Great video, so I made timestamps: 00:00 🌌 New telescope owners often expect more from their eyepiece. 01:00 🔭 To avoid overpowering, know your telescope's max magnification (2x aperture). 03:07 📏 Calculate eyepiece magnification: telescope focal length / eyepiece focal length. 06:48 🔍 Lower magnifications are better; high magnifications need perfect conditions. 11:01 🌠 Use 2-3x Barlow for visual astronomy; avoid high-power Barlows.
If you’re a beginning hobbyist astronomer, even an astrophysics and Astronomy major like me who loves astrophotography, seeing Saturn through your own view is the absolute most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed. It never gets old and I’ve watched saturn 100’s of times
The astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said: -There are two kinds of people, those who have seen Saturn [with their own eyes through a telescope], and those who have not. I myself got my first telescope, a 4" refractor, 11 years ago. And directed it towards Saturn. And I can confirm that the view somehow changed my life. Regardless of the size, provided you can see the rings, the view does something with you.
Even with a 60mm, being able to just see saturn ring is euphoric enough regardless of the expectation. It literally made me stop breathing for a sec. So magical....
Couldn't agree more Janus, In my opinion Saturn is the most beautiful object in the night sky to observe, I'll never forget my first time seeing it, almost brought a tear to my eye.
Unfortunately, Saturn won't be as majestic for long. Research shoes that in a couple million years from now, Saturn's rings will dissipate either from gravitational pull or the sun's ionizing radiation. It's such a shame that nothing good lasts forever.
@@attackoramic8361 Humans won't be around then either!, sure you can always visit the planets, "remote viewing" Takes a fair bit of time to learn how to do it!
Recently, I've been able to observe Jupiter, and her Moon's, and Saturn, and able to make out the Rings (JUST) with a cheap 45x50mm spotting scope. No matter how small they are in the eyepiece, doesn't seem to diminish the amazement that I feel knowing what I'm seeing, with my own eyes. It certainly makes me want a more capable scope, it might just be my next big purchase.
Hello Adam. Great to hear you are appreciating what you are seeing. I agree a 100% with you, it doesn't matter how it looks in the eyepiece as long as it is giving you that Wow factor.. Because that's what count's at the end of the day.. Take care friend, clear skies :)
@@TheStevecas9860 Absolutely! Reading about them and then seeing them is WAY more exciting than just seeing them alone without all the background stories.
I feel so stupid. I selected the biggest eyepiece (40mm)because I thought the bigger the number, the more powerful. I just purchased my first telescope (celestron evo 8 hd) and man, channels like this have been a blessing. I quickly realized I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm overwhelmed, but learning.
Why do you feel stupid, you can’t know everythjng about everythjng, you’re learning and interested, so don’t say you’re stupid. In fact the only stupid thing you have done is calling yourself stupid. What I’ve learned in the last few weeks was 1 I know nothing about telescopes. 2 there is heaps to know and 3 if you just keep plugging away and don’t give up you will very soon understand enough to enjoy yourself. Every one I know who has bought a telescope has given up before they even started as they get overwhelmed and think they have to know everythjng right this minute. It’s like learning the piano, you can’t play a Rachmaninov prelude in the first few months but you can certainly play things that sound good and give you great enjoyment and satisfaction. All the best to you and happy telescoping,
I was thinking of getting a 40mm but bought only 32mm but I would say try the 40mm with 2x or 5x Barlow & it will probably give you a nice wide image instead of the less mm lenses like 4mm or 5mm which are difficult to look through. Hope this Helps!!!
Hi Jason I thought this was very well explained and a gem for beginners. I think turning expectation into appreciation was a great message to pass on. 👍
Brilliant tutorial! not only for beginners but reference for amateurs aswel. I learned this a long time ago when first starting out in astronomy. Always watching the bbc program ‘the sky at night’ with the “iconic” Patrick moor!🙂 and he did an episode on this subject. he recommended using 50x per inch of aperture and I found out he was absolutely right! I think the best way to not be caught out by this “scam” these manufacturers use! is to do your own research and join a local Astro group in your area or social media is great aswell lots of help out there. Take care
i got potentialy one of the worst telescopes posssible for christmas but even then its amazing, looking at jupiter i could see the moons which was amazing i coulnt see anything on the "surface" but just being able to see the moons of Jupiter has opened a Pandora box for how much there is to see out there
I wasn't a life long fan of the stars, but I'm about to turn 28, and my girlfriend bought me a Celestron SLT 133mm Scope and there's a big learning curve. I've been fascinated the last 3 years with space, astronomy and everything in-between. So learning these things in the past few days, having videos like these really do help us beginners. Aka Noobs. Thanks, great video.
When I was a kid, I had a cheap refracting telescope with a 600mm focal length and an aperture of 50mm. I bought a separate eyepiece of 6mm, it was heavy; I saw quite an enlargement in the image viewed and it looked sharp. When I looked at Saturn , it looked like a bright star with a short line in the center. I could see some points of stars around Saturn, I guess that was its moons. The moon always looked good, but all other objects suffered from chromatic aberration. Venus always looked like a bright star through that telescope.
My first telescope was from radio shack many years ago. It cost 40.00. I remember my first discovery was saturn, and when I saw the ring I was crazy happy. The image was similar to the one showed here, small but amazing.
Thank you for explaining this! I got my first telescope last year, and I fought and fought with it trying to get a better close up of Saturn. Through a lot of trial and error, I came to the conclusion you just gave. Start small, and work your way up. I also discovered my galaxy s21 ultra takes better pictures of the moon that I can view through my telescope.... mind, it is a really really really cheap telescope. I need a better mount. It's basically on a cheap camera tripod. I plan to upgrade to something with a better mount. I will say though, even with this cheap telescope, I was able to get to see Saturn's rings. I showed them to my 2 adult daughters and they were absolutely freaking out. It was a great dad / daughters moment. This video shows, a little knowledge goes a long way.
