Ep problem?

[MrTreyLynch]

So I don't think I am imagining it but my 10 mm used to have fairly good views. Now I can hardly get it to focus. Everything is super dark and blurry. Is this normal? One other, is it normal for a "fast" focal scope to not be able to resolve M51 well?

[Welrod50]

Have you dropped the EP or scope, or knocked the scope at all??

If not, it may be light pollution and/or scope not cooled enough and/or atmospheric pollution and/or general bad seeing.....

I don't know, just some thoughts. Other folks may suggest different. Wait and see what other answers you get maybe too. Try it in broad daylight on a distant object and see then if it's the same. If so, then perhaps something is amiss?

Good luck!

Scott.

[LukeSuppalot]

Would the eyepiece be a skywatcher 10mm that came with the scope by any chance?

[MrTreyLynch]

Yea it came with the scope lol I know not the best but it's a Orion Sirius plossl

[LukeSuppalot]

Fast scopes tend to be less forgiving with lower quality eyepieces than slower scopes. Quite a few members have said that the supplied 10mm eyepiece does not perform that well (myself included. F5 scope) and have replaced it an 8 or 9mm. BST Explorers seem to get good reports and are reasonably priced.

[brantuk]

The supplied 10mm eyepieces are usable on very clear nights but they aren't the best quality and as mentioned above fast scopes are less forgiving.

All sorts of things affect eyepieces - when you magnify an object it also magnfies atmospheric imperfections - so the object will appear dimmer and grainy even in a good eyepiece - particularly if there's high whispy cloud or moisture in the air.

Beware of warm air currents over housing, also in the tube (give it an hour to cool or longer for Maks/Scts). Check your magnification - average UK seeing only allows 200x max most of the time - choose high ojects (you'll be looking through more atmosphere the closer an object is to the horizon) - and check your field of view with something like "12dstring" or "CCDCalc". Large objects like galaxies are better in low power wide view eyepieces (e.g. M51) and best from a very dark site on a moonless night (the moon washes out fainter objects).

If you check what to expect in a book like "Turn Left at Orion" you'll see good diagrmatic representations of what to look for. Getting it all right on the night is a bit of a learning curve