A little help required

[healeddoughnut]

Hi all, can anyone tell me if what I am doing is correct please? I have a Celestron 150 with various size eye pieces, 25mm 10mm 6mm coupled with a 2 x Barlow lens. The images I get back of the Moon and various planets are very small. Now is that down to the size of the telescope, or the eye pieces or............ what else can I do to enlarge the images of what I am looking at? Will they always be small to look at through a 150, do I need to go bigger? At some point I would love to try astrophotography, and that is a long way off yet. I thank you in advance for any advice or guidance you can give a novice. Thank you. Steve.

[ronin]

Which Celestron 150 ?

Really need to know the focal length and I am not overly familiar with the Celestron model.

Will go search for it but you may reply  first or I may get the wrong scope.

[healeddoughnut]

Its a Celestron Omni XLT 150mm.

[HumptyMoo]

Something doesn't sound right there if your definition of small is similar to mine, even if you just use the 25mm without barlow the image of the moon should go a fair way to filling the FOV (assuming they are the standard 50 degree EP's supplied).

Comedy would suggest you are looking through the wrong end of the scope...

Hopefully someone with experience of that scope will jump in, definitely doesn't sound right though, the 10mm on it's own should fill your view or there abouts.

[ronin]

OK best match appears to be the Omni XLT, 150mm dia, 750mm FL.

You have a 25mm 10mm 6mm eyepiece.

These give 30x, 75x and 125x. Going to ignore the barlow.

The moon should be big enough at 75x and 125x even bigger.

Will say it depends on the quality of the eyepieces.

Jupiter will be reasonable but small at 75x and sort of "pea", maybe big pea, sized at 125x

The scope should be OK with a 5mm eyepiece, and it MAY take a 4mm. (Do not get a plossl in either)

Smaller then that is in the lap of the gods and I suspect what you get will be poor quality.

If you are looking at published pictures then that is a differet area and the equipment used is completely different to you scope. Expectations need to be applied to the usage.

What type of eyepieces have you ? (Other then the number is there anything else written on them?)

[healeddoughnut]

The moon on a good night does have an excellent FOV and the 10 mm is really good too. I was looking at Jupiter the other night, hoping to see a rather better and larger image of the planet than I had previously, but was sadly disappointed as it looked exactly the same. I kind of conclude my scope needs to be bigger or my eye pieces need changing. Comedy suggestion would be fab if it was correct, made me chuckle, thanks for that.

I then look at some of the photos guys have taken on here and wonder how do they manage to get pictures that large. I appreciate your help so far Ronin and Humpty Moo.

[healeddoughnut]

I have a 25 mm Celestron which came with the scope, a Super 10mm Plossl and a 6mm Celestron Plossl. I have always used the 2 x Barlow lens ever since I have had the scope, are you saying not to use it with these lenses?

You are correct on the pea sizes with lenses using the Barlow.

[ronin]

I was at a talk by Nik Szymanek, he showed a photo of the scope he uses to image Jupiter.

It looked to be at least a 20" diameter SCT on a pillar mount.

It was I suspect craned into position, way too big for people to lift even several people.

[ronin]

The point about the barlow is that they may be not overly good and what is seen may be ill defined.

I also wasn't goping to work out all magnifications with the barlow. (me=lazy whatsit).

If it works then fine go ahead and use it.

Just too many reports of poor barlows appear.

[JamesM]

Could always tried posting a similar question over in the beginners equipment section for more suggestions as more people visit them, though the comments given here seem to answer your question. 

James

[healeddoughnut]

Thank you to one and all for your replies. I shall try without the Barlow if it ever stops raining. Thanks again Gents.

[Pig]

Hello & welcome

Shaun

[Charon]

Welcome aboard.

[wavydavy]

Loads of good advice on here......and welcome!

[sologuitarist61]

Hello and welcome to SGL

[swag72]

Hi and welcome to SGL - Perhaps you could have a look at the field of view calculator http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fovcalc.php - You pump in your scope and various eye pieces and it will show you what you can expect to see, so you can include barlows as well. This will give you an idea of how big stuff should be in your eye piece.

Look forward to seeing you around

[Pete Presland]

Hi welcome to SGL from Pete in Bedfordshire

[todd8137]

Hi and welcome from me ,and to Sgl bigger scope with longer FL for planets

Pat

[rwilkey]

Hi Steve, welcome to SGL from me, on the viewing, you just have to manage your expectations, the photographs you see of the objects concerned will never be what you see yourself, a camera is much more sensitive to light, especially colour, where the human eye does not pick it up.  Viewing is an experience secomd to none, forget what a camera can do, it's all about seeing the object yourself and enjoying the experience.

[michigander]

Welcome to SGL, Steve!

Dana

[HIP3802]

Hi, Steve, and a warm welcome to SGL!

[Bizibilder]

Hello Steve and welcome to SGL!!

[allotmenteer]

Welcome from another newcomer. I have a slightly smaller scope and probably similar feelings - 10 mm is OK but 6 mm quality is too poor to see much. Looking to upgrade the EPs. Haven't got up early enough to try Mars yet!

Cheers

Mark

[glowjet]

Hi Steve and welcome to SGL