Watery looking stars?

[Manok101]

Every so often I go out with my scope and the stars have a washed out or watery quality to them is this ,y scope or is this the atmosphere?

[umadog]

Can you be more precise what it is that you're seeing?

The main thing that could happen to the scope is that it gets hit with condensation. Often this will simply obscure the view.

[Manok101]

Hmm, the best way to describe it is, is the stars occasionally don't look like they are in focus, even though i fiddle with the focuser, although after I posted this, I realized that I might not be getting the right setting on my focuser.

[Steve1976]

Sounds like atmospheric seeing to me

[lookhigh]

Yes prob atmospheric or thermal if your scope hasn't cooled down to equal temperature.

[Trull]

I'd check collimation, make sure your eyepiece is seated correctly in the focusser, but agree its probably seeing. Just in case its your eyes - try looking straight up and compare with lower down in the sky (the liquid infront of your eye will behave slightly differently). If you look at the moon, does it look like you are looking over a radiator on a cold day (shimmering) if so that's "seeing" you can try getting away from sources of heat like roads, buildings, etc... let us know how you do!

[MorningMajor]

Have you got a set of bins so you can compare what you see through the scope?

Just a thought

[umadog]

If it's changing like that over time then it's the atmosphere.