shadow in the middle,, you have to turn the focuser inwards toward the tube to shrink it down to a focus. If the circle gets larger, the focuser should be turned away from the tube.

It is always quite difficult when you are new to a telescope, but you will begin to grasp it after a while, it just takes a little patience is all.

Ron.

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