Query about telescope brand called Jiehe CF 350x60

[owenmabey]

My flat mate just bought a telescope called the Jiehe CF 350x60 - Click here to view shop example. Does anyone know if it's a good beginner telescope. He has bought it to try and see the black hole which is going to eat a dust cloud this year, do you think this would do the trick? Thank you in advance for your help

[rowan46]

it will be good enough to see the moon, I am not sure it is big enough to see a black hole  from  earth though. Welcome to sgl. The scope is an achromatic refractor it will do as a taster but if you want to see deeper into the universe you need more apparture.

[brantuk]

Hi Owen and welcome to SGL

I doubt he will see any Black Hole with that telescope, nor any other Earth bound telescope. Leading scientists have to use a technique called "gravitational lensing" to deduce the presence of black holes. The reason they can't be seen is because light can't actually escape from a black hole. Hth

[Cygnus_X1]

My flat mate just bought a telescope called the Jiehe CF 350x60 - Click here to view shop example. Does anyone know if it's a good beginner telescope. He has bought it to try and see the black hole which is going to eat a dust cloud this year, do you think this would do the trick? Thank you in advance for your help

The description of this telescope doesn't make any sense at all. I've found the same telescope on a number of web sites and '350mm lens. 60mm maximum power magnification' is nonsense as there's no such thing as a '60mm power magnification'. What's more, 350mm is 14 inches and if that's a 14inch objective lens it must have a ludicrously short and unrealistic focal length. Just looking at a few of the web pictures if I enter the telescope as a search item.....I'd also say there's no way that is a 14 inch telescope.

[Cygnus_X1]

The description of this telescope doesn't make any sense at all. I've found the same telescope on a number of web sites and '350mm lens. 60mm maximum power magnification' is nonsense as there's no such thing as a '60mm power magnification'. What's more, 350mm is 14 inches and if that's a 14inch objective lens it must have a ludicrously short and unrealistic focal length. Just looking at a few of the web pictures if I enter the telescope as a search item.....I'd also say there's no way that is a 14 inch telescope.

Ah....my bad...its the focal length that is 350mm. It helps to start reading at the right word.  That focal length does seem a bit short.  My own 60mm has a focal length of 700mm.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

it could be a 60mm F=350mm achromat. Not unreasonably short focal length (my finder is a 70mm F=350 department-store scope press-ganged into finder duty). If that is the case it should be quite decent for wide-field views, but keep the magnification down or chromatic errors will become visible. Objects like the Pleiades, M31, M33 from a dark site, etc, should be quite nice. The craters on the moon can be seen but for finer detail a longer focal length is better.

[ronin]

Your friend is going to have a few problems:

You need something like the Keck Observatory to have any chance and that also includes to use of their computers to optimise the data returned. Alternatively hire one of the space telescopes, I think it would have to be Hubble.or Spitzer.

The SMBH is also hidden by massive gas and dust lanes in the galactic plane, so visible light is no use. You need to be observing in the far infra red or radio wavelengths.

So they need a bigger scope like Hubble, Spitzer or Keck and they need eyes that can see far infra red or radio wavelengths. Sufficent amounts of money may get one of the telescopes but last I was aware the eye conversion is going to be a problem. :grin:

[Rainmaker]

Lets assume that the OP is genuine,

Whilst a very useable telescope, a 60mm F5.8 scope will not show what he seeks, nor will any Earthling telescope, we can really only surmise that the black holes are there by their effect on their surroundings.

Although this particular scope is just very basic department store stuff, a similar sized scope if manufactured properly can be a wonderful instrument as Brian will attest having owned one until recently.

I too have a 355mm focal length 60mm scope and love it  for its designed use.

Here is a quick picture of my 60mm F5.9 setup:

The 60mm is the one on top of the 120mm big brother

[Rainmaker]

Here is picture taken with a 60mm F5.9 scope just to show their usefulness:

by Andrea T

[Stargazer 2013]

Lets assume that the OP is genuine,

Whilst a very useable telescope, a 60mm F5.8 scope will not show what he seeks, nor will any Earthling telescope, we can really only surmise that the black holes are there by their effect on their surroundings.

Although this particular scope is just very basic department store stuff, a similar sized scope if manufactured properly can be a wonderful instrument as Brian will attest having owned one until recently.

I too have a 355mm focal length 60mm scope and love it  for its designed use.

Here is a quick picture of my 60mm F5.9 setup:

The 60mm is the one on top of the 120mm big brother

DSC_3443sgl.jpg

wow,how many scope finders do you need lol..You have 3 eyes

[Rainmaker]

wow,how many scope finders do you need lol..You have 3 eyes

Very funny !!!!

I thought everyone had a setup like this:

120mm F7.5 with 8mm LVW

  60mm F5.9 with 13mm ep

  50mm Finder with 23mm reticle ep

D7000 Nikon and AF-S 80-200 F2.8 to record it all

No need to change eyepieces at night just look into a different refractor.    

[Schorhr]

Don't raise false hope with that image, I doubt they aRe aware of the difference between (eq mounted, guided) imaging and visual use ;-)

All telescopes sold by non-astronomy companies are likely to be flawed. Even if they Do sell a telescope that's usable, they won't be able to give Support of any Kind.

Some of the best choices for beginners would be

20£ - Lidl bresser binoculars

40-50£ firstcope / Heritage 76

120£ heritage 130p or similar

Try to Get a refund if still possible.

[Stargazer 2013]

Afraid I only have the red dot finder,have no camera for taking pictures,just don't have the money.I wonder how many people use a rifle scope?

[Rainmaker]

Afraid I only have the red dot finder,have no camera for taking pictures,just don't have the money.I wonder how many people use a rifle scope?

Don't want to take this too far off topic but you just reminded me of my first experiences in astronomy:

The year was 1963, place Finland, winter, current temperature -35 C, scope was a Russian rifle sight and we were viewing the Aurora Borealis.

Its not the scope that matters, its the fun you have using it !

[todd8137]

Here is picture taken with a 60mm F5.9 scope just to show their usefulness:

by Andrea T

fs60cm31cn.jpg

There's a big diference between. A 60mm scope that cost s 40 quid and a 60mm that costs 800

[todd8137]

Am sure the moon will be great in this scope and a few of the brighter nebulas ,

Pat

[Rainmaker]

There's a big diference between. A 60mm scope that cost s 40 quid and a 60mm that costs 800

That is quite correct and is what I pointed out in post #9 above, that a 60 mm 350mm fl scope well made can be a great useable aperture/focal length.

[rowan46]

Just curious because I don't know very much about physics or black holes but the accretion disc on a black hole throws out x rays and all sorts of electromagnetic radiation would none of it be in the visible

[Schorhr]

If we where close enough to witness that, yikes :-)

[RichieP]

Just curious because I don't know very much about physics or black holes but the accretion disc on a black hole throws out x rays and all sorts of electromagnetic radiation would none of it be in the visible

I would think that there would be. But as our view of the centre of the galaxy is hidden by dust, visible light doesn't get through to us.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

If an accretion disc radiates in X-rays, it sure is energetic enough to emit visible light. Various mechanisms come into play: Thermal radiation, synchroton radiation and possibly mechanisms like brehmsstralung. All three create continuum spectra which will generate all wavelengths below some high-energy cut-off.