HI there, about the 2x barlow, you say that the barlow doubles the magnification of the eyepiece. Ive heard from another video on youtube that the barlow is actually doubling the focal length of the Telescope and not the eyepiece. So now this is confusing to a beginner like myself. Can you clarify please. Excellent videos. Thanks for sharing.
@posterpopman That is precisely how the barlow works to increase magnification. Increasing the focal length of the telescope has the effect of increasing the magnification. You can see this by playing around with the numbers a little bit in the magnification formula: telescope focal length / eyepiece focal length = magnification.
@truemartian So the eyepiece is not magnified, the 15mm stays at 15mm and so on, and it is only the Telescope focal length that is magnified. Is this correct?
@posterpopman The magnification that the eyepiece provides is doubled by a 2X barlow and tripled by a 3X barlow. For example, say you have a 15mm eyepiece on a 1200mm telescope. This provides you with 80X magnification. Applying the 2X barlow will double the 80X magnification to 160X. How the barlow does this is another story. The barlow does this by either lengthening the focal length of the telescope OR (and this is more typical) it shortens the focal length of the eyepiece.
@posterpopman hey just a quick word of advice, i would avoid barlow lenses whenever possible. i say this because adding the barlow will decrease the full image quality. what im saying is that, say you have a 10mm eyepiece and a 2x barlow = 5mm , now lets say you have a 5mm eyepiece, image quality will be greater in the 5mm eyepiece then the 10mm barlowed. it wont be significant in most cases but the truth is as soon as light passes through your barlow lense, you lose some image quality
@Universound57 I would have to agree with you there. I've never really found a barlow I liked. This is why I always recommend three eyepieces with low, medium, and high magnification.
@truemartian Does that mean that my eyepieces are not in the following range u suggested? Well I did try looking through all of my eyepieces... but no hope....
@NintendoWiigangster Hmmm well maybe you should give me a rundown of your equipment. What kind of telescope? Its diameter? Its focal length? What are the mm numbers on your eyepieces? What is the problem you are experiencing? What do you hope to achieve with your telescope? This will give me a better picture.
Which eyepieces are great on seeing nebulaes, galaxies and or planets or the moon? I checked on the internet but couldnt find my answers to my problems. Sorry if im askin too much!! BTW I luved how ur helping new amateurs like me about telescopes and all kinda stuff bout it!! Luvved all of ur vids!!!
@NintendoWiigangster All eyepieces will show you what you want to see. Some just do it better than others... thus the price ranges. I basic set of Plossl type eyepieces are low enough in price to be entry level without sacrificing quality. You will want to invest a little money in your eyepieces. You need at least three in the following ranges: 25mm-30mm, 10mm-15mm, and 3mm-4mm. ALWAYS try looking at everything and anything with all of your eyepieces. Thanks so much for your feedback!
@NintendoWiigangster All eyepieces will show you what you want to see. Some just do it better than others... thus the price ranges. I basic set of Plossl type eyepieces are low enough in price to be entry level without sacrificing quality. You will want to invest a little money in your eyepieces. You need at least three in the following ranges: 25mm-30mm, 10mm-15mm, and 3mm-4mm. ALWAYS try looking at everything and anything with all of your eyepieces. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Why can't i see anything through it? Is it because my lens or eyepieces or barlow lens are not clean? Or is there a prob with it? Oh yea and uhhh I wanna ask you which eyepieces are great for seeing the moon? I have a 25mm, 4mm, and a 12.5mm eyepiece and 2 times and 3 times barlow lens. Which of these eyepieces are great for seeing the moon and all the planets? I'm new and I dont wanna be dissapointed already... I also can't see anything at night cuz i cant see anything through my telescope...
I need serious help!! I have a Bushnell 660 times 60mm refractor telescope and I dont know why but I can't see anything through my telescope lens!!! Well I could see things through my finderscope but nothing and i mean nothing, well something but it's soooo blurry. I checked on the internet, and it saids that it's cuz of I'm looking through my telescope inside through the window looking outside. I already brought my telescope outside and still see blurry blurry and blurry!! Why is it so blurry?
