32mm eyepiece on 150p.

[Baggage]

Hey guys,

Just bought a 32mm panaview eyepiece for DSO viewing, and whilst hunting for the sun this afternoon (to no avail, t'was cloudy, funny old thing...) I noticed that I was getting the secondary mirror darkening the centre of the view.

Is this because my pupil was not dilated enough, due to the brightness (32mm on f5 gives exit pupil of 6.4mm)?

Or would this not be noticeable at night?

Thanks

Dan

[LukeSkywatcher]

I assume you were using a proper solar filter today while searching for the Sun?

[nightfisher]

I assume you were using a proper solar filter today while searching for the Sun?

My thoughts exactly, NEVER view the sun without using the correct protection

[Nillchill]

strangely enough I was getting a similar issue using a meade 25mm eyepiece witha skywatcher 130, looking at the moon. it was with and without moon filter. Yet my sw 25mm was fine. I would be interested in an explaination of why these dark patches should appear?

I am not trying to hijack the thread, it just seamed a similar scenario

[Baggage]

Thanks for the concern, and yes, I was using a solar filter that I made with some Baader Solar Film.

I reckon I got the darkening due to my pupil being constricted in the day time (even though the views of the Sun were blocked, the thin cloud was brighter than a big bag of bright things)

[LukeSkywatcher]

I have noticed the dark area (the secondary mirror) in the middle of my FOV a couple of times. I think its to do with focus,collimation.

[Baggage]

Possibly focus, as i was pointed at a nearby building at the time. Approx 30-40m away.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Possibly focus, as i was pointed at a nearby building at the time. Approx 30-40m away.

That will do it.

[Baggage]

Tidy. At least it's my noobishness letting me down, and not the eyepiece!

Me being a plonker I can deal with, but a knackered eyepiece would of upset me.

[SiriusB]

Hi Dan,

From what you've said i'm not sure what effect your describing.Just a couple of thoughts:

1)In the daytime your pupil is unlikely to expand to 6.4mm.

With some eyepiece designs when the exit pupil is nearly as big or bigger than your eyes' pupil this can cause "blackouts"-where the view just blacks out until you reposition your eye slightly. not sure if this is what your experiencing?

2) I've heard it said, though never experienced it in practice, that with telescope designs with a relatively large central obstruction &when using really low powers with large exit pupils the centre of view can appear dark as the obsruction becomes significantly large as it hits the eye, so you're seeing the shadow of the secondary.

Think of it this way, if i have a 6mm exit pupil, a 6mm circle of light enters the eye.

If for example you have a 150mm mirror with a 50mm secondary that circle becomes a 6mm donut with a 2mm hole in the middle, at the eye.

So this may be what you are seeing?

Best thing to do is see what happens at night & go from there.

Hope that helps?

[John]

I think SiriusB is right on the money with both those suggestions. Blackouts and secondary shadow are all symptoms of the scope / eyepiece exit pupil exceeding that of the eyes pupil.

Things will be different at night I reckon.