Planet Jupiter Visible?

[Alpinestars]

RobM77 said:

Binoculars are the traditional route into astronomy, yes. One thing I will say from experience (I've been into astro since I was small, have a degree in it and am still keen now) is that whilst I agree with that, there are a few things binoculars won't show you that you need higher magnification and resolving power to see. Even a basic telescope should be able to hold 80-150x magnification fairly well (the reasons basic telescopes are limited for mag are mainly aperture and solidity of the mount), and have more resolving power than binoculars (directly related to aperture) so you'll be able to see the rings of Saturn, cloud belts on Jupiter, polar ice caps on Mars, and stunning close up views of the moon. Don't go imagining great views of those things, but you will be able to see the two main cloud belts on Jupiter, and the fact that Saturn has rings.

Thanks. Any particular recommendations for a small telescope that I would mount to a tripod. Ease of use is imperative.

[Alpinestars]

eharding said:

At 7x to 10x you should be able to pick out 2 or 3 moons, and at 15x all four of the major moons. As you get to larger magnifications, a tripod or monopod can help stabilise things. I have a pair of Helios 25x100 which will just start to reveal faint banding on Jupiter if the seeing is good, but those definitely belong on a tripod unless you're built like Arnie.

Sky at Night magazine has a regular 'Binocular Tour' feature of interesting targets every month, generally based around 10x - 15x magnification.

Lower apertures at each magnification should be OK for planetary work, but obviously if you want to go after fainter deep sky objects then a higher aperture is beneficial.

Of course I’m built like Arnie. Isn’t everyone on PH.....


And thanks.

[Ructions]

The ISS is visible tonight, just after 23:30hrs. Although it is visible with the naked eye you’ll get a much better view with a pair of binoculars. Be warned it does move quite quickly and is only visible for about 4 minutes but it’s definitely worth seeing.

[Eric Mc]

Ructions said:

The ISS is visible tonight, just after 23:30hrs. Although it is visible with the naked eye you’ll get a much better view with a pair of binoculars. Be warned it does move quite quickly and is only visible for about 4 minutes but it’s definitely worth seeing.

There is a long running thread on PH for ISS observations -

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Ructions]

Eric Mc said:

Ructions said:

The ISS is visible tonight, just after 23:30hrs. Although it is visible with the naked eye you’ll get a much better view with a pair of binoculars. Be warned it does move quite quickly and is only visible for about 4 minutes but it’s definitely worth seeing.

There is a long running thread on PH for ISS observations -

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Thanks Eric, I wasn’t aware of the ISS thread, it was more of a heads up for Alpinestars.

Although I’ve just had a look at that particular thread and it hasn’t been updated in a while.

[Eric Mc]

After a while, it became a bit repetitive as after you've seen the ISS a few hundred times, there isn't much else to say about it.

It normally gets interesting if there is something else happening in and around the ISS, such the arrival or departure of a supply craft or a Soyuz.

[Nom de ploom]

Alpinestars said:

Thanks. Any particular recommendations for a small telescope that I would mount to a tripod. Ease of use is imperative.

I'm selling my Celestron PS1000 if you can get to Leeds to pick it up.

original used a few times, all lenses, barlow, spotting scope and tripod. I need the space and tbf there is just too much light around us sadly.

[RobM77]

Alpinestars said:

RobM77 said:

Binoculars are the traditional route into astronomy, yes. One thing I will say from experience (I've been into astro since I was small, have a degree in it and am still keen now) is that whilst I agree with that, there are a few things binoculars won't show you that you need higher magnification and resolving power to see. Even a basic telescope should be able to hold 80-150x magnification fairly well (the reasons basic telescopes are limited for mag are mainly aperture and solidity of the mount), and have more resolving power than binoculars (directly related to aperture) so you'll be able to see the rings of Saturn, cloud belts on Jupiter, polar ice caps on Mars, and stunning close up views of the moon. Don't go imagining great views of those things, but you will be able to see the two main cloud belts on Jupiter, and the fact that Saturn has rings.

Thanks. Any particular recommendations for a small telescope that I would mount to a tripod. Ease of use is imperative.

Sorry, but I'm rather out of touch with that side of things, having bought my last small cheap telescope 30 years ago as a kid. What I can say as a general note is that if you're interested in ease of use, I would probably avoid anything other than a really basic alt-azimuth or Dobsonian (left, right, up, and down) mount. The other types of mount (Equatorial mounts, GOTO mounts etc) need levelling and aligning, either to the north star (so they spin around the earth's axis, rather than parallel to the ground), and/or reference stars. Once such mounts are aligned they're absolutely marvellous, but if you're not familiar with the sky, have limited time and/or inclination (no pun intended), then 10 minutes of setting up might put you off using the telescope. Furthermore, at low magnifications and if you're not doing astrophotography, the benefits of such a mount are lessened. Plus the types of object you'll be looking at with such a telescope will be jolly obvious and trivial to find and track manually (Moon, Jupiter, Saturn etc).

