Eyepiece advise for planetary viewing

[Adam1234]

So after some successful first attempts at viewing Jupiter and Saturn with my Sky-Watcher 10 inch flextube dobsonian (f4.7), with the supplied Super Plossl 52° 25mm and 10mm eyepieces, I'm considering buying some higher power eyepieces and possibly a 2 x barlow lense to get some better views of the planets.

For the eyepieces I'm considering either the Sky-Watcher UWA Planetary 58° eyepieces https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-eyepieces/skywatcher-uwa-planetary-eyepieces.html or the Explore Scientific 62° eyepieces https://www.firstlightoptics.com/explore-scientific-eyepieces/explore-scientific-62-series-ler-eyepieces.html

Which ones would you guys recommend for use with my scope? Or would you recommend a totally different one?

As for barlow lense, any recommendations?

 

Adam

 

[johninderby]

You should also consider the BST Starguiders. Better than the Skywatcher planetaries and close to the ES eyepieces.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/search/for/Starguider/

[Adam1234]

Thanks, will have a look at those

[Geoff Barnes]

I use the SW Planetary 4mm and 5mm with my SW 12 inch Dob and they are better than the ES 82 degree 4.7mm.

I would use the 4mm for Saturn and 5mm for Jupiter for best results. No need for the Barlow with them, too much power will be dim and fuzzy. You will need good seeing conditions though with these high power EP's.

[John]

The Baader Classic Orthos are pretty good for £50 apiece, as is the 2.25x barlow in that series:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/baader-planetarium/baader-classic-ortho-bco-eyepiece.html

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/baader-planetarium/baader-classic-q-225x-barlow.html

If your pockets are deeper I can highly recommend the Pentax XW's (I did say deeper pockets though !):

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/pentax/pentax-xw-7mm.html

The Vixen SLV 6mm is rather good as well:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/vixen-eyepieces/vixen-slv-eyepieces.html

 

 

 

[Adam1234]

On the Baader Classic Orthos - I wear glass and I noticed it says the 32mm and 18mm are ok for spectacle wearers but the Celestron X-Cel LX is more suited https://www.firstlightoptics.com/celestron-eyepieces/celestron-x-cel-lx-eyepiece.htm I am starting to get tempted on these ones. 

I saw these ones have 60degree field of view - how does this compare to say the 52 degree of my current eyepieces, and what effect will this have with viewing the planets at high magnification?

 

[Geoff Barnes]

Do you have Go-To tracking with your Dob? I always use tracking especially at high power viewing so the target stays on axis without the need for nudging the scope.

[John]

The wider apparent field of view will give you a little longer "drift time" to observe the target between nudges, assuming your scope is undriven. If the field of view stays sharp and well defined right across that is - with an F/4.7 scope, not all wider eyepieces can do this.

If you wear glasses when observing orthoscopic and plossl eyepieces are unlikely to be comfortable when their focal length goes below around 15mm. The eye relief (distance the eye needs to be above the top surface of the eye lens) gets too short to enable the full field of view to be seen comfortably.

Longer eye relief eyepieces such as the Vixen SLV's, Celestron X-Cel LX's. BST Starguiders, Pentax XW's etc, etc are a much better bet.

[Adam1234]

@Geoff BarnesYes I have go-to tracking but currently using it undriven for the moment. I will get the go-to up and running at another point as I'll need to investigate power supply requirements etc. Plus at the moment it gives me a good opportunity to explore and get to know the night sky (or at least the small section out of my balcony doors until I manage to get out to the New Forest). 

 

 

[Adam1234]

At the moment it looks like the Celestron X-Cel LX's are winning for me then. Suitable for glasses, not too expensive and not too cheap either.

[Geoff Barnes]

The Celestron X-Cel's do have a good reputation, but then the Vixen SLV's have a wonderful reputation too and yet in a 3 hour side by side comparison with my SW Planetary 4mm I could see absolutely no difference whatsoever in the quality of the views of Jupiter and Saturn, they were both superb.

[djpaul]

On a budget I'd go for BST Starguiders 

You can pick them up for £30 Seeondhand.

That way you can sell them on at the same price if you wanted to upgrade again later on.

[bluesilver]

I have the same scope as you have there,  for me i went for the Tele Vue Delos 10mm

A great eyepiece i found and give very good images,  but again it is not the cheapest eyepiece.

 

[Adam1234]

I decided to get the Celestron X-Cel LX's, 5mm and 7mm. Not the cheapest option but within my budget. I will update on what I think once they arrive. Watch this space...