Great Video. I’m new to Astronomy and I didn’t know any of the things you said. I will have to watch this a few times I think, so I won’t forget it. I just purchased a GSkyer 700x90 and will be mostly looking at the Moon. I waiting on the Shipping right now, but I’m hoping I can see the Craters really clearly. It has a 10mm, 25mm, one other one I can’t remember off hand, and a 3x Barlow Lense. I plan on doing some Adventure Motorcycle Riding, and plan on using the Telescope while Camping. I will definitely be watching All of your Videos. Thanks Again from Texas. By the way, Everything is bigger in Texas, even the Moon ha ha😁
He is right about "expectation" and "overpowering" or using too much power. I've been an amateur astronomer and ATM'er for decades now and one thing is certain, your most enjoyable experiences will be with low power oculars. If you want to increase magnification after viewing in low power, vibration or "wobble" will also increase with the higher power oculars. This is especially true with manual focus vs. non wobbling auto focus. Also, you will tend to have better contrast with a high quality refractor vs. a reflector unless it is a high quality mirror like a Zambuto. Either that or having your mirror refigured by a reputable company. Typical "assembly line" type reflectors do not show color very well which means "refiguring" the mirror for better contrast. This costs $$. And faster telescopes (lower F-Ratios) allow more light but don't magnify as well as slower telescopes with the same size aperture. Reflectors with large apertures don't cost as much as refractors which is why they are so popular, but there is that "contrast" issue again. If you are good at working with your hands, you can save money by becoming an Amateur Telescope Maker! Read everything about telescopes and find a good source for lenses and)or mirrors. Apochromatic vs. Achromatic refractor telescopes is where "CA" or Chromatic Aberration are an issue. This is where the red and blue light focus at different points, usually only visable or apparent with brighter white objects like Sirius or Venus. I'd much rather see an image like Saturn look smaller in real time, than a larger picture of it in super high definition on a computer screen. That's why astronomy is so much fun. And the joke of the day are the 2 types of telescope owners. The refined owner who appreciates beauty by viewing the sky in all of it's splender, while some telescope owners simply peer through windows. This is like comparing a crystal clear spring to a mud puddle
I'll never forget my first view of Venus. Even with 10x50 binoculars on a photographic tripod, I could see the crescent, like a mini moon. It got me hooked on planetary astronomy.
I just got a telescope for Christmas and learned so much already from your videos. My telescope is 80mmx500mm refractor with a 3x Barlow and I think a 10mm eyepiece. I will change to the 25mm bc as I now know, less is more. I didn’t use the Barlow before when viewing mars and Jupiter and only used the 10mm eyepiece so hopefully I’ll see them better.
Get a good dark filter before you look at the moon. It hurts without. With the 25, that should be a fun scope to get lost wandering around the Milky Way in the summer. An O III filter will be useful for some of the bigger nebulae, like the Dumbell or the Lagoon, though most of the joy with that size of scope will be the thrill of discovery rather than ooohs and aaahs. I leave a scope that size on an altazimuth mount as a "grab and go". Zero assembly or packing required.
Fantastic video, I, learned alot from this! I did not know how to calculate the max magnification that a telescope could handle or indeed that there was a limit at all. now I do. Thanks again for clear, straightforward explanations. As a previous commentor said, a gem of a video for us beginners👍
I have an ancient copy of a little "Golden Book" on the subject of stars, planets and astronomy. There are artist drawings showing you exactly what to expect to see of Jupiter and Saturn in your "small, backyard" telescope. Surprisingly, they are RIGHT ON TARGET! Even at 250x or 300x the image of the planet in the eyepiece is very SMALL!
Very Illustrative Jason, Great Advice. !! The Rings of Saturn and Moon's of Jupiter do Look really great Even at 50x Magnification!! I think Magnification of 150x to 200x is Ideal under most Seeing Conditions for Pretty Much all Planets, Considering Your Telescopes Aperture!! Turning Expectations into Explanation is a Great message to Encourage People to Learn More In this Hobby.Clear Skies, Stay Safe mate!!🔭🪐
Hey D.S.H. Thanks buddy, I agree, for the planets the highest I usually go is 180x if the conditions permit it... And you my friend, Stay safe clear skies :)
Thank you so much for this video, now I easily got the hang of how focal length, aperture and eyepieces all work together to calculate magnification. Very much appreciated, its useful for newbies at astronomy like myself.
After watching this as a new starter i have prob wiped 90% of mistakes that newbies make when buying kit. nice bit about the barlow x2 that can be a 1.5x . I will be looking at used equipment and it seems a reflector of range 6" or a 8", i am on a budget and i have to make a choice f5 or a f8 dobsonian or mount.
Very informative, thanks. I'm at this stage in my astronomy journey (choosing eyepiece upgrades) and what you are saying makes a lot of sense. You hear about experienced astronomers using 15mm and 25mm eyepieces and think, "why wouldn't you go to at least an 8mm to get a closer view?". But it's not that simple. The reality is that other factors like clarity, brightness, apparent field of view and eye relief make views much more enjoyable.
I bought my first telescope last month and will be using it in a dark sky zone this weekend (horrible timing I know with the full moon, but only time my husband could get off). Thank you for breaking down the maths. Jason you have made me glad that I didn't invest in a barlow lenses for this weekend. I figure better to learn how to use the scope properly, and then see what it can do with a barlow at a later date.
Get a decent filter to dim your view a bit. Baader moon-skyglow filter is very useful. For star gazing get something with 72 degree or wider that is low power- You want to view a wider field vs close ups... 40X or less for star fields...50-75X for moon..... 75-150X for planets.
@@christiana8820 Hello Christian You seem to know a good deal about telescope I’m aiming to get a telescope and it’s been an interest of mine for a long time(astronomy) I aim to use it to satisfy my personal curiosity and hobby and also try to make contents out of it. Not really a social person so I think this will be a great opportunity. Do you have another social network platform I could dm you on when the time is right?
If you’re starting out don’t worry about power worry about the bass for the telescope. A steady scope is worth 100x more than power. Nothing ruins a night star gazing than finally getting your object in view only to have it pushed off by an accidental bump. When you get used to finding stuff with a small scope then start thinking about getting a bigger light bucket.
Having my own telescope, and building my next scope being in the works, the wow factor of seeing the planets and other sky objects is just plain fun! I don't even have my 8 inch reflector constructed yet, and I am planning on my next jump in aperture!
as soon as you mentioned magnification I thought of the scene from Futurama where Captain Brannigan asks Kiff to zoom in on a corner of a video from a satellite and he does and it gets super blurry. Brannigan wants to know why it isn't clear and Kiff sighs and explains the zooming doesn't change the *resolution* of the image, it can't make the image clearer. Thus, the real question new astronomers need answered is "how do I increase my image resolution?"
Your welcome sir😁 Will keep watching and try my best in astronomy . And a question is celestron powerseeker series a good one or a bad one because I’m planning to upgrade to a new telescope and thinking of buying the powerseeker 127eq (focal length-1000 aperture-127 mount-eq) and the price itself is quite reasonable for around 231dollars including an accessory kit and have doubts in the quality plus I’m moving to a 127 aperture from a60 mm aperture so should I move to a less aperture telescope than the 127 or shall I continue with the 127 eq?
@@BasmanIqbal Hey Basman. The Celestron power- seekers are great I would recommend upgrading to the 127mm it will give you a lot more light grasp making everything seem brighter, especially for deep sky targets. There are a lot more things you can see with a 127mm that you can't see with a 60mm. And as you say they are great value for the money. The Power-seekers are a great introductory into reflectors and eq mounts, I think you will be more than happy with it. Stay safe friend :)
Hello Jack. Zoom eyepieces like all eyepieces need more light when you use them on high magnification . Be wary of cheap ones as they are usually of bad quality and performance. The good ones are good but in my opinion not the best.. Zoom eyepieces are like Swiss army knives, they are useful but not as good as the the tools they mimic.
