The Moon through Orion SkyQuest XT8 Telescope (20mm)

[damurray616]

Very cool

[seanvti]

i cant help thinking the moon looks like the death star :L or vice versa

[ARSA525]

What extra things you need to have in these in order to watch the sun safely?

[twochiefs827]

@ARSA525 You need to purchase a special sun filter that fits over the barrel of the telescope. It blocks about 99.9% of the light coming through and allows you to view the sun safely. I do not yet have one: its definitely on my list of things to get some day.

[shglih]

Really nice. I have one and can see similar moon with 25 mm, but I cannot take picture or video of it as clearly as you did. I think the thing that connects the cemera and the XT8 is not good in my case. Anyway, one question: how do you balance the telescope like XT8 when you put on the camera? I use a nikon and have to use a tripod to put in front of the telescope to get it balanced, but not ideal as I have to adjust it constantly. Can you let me know if you have some good idea here? Thanks!

[twochiefs827]

@shglih Basically all I did was hold my Canon Powershot camera up to the lens to keep it steady. Then from there I could move the telescope around and keep a pretty good image.

[TheIrishWaffles]

Im soory, but i am new to this. I just wanted to know what part the 20mm. Is that the aperture or what is it?

[twochiefs827]

@TheIrishWaffles It refers to the size of the part of the eyepiece that you look through, which is not very big (20 milimeters). Telescopes themselves are usually measured in inches.

[mrastronomy15]

I'm ordering the xt8 on june 1st can't wait! Nice video!

[CodTheModder]

has any one seen the ufo? 0:00 - 0:01

[oggleman]

@CodTheModder that is a bat.

[joaolordofallsays]

@CodTheModder bird or a bat

[TheAnimusik]

nice

[NondualityAndScience]

Hi Ok so I was thinking about buying one of these but am wondering will I be able to recognize galaxies at all with this, will I be able to tell what Im looking at or will it just look like a complete blur?

[twochiefs827]

@NondualityAndScience Galaxies can be difficult to see using reasonably-sized telescopes like this one. The Andromeda galaxy is breath-taking, but it is little more than a fuzzy or blurry elipse. In order to see more, you would need a much larger telescope (and likely a much darker location to view from, depending on where you are).

[MarukuAntoni]

Absolutely beautiful. What does Jupiter look like through that telescope? I was looking to buy that telescope.

[CanadianForcesArmor]

@MarukuAntoni jupiter pretty cool, i only have the 25 mm and even with that its cool, im looking to get a 7mm or 3mm, so itll be awsome with that

[SaturnAndItsRings]

is that like a 5in telescope

[Bladerunner55217]

when looking at it through a telescope you get that cool reality that this big ass thing is floating effortlessly !!!! IS it floating ??? lol

[losteden]

its the best zoom? i like to buy one too but i need more zoom. it is possible more zoom? tanks

[twochiefs827]

@losteden oh you can zoom in MUCH more closely. This is actually a "big picture" view with an average eyepiece, but you can use a much closer eyepiece on the moon such as a 9mm, 6mm, or even 4mm (the smaller, the more zoomed in it gets).

[CanadianForcesArmor]

@twochiefs827 u said the smaller the eyepiece the more soom, so a 7mm eyepeice, would that be good for veiwing planets?

[twochiefs827]

@CanadianForcesArmor yes, 7mm would be a good size for planets. You probably wouldn't want to get much smaller than that (with this telescope) or it will just be more blurry.

[oggleman]

moon!

[Mr2PacsFather]

freakin sucks ! X(

[xboxguy0105]

very nice video, i have 1 quesetion tho, did u just point the xt8 at the moon and you saw it clearly, or did you have to tweak it a bit?

[twochiefs827]

@xboxguy0105 as with any telescope, you do have to adjust the focus to get a clear image, but this is easy and fast to do. It's like adjusting the image on a projector lens to make a clear picture on the screen. after it was in focus, i simply put my camera to the eyepiece, and my camera auto-focused on the image being reflected.

[xboxguy0105]

@twochiefs827 thank you for the info, also what eyepeice were u using

[twochiefs827]

@xboxguy0105 See comments below for my eyepiece recommendations.

