Fuzzy image

[Jimma]

Hi, can you please help me?

I've only used my telescope a couple of times and bought a deluxe Barlow.

The problem I have is that upon close observation of Jupiter last night the image was fuzzy with no sharp focus.

I could sometimes make out a bit of colour but mostly fuzzy with four specks for moons.

I believe I'm right in thinking this is a collimation issue, would I be correct?

Equip: Astromaster130, 10mm, deluxe Barlow.

Many thanks, Jimbo.

Sent with a miniature keypad!

[John]

I've moved this thread here as it will get more attention in this section

How does Jupiter look when you don't use the barlow lens ?

[Jimma]

Just a smaller ball of fuzz. Sorry for the delay. Something wrong with my notifications.

Sent with a miniature keypad!

[ronin]

Collimation may be part of it but the 10mm eyepiece is usually not very good, I am not a great advocate of barlows and the word delux means nothing. They are not going to advertise it as Mediocre. You do not say whose Delux barlow it is.

You give the scope as a 130, no suffix letter so I assume that the mirror is spherical. The mirror will not support a high magnification as there is a fair degree of coma produced from this type of mirror. Not helped by the fact that the focal length is not actually that long, at f/10 it would have been better but the mirror is something like f/8 or a bit faster.

Out of your control is the atmosphere, they may have been slight high cloud or turbulance in one of the atmosphere's layers. either of which will degrade the image.

If you can borrow a reasonable 7mm or 8mm eyepiece then try that in the scope, collimate the scope to remove that as a possible source of problems.

[nephilim]

If i'm correct, i think the Celestron astromaster is an f/5 which means it wont take kindly to poor quality ep's.

Steve

[emadmoussa]

I'd think the 10mm piece is of a poor quality. How did you connect the cam? What kind of cam?

[Jimma]

Thanks for all your kind help and advice. It has not gone to waste, I've had bit of grief just of late and this has been my first chance to read your comments, witch are duly noted. The camera was a cheap digital, mounted with 7.2mp. The camera is not the problem as the image is the same in the view finder. What I mean by deluxe and i think is a standard term as referred to by Astronomy and Nature as achromatic with four lenses. The first thing i tried was to take the Barlow out and use just eyepiece, of witch the image had not changed in quality just quantity.. The 10mm eyepiece is of standard issue with the telescope of witch maybe of inferior quality to many but have seen fantastic images on this very site of Jupiter with people running identical equipment apart from an unstated Barlow.