Great video, thank you! I am thinking about buying a telescope and after watching your video I think I will get Celestron 100 AZ ( FL 660) with 2x Barlow thus getting 132 zoom with 10mm eyepiece, which is less than the telescopes maximum zoom (200x). Would you recommend this choice?
I am totally new to this,but if I understand correctly I own a celestron 52306 Regal M2 100ED, a bird spotting scoop 100 mm x2 means maximum a magnification of 200X Focal point is 540mm a eyepiece 10mm and a Barlow lens 2X means a magnification of 108. If I use a 10mm and Barlow lens 3X 162. I am still under the 200 ,still ok to see the moon and use it for some astronomical viewing ? What would be your suggestion , Like I mention I am totally a newbie in this. Atb Steve
Hi Jason, very well explained, I have watched a lot of your vlogs for beginners and now I better understand eye piece magnification and focal length, many thanks 🙂
Too Late!!! I already bought my 4mm eye piece lens & 5x Barlow hahaha……I guess it’s time to return them now!!! Thanks for the Great info about telescope magnification. I thought the Barlow was damaged when I saw blurred images with Jupiter & Saturn hahahaha,,,,Anyway, I did get a pretty nice image of the Moon with 32mm & 5x Barlow on my AP:50mm FL:600mm telescope. Just sayin. Thanks again!
Not sure if you still look at comments, but tonight I for the first time viewed Jupiter with my 80mm refractor telescope :) my 20mm eyepiece could even see the Galilean moons! What was super duper neat is I looked at a Jupiter moon position map and Today Callisto wasn’t actually the farthest moon away it was Ganymede! Thank you for these types of videos because they directly help a newbie like me!
I’ve just spent over an hour watching 6 of your videos. This is channel is an absolute gold mine for someone with a beginner telescope. I have learned so much about my telescope and how to operate even though your content wasn’t specific to my telescope model
Hello sir could you offer any advise on a non fisheyed lens. We have a meade ds90EC digital telephone. Just don't want that rounded solid affect knowing these are illuminating lights, not solid objects. Thank-you
I'm guilty of exactly this. Bought a 6.5mm for a 900/60mm refractor. It's much more pleasing image (and stays in the field of view longer) with a 23mm.
Thank you! I learned a lot, likey "big" telescopes, one with a 900mm focal length and 114mm aperture, and the other with a 700mm f and 70mm aperture, can't work with the 4mm lens. However, my small backpacker telescope with a 400mm focal length and 70mm aperture can! Pretty wild.
Thank you so much man! I really appreciate how helpful and clear you are! I'm new to this and looking into some new lenses or barlow lenses so this was a massive help! tysm!!
I have just started watching the sky and i was pretty confused with what to use…. your videos definitely help… wanted to ask 1)when do you practically use a 35 mm focus increasing tube while watching? 2) My barlow is wider than plossl eyepiece and i have kinda tube which i guess needs to be attached to wider end and then in the narrow end i place the plossl… when i do this i can’t see anything or it is out of focus even when i max out my tube movement what am i doing wrong?
I expected to see the swirls on the andromeda Galaxy. When I found it, it was just a bright center spot with fuzzy fading as it goes further; kinda like a dandelion. After getting a z12, it didn’t changed much. The ball of fuzz got bigger and brighter but no swirls 🤣😂 I still love visual observation. 70 @ 30mm degree seems to be the sweet spot for my eyes for getting lost in space.
Once and only once I was able to view Saturn at about 600x using an Astro Physics 6" F8 refractor. The atmosphere was extremely humid and steady. Otherwise 175x is about maximum for the best image. And the Double Cluster at 35x is magnificent.
so i am a complete newb who just got a 130mm refractor. came with a 25x and 10x and 2x barlow. getting 4x 8x and 20x tomorrow. I jsaw a vid where the guy was using a longer focal tube. Would that work to clear up the hazy jupiter you used as an example?
Hi man, i just want to ask if i should buy 3× barlow lens on my 80 millimeter refractor, 400fl telescope (using 6mm eyepiece), and the maximum magnification is 160×, because the result is that it is 198× magnification in the end and that's higher than 160× magnification, but it's not that much or is it? And if it is that high than please tell me if the 2,5× barlow lens is good, cause the result is 165× magnification and it's just slightly higher than maximum 160× magnification? (Sorry for spaming word magnification :-D) So basicly the question is if i should buy (just) 2× barlow lens (result 132× magnification and the only one that is under 160× magnification) or 2,5× barlow lens (result 165× magnification) or 3× barlow lens (result 198× magnification)?
In my humble opinion one should not be viewing planets out of a small refactor they are wide field scopes instead a large aperture Reflector or Cassegrain telescope does a better job. Picking the right tool for the job is always the key. As a astrophotographer for 5 years now. I have 2 scopes a 80mm APO triplet and a 202.2mm SCT. For visual on a 8in / 203.2mm SCT no more than a 3x barlow including for imaging purposes. Barlows also increase your focal length by a factor of X where X=the Number on the Barlow for example a 3x Barlow on a 2032mm scope your focal length is now 6096mm typically a 2.5x barlow is where people image. A 5x barlow you'll need a scope that is as much as a car an probably around 16in or larger.
Thank you very much for this... I can't buy complete telescope 🔭 so what I'm thinking is to buy lenses and make my telescope. A refractor because it is easy to make. I'm thinking to start with 50mm achromatic lens then gradually I'll increase the lense size. My hopes are high.. again thank you for this informative video.
1:16 my DSLR behind my 6SE = exactly this - and I love it every single time! Of course if you magnify the picture on the camera-screen 10x it does get quite impressive, and it’s real time, but processing this data into a decent picture is something I still struggle since there are no real options in the mac world for this.
So I have a 80mm ampiture 600mm. and it comes with a 25mm eye peice, a 10mm eye peice, and a 3x Barlow lens. Would putting the 10mm eye peice on the 3x barlows over power it?
I've got a 75mm objective 1000mm FL plano convex and 5mm eyepiece 12mm FL online and excited to build a refractor telescope using cardboard tubes. Might be a 1.1 metre setup. I believe the eyepiece is too small. Any inputs about that? Or is it good enough? 5mm aperture eyepiece so small don't know how to handle it lol.