[animedrawer84]

Hi that is really nice scope......I want to buy one too but I don't know which one should get I am thinking of buying either a celestron C10-NGT an Orion atlas 10 or if I should just go for an orion skyquest 12 dobsonian can you help me please I want a scope that will allowed me to do some deep-sky observing(galaxies) which one would you reccomend me.....I don't want it for astrophotography I just want it to look at the sky:)...anyone tell me I want to hear your reccomendations 

[twochiefs827]

@animedrawer84 I don't know anything about the other telescopes you are considering, but I did quite a bit of research before I purchased my Orion SkyQuest XT8 and fount that it was one of the best entry-level telescopes that allows for serious viewing (including planets, nebulae, galaxies, star clusters, etc), but is easy to use and affordable. If you have more money to spend, I would recommend the larger SkyQuest models. I have had a WONDERFUL experience with this telescope. Highly recommended

[animedrawer84]

@twochiefs827 So pretty much dobsonians are better for deep sky viewing.....any ways thank you and I will consider the skyquest xt12.....thk you

[animedrawer84]

@twochiefs827 Thank you......I decided to go for the Orion skyquest xt12 GoTo.....thank you

[twochiefs827]

@animedrawer84 Excellent! I know you'll love it!

[animedrawer84]

@twochiefs827 Haha I bet I will.......I will be buying some filters along with some eyepieces......thank you

[twochiefs827]

@animedrawer84 I HIGHLY recommend the 1.25" Celestron Accessory Kit that can be found on Amazon.com (as well as astronomy websites). For just over $100, you get 5 eyepieces (which usually go for $50+ each) as well as multiple filters, and a barlow lens (that magnifies any other lens by 2x). This kit is great for first-time telescope buyers, because it comes with all of the necessary lenses for seeing up close as well as zooming out for the big picture. Don't pay the same price for a single lens!

[animedrawer84]

@twochiefs827 I was going to buy that kit but since the scope was Orion I wasn't sure to buy the celestron kit

[mattc867]

@twochiefs827

what telescope do you use that eyepiece kit with? I have an xt8 (same as the video) and I went to a local store looking to buy that exact kit you mention and the guy told me they weren't good for my telescope and then told me I should buy individual $100+ eyepieces.

I just want some inexpensive eyepieces to get me started and give me some options when viewing the sky. Should I go ahead an get them anyway?

[twochiefs827]

@mattc867 As far as I know, most (if not all) Orion telescopes are made to use 1.25" AND 2" eyepieces... its a pretty standard system. The only piece i've had trouble using with my telescope is the "L" angle mirror (that flips the image right-side up) with my 2" set, and for all I know, that might be simply user error. ANY 1.25" eyepiece should work with your telescope, and I HIGHLY recommend the 1.25" Celestron Accessory Kit. DONT buy individual eyepieces unless you just have extra money!

[gavinjoaquinolivas]

@animedrawer84 How do you like it?

I cant decide between the xt8 or spending a little extra on the xt10

[animedrawer84]

@gavinjoaquinolivas Well It still hasn't come it's in it's way...but I mean if you can spend a little more you should definetly go for the xt10 or bigger if you want to....yea get as much aperture as you can

[BeeGreeen]

can u see the american flag on the moon through a telescop?

[twochiefs827]

@BeeGreeen The moon is about as wide across as the entire United states. At most, you can see craters the size of a mountain =)

[fragatahugo]

@BeeGreeen HAHA

[Zoroasterrrr]

YES YOU CAN !! purchase an Sky Quest XT6 and then get an eyepieces that are 5mm 12mm 25mm 50mm also get a 2x Barlow eyepiece that allows magnification of any eyepiece you would like to use, then also purchase a focal reducer for wide field deep objects. Most planets will be small and stars will be pin points of light, but the experince of exploring the moon and seeing what is available to see is well worth the $175 I paid for my Sky Quest XT6 Brand new

[yourboycal]

Is there any telescopes that would zoom in and show us the landing cites? Foot prints? Flags? Rovers? Tools left behind?

[twochiefs827]

@yourboycal short answer: no. The moon is about as wide as the United States, so the best you can do is look at larger land formations (most notably, craters).

[2plus2is9]

I am really considering buying this exact telescope sometime this year. I need to save up first!

Would you recommend it? How much did it all cost with the extra eye pieces included?

The Moon is nice but what kind of detail can you seen on Mars? Any surface features or a featureless disk?

[twochiefs827]

Yes, I highly recommend this telescope with no reservations. The cost / feature ratio is excellent. The only other telescope I might recommend is the XT10, which is the same telescope only larger and more expensive.

[twochiefs827]

To purchase this telescope plus the eyepiece kits that I recommend, the total cost would be about $800. For the larger telescope XT10, expect to pay about $170 more.