@NintendoWiigangster sounds like you haven't found the focus knob? maybe too much light pollution? bad weather?
look for a focusing knob when you have that bright blurry object in your eyepiece. keep turning it until the picture comes in crisp. it may turn out to be a planet, may turn out looking the same way it did with the naked eye because its too damn far away. when i started twisting that knob on a random star, i was amazed to find it was jupiter and its moons
@gaz52 I have not. But I have not heard bad things about them. If you have tried them, how about sharing a video review with us. It would be a great video response to my own.
@2DaDeathSon I am by no means an expert on eyepieces but I did purchase some Orion Ultrascopics and I do enjoy the views through them. My Orion Ultrascopic 3.8mm used with my Meade LXD55 6 inch refractor is a marriage made in heaven when it comes to viewing Saturn.
This is Astro-Photographer of ASTRONOMY Magazine December 1982 BackIssues. The above individual does NOT know how to carefully clean your Eyepieces, so Jules Verne, Jules Vieira has to step in. Cleaning your Eyepieces should be Covered with your Eyepiece Caps most of the time. But, if Eyepiece Cleaning is necessary the GOTO Photographic Accessory Stores, & buy "LENS Paper" & "LENS Photographic Spray from Camera Stores". Wash hands "thouroughly clean". Clean Eyepiece after Lens Spray is 1Spray
i HELLO i got a question .................i got a celestron powerseeker 127eq and i dont have any idea how can i do to see some clusters or deep sky objects.I was thinking in buy a zummen 3.5mm eyepiece with 20mm eye relief that is 60$ and dont know if that can help me in something or i should just buy a less zoom or waht PLEASE HELP...............???????!!!!!!!!!!!!1
@otaner142 There is a list of deep space objects called the Messier Catalogue. Familiarize yourself with these objects. These are the deep space objects you will want to learn how to find. I recommend a book on the subject. Also learn your constellations. The patterns of stars in the sky are your road map to deep space. If you cannot recognize the patterns of stars in constellations you will not be able to star hop to the deep space objects you seek.
@otaner142 Most deep space objects are best seen on medium to low power. Planets are more suited to higher magnifications. All you need are three eyepieces in the following ranges: 25-30mm(low), 10-15mm(medium), and 3-5mm(high). Of course the shorter your telescope's focal length, the less magnification you will get from the eyepiece.
@otaner142 I bought this scope last year myself. I only kept it for a few months because it is such an inferior product. I was really disappointed with Celestron. It was mostly the mount I was displeased with. Too shaky and the EQ becomes lose and you can't tighten it up. I sold it and bought an 8" Skywatcher dobsonian for only about 50 bucks more than the powerseeker cost me. I'm so glad I changed scopes before I got too frustrated in the hobby. A dob is a better scope for a beginner.
@otaner142 After Spraying Eyepiece with Photographic Lens Spray, wipe only eyepiece with "Lens Photographic Tissue paper specific for Lenses NOT just Tissue paper". Paramount is to wash your hands "thouroughly with Soap to remove ALL dust or oil from your hands before using the above method". Eyepieces are"delicate Lenses requiring only"Lens Specific Photographic Spray 50ml bottle",&Lens Specific PhotographicTissue bought at your community Photographic Supplies Retailer".Wipe lenses circular!!
@otaner142 When cleaning any Eyepiece use ONLY "Specific Photographic Lens Sprays 100% Safe for Multi-Coatings & Photographic Specific Lens Tissue Only after thouroughly Washing your hands before cleaning Eyepieces is also Critical to remove any particles or oils which can put "hairline scratches on Lenses".Also AVOID as much as Possible from Cleaning Eyepieces by always putting their Dust Caps back on and inside their boxes when NOT in use.Multi-Coatings are also sensitive & Eyepiece Lenses
@AlekInc I think its just a standard 2X barlow. To be honest I've never met a barlow I really liked. Seems like visually they always take something away. I can't tell you when the last time was I actually used one. I'm always using an eyepiece with the appropriate focal length for magnification.
I'm talking about the focal length of the telescope it even says it on the specs from the Meade website. But I have a 24mm 82 degree feild of view eyepiece that's really nice. Would this be good for deep sky?
@kijifled2 Its difficult to say what eyepiece will be good for what. Though in general lower power eyepieces are desirable for homing in on an object rather than intense study. The best thing to do is pop it into your telescope and see how you like it. What one astronomer thinks of a certain eyepeice may not be what another thinks of it. In visual astronomy the perception of an object through various combinations of eyepieces/telescopes can vary from person to person.