Fantastic video! Just wondering if I could have your advice please? I recently bought a Celestron Astro Fi 130mm telescope. It comes with a 10mm and 25mm lens. I also purchased a 3x Barlow Lens. I tried to look at Jupiter with the 10mm and 3x on the eyepiece but it looked quite small. What would you recommend I use to see planets, nebula and other cool things as clear as possible? Cheers in advance! 😁
Excellent video very informative. I just bought my first telescope skywatcher 120 startravel. Can't wait to view the moon tonight. I want to get another eyepiece besides the 10mm and 25mm my scope came with and I wear glasses. What eyepiece should I be looking for that's not too expensive.
Excellent video!! I'm just getting into the hobby, thanks for this I learned a lot! I bought a celestron 60az , is that any good bro? for say, Mars, venus etc ..
On high magnification it is hard to even FIND the object to be viewed, let alone keeping it in view! If you're looking at stars, with binoculars or a telescope, you aren't going to make stars look bigger! My personal recommendation is to keep magnification at or below 1/5 of the aperture in mm, so that if your aperture or object lens diameter is 50mm you don't want more than x10 magnification, or x15 for 75mm etc. And if you use a tripod, make sure its a steady one. It also being heavy will help. Some tripods even have a hook underneath to suspend a weight from to help steady them.
I’m getting a ten inch dob focal length 1250.so a 6mill eyepiece will give 208 which is 416 with 2x barlow.so would that be maxed out as it’s 254 aperture which is 508?
Eyepiece quality and viewing conditions make a HUGE difference. Want a great view of Saturn? Go to a dark sky area on a great night with little atmospheric turbulence and take a peak at 100X with a Televue Delos EP and it is like looking out the porthole of a spaceship...
My Budget is 200ish US dollars and a telescope store recommends me Celestron starsense explorer lt 114az Is it possible to see clear Saturn rings, some stars and nebuli through this telescope? The store owner is very confident about that but I know it is not even 5" aperture. What's your take on it? Can the planets be seen clear?
Hlo sir. Please reply my question. Is celestron powerseeker 60eq telescope is enough to see planets,nebulas,orions etc. I have been thinking to purchase one. Please help me. Thank you.
Thank you for an honest vid. Ive just bought a cheap bid celestron 70 off ebay. Im 70 plus and just want to see the moon and a few planets. 4 days in and its been so cloudy ive seen nowt😂. I will continue in hope🤞
You don't say it explicitly, but smaller magnification gives brighter images, and conversely greater magnification gives darker images - the same light gathered by the telescope is spread over a larger area of your retina - so while a reasonably high magnification will work for the Moon or the planets, for deep-sky objects and faint background stars (i.e. the Milky Way), the problem isn't the small size, but rather the faintness, so you will want to keep the magnification low, or you're basically cancelling the effect of gathering more light.
To me a telescope isn't complete without an eyepiece, so when they're combined, only then do you have a telescope. The purpose of a telescope's objective lens/mirror is not just to collect light, but to focus it in order to form an image that can then be magnified by an eyepiece. Without this magnification, all of the extra light collected would be useless, so in my view, the ultimate purpose of a telescope (including the eyepiece) is to magnify in order to make things more visible. Remember that a telescope cannot make any object brighter per area (surface brightness) than it appears in the sky. The best it can do is make a magnified image of the object just as bright per area despite appearing much larger. Note that this happens only at relatively low magnifications, when the exit pupil (eyepiece focal length divided by the telescope focal ratio) is equal to the width of the pupil of the observer's eye. Note, however, that much observing, even of objects that are challenging because of their dimness, occurs with significantly smaller exit pupils, which means that objects frequently actually appear dimmer in telescopes than they appear in the sky. In such cases, magnification, perhaps surprisingly, proves to be more valuable than surface brightness, even for dim objects. None of this is to be taken as an excuse to overdo magnification, which would serve no purpose, as you've demonstrated, but I think it challenges the conventional wisdom regarding these matters, is factually accurate, and puts the importance of magnification in the proper perspective.
Is there like an astronomy discord server? I can just go in and the board people with questions because I have so many unique questions and I don’t think I can find any of them here on RUclips💀
I just want to be able to see Saturn and it's rings, Jupiter, and a little bit of deep field like Andromeda and maybe the Orion nebula. What's good for that?
lol Before I even clicked on the video, I knew what you would be talking about. In fact I remember the one time I advised on the purchase of a telescope. I told him, "Get a rich field telescope." Unless you are a serious amateur, this is the only way to go.
Great video, so I made timestamps:
00:00 🌌 New telescope owners often expect more from their eyepiece.
01:00 🔭 To avoid overpowering, know your telescope's max magnification (2x aperture).
03:07 📏 Calculate eyepiece magnification: telescope focal length / eyepiece focal length.
06:48 🔍 Lower magnifications are better; high magnifications need perfect conditions.
11:01 🌠 Use 2-3x Barlow for visual astronomy; avoid high-power Barlows.
Thank you my friend very much appreciated 👍🙂
If you’re a beginning hobbyist astronomer, even an astrophysics and Astronomy major like me who loves astrophotography, seeing Saturn through your own view is the absolute most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed. It never gets old and I’ve watched saturn 100’s of times
At what magnitude?
lol u must be a pices
I can remember exactly where I was when I first saw Saturn with rings. 34 years ago.
Yes absolutely love viewing Saturn and there really is something special about seeing these objects with your own eye through your own instrument.
The astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said: -There are two kinds of people, those who have seen Saturn [with their own eyes through a telescope], and those who have not.
I myself got my first telescope, a 4" refractor, 11 years ago. And directed it towards Saturn. And I can confirm that the view somehow changed my life. Regardless of the size, provided you can see the rings, the view does something with you.
Even with a 60mm, being able to just see saturn ring is euphoric enough regardless of the expectation. It literally made me stop breathing for a sec. So magical....
Couldn't agree more Janus, In my opinion Saturn is the most beautiful object in the night sky to observe, I'll never forget my first time seeing it, almost brought a tear to my eye.
@@smalloptics753 i was jumping up and down like an excited kid. Was in the dark open field so no one get to see it!
Unfortunately, Saturn won't be as majestic for long. Research shoes that in a couple million years from now, Saturn's rings will dissipate either from gravitational pull or the sun's ionizing radiation. It's such a shame that nothing good lasts forever.
@@attackoramic8361 Humans won't be around then either!, sure you can always visit the planets, "remote viewing" Takes a fair bit of time to learn how to do it!
@@attackoramic8361 yea not long... If you're immortal, sure.
I've learnt more in 13 minutes than in last 6 months,glad people like you exist,thank you.
This video reminds me of the good ole days of RUclips. Honest creators sharing their knowledge. Thank you for the video, my friend.
that’s exactly what i was thinking about,love his channel
Recently, I've been able to observe Jupiter, and her Moon's, and Saturn, and able to make out the Rings (JUST) with a cheap 45x50mm spotting scope. No matter how small they are in the eyepiece, doesn't seem to diminish the amazement that I feel knowing what I'm seeing, with my own eyes.