XT8 = $330 + $60 shipping

1.25" kit = $140 + $10 shipping

2" kit = $250 + $10 shipping

If that is too much money (and I would have thought so before I actually purchased mine), you can probably leave out the 2" kit. You really get more for your money with the 1.25" eyepieces, and you'll probably be using them more often in the end.

[twochiefs827]

The main reason I have this moon video and nothing else, is that the moon is the only thing in the sky bright enough to actually catch on my camera. As for features on the mars, no, it is more like a featureless disk (although still wonderful to look at). You can clearly see Saturn's rings, Jupiter's clouds and moons (although not the red spot), some amazing nebula, star clusters, and galaxies too if you know where to look.

[twochiefs827]

The real limitation most often is the atmosphere and light polution in your area, not the telescope. Often there is enough light collected by my telescope to "zoom in" really close, but instead of seeing more detail, you simply see the distortion caused by the atmosphere more clearly. A larger telescope might reduce this effect, but unless you live out west more than an hour away from a major city, this telescope will be all you need for years to come.

[2plus2is9]

Thank you for all your comments. I'm am new to astronomy and don't yet own a telescope. In fact, I bought my first pair of 10x50 binoculars a few days ago! I don't personally know anyone who owns a telescope so all the information I have gathered so far is through reading about it and asking questions.

Some recommended that I get a "Orion Ultrascopic 5mm" eyepiece along with Orion XT 6 or XT 8 telescope. Does that seem like a good choice to start with? Its expensive...

$112.95

[twochiefs827]

That is a good eyepiece, but the main reason i recommend the Celestron 1.25" Eyepiece and Filter Accessory Kit is because it comes with a 4mm, 6mm, 9mm, 15mm and 32mm lenses (the XT8 comes with a 25mm, so its the perfect compliment). 4mm is extremely "zoomed in", and in fact, the eyepieces you will prefer most often will be the 32mm, 25mm, and probably 9mm.

[twochiefs827]

The reason is, most objects in the sky are too faint to see with much more than a 10mm, so a 4mm or 5mm is really only good for looking at the moon. And for the $140 set, you get 5 eyepieces and a barlow lense, which allows you to double the resolution of any other eyepiece (so if you use the barlow on the 4mm, its like having a 2mm, etc). Overall, I can't stress enough the value of the celestron package.

[2plus2is9]

Also, I live in Canada and that means higher shipping costs for everything. Orion's website says that they ship to Canada but I must contact them for a quote.

I have another question for you. I have a small backyard (with houses right behind it) which is were I will be doing most of my stargazing. Do you think that the fact that I don't have a wide open sky above me would limit me drastically?

[twochiefs827]

@2plus2is9 Sorry this reply is late. In some ways, having a small view of the sky is limiting, because you'll only be able to see specific objects for a few hours at a time in the evening, and only those that pass overhead. The plus side is that the darkest, clearest part of the sky is always going to be straight up... so the BEST things you will be able to see in your area will be right above you anyway.

[twochiefs827]

@2plus2is9 As an object moves closer to the horizon, it loses definition because you are looking through a thicker atmosphere (the same reason you can look at the red sun when it is setting). I'd say a more serious problem will be light pollution, if you have no way to avoid the light from neighbors houses and street lights.

[netsoj]

I got this telescope for xmas and it is AWESOME!

[twochiefs827]

yes it is!! i highly recommend purchasing both of the following sets to go with it:

Celestron 1.25" Eyepiece and Filter Accessory Kit ($140)

Celestron 2" Eyepiece and Filter Accessory Kit ($250)

They may seem pricy, but if you want to get the most out of your telescope, these are a MUST!

[netsoj]

I was going to buy a 5mm eyepiece and a 2-3x barlow lens (Celestron)

[netsoj]

Nevermind your deal is obviously better lol

[twochiefs827]

i bought a few individual pieces before i decided to get the sets, but if you look at them closely, you'll find you end up getting every eye piece and barlow you'd want for a much lower price overall.

[netsoj]

Yea I realized that once I looked them up. I cant seem to find anything in regards to the filters. What exactly do they contribute to?

[twochiefs827]

supposedly they allow you to distinguish different details on planets and the moon, but i've not been able to see any real difference using them. The main value of these packages is in the eyepieces and barlow lenses, which is a great deal even without the filters.

[greezyfetus]

great vid , I just ordered the same telescope cant wait to get it .

[BoxterRs]

lol...that is beautiful