Kijifled2; Google "telescope eyepiece calculations" and you'll find a couple of pages that offer calculation programs for the size of your telescope and will offer up the eyepeices that might work best for you.
@kijifled2 3048mm is a very loooong focal length. Are you sure you have the focal length right? For most telescopes the three eyepiece focal length ranges I talk about in my video are just fine. (25-30mm, 10-15mm, 3-4mm) Most deep space objects are low to medium power but bright planets and the moon are best on higher powers.
@hummerume I tend to stay away from eyepiece kits. You usually get what you pay for when it comes to eyepieces. Eyepieces are everything when it comes to a good view. Prepare to spend a little money on quality. Having said that I have no experience using the Celestron eyepiece kit.
a very bad one. they are 20mm and 4mm low quality eyepieces. the have a very constricted field of view. maby like 15-20 degrees. so thats why i want to buy a new one
Its difficult for me to advise on eyepieces, thus I give only basic information in the video. I am by no means an expert here but I have produced a video based on my limited personal experience. Read reviews you can find on any eyepiece you are considering purchasing. Stay away from eyepiece kits because quality usually suffers in favor of quantity. You should know that a larger telescope with a longer focal length will give you a better result in magnification.
great vid very useful..im just gettin back into astronomy after a failed attempt several years ago..with the advent of the internet and youtube i think theres a lot more of help available! any tips..i have a 675x4.5 reflector and i am 100% Northern Hemisphere (the UK)
I used to have a 5 inch reflector from Celestron, with a go-to mount. I could never align it against the three bright objects in the sky. So, I gave the telescope away. I am thinking of getting a 60mm aperture TeleVue apochromatic refractor, with 360mm focal length, and a 24 mm eye piece for starters. For the second eye piece, how far do you think I can "push" such a little refractor scope? 60x max? 120x? 80x? What's your advice?
I personally would go with 5 inch telescope myself. If you can find a dobsonian I would give one a try. Other than the finderscope you dont have to align a dobsonian. After having used much larger scopes for many years I can tell you that a 60mm refractor is disappointing. It might as well be a binocular.
Well, that's what I thought. The little 60mm aperture Televue refractor would give acceptable 4mm exit pupil with the 24mm eyepiece giving 15x magnification. So, my 16x70 binocular can do better than that. If I used the 6mm eye piece for 60x magnification, the exit pupil diameter would only be 1mm, which is way to dark... I'll stick with the binocuars then for now. My issue is portability, because I don't have a car, so I can only walk with my scope. In that case, the binoculars are good.
Thank you for this video, truemartian. I just got my first telescope, and thought it was a piece of junk before I saw this. Apperently I had too much zoom, I don't even know, all I know is that you helped alot! :)
Hi truemarian, is there any difference between having the 15mm eyepiece with a barlow lens attached to it or a smaller eyepiece of the same magnification?
I have a Meade RB-60 altazimatul, 60mm x 700mm. I have a 25mm eyepice and 9mm, + barlow lense. Do you think it would be of any use having a 3mm-7mm eypiece? Why?
A barlow fits between your eyepiece and the focuser. Simply put the eyepiece into the barlow and put the barlow in the focuser. Barlows double(2X) or triple(3X) the magnification of the eyepiece you use with it. Ex:50X eyepiece becomes 100X magnification with the use of a 2X barlow or 150X with a 3X barlow. I find that I rarely to never use a barlow though there may be applications where you may find it useful. I prefer a quality set of three eyepieces in the ranges mentioned in this video.
Three basic eyepieces in the following ranges will do the job: 25-30mm, 10-15mm, and 3-5mm. There are various designs with as variable a price that specialize in how they handle light. You may find that some objects appear better in one than another. I wouldnt say its wrong to have so many eyepieces but some might eventually get sent to the case permanently as you explore your preferences.
so, what would happen in your example of using a 3.8mm eye-piece on a 3-inch diameter meter telescope? you say there is no point in doing that. is it because the resulting image would be to dim to see cause there's not enough light?
There is what we call useful magnification. Because small telescopes dont resolve the detail a larger scope would all you would be doing is magnifying a fuzzy blob.
Brighter objects like planets have some color but deep space objects are so dim that the cones, the color receptors in your retina, are not sensitive enough to pick them up. Instead it is the rods that we use, which are much more sensitive but only see in black and white, that are able to pick up faint objects like nebula and galaxies in backyard telescopes. The color is there its just that your eye isnt as sensitive as say a camera to pick it up.
