What eyepiece?

[Ranger]

Hi all, first post ever!

I'm a complete novice, I've always wanted to stare at the stars but never got round to it.

My two young children 8 & 10 yrs have been doing a little about the stars in school and my wife has very kindly purchased Celstron nexus tar 6se for Xmas (the large box is currently acting as a coffee table in my living room)!

I do have many years experience using digital SLRs with big lenses and completely understand the importance of good optics so I'm very keen to find out what eyepieces I should be looking at to enhance my viewing experience and would be very great full for you expertise.

Many thanks so n advance.

Lee.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Welcome to SGL! I have a Celestron C8 (now 20 years old) which has similar optics to your scope. The F/10 speed of the scope means it is pretty forgiving, and I worked with good quality Plossls for many years before switching to anything more expensive. Much depends on what you want to see with it, and your budget, of course. The widest possible field for viewing nebulae can be reached by getting a 24mm 68 deg EP like the MaxVision one (http://www.bresser.de/en/Astronomy/Explore-Scientific-Maxvision-68-Okular-24mm.html#). Very good value for money, and they work well in much faster scopes than a 6" SCT. For planets you will need something shorter, around 8 to 10mm, and something in between like a 15-16mm should give a good starter set. If you need to wear glasses, go for eyepieces with long eye relief, like the Vixen SLV (or the older NLV) types. The Celestron Xcel-LX gets a good press too. It is also a good idea to go for second-hand kit (try www.astrobuysell.com/uk).

[Floater]

Hi, Lee, and welcome to SGL.

I hesitated to reply because I consider myself to be still a novice and there are members of whom I am in awe. But that's the very reason I decided that I should reply.

The field of 'which eyepiece?' is a nightmare. There may be all sorts of answers from some extremely knowledgeable and experienced astronomers. But they are aware of properties in an eyepiece that the less-experienced (i.e. 99% of the population) wouldn't have a chance of noticing. The advice will be among the best - but a bit like someone trying to persuade me about the difference in tone between two high-end guitars.

To the untrained eye there can be no point of reference. To the unfettered wallet there is only the expanding universe.

Use the EPs you have and read, ask, learn and then use them some more - and then read some more - before jumping to buy any new EPs. Then look at buying used EPs instead, to try them for yourself.

That said, you'll generate a lot of interest on SGL even if you stick to the 'this eyepiece, that eyepiece' theme: these folks KNOW stuff!

Enjoy the trip ...

[Mak the Night]

I found that I learned a lot with the Celestron Eyeopener Kit. It taught me a lot about what eyepieces worked well with my telescopes and gave me a variety to experiment with. Although many would disagree with purchasing these type of kits, the eyepieces and Barlow are pretty good quality. Experimenting with a relatively inexpensive kit like this on your telescope under a good sky will teach you more in an hour than all the reading you could do on eyepieces in a month! 

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/eyepiece-sets/celestron-eyeopener-eyepiece-and-filter-kit.html

Plus, the case will come in useful later when you acquire better eyepieces... *wink*