Struggling to see through the telescope.

[kayle_culligan]

hello, I have a 76mm aperture reflector telescope, it came with the wrong manual! *bought second hand” and I’ve built it as close as what I can tell through the other manual and searches from YouTube! I’m beginning a career in astronomy starting Oct 2021 and wanted to get a taste of what I could see! The moon is bright right now! I can see it through my aim scope but the second I put a lense in and look through the actual scop I can’t see a thing!! I’m just getting very stressed and wondering if anyone could kindly help with some tips, thank you.

[Priesters]

Hi, can you see any light at all or is it just black?

[CraigT82]

Have you lined up the main scope and the finder scope? It is best to do this in the daytime on a distant landmark. 

 

[maw lod qan]

If the moon is bright, you should be able to get your telescope close, then move it around slowly with your eye at the eyepiece. 

Use the biggest eyepiece. One like 23mm will give you more field of view than a 10mm or smaller.

It might take a minute or two but you'll find the moon from its bright glow. Then look through your finder scope to see how bad its off.

[Peter_D]

Is the small secondary mirror (at the open end of scope) in place and correctly aligned? 

[AstroMuni]

11 hours ago, kayle_culligan said:

hello, I have a 76mm aperture reflector telescope, it came with the wrong manual! *bought second hand” and I’ve built it as close as what I can tell through the other manual and searches from YouTube! I’m beginning a career in astronomy starting Oct 2021 and wanted to get a taste of what I could see! The moon is bright right now! I can see it through my aim scope but the second I put a lense in and look through the actual scop I can’t see a thing!! I’m just getting very stressed and wondering if anyone could kindly help with some tips, thank you.

If you post more details of your scope  (model, brand etc) or an image we can assist better.

As has already been said, try it out first during daytime on a distant object.

Edited July 16, 2021 by AstroMuni

[malc-c]

And take some pictures and attach them to a post so we can see if there is anything missing

[Capt Slog]

By coincidence I've just had a conversation with my sister over facebook about the telescope i loaned to her yesterday..  She said she set it up last night but everything was black.

 

Thinking she might have jolted something loose on the journey home, I went through "can you see the primary mirror?" "can you see the secondary through the focus tube"  Etc.

 

It turned out that she had the telescope pointing at the ground.  😄

Without wishing to insult your intelligence, do you have the open end pointing at the sky? And the cap is off?

[Starwatcher2001]

Hi Kayle, did you manage to get your telescope sorted?  If you didn't and still need a hand, don't hesitate to post again and we'll try to help you.  No need to feel stressed, you're surrounded by friendly folk in here.

Oh, and don't worry if you did something daft like leaving the cap on the end of the scope, we've all done something like that in the past - me several times.

Cheers,

Mark

 

[Gonariu]

Hi Kayle, I think a 76mm Newtonian to start is fine. When I was 16 in 1983 I bought a 60mm 700mm focal length telescope with lens (achromatic refractor 60/700). Assuming that the telescope optics are collimated, you have to adjust the finder with screws that you will easily notice. In the finder you see a cross and when it is collimated what you see in the center of the cross you also see it in the center of the telescope. If this is not the case what you put in the center of the finder you do not see it at the telescope, so first point with the finder at a distant detail (for example a lamp on a street lamp), by attempting you put it in the center of the telescope (which must have an eyepiece at low magnification, I used to put 35X) and adjust the screws that I told you before, the thing must be done by trial and error. This operation must be done during the day. Once you have done this you can see what you want, within the telescope's potential of course.

[xvariablestarx]

My first telescope was a 75mm reflector. You will be able to see the Moon in it for sure, though you may want to get some better eyepieces eventually. You will also be able to see the Orion nebula, and various star clusters, the moons of Jupiter, and the rings around Saturn. Check you have the lens cap off the eyepiece and the dust cap off off the front of the scope, Take out the eyepiece and see if you can easily see your own eye reflected in the secondary mirror when you look down the focuser.