Help! Aligning a finderscope!!??

[Lioness_Stargazer]

I cant believe it!

Its actually clear the first full night with my new telescope!

Anyway, I am currently trying to align my finderscope with venus... But er, I have no idea what im doing!?

I can see Jupiter and Venus and another white dot that moves with the finderscope - what is that? Am I meant to be centering the white dot on the crosshairs.. on Venus?

So sorry for being stupid!!!

I miss my red dot finder!

Thanks in advance!

Claire x

[Myfeetapontheground]

I never use a planet to line up my scope because they move so fast. I usually use a star in Canus Major. The last one in the handle of the "big dipper". That gives a little more time to do it.

[bigwheels]

if this is its first outing you need to line it up in day light on a fixed point like a fence post or chimney or you will there all day with no success

[benjii]

Alternatively, find a far away (as close to star size) street lamp.

[Lioness_Stargazer]

Ok and when ive found a far away object... what do i do??

[benjii]

Sorry, I should have explained that. Make sure it's as perfectly centred as you can manage, then adjust the finderscope so that your crosshair, dot or what have you is bang on the light. Once done, check the eyepiece again to make sure you didn't jog it. For thoroughness, find another street light or something in your finderscope and see if it's centred in your telescope view, if not just do as before.

[Lioness_Stargazer]

Ok thanks! I need to learn to have more patience - ive just figured out that i adjust the finderscope with the screws! Ha!

Thanks alot - done it roughly now and will do it properly tomorrow during the day!

Just looking at Jupiter through my new scope - wow!!!!

[bigbox]

Centre it in your ep, then align your finder to the same object.

As the meercats would say "simples"

Regards Ady

[bigbox]

We've all been there lioness

[brantuk]

Center a star in the main tube using a 25mm eyepiece. Then align the finder crosshairs on the same thing. Then pop in a 15mm eyepiece and the object will have gone off center or out of the fov - recenter it in the eyepiece. Now look in the finder and it will have moved off the center - so recenter finder again.

Repeat the above with an 8mm or 10mm and you will have the accuracy required for most viewable objects. If you have a zoom eyepiece it's a lot easier and quicker to refine the finders pointing accuracy for most of your eyepieces but the very high power ones.