It certainly makes me want a more capable scope, it might just be my next big purchase.
Hello Adam. Great to hear you are appreciating what you are seeing. I agree a 100% with you, it doesn't matter how it looks in the eyepiece as long as it is giving you that Wow factor.. Because that's what count's at the end of the day.. Take care friend, clear skies :)
Adam that is the joy I still feel after 50 years. Clear steady skies!
@@smalloptics753 Also with a bit of knowledge with what you are seeing makes a big difference!
@@TheStevecas9860 Absolutely! Reading about them and then seeing them is WAY more exciting than just seeing them alone without all the background stories.
Venus is a girl...Jupiter is a bloke. Saturn on the other hand, having more than one ring?🤔
I feel so stupid. I selected the biggest eyepiece (40mm)because I thought the bigger the number, the more powerful. I just purchased my first telescope (celestron evo 8 hd) and man, channels like this have been a blessing. I quickly realized I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm overwhelmed, but learning.
Same here with my 5 inch reflector
Rule of thumb: smaller eyepiece focal length = bigger magnification. Exact magnification is dependent od particular telescope focal length.
Why do you feel stupid, you can’t know everythjng about everythjng, you’re learning and interested, so don’t say you’re stupid.
In fact the only stupid thing you have done is calling yourself stupid. What I’ve learned in the last few weeks was 1 I know nothing about telescopes. 2 there is heaps to know and 3 if you just keep plugging away and don’t give up you will very soon understand enough to enjoy yourself. Every one I know who has bought a telescope has given up before they even started as they get overwhelmed and think they have to know everythjng right this minute. It’s like learning the piano, you can’t play a Rachmaninov prelude in the first few months but you can certainly play things that sound good and give you great enjoyment and satisfaction. All the best to you and happy telescoping,
I was thinking of getting a 40mm but bought only 32mm but I would say try the 40mm with 2x or 5x Barlow & it will probably give you a nice wide image instead of the less mm lenses like 4mm or 5mm which are difficult to look through. Hope this Helps!!!
"Turn expectation into appreciation"❤!
Jason, put this on a T-Shirt!
Best advice ever!
You're the best Jason🙏!
Hi Jason I thought this was very well explained and a gem for beginners. I think turning expectation into appreciation was a great message to pass on. 👍
Hello Ollie, Thank you :)
Brilliant tutorial! not only for beginners but reference for amateurs aswel. I learned this a long time ago when first starting out in astronomy. Always watching the bbc program ‘the sky at night’ with the “iconic” Patrick moor!🙂 and he did an episode on this subject. he recommended using 50x per inch of aperture
and I found out he was absolutely right! I think the best way to not be caught out by this “scam” these manufacturers use! is to do your own research and join a local Astro group in your area or social media is great aswell lots of help out there. Take care
i got potentialy one of the worst telescopes posssible for christmas but even then its amazing, looking at jupiter i could see the moons which was amazing
i coulnt see anything on the "surface" but just being able to see the moons of Jupiter has opened a Pandora box for how much there is to see out there
I wasn't a life long fan of the stars, but I'm about to turn 28, and my girlfriend bought me a Celestron SLT 133mm Scope and there's a big learning curve. I've been fascinated the last 3 years with space, astronomy and everything in-between. So learning these things in the past few days, having videos like these really do help us beginners. Aka Noobs. Thanks, great video.
When I was a kid, I had a cheap refracting telescope with a 600mm focal length and an aperture of 50mm. I bought a separate eyepiece of 6mm, it was heavy; I saw quite an enlargement in the image viewed and it looked sharp. When I looked at Saturn , it looked like a bright star with a short line in the center. I could see some points of stars around Saturn, I guess that was its moons. The moon always looked good, but all other objects suffered from chromatic aberration. Venus always looked like a bright star through that telescope.
My first telescope was from radio shack many years ago. It cost 40.00. I remember my first discovery was saturn, and when I saw the ring I was crazy happy. The image was similar to the one showed here, small but amazing.
Even worse than planets is observing nebulas and galaxies. Photographs vs visual are completely different things.
Thank you for explaining this! I got my first telescope last year, and I fought and fought with it trying to get a better close up of Saturn. Through a lot of trial and error, I came to the conclusion you just gave. Start small, and work your way up. I also discovered my galaxy s21 ultra takes better pictures of the moon that I can view through my telescope.... mind, it is a really really really cheap telescope. I need a better mount. It's basically on a cheap camera tripod. I plan to upgrade to something with a better mount. I will say though, even with this cheap telescope, I was able to get to see Saturn's rings. I showed them to my 2 adult daughters and they were absolutely freaking out. It was a great dad / daughters moment. This video shows, a little knowledge goes a long way.
Great Video. I’m new to Astronomy and I didn’t know any of the things you said. I will have to watch this a few times I think, so I won’t forget it. I just purchased a GSkyer 700x90 and will be mostly looking at the Moon. I waiting on the Shipping right now, but I’m hoping I can see the Craters really clearly. It has a 10mm, 25mm, one other one I can’t remember off hand, and a 3x Barlow Lense. I plan on doing some Adventure Motorcycle Riding, and plan on using the Telescope while Camping. I will definitely be watching All of your Videos. Thanks Again from Texas. By the way, Everything is bigger in Texas, even the Moon ha ha😁
He is right about "expectation" and "overpowering" or using too much power. I've been an amateur astronomer and ATM'er for decades now and one thing is certain, your most enjoyable experiences will be with low power oculars. If you want to increase magnification after viewing in low power, vibration or "wobble" will also increase with the higher power oculars. This is especially true with manual focus vs. non wobbling auto focus. Also, you will tend to have better contrast with a high quality refractor vs. a reflector unless it is a high quality mirror like a Zambuto. Either that or having your mirror refigured by a reputable company. Typical "assembly line" type
reflectors do not show color very well which means "refiguring" the mirror for better contrast. This costs $$. And faster telescopes (lower F-Ratios) allow more light but don't magnify as well as slower telescopes with the same size aperture. Reflectors with large apertures don't cost as much as refractors which is why they are so popular, but there is that "contrast" issue again. If you are good at working with your hands, you can save money by becoming an Amateur Telescope Maker! Read everything about telescopes and find a good source for lenses and)or mirrors. Apochromatic vs. Achromatic refractor telescopes is where "CA" or Chromatic Aberration are an issue. This is where the red and blue light focus at different points, usually only visable or apparent with brighter white objects like Sirius or Venus.
I'd much rather see an image like Saturn look smaller in real time, than a larger picture of it in super high definition on a computer screen. That's why astronomy is so much fun. And the joke of the day are the 2 types of telescope owners.
