Viewing jupiter

[gt87]

Thanks for the replies guys. I checked the scope last night and the rings seem to work both sides of focus and they are symmetrical. I haven't tried a variable polariser. I have a set of red yellow and blue filters but I have been told they are not very effective with small - medium scopes. There's a local club in Peterborough. I was going to go to one of there star parties a few weeks ago to ask the question but at the moment I'm just waiting for the fog to disappear. I bought the scope new and I'm told Maks tend to hold colimation fairly well, but I will post pictures of the concentric rings I'm getting anyway because I'm told it's a vary finite tolerance, the image Alan posted looks very simular to what I am seeing minus the vanes due to telescope design. where's the best place to get a variable polariser?

[Alan64]

http://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/antares-variable-polarising-filter-125.html

The unit can be screwed onto an eyepiece or star-diagonal.  The brightness, or dimness, is adjusted by twisting the bottom half...

It is also useful for observing the Moon at half to full phase, and also when observing the phases of Venus.  It may also help when attempting to separate the components of the double-star, Sirius, B from A, and in dimming down the glare from A, although B will also dim down along with A...

I haven't attempted Sirius, with a variable polariser and my 150mm f/5 Newtonian, but I will in future.  I'm very much interested in how my mirrored telescope will fare.

When dimming any bright object, it will be as though you are observing with a 90mm instead, or less even.  However, at all times you will retain the full resolution, the sharpness and detail, of the 127mm, so have at it, and best of luck.

[faulksy]

deffo sounds like colimation, they should be sharp in the mak.

the pic that alan took has terrible defraction spikes , are your vanes twisted badly ,never seen spikes that bad

 

[Dave In Vermont]

You can certainly try using a colour-filter, such as a No. 80A Blue (or whatever blue you have on hand) to take a bite out of the brightness of Jupiter. This may help to allow you to see some of the equatorial-bands on it's disk. Regards filters some literature dismiss out-of-hand for small scopes - this is rather beyond the 'scope' of this thread - in my view. But do try using a blue.

And here's a link to 'Jupiter 2' - which is a neat, little software-program that will tell you which Moon of Jupiter this one, that one, and the others are which. Free - of course:

http://www.astrosurf.com/rondi/jupiter/

Instructions and links in the upper-right on the main-page the link opens for you. Such as the 'Download.' It also shows you where the famous Great Red Spot (GRS) is at anytime.

As a Maksutov, these telescopes were invented in the former Soviet Union in 1941. They needed a scope that was tough enough to put on their battle-tanks and still work fine - even if the tank was hit by an exploding shell! So they hold their collimation quite well. Please don't worry. You'll get this all sorted soon. That's a very nice telescope. Ideal for high-powered views of the many denizens that live in our local solar-system. It's small size belies it's abilities to give BIG views at the eyepiece. But until you get the focus-issue resolved, stick with lower-powered viewing. It's very easy to overdo magnification on a Maksutov for one's current 'seeing' conditions.

Enjoy the Jupter 2!

Dave

 

 

[Alan64]

"the pic that alan took has terrible defraction spikes , are your vanes twisted badly ,never seen spikes that bad"

The larger afocal image, with Jupiter, Mars and the star, Leo 63, within the field-of-view...

The spider-vane flares are narrower, and brighter, during a live view, and required elimination.  As a bonus, the features of the planet suddenly appeared.

Venus...

...and the flares a bit more true to the live view.

[gt87]

Thanks guys this is great stuff. I have asked the Peterborough Astronomy Society to have a look at it for me so hopefully I'll be able to resolve the focus problems in the mean time I think I'll get a variable polariser because by the sound of it I will probably need one regardless of the focus problems. if I get time I'll post the colimation ring patterns. I got some good pictures of the moon last night without any filters or polariser (and it was very bright) so I'm a bit confused why I can't see jupiter or venus's details clearer

[happy-kat]

I think this post might interest you.

link here