Yes, for most objects through the telescope, we use mainly the rods in our retina which only see in black and white. The cones, the color receptors in the retina, are just not as sensitive as the rods and thus less sensitive to dim objects.
You need a minimum of 4.5 inch aperture to begin looking at nebulas. Always start out with the lowest magnification first. The larger the mm number the lower the magnification and the smaller the mm number the higher. Nebulas are usually best in small scope on low to medium power. (25mm-15mm) It varies greatly from object to object.
If I'm not mistaken coatings can be reapplied by professional places that a camera shop could recommend. I had this done once on a 16mm film movie camera, a long time ago.
I wouldnt feel comfortable answering that question because I still dont quite understand all I need to know to do so. Perhaps one of my subscribers or readers could comment on that.
alrite mate i have a helios 102mm/1000mm telescope, i just wanted to know if that was a good telescope for viewing planets ect. with different eyepieces and borlow lense's would i see them very well
Your telescope will do just fine I'm sure. Most telescopes usually dont have an issue with their primary optic. Its sucky lenses and a shaky mount that make some scopes, especially cheap ones, undesirable. Even so a cheaper scope can still perform its function. It just needs a little more patience.
Hi, i just got a very late Christmas present from my family. It is my first telescope. Judging by what ive learned from watching your videos it looks to be 4.5" Reflector. Ive just put it together and havn't brought it outside yet. When i look into telescope where the eye peice is supposed to go without an eyepiece there should i be seeing my own eye in the very center? and surrounding that is the image coming from what the telescope is actually looking at? Thanks.
I currently do not have much experience with filters other than solar and neutral density. I have used a basic set of planetary color filters but have found only one of them(a blue) to be somewhat useful for bringing detail out of Jupiter. For the most part the basic color set I have tends to dim the object to much for my liking as far as visual astronomy goes.
i put alot of dust on my eye piece so i went to a professional photography shop and the lady sold me a nice micro-fibre brush and an air spray can. she said no matter how good you treat our eyepiece, it will always degrade over time.
Erecting eyepieces correct the view through the telescope so that if you use it to look at something terrestrial it appears the way you see it with the naked eye.
I'm pretty sure. Dont quote me on that one. I'm not sure why you would want to do such a thing unless you were doing prime focus astrophotography using a really large telescope.
That is a question above my current scope of experience. But knowing what I know about mirrors light reflects off the coating on the glass not the glass itself. You might direct that question toward refractors since they have a direct baring on refracting light. Again this subject deserves more research on your part because it is currently above my scope of experience.
I think you said in one of your other videos that you've been an amateur astronomer for 20 years, if I remember rightly. How can you still call yourself an amateur after 20 years?
lol because I dont get paid for it! The truth of the matter is there are amateurs out there we call professional because they have done it so long and have developed their skills such that they contribute discoveries to science. I am definitly not one of them.
Once again thanks for the videos. I have a couple of questions for you.
If all the planets in our solar system travel around the Sun in a horizontal plane, how comes I can see Mars and Saturn directly above my head in the sky. Surly this can only happen if you live near the equator. I live on the south coast of England 51 degrees. north.
With Saturn coming into opposition this month, what is the minimum size telescope do I need to see the rings. Thanks.
The planets orbit on a horizontal plane relatively speaking. The "plane of the ecliptic" is a line drawn by the sun in its path across the sky. If the planets orbited on a perfect plane they would follow the sun on this line. However each planets orbit is not perfect and has a slight inclination. This causes it to appear above or below this line but never stray far from it. How far over your head the planet appears depends on the angle u are viewing the plane of the ecliptic on earth.
HI there, about the 2x barlow, you say that the barlow doubles the magnification of the eyepiece. Ive heard from another video on youtube that the barlow is actually doubling the focal length of the Telescope and not the eyepiece. So now this is confusing to a beginner like myself. Can you clarify please. Excellent videos. Thanks for sharing.
posterpopman 4 months ago
@posterpopman That is precisely how the barlow works to increase magnification. Increasing the focal length of the telescope has the effect of increasing the magnification. You can see this by playing around with the numbers a little bit in the magnification formula: telescope focal length / eyepiece focal length = magnification.
truemartian 4 months ago
@truemartian So the eyepiece is not magnified, the 15mm stays at 15mm and so on, and it is only the Telescope focal length that is magnified. Is this correct?
