Please help!! Secondary mirror in lense

[PaulaElizabeth]

Hi, newbie at using a telescope. 

I have recently got a Celestron astromaster 130eq. I finally got chance to use it last week viewing the moon, I got some brilliant views and images. Using the 20mm erecting eyepiece and 10mm eyepiece that came with the telescope. (Pictures below to show that all was fine)

I also have a 6mm plossl eyepiece, 15m Kellner eyepiece, 2x Barlow, and red, blue and moon filters. 

This morning with it been clear and Jupiter and Venus is clear view I Set up my telescope as normal, got the planets into view on my telescope used the 20mm eyepiece to clarify it was In view and it was just the a small white dot which I expected. So I started to reduce down the eyepieces to get a closer view and as I was slowly trying to focus all I could see was the secondary mirror in the lense. I tried a range of my different lenses to try and get it into focus even starting at the 20mm and working my way down and I just couldn’t see anything without the secondary mirror housing in view.

at one point I could see something behind the secondary mirror image however I couldn’t make out what it was despite trying to focus slowly in and out. Looking at forums and advice could it be that I’ve actually locked on to a star which is further away hence why I can’t focus. Please help. 

[JOC]

I don't have that type of scope, but did you accidentally remove an apapter or tube length with one of the EP removals in the dark that was necessary to get the focus correct.  Was any focussing actually happening?  On my telescope there is grub screw which it is easy to grab and twist by accident in the dark (I've done it!) which locks the focus unit and no amount of wheel twiddling will make it move

[PaulaElizabeth]

16 minutes ago, JOC said:

I don't have that type of scope, but did you accidentally remove an apapter or tube length with one of the EP removals in the dark that was necessary to get the focus correct.  Was any focussing actually happening?  On my telescope there is grub screw which it is easy to grab and twist by accident in the dark (I've done it!) which locks the focus unit and no amount of wheel twiddling will make it move

I havent locked it as I did check that myself. I was able to find them in the sky with my scope and it was a round white light in my 20mm eyepiece, I gradually tried to reduce down and slowly focus and the focus was moving however in my lense as I was trying to focus the secondary mirror housing was very dominant in view. 

I tried a range of different eyepieces to try and focus but to no avail. Even trying to go back to the 20mm and working back down.

i even tried the blue filter as Venus was so bright I questioned whether that was a problem. 

 

[JOC]

7 minutes ago, PaulaElizabeth said:

I gradually tried to reduce down and slowly focus and the focus was moving however in my lense as I was trying to focus the secondary mirror housing was very dominant in view. 

And once you reached that point did you continue focussing beyond that in the same direction? It is possible that the mirror housing would have disappeared if you had kept on going.  

If you couldn't apparently reach focus it is also possible that you had hit dew point and everything was covered in water vapour - that sometimes gives a rather de-focussed effect to everything regardless of focal distance, then your twiddling might have just brought up the housing as it was the only thing capable of being seen!  IME once everything is misted up you might just as well give up unless you have the means of defogging things.  The fog, could have been on your mirrors or on your EP's or both, both you can see it in torch light.

[PaulaElizabeth]

11 minutes ago, JOC said:

And once you reached that point did you continue focussing beyond that in the same direction? It is possible that the mirror housing would have disappeared if you had kept on going.  

If you couldn't apparently reach focus it is also possible that you had hit dew point and everything was covered in water vapour - that sometimes gives a rather de-focussed effect to everything regardless of focal distance, then your twiddling might have just brought up the housing as it was the only thing capable of being seen!  IME once everything is misted up you might just as well give up unless you have the means of defogging things.  The fog, could have been on your mirrors or on your EP's or both, both you can see it in torch light.

I turned the focus both ways to maximum of each, doing it slowly to try and find that point of focus but I could just see the housing. It happened in all of my eye pieces so I’m unsure as to why as I haven’t done anything differently to looking at the moon, except looking at a planet which of course is further in distanc but from other posters I have seen that it shouldn’t be a problem with my scope. 

I did look down the scope and the mirror didn’t appear to be misted up. Maybe it is the astropheric conditions which caused it... 

i will try and have another look at the moon and try out my other eyepieces to magnify some areas to see whether they work ok on that. Just have to hope for a clear night.

How easy is it to find your scope magnifying another object in the sky like a star that you can’t see instead of the planet your looking for? 

[JOC]

7 minutes ago, PaulaElizabeth said:

How easy is it to find your scope magnifying another object in the sky like a star that you can’t see instead of the planet your looking for?

If you are in charge of the focussing then I can't see how this happens as you should be looking at what you want to focus on providing you have it central in the telescope and your finder is correctly aligned. 

8 minutes ago, PaulaElizabeth said:

Maybe it is the astropheric conditions which caused it... 

A layer of high almost translucent clouds can come across almost without notice.  The way such clouds scatter light is almost like having mirrors covered with dew.  I've seen it happen then all that you get is a big amorphous blob of light which no amount of focussing fixes.

[Ricochet]

All stars and planets are so far away that if one is in focus, the rest will be too. In fact in some conditions it is easiest to focus on a nearby star when you want to look at a planet. 

When focusing on a star turn the focuser knobs so that the star becomes a point of light. This will tell you that you are in focus. 

If some eyepieces will focus then it is unlikely that you have a problem with extension tubes (and I don't think your scope has them anyway). 

[Stu]

Very strange. If the scope will/would focus on the moon, then it will also be able to focus on planets and stars, they are all effectively at infinity.

I would try again on the moon as it is an easy target and see what happens.

[PaulaElizabeth]

15 minutes ago, Ricochet said:

All stars and planets are so far away that if one is in focus, the rest will be too. In fact in some conditions it is easiest to focus on a nearby star when you want to look at a planet. 

When focusing on a star turn the focuser knobs so that the star becomes a point of light. This will tell you that you are in focus. 

If some eyepieces will focus then it is unlikely that you have a problem with extension tubes (and I don't think your scope has them anyway). 

I shall have a try with that too and maybe try the moon and will report back what I see but it has bugged me as I did nothing different except want to view a planet.  But as you can see from my pictures I managed with the moon. Obviously I understand that planets are at a far greater distance however I didn’t expect to see the secondary mirror housing like I did. 

[PaulaElizabeth]

12 minutes ago, Stu said:

Very strange. If the scope will/would focus on the moon, then it will also be able to focus on planets and stars, they are all effectively at infinity.

I would try again on the moon as it is an easy target and see what happens.

Yes I think that is my best bet to try the moon again and see what happens. 

Hoping it’s something a simple as atmospheric reasons rather than to to with the eyepieces or scope.