Skywatcher Skyliner 150 dust cap

[hobsey]

Could someone please tell me what the small removable cap is for on the main larger dust cap is for? Its really bugging me as nothing is mentioned in the manual and I'm new to all of this.

[Ally8446]

While looking at the moon (when it's reasonably bright) refit the large dustcap but remove the small one. This reduces the amount of light allowed into the tube and the moon will appear dimmer. Hope this answers your question.

Clear skies

Ally

[hobsey]

Sorry, think I've found the answer. For solar filters if I read correctly.

[hobsey]

Sorry, you beat me to my reply. Thats great, thanks for the reply. Is that for instead of using filters on the lenses?

[Jiggy 67]

It is NOT for any type of solar filter.....under no circumstances try to fit any filter, home made or otherwise and point it at the sun.

Filters are fitted to the eyepiece, I'm not talking about solar filters, there are a number of different filters for different reasons and uses. The cap is just to reduce the amount of light entering the scope, otherwise the moon can appear too bright

[hobsey]

Cheers Jiggy but don't worry, I have no intentions of looking at the sun. Even if I thought I had the right filter, I wouldn't trust myself.

[cotterless45]

The small cover when removed will give you super sharp double stars for splitting.

Make sure that the opening is facing the clear light path without the focuser tube in the way and you're ready for super lunar , planetary and splitting.

Try eta Cassiopeiae and the lovely triple iota Cassiopeiae,

Nick.

[hobsey]

Thanks Nick, I will give it ago. They sky is starting to clear so I may have to drag it outside and give it ago tonight.

[swamp thing]

Not really sure TBH.

IMO Aperture stops are kinda counter productive on smaller scopes.

Where they are of use is on larger scopes (12"+) when the seeing is bad. When this happens, we can step down the aperture to look through a smaller amount of atmospheric cells, this can improve the visible image. We do however lose resolution, but if the scope is big enough the stepped down aperture can still be of reasonable size.

On smaller scopes by the time we've stepped them down the resulting aperture becomes too small for any real benefits.

IMO if the seeing is bad enough that a 6" scope is effected by it.......forget high power planetary and lunar viewing that night.

I've tried stepping down my 10" and TBH the results really aren't worth it.

Stepping down just for brightness of the moon is a mistake, as when we step down aperture we lose the very thing we want for observing fine detail......resolution. Lose aperture, lose resolution.