Jupiter Is In The Bag!!! :)

[Gazetilludrop]

Finally! not only that but all 4 moons in view! Popped over to the astronomy centre at Todmorden this evening and by luck there was someone there with the same scope. few pointers from the very nice helpful chaps and off I shot home to with out the scope and sure enough, straight on it like a trooper! Awesome!!!!

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[tingting44]

sounds awsome! grats mate

what scope do you have?

[Horatio]

Nice one Gazetilludrop, just got in from viewing Jupiter myself looking good tonight with it's 4 Galilean moons, nice and bright.  Worth the chill fingers (-3) to see it tonight as wont tomorrow due to the weather.  Well done, onwards and upwards as they say

[Gazetilludrop]

sounds awsome! grats mate

what scope do you have?

At the moment I'm just playing about with the Celestron Travel Scope with a view to upgrading shortly.

I've been trying for a few weeks to get the thing to focus, as they say, engineers always blames their tools!   . What I didn't know was: I've been trying to focus with the complete lens cap off (as weird as that sounds but bare with me!), as it turns out, the darn middle bit which I thought was just a holding piece to take the cap on and off comes off as well  !!! Muppet! So left the main body of the cap on and bingo, straight into focus!   Probably a school girl error I know but hey ho! 

So I take it this reduces the light coming into the scope hence better focus?

[John]

So I take it this reduces the light coming into the scope hence better focus?

A little easier to focus but much less resolution I'm afraid. You effectively turn your 70mm scope into something like a 40mm (or whatever the size of the hole is).

But you have at least had a sharp view of the giant planet which is great 

[Joseki]

Sounds strange, it really should focus with the complete lens cap off, e.g. like the pictures in this review:

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2563

are you using the prism? I could imagine you'd need the extra length to reach focus.  Congrats on spotting Jupiter btw!, a great moment.

[Gaddy]

I am a little confused (it's late). With regards to the dust cap and it's smaller dust cap, are you saying that it's better to have the larger one on but the smaller one off?

[John]

I am a little confused (it's late). With regards to the dust cap and it's smaller dust cap, are you saying that it's better to have the larger one on but the smaller one off?

Sometimes, with large aperture scopes (like 12" or more) it does help to use a smaller aperture when the seeing conditions are not to good. This effectively turns the scope into one with a smaller aperture which is less effected by the poor seeing conditions.

A 70mm aperture scope is not large to start with though so reducing that still further by leaving the main dust cap on and removing the smaller on does really cut down on the performance of the scope. 

It should have been entirely possible to focus the scope on Jupiter with the whole dust cap removed though, ie: the normal way of doing things, and thats the bit thats puzzling me.

[Gazetilludrop]

It's been confusing me as well    The clear image I saw last night is what I've been trying to get for a couple of weeks (weather permitting) and it just would not do it, No matter how delicate I was on the focus adjustment. It's going to go back I think whilst I wait the arrival of the new scope.  Got a Sky Explorer 150P on its way, cannot wait. 

[cantab]

Stopping down the aperture will reduce the chromatic aberration, which is quite strong in the Travelscope 70. So maybe that's why it was never sharp at high power before?

[Kirscovitch]

I can still remember seeing Jupiter for the first time like it was only a couple months ago. Oh wait... It was only a couple months ago!

Still my favorite target with a scope but I've been pretty partial to M45 with bins lately!

[bomberbaz]

Gazetiiludrop, what sized eyepiece were you using, I think ariund 60x is max for that svope as I previously looked at it for a holiday toy.

Also good point by cantab, when you reduce aperture I think I am right in that it increases your F ratio which means less light hence reduction in CA. I Am sure someone can explain it better but thats my basic grasp of it.

you will get much better views beyond anything the 70mm scope could produce with you new 150. Hope to see you soon at the leyland star party or maybe obs at tod.

steve

[Gazetilludrop]

Thanks for the replies fellas. You could be right with the CA, maybe that was the problem.

Steve - I started with the 25mm then went to the 10mm. Both worked a treat with sharp focus but with the main lens cap on and the smaller one removed. But take the big cap off and all hell brakes loose with the focus. Definitely shouldn't have this problem with the 150! cannot wait to try it out! Go away clouds!!!! Unfortunately I couldn't make it to the event with work stuff on (how rude!) but give me a shout when you are next at Tod and I'll come over.

Thanks

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[bomberbaz]

Going tomorrow night come what may. Taking my small scope come what may but might take thd dob if forecast bucks up.

hope to see you there :-)