can i expect to see jupiter with a 6" reflector?

[lostinspace]

Hi guys, some amazing pics of jupitor around. I was wondering would i be able to see any detail with my 6" scope? with my ep`s i can just make out mars as a little disc, however isnt jupitor a lot bigger if further away? that said would i get a better view? thanks for all your help guys,

john

[brianb]

would i be able to see any detail with my 6" scope?

You certainly should be able to see quite a lot of detail with 6" aperture ... if the seeing conditions are good & your scope is accurately collimated & allowed to cool to ambient temperature.

[Merlin66]

When I started I used a 6" f8 for many years. It's a great sized telescope and quite capable of showing detail of the belts etc on Jupiter.

Takes a bit of practise to train you eye to see all the available detail, but after a while the more you look the more you see.

Enjoy!

[matteboy]

If I can see the bands in my little scope, you'll definitely see some good detail, all four moons and the GRS should be visible (if it's facing us!) The longer you look at it the clearer it'll become

Good hunting & clear sikes

[lostinspace]

thanks guys, thats given me the optimism needed to set myself up tonight,

john

[great_bear]

- if you're feeling really adventurous you could have a go at finding Uranus in that scope too - it's (visually) in the same general vicinity as Jupiter, and - whilst you can't magnify it enough to see any detail - you can magnify it enough to tell that it's not a star that you're looking at.

[themos]

The quality of the skies will be the limiting factor, not your aperture.

[Moonshane]

I completely agree with everything said above. I specifically bought a long tube 6" newt for planets and lunar and the image of Jupiter is FAR superior to my 12".

[Paulb3098]

John, I've just got my Skywatcher 6" F8 and on a clear night I've been able to see the moons and band. I fould the 2 x barlow really helped a lot. Good luck.

[mark7331]

Yep. I can clearly see the moons and banding through my 6" SCT. I agree that the 2x barlow helps and the longer you spend observing it the better you can see details.

Have fun

[great_bear]

I specifically bought a long tube 6" newt for planets and lunar and the image of Jupiter is FAR superior to my 12".

[Skybrowser]

A good Barlow will pick out the detail easily, but even a reasonably high powered eyepiece on its own will do that too. I've been looking at Jupiter through my 6" F8 reflector for weeks and got some decent pics with a webcam too. You'll be fine and prepare to be amazed - you get the moons too!

[RikM]

I have a 6" f/5 reflector and can see the bands and moons quite clearly when the sky cooperates. I haven't seen the GRS yet, because every time I have had a clear sky, it has been facing the wrong way

Keep at it and I am sure you will be rewarded.

Rik

[iamzoso60]

I've been seeing more detail than I expected with my Mak 127, but as people have said, the weather conditions have to be just right and the higher in the sky the object is, the more chance you have of getting it right.

[great_bear]

After replacing the mirror diagonal with a new one, and better eyepieces and a binoviewer, coupled with a generous cooldown time, in my 7" Mak I now see not only all the individual belts, but individual swirly festoons and spotty bands across the surface of Jupiter for just a few seconds every 15 mins or so - when the conditions are good.

Before then, I didn't even know that this was possible, so I'm delighted.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Amongst my scopes i have a 90mm refractor. With that scope i can clearly see Jupiter and its 4 main moons. With the same scope on nights of good "seeing", i can clearly see 4 main bands of cloud around the planet (only 3 of late because the SEB has gone AWOL).

Your 6" scope should give you pretty good views of Jupiter.

Forget Mars.............it is never very pleasing and right now it is soooooooooo far away that it is a waste of time to try to observe.

[Manok101]

I can see Jupiter fine, I have an Orion xt4.5 inch reflector, and depending on conditions I can see some of jupiters moons. So yes, 6 inches is enough.

[carl0s]

i got a great view of jupiter tonight with my 4,5" reflector. so you should be just fine!

[01gringo]

Well I got outside last night before the clouds came over and managed to get some nice views of jupiter and it moons with my 6".

Some nice sights of of the banding, all quite awe inspiring.

[Shibby]

A good barlow goes a long way, I've had some awesome views at 150x magnification with my 6" Newtonian. I could see much cloud detail, 4 moons and Europa's shadow on Jupiter.

That was with a 2x barlow + 10mm eyepiece.