Feeling abit disheartened..

[Kain]

I know, you will probably all take the mess, but I'm feeling abit fed up with my scope..

I can hardly focus on Jupiter without getting a blue tint to it, even when I finally get a sharp focus, I can hardly see any detail, just the moons..

Saturn is better, but other than the rings, what more is there to see? the image is so tiny anyway..theres hardly any point!

I guess it serves me right buying a cheap scope off ebay, I have bought some nice celestron Ep's too, they have sharpened in image alot..but still.

The moon looks brilliant though it, but I can only see it from my place when it's full!

I dunno, I guess I just need a good moan!

I'll be glad when I get the Dob 8inch in July..

Kain

Oh and that camera adaptor thing, biggest loads of cack going..

[Greg]

First things first .....

We all get fed up, dis-heartened...Whatever. If we all ran round having perfick sky's and perfick scopes we would all get fed up and start a ........Bounce tumble dryer sheet appreciation forum :shock:

You need to take time to "Train you eyes"...For some people it take years.. It's all part of the hobbie..

I have been observing with many different people..We all see different level of detail ..According to our experience and ability.

My eyesight is poor..Due to too much smoking and alcohol...... :shock: :shock: age is probably the influencing factor!!

If you get theDob you will still not see colour..trust me. What you will have is a scope that will give you better views with lower power eyepices so giving you better eye relief so you can train your eye or eyes at seeing more detail.

Mmmm......Time to order the taxi!!

Greg....(Obi Whan!)

[FLO]

Greg....(Obi Whan!)

Hang in there Kain; the best is yet to come

The Revelation Dobsonian you have ordered is going to be sooooo much better!

Steve....(Anakin )

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

So what do you want to hear? Spend a couple of grand then you can really moan about the clouds?

Jupiter is low down in the sky. From most of the UK that means looking through lots of dust and fumes in the air because the shortest way through the dirty air is straight up. That ain't going to happen with Jupiter because of where it lives. Add to that the convection currents from homes and roads spilling hot air and you have all kinds of problems with the "seeing" (technical term for wobbly air).

How many of your mates have seen the moons? Or know where Jupiter lives? Or have seen the rings of Saturn?

How come you can only see the moon when its full? The path is roughly the same every day, it just turns up and leaves at a different time, so I don't get that argument.

What seems to happen is that we all get fed up because we have the wrong kit at the wrong time. A reflecter 'scope such as yours is not ideal for planets, but that's what there is at the moment. Recipe for grumpiness. You could have spent a lot more money and still got "out of season" on the stuff that your 'scope excells at.

Tell us what bits of sky you can see from your (outdoor) viewing area and you might get some suggested targets. Globular clusters don't sound too enticing, but a view of a lump of frogspawn where every dot is a star is kind of like seeing a whole new universe. Wait for M31 and you will see a whole galaxy, that won't be long before it's high in the sky.

Look up the Messier objects (Google SEDS Messier) and work out what you can get to look at. The list will have details of magnitude (lower is better, as in brighter) and the angular size (lets you pick the eyepiece to suit).

Planets are good for your 'scope as you will be able to find them and look at them, but the detail won't be out of a magazine. The smaller aperture 'scopes need bright objects as they don't collect as much light as the bigger ones.

At the moment, check out M3, a big lump of stars, that will sort you out.

HTH

Captain Chaos

[MartinB]

Kain, I suspect things aren't great with your scope, maybe the mirror is poor quality or maybe it isn't as well collimated as it should be (but I think you have checked this) One easy test is to have another look at Saturn. If you can't see the Cassini division then you definitely have a problem. If Cassini is visible then the problem lies with your level of expectation and lack of experience picking out detail.

Ignore the wonderful images you see, you wont see anything like that esp DSOs. I would suggest you look out for some open clusters - not a good time of year right now. See if you can find M81 and 82 - nice to see in the same FOV. Turn Left at Orion is a great book to guide you through the better sights in the sky and the time to observe them. Gives you a nice description of what you can expect to see in the EP.

It is hard Kain but don't give up, the rewards are there

[Kain]

Nah I ain't given up yet, I can't see the Cassini devision either...

The problem is I live in a block of flats, hauling the scope down a flight of stairs then going into the garden just to see the same things over and over again is a little tedious. Ok so my mates ain't seen Jupiter's moons or the rings of Saturn...they probably couldn't care less either lol!

I'll see if I can find some clusters on the next clear night..

As for the moon, well it just comes up earlier when it's full! Wont be so bad this week as I have a week off work!

Kain

[FLO]

Kain,

If you are observing from a window (hopefully you have a balcony?) you will need to reduce the temperature in the room otherwise you will be observing thru air turbulence from heat escaping thru the window.

The more I think about it, the more I think a 6-8 inch Dobsonian or a 4” refractor is best for you. Both can be set-up in a confined space and be carried to a dark-sky location whenever the opportunity arises.

[Kain]

Yeah I have a balcony, I have a nice view of saturn for a few hours off it, before it vanishes beind a tree and streetlight.

I can't wait till I get the 8" Dob

Another thing about my scope, it wobbles like mad!

Kain

[GazOC]

Ok so my mates ain't seen Jupiter's moons or the rings of Saturn...they probably couldn't care less either lol!

I here ya there mate!! LOL!!