Advice and Help

[fletch1972]

Hi Guys,

Well I'm new to Astronomy and hope to have lots of conversations with you and to use your advice. Yesterday I bought my first Telescope it's a Skyhawk 1145P with the built in computer (not sure of Terminology) I tried to look through it last night using the 2 X Barlow lens at the Moon. What i did notice was that the outside part of the view sort of caught the moon but I could still see my eye reflection in the middle part. Have i done something wrong or is this a new boy error. Haven't used the computer part yet as i'm getting to grips with the telescope itself first. Would appreciate any help and advice please.

Thank you

Paul.

[DOBBY]

Hi Paul... & welcome to the forum

I don't want to sound rude... but, did you have an eyepiece in the barlow ?

[perkil8r]

Were you using the 2 x Barlow on it's own? The barlow is used to (in your case) double the magnification of your eye piece. It shouldn't be used as an eye piece it's self if that makes sense.. The reason I ask is that the lens on a barlow is quite a long way down which would give the oportunity for your eye to be reflected back to you. If you were using an eye piece I doubt there would be enough room for that to occur.

If you bought it new I assume you got a 10mm and a 25mm eye piece as well as a 2 x Barlow. The 25mm should give you a nice view of the moon. The 10mm will give a smaller area of the moon but in greater size. By using the barlow with the two eye pieces you have you effectively get 4 eye pieces. The barlow has the same effect on magnification as having an eyepiece half the size in your case, so you effectively have:

25mm, 10mm, 12.5mm (barlow with 25mm) and 5mm (barlow with 10mm)

If it's clear, pop out with the 25mm eyepiece and have another quick look. Take the barlow out for now, but don't use the barlow on it's own, it won't give you what you are hoping for.

If the above is not the case, and you were using an eye piece with the barlow, please ignore what I said, I don't have a clue beyond that as to why you could see your own eye, sorry.

[fletch1972]

Thank you for your help guys, after your advice and playing around with things I think that you might be right and I was using the wrong piece with the Barlow.. I'm going to try tonight if weather permits. Thanks for your advice if I still have any problems I'll ask again, if you don't mind :-)

[Caldwell 14]

Please do, ask away!

[fletch1972]

Ok, just tried to use again.... For some reason I'm still not seeing the sky. I just got a bright light (think it was a planet) through the top small scope lense. Looked through the main side lens and still saw reflection rather than the sky. I've tried moving things and adjusting bits and pieces but to no avail.... Feel a right wobble and frustrated as sky looks clear tonight... I bet it's one small thing that I'm not doing. :-( any advice before I go mad Lol

Thanks

Paul

[ItIsOnlyMe]

Have you aligned the small scope (finder) with the main scope. Best done in dayliight on a distant object or at night with the 25mm eyepiece. Not sure what finder scope you have but sounds like they are pointed at different things. Also are you viewing from somewhere with light on as you may see a reflection of the light from these off your eye in the eyepiece. Turn all lights off if you can before viewing so that your eyes get used to the dark.

[fletch1972]

Hi guys back again, I have a goto telescope and it says no link to mount on the remote yet I have both ends plugged in, just wondering do I have to turn the mount on anywhere. Only just had time to use it again been unable to until now. Pulling teeth time lol