ETA: You can of course use an equatorial mount in a rudimentary way, if for example you're offered a secondhand scope for a good price that comes with one; you'll only suffer a slightly bigger and heavier item to store and carry outside.

Edited by RobM77 on Monday 22 July 14:53

[eharding]

RobM77 said:

Alpinestars said:

RobM77 said:

Binoculars are the traditional route into astronomy, yes. One thing I will say from experience (I've been into astro since I was small, have a degree in it and am still keen now) is that whilst I agree with that, there are a few things binoculars won't show you that you need higher magnification and resolving power to see. Even a basic telescope should be able to hold 80-150x magnification fairly well (the reasons basic telescopes are limited for mag are mainly aperture and solidity of the mount), and have more resolving power than binoculars (directly related to aperture) so you'll be able to see the rings of Saturn, cloud belts on Jupiter, polar ice caps on Mars, and stunning close up views of the moon. Don't go imagining great views of those things, but you will be able to see the two main cloud belts on Jupiter, and the fact that Saturn has rings.

Thanks. Any particular recommendations for a small telescope that I would mount to a tripod. Ease of use is imperative.

Sorry, but I'm rather out of touch with that side of things, having bought my last small cheap telescope 30 years ago as a kid. What I can say as a general note is that if you're interested in ease of use, I would probably avoid anything other than a really basic alt-azimuth or Dobsonian (left, right, up, and down) mount. The other types of mount (Equatorial mounts, GOTO mounts etc) need levelling and aligning, either to the north star (so they spin around the earth's axis, rather than parallel to the ground), and/or reference stars. Once such mounts are aligned they're absolutely marvellous, but if you're not familiar with the sky, have limited time and/or inclination (no pun intended), then 10 minutes of setting up might put you off using the telescope. Furthermore, at low magnifications and if you're not doing astrophotography, the benefits of such a mount are lessened. Plus the types of object you'll be looking at with such a telescope will be jolly obvious and trivial to find and track manually (Moon, Jupiter, Saturn etc).

ETA: You can of course use an equatorial mount in a rudimentary way, if for example you're offered a secondhand scope for a good price that comes with one; you'll only suffer a slightly bigger and heavier item to store and carry outside.

Edited by RobM77 on Monday 22 July 14:53

That about sums it up.

The degree of magnification, amplification and alignment you can achieve - and hence the range of objects you can view or image - is pretty much inversely proportional to the ease of use. But then, there is a degree of satisfaction to be had in simply getting through all of the gadget faffery, but sometimes it can be incredibly frustrating.

There are plenty of small Newtonians and refractors which can be mounted on a simple manual alt-az tripod mount. Check Gumtree or eBay, and look for local items - lots of kit is bought, used once and then put in a cupboard, and there are some real bargains to be had.

For higher end kit, UK Astronomy Buy & Sell, whilst having a slightly quirky UI, is an active market place, although expect to pay fair market value rather than find absolute bargains - however sellers there would be more likely to give you an honest opinion as to whether what they've got to sell would suit your needs, rather than just trying to shift unwanted items.

Quality online retailers such as https://www.firstlightoptics.com/ will also give you good pre-sales advice if you want to buy new.

In addition to small tripod mounted alt-az telescopes, as above floor-mounted Dobsonians are a popular introductory choice for larger Newtonian tubes, whilst being some of the least complicated arrangements possible (they also come in table-top form) - being simply a balanced cradle with teflon bearings allowing you to (generally) smoothly point the telescope in the desired direction.

The one thing I would advise if you go for any form of larger Newtonian is a decent right-angled finder scope, preferably illuminated. Finder scopes - small, low powered telescopes aligned with the main telescope - are vital for actually pointing the telescope in the right direction in the first place - but the ones invariably supplied with telescope bundles are basic straight through items, which will mean cricking your neck at unnatural angles to try and see a black reticle on a black sky. At the higher end, manufacturers don't even bother bundling basic finders with telescope optical tube assemblies, as they know that you know they're rubbish, and putting one in the box would be an insult. The one linked previously might seem a little pricey, but well worth it. The reticle illuminators run on small watch-type coin cells, and best to get a stock of spares, as you *will* leave the thing on and then come back a week later to find it flat as a pancake.

After a while though, the fact that any manual telescope will require you to track your target by hand - albeit through geared slow-motion controls - will become a faff, and that's when the trade-off between a tracking/goto mount occurs. The other possibility to consider is a tracking mount designed for DSLRs, rather than telescopes. These still require polar alignment, but mean you can do some long-exposure wide-field astrophotography with your existing camera and lenses, rather than a telescope.