The refined owner who appreciates beauty by viewing the sky in all of it's splender, while some telescope owners simply peer through windows. This is like comparing a crystal clear spring to a mud puddle
I'll never forget my first view of Venus. Even with 10x50 binoculars on a photographic tripod, I could see the crescent, like a mini moon. It got me hooked on planetary astronomy.
Also a footnote: Always have your telescope cool down and outside, never observe from an attic or indoors!
Thank you so much for this.
"Turn expectation into appreciation..."
Good words to live by.
I just got a telescope for Christmas and learned so much already from your videos. My telescope is 80mmx500mm refractor with a 3x Barlow and I think a 10mm eyepiece. I will change to the 25mm bc as I now know, less is more. I didn’t use the Barlow before when viewing mars and Jupiter and only used the 10mm eyepiece so hopefully I’ll see them better.
Get a good dark filter before you look at the moon. It hurts without. With the 25, that should be a fun scope to get lost wandering around the Milky Way in the summer. An O III filter will be useful for some of the bigger nebulae, like the Dumbell or the Lagoon, though most of the joy with that size of scope will be the thrill of discovery rather than ooohs and aaahs.
I leave a scope that size on an altazimuth mount as a "grab and go". Zero assembly or packing required.
Fantastic video, I, learned alot from this!
I did not know how to calculate the max magnification that a telescope could handle or indeed that there was a limit at all. now I do. Thanks again for clear, straightforward explanations. As a previous commentor said, a gem of a video for us beginners👍
Hello Karl. Thank you and your more than welcome my friend. Clear skies :)
I have an ancient copy of a little "Golden Book" on the subject of stars, planets and astronomy. There are artist drawings showing you exactly what to expect to see of Jupiter and Saturn in your "small, backyard" telescope. Surprisingly, they are RIGHT ON TARGET!
Even at 250x or 300x the image of the planet in the eyepiece is very SMALL!
Those books were the best. Thanks for reminding me.
We played the OK word shot. Now we're all drunk 😂
Very Illustrative Jason, Great Advice. !! The Rings of Saturn and Moon's of Jupiter do Look really great Even at 50x Magnification!! I think Magnification of 150x to 200x is Ideal under most Seeing Conditions for Pretty Much all Planets, Considering Your Telescopes Aperture!!
Turning Expectations into Explanation is a Great message to Encourage People to Learn More In this Hobby.Clear Skies, Stay Safe mate!!🔭🪐
Hey D.S.H. Thanks buddy, I agree, for the planets the highest I usually go is 180x if the conditions permit it... And you my friend, Stay safe clear skies :)
I subbed to your channel Deep Sky Hunter
“Cap’n, it’s just too much power… The warp engines*, they cannot take it!”
*in this case “warp engines” = optics.
ha ha ha! Nice one XD
Thank you so much for this video, now I easily got the hang of how focal length, aperture and eyepieces all work together to calculate magnification. Very much appreciated, its useful for newbies at astronomy like myself.
Number #1 don't look at the sun!
Indeed! No matter what!
After watching this as a new starter i have prob wiped 90% of mistakes that newbies make when buying kit.
nice bit about the barlow x2 that can be a 1.5x .
I will be looking at used equipment and it seems a reflector of range 6" or a 8", i am on a budget and i have to make a choice f5 or a f8 dobsonian or mount.
Can you tell us the name of that 1.5 to 2x barlow? Thanks, K
Hello K, its the Celestron Omni.
Very informative, thanks. I'm at this stage in my astronomy journey (choosing eyepiece upgrades) and what you are saying makes a lot of sense. You hear about experienced astronomers using 15mm and 25mm eyepieces and think, "why wouldn't you go to at least an 8mm to get a closer view?". But it's not that simple. The reality is that other factors like clarity, brightness, apparent field of view and eye relief make views much more enjoyable.
I bought my first telescope last month and will be using it in a dark sky zone this weekend (horrible timing I know with the full moon, but only time my husband could get off). Thank you for breaking down the maths. Jason you have made me glad that I didn't invest in a barlow lenses for this weekend. I figure better to learn how to use the scope properly, and then see what it can do with a barlow at a later date.
Get a decent filter to dim your view a bit. Baader moon-skyglow filter is very useful. For star gazing get something with 72 degree or wider that is low power- You want to view a wider field vs close ups... 40X or less for star fields...50-75X for moon..... 75-150X for planets.
@@christiana8820 Hello Christian
You seem to know a good deal about telescope
I’m aiming to get a telescope and it’s been an interest of mine for a long time(astronomy)
I aim to use it to satisfy my personal curiosity and hobby and also try to make contents out of it.
Not really a social person so I think this will be a great opportunity.
Do you have another social network platform I could dm you on when the time is right?
Thanks!
Great info, mate. Subbed.
If you’re starting out don’t worry about power worry about the bass for the telescope. A steady scope is worth 100x more than power. Nothing ruins a night star gazing than finally getting your object in view only to have it pushed off by an accidental bump. When you get used to finding stuff with a small scope then start thinking about getting a bigger light bucket.
Having my own telescope, and building my next scope being in the works, the wow factor of seeing the planets and other sky objects is just plain fun!
I don't even have my 8 inch reflector constructed yet, and I am planning on my next jump in aperture!
as soon as you mentioned magnification I thought of the scene from Futurama where Captain Brannigan asks Kiff to zoom in on a corner of a video from a satellite and he does and it gets super blurry. Brannigan wants to know why it isn't clear and Kiff sighs and explains the zooming doesn't change the *resolution* of the image, it can't make the image clearer. Thus, the real question new astronomers need answered is "how do I increase my image resolution?"
You are the best person who explained me telescope basics and my watch later list is full of your vids 😀 And you explain it will well!!!
Hello Basman, Thank you for your kind words my friend. Have fun watching the videos :)
Your welcome sir😁 Will keep watching and try my best in astronomy . And a question is celestron powerseeker series a good one or a bad one because I’m planning to upgrade to a new telescope and thinking of buying the powerseeker 127eq (focal length-1000 aperture-127 mount-eq) and the price itself is quite reasonable for around 231dollars including an accessory kit and have doubts in the quality plus I’m moving to a 127 aperture from a60 mm aperture so should I move to a less aperture telescope than the 127 or shall I continue with the 127 eq?
@@BasmanIqbal Hey Basman. The Celestron power- seekers are great I would recommend upgrading to the 127mm it will give you a lot more light grasp making everything seem brighter, especially for deep sky targets. There are a lot more things you can see with a 127mm that you can't see with a 60mm. And as you say they are great value for the money. The Power-seekers are a great introductory into reflectors and eq mounts, I think you will be more than happy with it. Stay safe friend :)
@@smalloptics753 Thx a lot sir for giving me the advice and I will buy it for you have recommended it to me😀😄
And stay safe!!!😀
I'm a real noob about these things. They do make a ZOOM eyepiece, I wonder how that fits into all this? I image they need more light to work?