Thanks for replying so quickly.
posterpopman 4 months ago
@posterpopman The magnification that the eyepiece provides is doubled by a 2X barlow and tripled by a 3X barlow. For example, say you have a 15mm eyepiece on a 1200mm telescope. This provides you with 80X magnification. Applying the 2X barlow will double the 80X magnification to 160X. How the barlow does this is another story. The barlow does this by either lengthening the focal length of the telescope OR (and this is more typical) it shortens the focal length of the eyepiece.
truemartian 4 months ago
@posterpopman hey just a quick word of advice, i would avoid barlow lenses whenever possible. i say this because adding the barlow will decrease the full image quality. what im saying is that, say you have a 10mm eyepiece and a 2x barlow = 5mm , now lets say you have a 5mm eyepiece, image quality will be greater in the 5mm eyepiece then the 10mm barlowed. it wont be significant in most cases but the truth is as soon as light passes through your barlow lense, you lose some image quality
Universound57 4 months ago
@Universound57 I would have to agree with you there. I've never really found a barlow I liked. This is why I always recommend three eyepieces with low, medium, and high magnification.
truemartian 4 months ago
3048mm / 4mm eyepiece in Vermont during the winter nights up in the mountains. new moon, clear weather
AroundSun 5 months ago
@truemartian Does that mean that my eyepieces are not in the following range u suggested? Well I did try looking through all of my eyepieces... but no hope....
NintendoWiigangster 5 months ago
@NintendoWiigangster Hmmm well maybe you should give me a rundown of your equipment. What kind of telescope? Its diameter? Its focal length? What are the mm numbers on your eyepieces? What is the problem you are experiencing? What do you hope to achieve with your telescope? This will give me a better picture.
truemartian 5 months ago
@NintendoWiigangster Ahhhh Somehow I missed your initial posts. I see you already gave details on your scope. Let me take a look here.
truemartian 5 months ago
Which eyepieces are great on seeing nebulaes, galaxies and or planets or the moon? I checked on the internet but couldnt find my answers to my problems. Sorry if im askin too much!! BTW I luved how ur helping new amateurs like me about telescopes and all kinda stuff bout it!! Luvved all of ur vids!!!
NintendoWiigangster 5 months ago
@NintendoWiigangster All eyepieces will show you what you want to see. Some just do it better than others... thus the price ranges. I basic set of Plossl type eyepieces are low enough in price to be entry level without sacrificing quality. You will want to invest a little money in your eyepieces. You need at least three in the following ranges: 25mm-30mm, 10mm-15mm, and 3mm-4mm. ALWAYS try looking at everything and anything with all of your eyepieces. Thanks so much for your feedback!
truemartian 5 months ago
@NintendoWiigangster All eyepieces will show you what you want to see. Some just do it better than others... thus the price ranges. I basic set of Plossl type eyepieces are low enough in price to be entry level without sacrificing quality. You will want to invest a little money in your eyepieces. You need at least three in the following ranges: 25mm-30mm, 10mm-15mm, and 3mm-4mm. ALWAYS try looking at everything and anything with all of your eyepieces. Thanks so much for your feedback!
truemartian 5 months ago
Why can't i see anything through it? Is it because my lens or eyepieces or barlow lens are not clean? Or is there a prob with it? Oh yea and uhhh I wanna ask you which eyepieces are great for seeing the moon? I have a 25mm, 4mm, and a 12.5mm eyepiece and 2 times and 3 times barlow lens. Which of these eyepieces are great for seeing the moon and all the planets? I'm new and I dont wanna be dissapointed already... I also can't see anything at night cuz i cant see anything through my telescope...
NintendoWiigangster 5 months ago
@NintendoWiigangster what kind do you have
AroundSun 5 months ago
I need serious help!! I have a Bushnell 660 times 60mm refractor telescope and I dont know why but I can't see anything through my telescope lens!!! Well I could see things through my finderscope but nothing and i mean nothing, well something but it's soooo blurry. I checked on the internet, and it saids that it's cuz of I'm looking through my telescope inside through the window looking outside. I already brought my telescope outside and still see blurry blurry and blurry!! Why is it so blurry?
