I'm new and confused... Can you help?!

[mpaffenr]

I am new to the world of stargazing and just received my first telescope a few weeks ago. I live in California, so I don't have my expectations Set too high due to light pollution, but I do have a quick question about viewing because I'm not sure if I'm having user error.

I have a celestron powerseeker 127mm reflector telescope. When setting up my telescope and view finder, I located objects during the daytime and things seem to be working great. I was completely amazed by the magnification power, simply because I could see a spider web on a neighbors tree! However now that I have brought my scope out at night I thinking I am having trouble. I used my nightsky app to located what I hoped to be Jupiter, but either way, a very bright figure in the sky. The problem I'm having is when I look at the object through the eyepiece I can see the crosshairs from the front of my scope. And in attempt to focus the object the entire bright circle that contains the crosshairs change in size.

I guess my question is, Is this normal when viewing deep space objects or am I doing something wrong?! When viewing in the daytime I did not see the crosshairs so I'm not sure if it is due to the extended distance or if I've lost mirror alignment or something.

Sorry about the long drawn out story, I wasn't sure how to make sense and explain my possible problem! [emoji39] I hope that it makes sense to someone. Any suggestions are much appreciated!

Thanks.

Michelle(:

I'm a newbie.

[knobby]

Hi, we're all newbies

[ronin]

When you looked at the spider the focus had to be moved a lot "back".

Spiders are too close. (PS I HATE spiders).

You will have to wind the focuser quite a way back in to get stars/planets/fuzzy bits in focus.

Don't worry about new and confused, we are old and confused. Confused seems to be common throughout this hobby. Just look at the number of post that start "Why...." or have "why" in them. Some amount to "What am I doing?" :grin:

Any chance of a better location in your signature, even if not in the UK. It helps, usually when the next round of questions arrive as in "What should I buy?" Easier to point a person at a suitable retailer.

[Jim Steele]

Hi Michelle,

As others suggest I think you are way out of focus. The cross you are seeing is the secondary mirror support.

I think you have to go quite a way to get back in focus; mabye try focusing on the moon then work towards jupiter.

Best of luck, and clear skies.

Ben

[Herbig]

As others have said, very much out of focus. By the way, Jupiter is not a deep sky object as its in our solar system. Deep sky objects are other galaxies, nebulae, etc,.

Don't worry about asking question, we all have to start somewhere!