Telescope required for moon craters and planets

[phil18]

Joined here last week with the notion of gaining advice on a telescope that would allow me to get up close to the moon craters, view planets and maybe allow me to fix up my DLSR camera on a budget of £500 [second hand option].

Having had a few replies requiring mount is paramount for AP, and maybe not enough budget for both- i have decided to just get a telescope that would allow me to get really close to the moon craters and view planets.

So here goes, still with a budget of £500 i need advice on which scopes would get me really up close to the moon, what eye pieces will I need too?

[xtreemchaos]

if you could go a bit more on the price this from one of our members would be ideal. charl.

 

[Davey-T]

Something like this or a smaller version on a mount, mount doesn't need to be anything special for imaging the Moon as it's so bright and planets are normally captured with high frame rate video camera.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-150-pro.html

Dave

[Whistlin Bob]

Was just about to post exactly the same advice as @Davey-T. To emphasise the point, the shot below was captured with a DSLR using an 8 inch scope on a dobsonian mount which isn't motorised at all (and well under £500).

Wouldn't get away with that for planets though....

[Alan64]

1 hour ago, phil18 said:

Joined here last week with the notion of gaining advice on a telescope that would allow me to get up close to the moon craters, view planets and maybe allow me to fix up my DLSR camera on a budget of £500 [second hand option].

Having had a few replies requiring mount is paramount for AP, and maybe not enough budget for both- i have decided to just get a telescope that would allow me to get really close to the moon craters and view planets.

So here goes, still with a budget of £500 i need advice on which scopes would get me really up close to the moon, what eye pieces will I need too?

Barring an older, long-focus refractor...

https://www.cloudynights.com/uploads/monthly_06_2014/post-203511-14074310658996.jpg

...the next best thing would be a 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain.  Maksutovs have been described as being "refractor like", in contrast and sharpness, which is ideal for viewing the Moon, the planets, the double-stars(the splittings of same), and at the higher powers.  That long-focus refractor is then reduced down to a short, compact tube...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov.html

Besides the kits listed therein, I would choose this OTA...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-127-ota.html

...and then to mount upon this...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-mounts/skywatcher-eq5-deluxe.html

You don't really need go-to to find the Moon and the brighter planets, and you can motorise the mount to automatically track, hands-free; just the RA-axis...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-mount-accessories/single-axis-dc-motor-drive-for-eq5.html

There is also a go-to kit for that mount, and as a future consideration.

If you'd prefer a lighter mount, and with go-to...

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/all-mounts-motors/sky-watcher-star-discovery-wifi-az-goto-mount-tripod.html

Either of those combinations would make for a first-rate kit.

[Stu]

As Dave says, make sure you define what you mean by AP first. If you want to take deep sky images then the advice on mounts is valid, if not then for just lunar and planetary a simple tracking mount will be fine, even a manual mount for single frames.

Something like a Skywatcher AZGTi would be fine with a scope up the size of say a 127mm Mak which would work very well. If you could pick up a 100ED f9 used then that would be a good option too.

[JOC]

My Avatar was taken with my DSLR attached to the EP on my 8" Goto Dob.  You can also just about manage planets esp. as some EP's let you attach a camera to get a bit 'closer' - IIRC the jupiter shot below may have just been through the EP slot with just the telescope length.  The moon close-ups were an initial experiment with the camera on an EP (probably my 14mm Morpheus) and can almost certainly be improved on.  No, they aren't the stunning shots that the imagers get with their kit, but it depends on what you want to do.  IMO anyone that says you can't take photos with a Dob isn't entirely correct ?. 

[Stu]

Question, does the budget need to include the mount? I think it has been mentioned, but a 150mm Mak could probably fall into a £500 budget and would give great results. This was handheld with a Samsung s9 in a 7" Mak which gives you some idea. Focal length certainly helps when it comes to planetary imaging. A DSLR is not ideal for planetary imaging though, a faster frame rate camera is probably better but you can get some good results with DSLR to start.

[jetstream]

On 22/01/2019 at 06:02, Stu said:

This was handheld with a Samsung s9 in a 7" Mak which gives you some idea

Great image Stu! this telescope is working well!

[phil18]

Thanks guys

I had picked. Skywatcher 200 dobs but realised its a bit too large for me to transport in the car . So i have narrowed it down to  a mak 127 or 150 at a push.

What is the difference between the two? i want to get really close to the moon craters. 

[Stu]

Just now, phil18 said:

Thanks guys

I had picked. Skywatcher 200 dobs but realised its a bit too large for me to transport in the car . So i have narrowed it down to  a mak 127 or 150 at a push.

What is the difference between the two? i want to get really close to the moon craters. 

The 150mm will give you better resolution and should show you more given decent seeing conditions. The cost is a longer cool down and heavier scope. Probably more likely to dew up too so a decent dewshield and dew heater will be needed. It has a longer focal length too which is generally a good thing for high powered views, but can also leave you needing better seeing conditions to get good views. Like everything it is a compromise.

[phil18]

Thanks Stu.

How close to the moon  can i get with a mak 127?

[Stu]

19 minutes ago, phil18 said:

Thanks Stu.

How close to the moon  can i get with a mak 127?

That's not necessarily an easy question to answer. Alot depends on the seeing conditions, often above x200 is tricky with any scope in the UK. It also depends on how well the scope is cooled and collimated.

You should also understand that you can view the same object at the same magnification in different sized scopes and see more detail in the larger scope due to the inherently higher resolution of the larger aperture (assuming the seeing conditions will support it)

Exit pupil is another factor that is worth understanding. This is found by dividing the eyepiece focal length by the focal ratio of the scope, or equally the aperture of the scope divided by the magnification you are using. At exit pupils below 1mm you may start to see floaters in your eyes if you have them, and definitely at 0.5mm and below they will be obvious. In a 127mm scope this equates to x127 and x254, in a 150mm scope it is x150 and x300, so if the seeing conditions are good, the larger scope will show you better resolution images which are brighter and with few floaters (assuming you have them)

That said, the 127mm should be quite happy up to x200 and probably beyond assuming good conditions and the moon at a good altitude so you are looking through less atmosphere. Many people rate these little scopes, very convenient and they do deliver nice views.

Any chance you could get to see either of them to get an idea of size?

[phil18]

Not really.

So buying blind so to speak.

I want to get close to the moon do the odd photo using my DSLR. Then view planets plus anything deep space the scope can pick out. I was thinking a go to device but again i want to learn the sky's stars. So will try to pick put everything i view the old fashioned way.

I want to learn the basics before i go into AP properly.

 

[Davey-T]

Couple of comparisons here for the Skymax 127 and 150 using a crop mode DSLR.

Dave

 

[Stu]

I think I saw your budget at £500 on another post. Assuming that includes a mount and scope, you could look at something like this:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az5-deluxe/sky-watcher-skymax-127-az5-deluxe.html

Or if you wanted goto, which would also give you useful tracking for lunar imaging, you could try this:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-gti-wifi/sky-watcher-skymax-127-az-gti.html