NintendoWiigangster 5 months ago
@NintendoWiigangster sounds like you haven't found the focus knob? maybe too much light pollution? bad weather?
look for a focusing knob when you have that bright blurry object in your eyepiece. keep turning it until the picture comes in crisp. it may turn out to be a planet, may turn out looking the same way it did with the naked eye because its too damn far away. when i started twisting that knob on a random star, i was amazed to find it was jupiter and its moons
AroundSun 5 months ago
I know you probably won't have any, but have you ever tried orthoscopics?
gaz52 9 months ago
@gaz52 I have not. But I have not heard bad things about them. If you have tried them, how about sharing a video review with us. It would be a great video response to my own.
truemartian 9 months ago
What eyepice would you recommend for use with an xt4.5 classic in order get clean & crisp images of planets?What about nebulas and farther objects?
2DaDeathSon 11 months ago
@2DaDeathSon I am by no means an expert on eyepieces but I did purchase some Orion Ultrascopics and I do enjoy the views through them. My Orion Ultrascopic 3.8mm used with my Meade LXD55 6 inch refractor is a marriage made in heaven when it comes to viewing Saturn.
truemartian 11 months ago
If you want to cleanan eyepiece use 3 parts water to1part alcohol and clean them using a microfber cloth
gmaninthusa 11 months ago
This is Astro-Photographer of ASTRONOMY Magazine December 1982 BackIssues. The above individual does NOT know how to carefully clean your Eyepieces, so Jules Verne, Jules Vieira has to step in. Cleaning your Eyepieces should be Covered with your Eyepiece Caps most of the time. But, if Eyepiece Cleaning is necessary the GOTO Photographic Accessory Stores, & buy "LENS Paper" & "LENS Photographic Spray from Camera Stores". Wash hands "thouroughly clean". Clean Eyepiece after Lens Spray is 1Spray
Jules7892 1 year ago
i HELLO i got a question .................i got a celestron powerseeker 127eq and i dont have any idea how can i do to see some clusters or deep sky objects.I was thinking in buy a zummen 3.5mm eyepiece with 20mm eye relief that is 60$ and dont know if that can help me in something or i should just buy a less zoom or waht PLEASE HELP...............???????!!!!!!!!!!!!1
otaner142 1 year ago
@otaner142 There is a list of deep space objects called the Messier Catalogue. Familiarize yourself with these objects. These are the deep space objects you will want to learn how to find. I recommend a book on the subject. Also learn your constellations. The patterns of stars in the sky are your road map to deep space. If you cannot recognize the patterns of stars in constellations you will not be able to star hop to the deep space objects you seek.
truemartian 1 year ago
@otaner142 Most deep space objects are best seen on medium to low power. Planets are more suited to higher magnifications. All you need are three eyepieces in the following ranges: 25-30mm(low), 10-15mm(medium), and 3-5mm(high). Of course the shorter your telescope's focal length, the less magnification you will get from the eyepiece.
truemartian 1 year ago
@otaner142 I bought this scope last year myself. I only kept it for a few months because it is such an inferior product. I was really disappointed with Celestron. It was mostly the mount I was displeased with. Too shaky and the EQ becomes lose and you can't tighten it up. I sold it and bought an 8" Skywatcher dobsonian for only about 50 bucks more than the powerseeker cost me. I'm so glad I changed scopes before I got too frustrated in the hobby. A dob is a better scope for a beginner.
KeithArnotBurr 1 year ago
@otaner142 After Spraying Eyepiece with Photographic Lens Spray, wipe only eyepiece with "Lens Photographic Tissue paper specific for Lenses NOT just Tissue paper". Paramount is to wash your hands "thouroughly with Soap to remove ALL dust or oil from your hands before using the above method". Eyepieces are"delicate Lenses requiring only"Lens Specific Photographic Spray 50ml bottle",&Lens Specific PhotographicTissue bought at your community Photographic Supplies Retailer".Wipe lenses circular!!
Jules7892 1 year ago
@otaner142 When cleaning any Eyepiece use ONLY "Specific Photographic Lens Sprays 100% Safe for Multi-Coatings & Photographic Specific Lens Tissue Only after thouroughly Washing your hands before cleaning Eyepieces is also Critical to remove any particles or oils which can put "hairline scratches on Lenses".Also AVOID as much as Possible from Cleaning Eyepieces by always putting their Dust Caps back on and inside their boxes when NOT in use.Multi-Coatings are also sensitive & Eyepiece Lenses
Jules7892 1 year ago
great ....
kreatoru2003 1 year ago
What kind of barlow is that(that you showed)? I thinking of getting the Orion Shorty 2x for $50, is it a good price/good quality?
