It works!

[Geo]

So I was messing around a little with the scope tonight trying to get used to moving it around and lining it up with distant objects, just having a bit of a mess around with it really. Suddenly the skies cleared a little, I looked slightly to the east and there it was, a tiny twinkle in the sky. It was Saturn! Now me being in my room I thought this was never going to work. I opened the window and lined the scope up...

I was met with a blurry little ball, I slowly turned the focuser...

There it was! Saturn! It was as sharp as ever and I could clearly see it's rings, i nearly fell off my chair. Looked again, and again, and again..a bit more..This is amazing! Sitting in my room in the Southside of Glasgow I was staring at the prettiest planet of them all (well I think so anyway).

So i then went to the Celestron EP kit to see if I could get some better views. The only EP's i received with the scope were the 25mm wide angle and the 10mm. I tried the 6mm celestron plossi with the Barlow and did find it bigger, but it was awfully blurry. I found this to be the case with most of the Celestron EP's. The best view I had was with the standard 25mm i received wit the scope. Sure it was a little small, but it was so sharp and that made it all the more "real" for me. I didn't have a chance to try and of the filters as Saturn soon disappeared into the night once more.

So I guess my question is, what are the best eyepieces you'd recommend for this scope? Is it possible these Celestron EP's are not suited to this scope? After my brief dance with Saturn tonight I want more!

It works, and I am going to bed the happiest I've been in a while. Thank you Saturn.

[JamesF]

There's just something about Saturn isn't there?

Could be that the seeing wasn't good enough to give you much more magnification, especially if it was cloudy. I'd certainly expect the Celestron EPs to be at least as good as the ones that came the scope all other things being equal. Trying to push the magnification up (to 400x ?) with a 6mm lens and barlow is almost certainly asking too much of anything but the best possible seeing. I'd give them another go when the sky is clearer.

James

[AlexB]

6 mm + (assuming) 2x barlow is getting on for 400x mag, where your scope has a maximum potential of (I think) 500x. Now if the seeing wasn't spot on, it is likely to be blurry (did you see much variation, you're target may appear to dance around a little.)

One thing to consider is, were you out for a while, did you leave the eyepieces out in the open? Did some dew build up on them or even the barlow.

Other than that, maybe you were just struggling to get fine adjustment on the focuser (as it's a single speed type according to the spec on FLO's site.)

I'm not an expert, so there maybe some much more technical explanation for this!

[Geo]

I wasn't even outside! It was from my bedroom, I had to act quickly as the sky only cleared for about 10 minutes

[WolfsPride]

Nice job bringing it in. I honestly feel like a 46 year old little kid on Christmas morning waiting for my Dob to arrive. If I'm smart I'll have to have an Ambulance on standby. I know the first time I spot it, I'll have a heart attack

[great_bear]

I'm not an expert, so there maybe some much more technical explanation for this!

Yup, as I mentioned in another thread, it's called being indoors.

For high-mag planetary views you need to be outside, with a well-cooled scope, without other warm buildings underneath the view of the planet in question.

[Geo]

I'll be heading outside first opportunity.

[stolenfeather]

I have to agree with you there,.. Saturn is indeed the prettiest of all the planets. The first one I saw was Venus and it was so bright that year that it completely mesmerized me! Congrats Geo and may you have even more successful nights!

Isabelle

[RogerTheDodger]

Good to hear your unexpected first light

[Pete Presland]

i love it when a plan comes together!

[valleyman]

Yep indoors is not good.

[JamesF]

Yep indoors is not good.

Very true. And what will people think if you go around telling them you have a big telescope in your bedroom?

James

[F15Rules]

Yes, with a tube that size and warm air in your room (even with no heat on it will still be much warmer than outside at this time of year), and heat from underneath your room too, you simply won't get the best from your scope.

Also, the more you look, the more you see..wait outside til your eyes have dark adapted properly, (at least half an hour), and look for 5 minutes or more at a time, at your object (5 minutes is a looooong time when you are just concentrating on one tiny image..).

You eps aren't Naglers, but they should if used outside, cooled properly, deliver reasonable images up to x150-x200 in good conditions.

Good luck, love your enthusiasm!!

cheers

Dave