cheers, thanks alot for the advice!

Posted by lazysteve666, on October 30th, 2008, at 9:55 am. #.

I am assuming here but I generally recommend dob designs to beginners. Simply because they avoid the confusion of EQ mounts. This dosent mean the scope you have chosen wont do the job. I will say that 150mm is a good size for a small scope. I will caution you about buying used. Be aware of the condition the previous owner has kept the instrument in. How was it cared for? Dust caps always on? etc. Eyepiece conditions? (Dirty eyepieces can always be replaced if they are standard size.)

Posted by truemartian, on October 30th, 2008, at 7:48 pm. #.

I’m considering buying a TS Optics Megastar 1550 for around £130 off ebay, it has a aperature of 150mm and a focal length of 1400mm, do you suggest i purchase it or can you recomend anything better?

Posted by lazysteve666, on November 2nd, 2008, at 8:54 am. #.

Pretty much. There are telescopes made for terrestrial viewing but for astronomical it really dosent matter. In space there is no up and down.

Posted by truemartian, on November 3rd, 2008, at 2:52 pm. #.

so what youre saying is that it is normal to see objects flipped, and there is nothing I can do about that?

Posted by axoll, on November 3rd, 2008, at 3:59 pm. #.

Write the word “Telescope” on a sheet of paper and hold it up to your bathroom mirror. Try reading what you wrote in the mirror.

Posted by truemartian, on November 5th, 2008, at 1:09 pm. #.

does anyone know why I see objects thru my telescope flipped. like the word “telescope” would read “epocselet”.

Posted by axoll, on November 6th, 2008, at 3:48 pm. #.

my telescope has a power of 800 x

Posted by tompa666, on November 7th, 2008, at 6:01 am. #.

Hey there truemartian
It’s me agian, I got my self an Orion 60mm refractor and I’m hopeing to have better luck with this one rather then my 900mm reflector. I still kept my reflector, but I’m thinking of joining an Astronomy group in my spare time. I’m hoping they will give me information and knowledge on using my reflector, however I really want to thank you alot for all your advice and hopefuly I can be as good as you some day.

Posted by alltruth969, on November 10th, 2008, at 2:48 am. #.

God, Ed Norton’s career has gone down hill.
American History ETX.

Posted by fredo1070, on November 10th, 2008, at 12:17 pm. #.

yeah I will try it tonight for sure. For a first time telescope do you think that I should have got a refractor rather then a reflector? I herd that the refracter is a little more simple to use.

Posted by alltruth969, on November 11th, 2008, at 7:53 am. #.

If your finderscope is aligned properly then what you see in the crosshairs should appear dead center of the lowest power eyepiece. Practice pointing it at bright stars and the moon.

Posted by truemartian, on November 12th, 2008, at 9:35 pm. #.

yes I do belive my finder scope is aligned, that was one of the first things I did was take it back to where I bought it from and they showed me that my “aimer” was right smack dab in the center of the mirror and was also in the center of my finder scope. So everything was aligned properly, and according to the telescope manual it should be working fine, because everything about correct alignment in the manual was exactly how my telescope looks. So not sure why I would’nt be getting an image?

Posted by alltruth969, on November 15th, 2008, at 6:53 pm. #.

Imaging and visual observation are two different things. Exposure time is only for taking pictures, what we now call imaging in the electronic age. If you are having problems visually observing an object check to make sure your finder scope is aligned properly. I have a video on how to do that.

Posted by truemartian, on November 18th, 2008, at 8:27 am. #.

by the way this isn’t for photography its just for imaging with my own eye, so do I still need to allow enough exposure time and stillness?

Posted by alltruth969, on November 20th, 2008, at 11:52 am. #.

oh ok, Thank you so much for the tips, this will help me out alot. I guess I wasn’t patience enough. I will try it out now and see what happens. Thanks again

Posted by alltruth969, on November 20th, 2008, at 5:53 pm. #.

To make an image of a dim object like a star you have to open the camra shuter for a longer period of time than say for something like the moon. For exampl to get a good moon shot the camra shuter has to be open exposing the chip or film only 1/1000 of a sec. To image a bright star it requirs a minimum of 2-10 secs. So for that 2-10 secs you need to be able to hold the telescope precisely stil relativ to the star you are imagng. Which means you need a trackng mount to compnsate for earths spin.

Posted by truemartian, on November 21st, 2008, at 2:50 pm. #.

I understand what you mean, its just that this is my first telescope and I want to try to get the best images of planets, and stars that i can possibly get with what I have now. I Know that I’am an Amateur but what do you mean by exposure time? Like keep the image on the mirror as still as possible?

Posted by alltruth969, on November 24th, 2008, at 8:45 pm. #.

The moon is pretty easy to get an image of. Its the fainter objects that require much more exposure time. This is why you get a black image. It takes a serious investment to get the right equipment to do astrophotography. You need a sturdy motorized equatorial mount to be able to do decent astrophotography.

Posted by truemartian, on November 27th, 2008, at 8:30 am. #.

I have a 675x power Reflector telescope made by Science Tech, and last night I was aimed at our moon. I was getting a pretty good image of it, but I notice that the smallest movement of the telescope would throw off the image, however my question is how difficult would it be for me to find a planet or a star that I can line it up so i can get an image? Ive tryed numerus times before and still have not found anything, its just a black image.

Posted by alltruth969, on November 29th, 2008, at 7:43 am. #.

I would recommend a 6 inch dobsonian. Where are you from?

Posted by truemartian, on December 2nd, 2008, at 3:52 pm. #.

Im looking to get a telescope this christmas and i dont reallt have a clue on which one to get.. i think itl be a reflector though..

what price would get me a decent telescope ?

Posted by wavyv, on December 4th, 2008, at 8:58 am. #.

When in use take all of the caps off the opening of the tube. There is no cap in the “back” of a reflector, only collimation screws that hold the mirror in place, which at this time I wouldnt touch. Do you have a link with a photo of your scope that you can send?

Posted by truemartian, on December 4th, 2008, at 2:16 pm. #.

Okay. There is two protective caps in both ends. The one that is in front is easy to remove, just have to pull it, but it has also about 4 centimeter diameter hole and a cap on it. Does it get all the light that is necessary through that smaller hole? Or should I just remove the whole big cap for better experience. Gotta test. In back there is a cap with screws. Should it be in place when I use the scope? I’ve tested my scope once and I was disappointed what I saw. It’s D130/F600 Sky-Watcher.

Posted by somebo222, on December 5th, 2008, at 4:02 am. #.

Keep the cap on to protect the mirror from dust when not in use.

Posted by truemartian, on December 8th, 2008, at 9:29 am. #.