Hello Jack. Zoom eyepieces like all eyepieces need more light when you use them on high magnification . Be wary of cheap ones as they are usually of bad quality and performance. The good ones are good but in my opinion not the best.. Zoom eyepieces are like Swiss army knives, they are useful but not as good as the the tools they mimic.
@@smalloptics753 Ok thanks!! 👍👍👍
OK
Great video, thank you!
I am thinking about buying a telescope and after watching your video I think I will get Celestron 100 AZ ( FL 660) with 2x Barlow thus getting 132 zoom with 10mm eyepiece, which is less than the telescopes maximum zoom (200x). Would you recommend this choice?
I am totally new to this,but if I understand correctly
I own a celestron 52306 Regal M2 100ED, a bird spotting scoop
100 mm x2 means maximum a magnification of 200X
Focal point is 540mm a eyepiece 10mm and a Barlow lens 2X means a magnification of 108.
If I use a 10mm and Barlow lens 3X 162.
I am still under the 200 ,still ok to see the moon and use it for some astronomical viewing ?
What would be your suggestion ,
Like I mention I am totally a newbie in this.
Atb
Steve
OK, OK, OK, Alright, OK...
Hi Jason, very well explained, I have watched a lot of your vlogs for beginners and now I better understand eye piece magnification and focal length, many thanks 🙂
Hello Alan. Great to hear my friend, Your more than welcome :)
Too Late!!! I already bought my 4mm eye piece lens & 5x Barlow hahaha……I guess it’s time to return them now!!! Thanks for the Great info about telescope magnification.
I thought the Barlow was damaged when I saw blurred images with Jupiter & Saturn hahahaha,,,,Anyway, I did get a pretty nice image of the Moon with 32mm & 5x Barlow on my AP:50mm FL:600mm telescope. Just sayin. Thanks again!
I really like that "turn your expectation into appreciation"
Not sure if you still look at comments, but tonight I for the first time viewed Jupiter with my 80mm refractor telescope :) my 20mm eyepiece could even see the Galilean moons! What was super duper neat is I looked at a Jupiter moon position map and Today Callisto wasn’t actually the farthest moon away it was Ganymede! Thank you for these types of videos because they directly help a newbie like me!
I’ve just spent over an hour watching 6 of your videos. This is channel is an absolute gold mine for someone with a beginner telescope. I have learned so much about my telescope and how to operate even though your content wasn’t specific to my telescope model
You are very knowledgeable and I’m grateful for your videos, just a small suggestion: get straight to the point and will make your videos much shorter
That Damn Saturn! 🤣
reality is awful
Try ride off that OK, and you'l be ok. Excellent advice's...btw.
Hello sir could you offer any advise on a non fisheyed lens. We have a meade ds90EC digital telephone. Just don't want that rounded solid affect knowing these are illuminating lights, not solid objects. Thank-you
I'm guilty of exactly this. Bought a 6.5mm for a 900/60mm refractor. It's much more pleasing image (and stays in the field of view longer) with a 23mm.
Thank you! I learned a lot, likey "big" telescopes, one with a 900mm focal length and 114mm aperture, and the other with a 700mm f and 70mm aperture, can't work with the 4mm lens.
However, my small backpacker telescope with a 400mm focal length and 70mm aperture can!
Pretty wild.
Thank you so much man! I really appreciate how helpful and clear you are! I'm new to this and looking into some new lenses or barlow lenses so this was a massive help! tysm!!
Even using observatory class scopes, 1M Aperture, for visual observing. About 400-450X is the absolute magnification limit. Way less the 2x rule.
I have just started watching the sky and i was pretty confused with what to use…. your videos definitely help… wanted to ask 1)when do you practically use a 35 mm focus increasing tube while watching?
2) My barlow is wider than plossl eyepiece and i have kinda tube which i guess needs to be attached to wider end and then in the narrow end i place the plossl… when i do this i can’t see anything or it is out of focus even when i max out my tube movement what am i doing wrong?
Man, I can’t wait for my 20x Barlow to arrive with my 1mm eyepiece.
I expected to see the swirls on the andromeda Galaxy. When I found it, it was just a bright center spot with fuzzy fading as it goes further; kinda like a dandelion.
After getting a z12, it didn’t changed much. The ball of fuzz got bigger and brighter but no swirls 🤣😂
I still love visual observation. 70 @ 30mm degree seems to be the sweet spot for my eyes for getting lost in space.
Once and only once I was able to view Saturn at about 600x using an Astro Physics 6" F8 refractor. The atmosphere was extremely humid and steady. Otherwise 175x is about maximum for the best image. And the Double Cluster at 35x is magnificent.
so i am a complete newb who just got a 130mm refractor. came with a 25x and 10x and 2x barlow. getting 4x 8x and 20x tomorrow. I jsaw a vid where the guy was using a longer focal tube. Would that work to clear up the hazy jupiter you used as an example?
That was about the best and most hands-on video in the internet ever! Only info, no show-off...
Hi man, i just want to ask if i should buy 3× barlow lens on my 80 millimeter refractor, 400fl telescope (using 6mm eyepiece), and the maximum magnification is 160×, because the result is that it is 198× magnification in the end and that's higher than 160× magnification, but it's not that much or is it? And if it is that high than please tell me if the 2,5× barlow lens is good, cause the result is 165× magnification and it's just slightly higher than maximum 160× magnification? (Sorry for spaming word magnification :-D) So basicly the question is if i should buy (just) 2× barlow lens (result 132× magnification and the only one that is under 160× magnification) or 2,5× barlow lens (result 165× magnification) or 3× barlow lens (result 198× magnification)?
no worries NASA make sure that people's expectations are fullfill completely by uploading their fantasies🤣
I wanted to start astrophotography as a hobby but it all seems so complicated 😵💫 I'll stick to RUclips videos
In my humble opinion one should not be viewing planets out of a small refactor they are wide field scopes instead a large aperture Reflector or Cassegrain telescope does a better job. Picking the right tool for the job is always the key. As a astrophotographer for 5 years now. I have 2 scopes a 80mm APO triplet and a 202.2mm SCT. For visual on a 8in / 203.2mm SCT no more than a 3x barlow including for imaging purposes. Barlows also increase your focal length by a factor of X where X=the Number on the Barlow for example a 3x Barlow on a 2032mm scope your focal length is now 6096mm typically a 2.5x barlow is where people image. A 5x barlow you'll need a scope that is as much as a car an probably around 16in or larger.
Thank you very much for this...
I can't buy complete telescope 🔭 so what I'm thinking is to buy lenses and make my telescope. A refractor because it is easy to make. I'm thinking to start with 50mm achromatic lens then gradually I'll increase the lense size. My hopes are high.. again thank you for this informative video.
