How do I view anything on a telescope? - complete newbie

[carastro]

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We have trouble keeping the scope still as it seems to move back from where we move it. I'm sure it's because I need to figure out that equatorial mount alignment. 

That can be a problem with those non motorised mounts, it is best not to push the scope as it will bounce back, but rather try to use the slow motion controls, and because the mount is not "tracking" (following the Earth's rotation), targets will move as the earth rotates and the more it is magnified the quicker that will happen.  I had a similar scope and mount when I first started so I know how tricky it can be.  

Holding a phone up the the eyepiece for taking photos is also not very easy, I do outreach for members of the public who want to do that, and they fiddle around for ages trying to get the camera positioned correctly over the eyepiece by which time I have often had to re-position the target for them several times.  It really is just trial and error.  Most of us who do astrophotography have a camera which fits in place of the eyepiece, but that's another VERY long and expensive scenario.

Jupiter is in the best position at the moment for viewing, though it is low in the Sky.  If you don't have it already, download stellarium (it is free) and find out where it is in the sky.  It's just about the brightest thing up there at the moment apart from the Moon.  

Carole 

[LukeSkywatcher]

You shouldnt have to move the scope. Once aligned, you use the Slo Mo controls (mainly the RA... right assention) to track objects. EQ mounts are tricky to learn/use but stick with it and it will become second nature. My 1st scope was EQ. Before I aligned it, the Moon would race across the field of view in a couple of mins. I did a bit of alignment and the Moon stayed in view for a good 9 mins. I was looking at Saturn one night at high magnification. It was going out of view in the scope faster than Usain Bolt running the 100m.

So get that scope aligned or else you might lose interest. 

[pipnina]

7 hours ago, iggyiggs said:

Thanks again for the explanations. I appreciate! When I look into the finderscope I don't see any dots or light. 

Just got back in. It's cloudy tonight but we managed to see the moon! At last I saw something. I haven't aligned the finderscope yet so it took a while to locate it but we did it in the end. We only used the 25mm eyepiece and it was pretty bright but I saw detail. 

We have trouble keeping the scope still as it seems to move back from where we move it. I'm sure it's because I need to figure out that equatorial mount alignment. 

My next objective is to see a planet. I have to do this from the garden and there are trees and houses blocking the view so it won't be easy. 

I wanted to take a pic with my phone but how do I do that?

I know I only saw the moon but I'm pretty satisfied as I was getting discouraged thinking I'd never be able to figure how to view anything. 

If you move the telescope so that the tube is parallel with the ground, and the tube and counterweight are at the same height then let go: does either the counterweight or tube sink? If one side sinks, you need to adjust the counterweight position. If the counterweight side sinks you must move the counterweight closer to the telescope. If the telescope side sinks then you must move the counterweight farther away.

5 hours ago, cletrac1922 said:

Welcome from land down under

I apologize, but whenever I see someone use that phrase now I can't not think of this song.

I shall have to make sure you suffer from this as well

 

[JOC]

8 hours ago, iggyiggs said:

When I look into the finderscope I don't see any dots or light. 

Your finder is called a RED DOT Finder, it will therefore have a dot!  If you rotate that knob with the white dot on it in the photo you will feel slight resistance and then it will 'click' on under your fingers, this is turning the red dot on and off - clockwise click turns on.  If you can't 'see the light' then you probably have a battery issue or haven't switched it on.  My own battery went flat once - in my thread someone posted a link to some decent instructions to replace it. 

As your telescope is new you might have a battery protector in place that needs removing or your battery may be flat, either way locate the battery and liven it up by removing a cover or replacing.  The red dot then projects onto the pink screen.  It is important to have because it means that when you see it in the centre of the screen you are looking from directly behind the finder.  Without the red dot you can see the sky from a really wide angle through the little screen when viewed from behind.  This doesn't help find things in the sky.  When the dot is on and you can see it from behind the finder in the middle of the screen it means you are directly behind the finder (and in many cases you will need to bob down or move about to do so) if you then move the telescope so that the red dot in the screen of the aligned finder is covering the star or planet of choice then you can know that you are looking through the finder at the same angle as the telescope is and you will have no problems finding anything. 

As I noted before take the finder inside turn it on and play with holding it up and looking from behind - move it around until you can see the light on the pink screen once you see it you will realise how it can help.  You will need to re-align it once you put it back on the telescope.

[LukeSkywatcher]

If you don't hear a click on the finder or it turns quite quickly, then the screw in the middle is probably loose. A little tighten will fix it.