first view at andromeda galaxy! and what to use for planets viewing?

[Tomek]

Just bought 10" sky watchers dobsonian and on my second viewing session manage to find andromeda galaxy ! It's looked great despite two street lights behind my garden!

I was also watching jupiter yesterday but it's so bright it is hard to make details on the surface I mean I could see 3 darker bands but it way to bright! What setup should I use for plantes viewing ?

Are they some sort of filters ? bigger magnification maybe ? I used my standard 10mm and 25mm that came with scope.

I guess I am in fairly dark area as I can see (faintly) milky way with unaided eyes.

thanks.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Your 10" is probably about F/4.5-F/5 (F/4.7 being common). If conditions are good, you should be able to get 200 - 250x magnification easily (I push my 8" SCT to 290x under good conditions). If your scope has a focal length of 1200mm (as many 10" dobs do) a 5mm EP will give you 240x and a 6mm 200x. Your 10mm only gives 120x, a bit low for Jupiter. Furthermore, the quality of many 10mm EPs supplied with scopes is limited.

Finally, I must stress that conditions are important. If Jupiter is low in the sky, turbulence can severely affect image quality.

Hope this helps

[Alastair Rae]

Do you have one of those end caps with a hole in it so you can "stop down" to reduce the light gathering?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Stopping down can help, but boosting magnification usually helps more. Stopping down is cheaper though

[John]

Seeing planetary details takes practice. Initially you will not see a great deal of detail on Jupiter - just the main bands. Spend time examining it and your eye gradually "trains" itself to see the more subtle details. After an hour or so you will be starting to glimpse more detail than you did when you first viewed it.

I'm finding 150x - 180x the optimum magnification for Jupiter with my scopes - it's an object that does not seem to respond well to crowding on more power.

Also, allow the planet to rise as high as possible in the sky. You will get sharper and more contrasty views when you don't have to look at it through so much atmosphere.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Practice and patience are very important. Also, take time at the eyepiece, and wait for those rare moments of stable seeing, when details are suddenly much sharper. How much magnification you find optimal is very personal. I use 200x-250x on Jupiter, sometimes on rare nights 290x. Others prefer lower mag. Mars can take even more magnification than Jupiter (I have used up to 400x). You will have to find out what suits you best. If possible, visit a star party or local astronomy society, and see if you can try what suits you best, before buying anything.

[BSIA Ralph]

Red, green and blue filters can help too - especially as they can tease out more detail than you can achieve with full white light. But magnification will reduce the glare without any cost.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

I think it has all been covered above, but as you said that its too bright, this will probably be if you are looking at it fairly low in the sky. Once higher up, it will be clearer and have more detail.

[fredster]

Seeing planetary details takes practice. Initially you will not see a great deal of detail on Jupiter - just the main bands. Spend time examining it and your eye gradually "trains" itself to see the more subtle details. After an hour or so you will be starting to glimpse more detail than you did when you first viewed it.

I'm finding 150x - 180x the optimum magnification for Jupiter with my scopes - it's an object that does not seem to respond well to crowding on more power.

I had a great morning observing Jupiter last Sunday. After 30mins at the eyepiece the details started to become apparent and then only got better there after. The seeing meant Jupiter went in and out of focus, quite wildly at times but just stick with it. Small details between the main belts became increasingly easy to see.

I agree with John about the optimum magnification, 150-180 is what usually find the most workable for Jupiter. But sometimes 120x is all i can get, even with Jupiter so high now. All depends on the seeing. But Sunday morning i was able to push 200x, which is also possibly the limit if the scope.