1:16 my DSLR behind my 6SE = exactly this - and I love it every single time! Of course if you magnify the picture on the camera-screen 10x it does get quite impressive, and it’s real time, but processing this data into a decent picture is something I still struggle since there are no real options in the mac world for this.
So I have a 80mm ampiture 600mm. and it comes with a 25mm eye peice, a 10mm eye peice, and a 3x Barlow lens. Would putting the 10mm eye peice on the 3x barlows over power it?
I've got a 75mm objective 1000mm FL plano convex and 5mm eyepiece 12mm FL online and excited to build a refractor telescope using cardboard tubes. Might be a 1.1 metre setup. I believe the eyepiece is too small. Any inputs about that? Or is it good enough? 5mm aperture eyepiece so small don't know how to handle it lol.
Fantastic video!
Just wondering if I could have your advice please? I recently bought a Celestron Astro Fi 130mm telescope. It comes with a 10mm and 25mm lens. I also purchased a 3x Barlow Lens. I tried to look at Jupiter with the 10mm and 3x on the eyepiece but it looked quite small. What would you recommend I use to see planets, nebula and other cool things as clear as possible? Cheers in advance! 😁
Excellent video very informative. I just bought my first telescope skywatcher 120 startravel. Can't wait to view the moon tonight. I want to get another eyepiece besides the 10mm and 25mm my scope came with and I wear glasses. What eyepiece should I be looking for that's not too expensive.
Been interested in this for a long time. Finally got my first telescope. I am now crippled. No one said how much this hobby kills your back!
Excellent video!! I'm just getting into the hobby, thanks for this I learned a lot!
I bought a celestron 60az , is that any good bro? for say, Mars, venus etc ..
On high magnification it is hard to even FIND the object to be viewed, let alone keeping it in view!
If you're looking at stars, with binoculars or a telescope, you aren't going to make stars look bigger! My personal recommendation is to keep magnification at or below 1/5 of the aperture in mm, so that if your aperture or object lens diameter is 50mm you don't want more than x10 magnification, or x15 for 75mm etc.
And if you use a tripod, make sure its a steady one. It also being heavy will help. Some tripods even have a hook underneath to suspend a weight from to help steady them.
I’m getting a ten inch dob focal length 1250.so a 6mill eyepiece will give 208 which is 416 with 2x barlow.so would that be maxed out as it’s 254 aperture which is 508?
Eyepiece quality and viewing conditions make a HUGE difference. Want a great view of Saturn? Go to a dark sky area on a great night with little atmospheric turbulence and take a peak at 100X with a Televue Delos EP and it is like looking out the porthole of a spaceship...
Answered so many questions I had - thank you. Also realised I've been making a lot of mistakes!
Is it possible to see on the computer what I see from my celestron NexStar 127 SLT telescope, without having a camera?
My Budget is 200ish US dollars and a telescope store recommends me Celestron starsense explorer lt 114az
Is it possible to see clear Saturn rings, some stars and nebuli through this telescope?
The store owner is very confident about that but I know it is not even 5" aperture.
What's your take on it? Can the planets be seen clear?
Thank you so much excellent explanation ... Thank you very much
Hlo sir.
Please reply my question.
Is celestron powerseeker 60eq telescope is enough to see planets,nebulas,orions etc.
I have been thinking to purchase one.
Please help me.
Thank you.
Should I go for a 3x or 2x barlow for my celestron az90 Iv got 20 and 10mm eye pice I’m wanting to see gas on Jupiter
Thank you for an honest vid. Ive just bought a cheap bid celestron 70 off ebay. Im 70 plus and just want to see the moon and a few planets. 4 days in and its been so cloudy ive seen nowt😂. I will continue in hope🤞
You don't say it explicitly, but smaller magnification gives brighter images, and conversely greater magnification gives darker images - the same light gathered by the telescope is spread over a larger area of your retina - so while a reasonably high magnification will work for the Moon or the planets, for deep-sky objects and faint background stars (i.e. the Milky Way), the problem isn't the small size, but rather the faintness, so you will want to keep the magnification low, or you're basically cancelling the effect of gathering more light.
Nice, I use 10x50 BINOCULARS. Great video I just subscribed.👊💯
can you explain the difference between theoretical maximum zoom to actual? i seen a telescope saying 3/4 theortical.
Thanks for this , I'm just setting up my TELESCOPE
To me a telescope isn't complete without an eyepiece, so when they're combined, only then do you have a telescope. The purpose of a telescope's objective lens/mirror is not just to collect light, but to focus it in order to form an image that can then be magnified by an eyepiece. Without this magnification, all of the extra light collected would be useless, so in my view, the ultimate purpose of a telescope (including the eyepiece) is to magnify in order to make things more visible.
Remember that a telescope cannot make any object brighter per area (surface brightness) than it appears in the sky. The best it can do is make a magnified image of the object just as bright per area despite appearing much larger. Note that this happens only at relatively low magnifications, when the exit pupil (eyepiece focal length divided by the telescope focal ratio) is equal to the width of the pupil of the observer's eye. Note, however, that much observing, even of objects that are challenging because of their dimness, occurs with significantly smaller exit pupils, which means that objects frequently actually appear dimmer in telescopes than they appear in the sky. In such cases, magnification, perhaps surprisingly, proves to be more valuable than surface brightness, even for dim objects.
None of this is to be taken as an excuse to overdo magnification, which would serve no purpose, as you've demonstrated, but I think it challenges the conventional wisdom regarding these matters, is factually accurate, and puts the importance of magnification in the proper perspective.
They look much bigger in a binoviiewer, at the same magnification. The illusion of 2-eyed view. If you are into planets consider a binoviewer.
Nice video, I remember when I first started, nobody told me this and it took time and experience to learn these lessons. And a lot of wasted MONEY! 😢😂
Really enjoyed this video, very informative 👍
P.S. has Bob Mortimer ever asked for his eyes and nose back?
Astronomy with a telescope is like looking at a 1/1,000,000 car, doesn’t matter how good it looks it’s the fact your seeing it with your own eyes
Is there like an astronomy discord server? I can just go in and the board people with questions because I have so many unique questions and I don’t think I can find any of them here on RUclips💀
Great info! My telescope came with a 3x Barlow and a 4mm eyepiece that I haven’t tried yet because I didn’t know what they were for yet.
OK OK was too distracting though OK. It was educational, thanks!
I'm even satisfied when I can stabilize a close up of saturn with a 2x + 10mm
I just want to be able to see Saturn and it's rings, Jupiter, and a little bit of deep field like Andromeda and maybe the Orion nebula. What's good for that?
lol Before I even clicked on the video, I knew what you would be talking about. In fact I remember the one time I advised on the purchase of a telescope. I told him, "Get a rich field telescope." Unless you are a serious amateur, this is the only way to go.