Tough Time understanding my AstroMaster 114 EQ newtonian

[REFSCapitan]

i got everything set up. super exited! ive been waiting to look at planets. BUT my problem is that i cant see anything... ive looked everywhere for information and cant find any which matches my needs. i look through the eye piece which was pointed at the brightest star i could see ( because the moon wasnt out ) and all i saw was the middle of my telescope where everything sort of puts itself together i guess.. its hard to explain but in the lens barrel theres a circle in the center with four support beams it seems like. and they are supposed to be there, ive been getting more and more frustrated because when i look through the eye piece all i see is the circle and supports!!! i dont want to rip my hair out over it but its getting on my nerves.. can anyone help me and explain it enough to where a 15 year old can understand. am i doing something wrong? am i not supposed to see that? nowhere in the instructions does it provide me any information on HOW to see but WHAT to see.. someone please help! it would be greatly appreciated

[ronl]

Did you try turning the focus knob, what you are viewing are the spider vanes which hold the secondary

mirror, when you turn the focus knob they start getting smaller, if they get bigger you are turning the knob

the wrong way, start with the largest number eyepiece, your scope probably came with a 10mm and 20mm

eyepiece, put the 20mm in the focus tube and tighten the holding screw, find a target a mile or so away, do

this in daylight, but keep well away from the Sun, then try to bring it to focus, there might be a screw under

the focuser make sure this is loose, it's a retaining screw so you don't loose focus when you have your eye

to the eyepiece, not sure if the celestron has this, but check if it has, once you achieve focus try your finder

to see if it is pointed on the same target, if not adjust the finder until it is, then you can use the 10mm to do

the same, this will help you find your target in the dark, when you turn the focus knob, turn it slowly hope this

helps, and good luck, hope you enjoy your new scope. 

[cuivenion]

It sounds like you need to put an eyepiece in the focuser, and then focus on the star by moving the focuser in or out until the star is as near a sharp point of light as possible. Be aware you will never see a star as anything more than a point of light. Try this link:

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Telescope

[ronin]

You should have 2 eyepieces.

Put the 25mm one in the focuser.

For the hell of it wind the focuser inwards - that should remove any sight of the secondary.

Point the scope at (?) try the left hand end of Casseiopia or the Pleiades, or Aldebaran and the Hyades.

SLOWLY adjust the focus in and out until hopefully a bunch of stars appear.

They will not necessarily be jumping out at you so do it slowly.

Have you set up (aligned) the finder and the main scope, not just attached it - no mention of it and so I suspect not, important that you do.

If not say and someone will say how to go about it, farily easy just takes a bit of time.

If they were slightly unnecessary then the manufacturers would stop providing them to save a bit more money.

Pointing the scope by guesswork at something is not easy, the something has a habit of being no where in view, even if you think it is big and bright.

Your present problem is that the eyepiece is too far outwards and so the secondary is starting to come into view.

The targets suggested should in effect be a bunch of stars spread over about 1 degree or a bit more, the principle being one or two will be in view if the scope is aimed at the right area. The moon (not there) although bright is 1/2 degree.

[Billy Bluelight]

Best suggestion I can make is that you fix this problem IN DAYLIGHT.  Any problem you will ever have with a telescope is almost bound to be 10 times harder to fix in the dark - certainly until you are used to where everything is.

There is excellent advice above but in simple terms, would suggest you do this:

1. Assemble the whole rig in daylight and point towards a distant large object like a church steeple, power pylon or chimney pot - the further away the better
2. Make sure you have an eyepiece in the scope and wind the focusser fully in either direction as far as it will go (you then only have to wind it one way to achieve focus)
3. If you have finderscope (the small telescope mounted on the main one), make certain it is roughly pointing the same way as the main scope
4. Look through the finderscope first as it has a much wider field of view than the main scope and things are much easier to see - get the church steeple or whatever in the centre of the crosshairs
5. Now look through the main scope and see if the same object is visible - moving the main scope by releasing the two locks until it is and adjusting the focus so that it's sharp - lock the scope so it cannot move
6. Now go back to the finderscope and adjust so that the object is also exactly in the crosshairs - it almost certainly will not be.
7. You now have the two scopes synchronised/aligned and this will make it MUCH easier at night.  You also have the main scope pretty much in focus and it should only take a small adjustment to make a star sharp

I hope that helps but another way might be to wait for the moon to appear and try the same procedure on that.  It's so big even I couldn't miss it!

Good luck and welcome by the way