Upgrade needed

[Norniron]

Hi all , new to forum and fairly new to astronomy . After a little lazy research a few months  ago i bought a Bresser Messier AR-80/640 . I read a review on the sky at night  website they gave it 4/5 stars and said they viewed Saturn's rings quite clearly . This was one of the boxes  i wanted to tick and went ahead  and made the purchase . Try as i might i can't see Saturn's rings . Is a 3 inch aperture too  small ? Or is there a  better time  of year to view Saturn ? I've tried various eyepiece combo's with and without a barlow x 2 to no avail . Anyway thinking of an upgrade and was thinking of a 8 or 10 inch dob . Had been looking at a Skywatcher Skyliner 250px , Bresser Messier 10inch dob or an Orion Skyquest XT8 plus .Anyone any thoughts on these scopes or preference ?

[andrew s]

Have you seen anything clearly with your current scope, say the moon?

Regards Andrew 

[Norniron]

Thats the big white one... right ! 

[barkis]

Sky at Night magazine gave this scope a good write up.
Saturn should be viewable, but rather small. 
Work progressively through your eyepieces from low magnification, to high.
Make sure the sky is good, and seeing is steady.
The moon is a good target, and some good details will be available to see.
It is a neat telescope, but not a miracle worker. Have patience, observing can take a bit of time to master.
Good Luck
Ron.

 

[barkis]

15 minutes ago, Norniron said:

Thats the big white one... right ! 

Don't confuse the Sun with the Moon.   
Never look at the Sun through a telescope, it will severely damage your sight.
Ron.

[Norniron]

Thanks Ron , i've had good views of the moon and seen Jupiter and Venus but only really as discs of light - no colour or detail . I know it is a beginners Telescope but just wondering if it was  up to the task . I've noticed that  the Sky at night seem to give every telescope four or 4.5 stars . Maybe not the best place to research a new buy .

regards

David

 

[Pankaj]

I would say that your plan to buy a 10" dob is perfect. The Skywatcher 10" dob is good piece of equipment. I have it too and its my best mate for ''a grab & go'' observing session. Though to some members here, this scope may sound a bit heavy to carry. Its got great resolution and splits the tightest of doubles easily. All planets are within reach except of course Uranus & Neptune. Its 1200mm FL with a modest 25mm eyepiece will easily show the rings of saturn, bands on jupiter and the moons of both planets. Increase the magnification using 2x barlow and eyepieces till 6mm (400x) and you'll get blown away with what you see. 

Due to its aperture, almost all nebulas and galaxies are within reach though watching the details in some dimmer ones may require dark skies. 

The only problem with a Dob is that as you increase the magnification, the planets quickly pass through the field of view. So with time and practice, you will have to learn to follow the planets movement through the fov by turning the dob mount. 

[miguel87]

They give good reviews because they dont want to waste pages on showing people a telescope NOT to buy. Venus will not show detail but the phases are enjoyable to see. I would have thought you could pick some colour out on saturn with that scope.

As for Saturn's rings, the planet should be obviously not round and of golden colour in the 3 inch scope. I doubt you would be able to see the cassini division but you should be able to get a small crisp view.

If your main interests are planetary then maybe stick with a refractor as they give sharper, more accurately coloured images of planets. 

Dont expect magic with 8 or 10 inches. I have had an 8 inch newt for many years. Maybe only 3 times out of 10 I can make out the cassini division in the rings. The quality of your sky will make a huge difference and the declination of the planet.

[miguel87]

2 minutes ago, Pankaj said:

I would say that your plan to buy a 10" dob is perfect. The Skywatcher 10" dob is good piece of equipment. I have it too and its my best mate for ''a grab & go'' observing session. Though to some members here, this scope may sound a bit heavy to carry. Its got great resolution and splits the tightest of doubles easily. All planets are within reach except of course Uranus & Neptune. Its 1200mm FL with a modest 25mm eyepiece will easily show the rings of saturn, bands on jupiter and the moons of both planets. Increase the magnification using 2x barlow and eyepieces till 6mm (400x) and you'll get blown away with what you see. 

Due to its aperture, almost all nebulas and galaxies are within reach though watching the details in some dimmer ones may require dark skies. 

The only problem with a Dob is that as you increase the magnification, the planets quickly pass through the field of view. So with time and practice, you will have to learn to follow the planets movement through the fov by turning the dob mount. 

Uranus and Neptune are definitely within reach. I have seen them many time with 8 inches. Not much to look at and obviously smaller than our closer neighbours but I have resolved Uranus as a crisp disc and Neptune appears more star-like.

[Norniron]

Thanks for your reply Pankaj , i must admit i'm leaning towards the Skywatcher , its within budget and a good step up in viewing experience.

[Norniron]

Thanks Miguel for your advice . 

[Pankaj]

3 minutes ago, Norniron said:

Thanks for your reply Pankaj , i must admit i'm leaning towards the Skywatcher , its within budget and a good step up in viewing experience.

It is good. No doubt.

As Miguel said, the darker the skies the better show you'll get on the galaxies and nebulas. The two most important things to observe nebulas and galaxies is - Dark Sky and Aperture.

From city polluted skies, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus Moon are never a problem through this scope. The higher the planet in the sky, the better.  

People also forget about the double/triple/+++ star systems. They are a treat to watch through this scope even from light polluted skies.

[almcl]

You should be able to see the rings of Saturn through your scope.  I managed to see them in an even smaller (76mm) reflector some years ago.  In an 8" or 10" the view is quite memorable.

That said, Saturn is not well placed for observation at the moment - it doesn't get to 10° above the horizon  until 5.30 am by which time dawn is breaking and then sets around mid day having never got more than 15° above the horizon.  You may have to wait a little while for truly breathtaking views.

 

[barkis]

@Norniron   I've no Idea what your budget is, and you certainly don't need to reveal it here.
I  can suggest you look at the used market for a decent instrument. There are many decent bargains to be had.
and If you are in the early stages of amateur astronomy, then you should consider that route.

Often expectations can be too great, and disappointment could lead to abandoning your ambition altogether.
Before you make a decision to buy any particular telescope, If you are unsure, ask for advice on the forum here.
Ron.