newbee A sillie newbie looking for help

[Baldurth]

Hi everyone,

I am stepping my first steps in the star gazing world and am stuck. I have SkyWatcher Explorer-130 and have set it up best of my knowledge along with the latitude. When I try gaze in the sky at night I don't see anything. I have tried different sizes of lenses but no luck.

Should I not be able to see something even though I have not polar aligned the scope?

Thank

 

 

[LaurenceT]

Can you give us some more information? What mount are you using to begin with?

Edited October 31, 2023 by LaurenceT

[MartianHill]

Did you see the answers to your other post ?

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by MartianHill

[MartianHill]

I would suggest you set the scope up during the day and point it at a distant land object using the finder and then see if you can get a decent image through the 25mm eyepiece by adjusting the focuser

Edited October 31, 2023 by MartianHill

[John]

As advised above, getting your finder scope accurately aligned with the view through your main scope is vital in being able to find and view astronomical targets.

 

[Elp]

As it's a Newtonian it will have to be in or within collimation for you to see anything. Unfortunately it's something you have to learn to do with this type of telescope, the first one I ever had (not this model, something much cheaper) I couldn't see anything at all, I couldn't even collimate it it was that badly designed. You may have to collimate it, it's not too difficult, a collimation cap is cheap (or you can make your own) will get you there in a couple of minutes of tweaking the primary and secondary mirrors if they're adjustable. But first, I'd shine a light down the open end and see if you can see the light through an eyepiece in the focuser.

 

[John]

Unless it is massively out of collimation, a newtonian does actually show views of astronomical targets. 

I would give priority to getting the finder scope accurately aligned with the main scope and then learning how to bring the scope to focus on an easy to find astronomical target such as the moon or Jupiter (use a low power eyepiece such as a 25mm one to start with).

Once you have got that far and can find things to look at in the sky, focus the scope on them, have worked out how the scope moves around the sky with the mount you have, collimation checks and, if needed, adjustment can follow on from that.

 

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by John

[MartianHill]

PS  @Baldurth, there are no silly questions - feel free to ask many questions, you will always get help on Stargazers Lounge 👍

[Elp]

I'd be surprised at 650mm focal length and the scope is in or near focus nothing can be seen. The suggestion to try during the day on a far off object is a good one (obviously avoid anything near the direction of the sun/reflection). Not in focus is usually the first port of call followed by an optical obstruction of some kind if you can't see anything.

[Simone_DB]

On 31/10/2023 at 21:52, Baldurth said:

Hi everyone,

I am stepping my first steps in the star gazing world and am stuck. I have SkyWatcher Explorer-130 and have set it up best of my knowledge along with the latitude. When I try gaze in the sky at night I don't see anything. I have tried different sizes of lenses but no luck.

Should I not be able to see something even though I have not polar aligned the scope?

Thank

 

 

Hi, I have a couple of questions: when you say you can't see "anything", what do you mean? You actually see nothing? Can you see some stars? 

When you ask if you should see "something", what do you mean? What do you expect too see? 

And, as others suggested, have you tried to point the scope to "easy" objects (moon, Jupiter, Saturn)? 

Edited November 2, 2023 by Simone_DB