Most consumer equipment adheres to a few standards though - 1.25 or 2 inch eyepieces, Vixen or Losmandy dovetails to attach telescopes to mounts, and couple of finder shoe types - meaning you can upgrade parts of the system over time.

FWIW, here's an typically chirpy Scott Manley on the relative merits of the chain-shop discount bargain telescopes vs investing a little more..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eMvVUKYERA

Edited by eharding on Monday 22 July 16:15

[RobM77]

One the subject of finders, I've got a cracking little finder that has no optics at all, just a red dot. I find it really handy for lining up things that you can see with the naked eye (Moon, planets, Orion Nebula etc), or for getting a scope in the right ballpark to then use the 'normal' finder. They didn't exist back when I had my first starter telescope as a kid, but it would have been jolly useful.

[eharding]

RobM77 said:

One the subject of finders, I've got a cracking little finder that has no optics at all, just a red dot. I find it really handy for lining up things that you can see with the naked eye (Moon, planets, Orion Nebula etc), or for getting a scope in the right ballpark to then use the 'normal' finder. They didn't exist back when I had my first starter telescope as a kid, but it would have been jolly useful.

Concur - red dot finders are excellent, and very affordable. Same comment about spare batteries though! I designed a 3D printed bracket for my first goto telescope, a Meade ETX70, to take a commodity reflex red dot finder, as the original Meade finders are rare as hens teeth. Been meaning to do the same for the 25x100 bins, which would likewise benefit.

[Alpinestars]

I feel a show us your telescope thread developing...

[Zirconia]

Another stopped using my finder scope a long time ago, red dot finders are a god send.

Though I nearly bough a laser pen (powerful one) some time ago but saw sense in that I am on the approach path for Cardiff airport and really not a good idea to point them at the sky and dazzle helicopters. We do see the police and rescue and air ambulance passing. Knocked that on the head as a bad idea whatever.

[Alpinestars]

Could I ask a favour please. Recommendations for an easy to use telescope for up to around £500. Bear in mind I may well get bored of it very quickly - but if I don’t, I can always upgrade. Had a quick look on eBay and things like this seem to fit the bill - I like that it will point to places I want it to - I think? I don’t mind if it’s new or used.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

[eharding]

Alpinestars said:

Could I ask a favour please. Recommendations for an easy to use telescope for up to around £500. Bear in mind I may well get bored of it very quickly - but if I don’t, I can always upgrade. Had a quick look on eBay and things like this seem to fit the bill - I like that it will point to places I want it to - I think? I don’t mind if it’s new or used.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

Nooo!.

Sorry, busy this evening, but been there done that, and sadly that combination is worth £90max IMHO, and just for the scope.

That style of mount is wobbly as a wobbly thing, and that scope has an intrinsically long focal length and combined with a very twitchy focuser, bound to lead to disappointment. If you give us your general locality I'll look for something used local to you, and have a think about what you can get new for that budget with an upgrade path.

Maksutovs and SCTs are great telescope designs, but need a solid mount and can be challenging to use. I don't know why Celestron and Skywatcher decided to combine them with that style of goto mount - they all come out of the same factory - but in my experience whilst the goto function is passable, the wobbliness is horrible.

Edited: For new, consider a reflector from this range: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-gt...

I don't have any of those exact models, but the Skywatcher WiFi control is better than the handset version. To align, the Wifi app - running on your phone, tablet or PC - will actually make a stab at aligning it with bright stars - assuming you can start with the tube level and pointing North - asking you to fine tune it, rather than the old handset versions which ask you to pick a star and then slew to it manually. Great if you've spent years getting to know your Vega from your elbow, challenging otherwise.

As above - avoid the Maksutovs to start with. All of those tubes have standard Vixen dovetails, as does the mount, so good upgrade paths.

Double edited: Narrowing it down, from new, either this refractor or this reflector might fit the requirement. The issue with the reflector is that you can't collimate that model - telescope collimation is akin to tuning the Webers on your Caterham with a stethascope - and that may be a good or a bad thing.

Triple edited: But don't, FFS, buy that eBay thing.

Edited by eharding on Monday 22 July 23:14

[Ructions]

Ructions said:

Yes it’s been visible for a few weeks, if you have a decent pair of binoculars you might be able to see three of Jupiter’s moons.

Four moons clearly visible tonight.

[Ructions]

The planet Mercury will pass in front of the sun tomorrow starting at 12.35 and lasting exactly 4 hours ending at 16.35.
Mercury is quite small so you will need a telescope to see it.

Edited to add obviously you will need to use a solar filter, do not look directly at the sun.

[Zirconia]

Yeah, been hoping the weather will hold (I have the correct filter and use the camera to setup).

Forecast not good for me.