AlekInc 1 year ago
@AlekInc I think its just a standard 2X barlow. To be honest I've never met a barlow I really liked. Seems like visually they always take something away. I can't tell you when the last time was I actually used one. I'm always using an eyepiece with the appropriate focal length for magnification.
truemartian 1 year ago
I'm talking about the focal length of the telescope it even says it on the specs from the Meade website. But I have a 24mm 82 degree feild of view eyepiece that's really nice. Would this be good for deep sky?
kijifled2 1 year ago
@kijifled2 Its difficult to say what eyepiece will be good for what. Though in general lower power eyepieces are desirable for homing in on an object rather than intense study. The best thing to do is pop it into your telescope and see how you like it. What one astronomer thinks of a certain eyepeice may not be what another thinks of it. In visual astronomy the perception of an object through various combinations of eyepieces/telescopes can vary from person to person.
truemartian 1 year ago
Kijifled2; Google "telescope eyepiece calculations" and you'll find a couple of pages that offer calculation programs for the size of your telescope and will offer up the eyepeices that might work best for you.
stormkng 1 year ago
I have a 12 inch telescope with a focal length of 3048mm what type of eyepiece would you recommend for viewing deep sky objects? Thanks.
kijifled2 1 year ago
@kijifled2 3048mm is a very loooong focal length. Are you sure you have the focal length right? For most telescopes the three eyepiece focal length ranges I talk about in my video are just fine. (25-30mm, 10-15mm, 3-4mm) Most deep space objects are low to medium power but bright planets and the moon are best on higher powers.
truemartian 1 year ago
Hey whats your views on the celestron 1.25' eyepiece kit? they are priced quite low! do u have any idea about the quality of these eyepieces?
Best Regards
hummerume 1 year ago
@hummerume I tend to stay away from eyepiece kits. You usually get what you pay for when it comes to eyepieces. Eyepieces are everything when it comes to a good view. Prepare to spend a little money on quality. Having said that I have no experience using the Celestron eyepiece kit.
truemartian 1 year ago
@truemartian I guess you are right, we get what we pay for . thanks for responding buddy
hummerume 1 year ago
a very bad one. they are 20mm and 4mm low quality eyepieces. the have a very constricted field of view. maby like 15-20 degrees. so thats why i want to buy a new one
NEEDCARS 1 year ago
Its difficult for me to advise on eyepieces, thus I give only basic information in the video. I am by no means an expert here but I have produced a video based on my limited personal experience. Read reviews you can find on any eyepiece you are considering purchasing. Stay away from eyepiece kits because quality usually suffers in favor of quantity. You should know that a larger telescope with a longer focal length will give you a better result in magnification.
truemartian 1 year ago
hi there! i got a telescope that has 3" mirror and 300mm focal length. and i have a question. shuld i get a 9mm eyepiece that has a 15mm eye relief
and 66° of field of view that gives me 30x magnification?
and what should i know about when i use this eyepiece
NEEDCARS 1 year ago
What eyepieces do you already have?
truemartian 1 year ago
great vid very useful..im just gettin back into astronomy after a failed attempt several years ago..with the advent of the internet and youtube i think theres a lot more of help available! any tips..i have a 675x4.5 reflector and i am 100% Northern Hemisphere (the UK)
badgerwolf 2 years ago
good video very helpful
MrAstonomy123 2 years ago
fine clip
rai0093 2 years ago
good video osam
rai0093 2 years ago
thanks a million. i got a etx 125 for christmas, and i got lots of eyepieces. your vid explained my questions. thanks.
sonde27 2 years ago
I used to have a 5 inch reflector from Celestron, with a go-to mount. I could never align it against the three bright objects in the sky. So, I gave the telescope away. I am thinking of getting a 60mm aperture TeleVue apochromatic refractor, with 360mm focal length, and a 24 mm eye piece for starters. For the second eye piece, how far do you think I can "push" such a little refractor scope? 60x max? 120x? 80x? What's your advice?
dvamateur 2 years ago
I personally would go with 5 inch telescope myself. If you can find a dobsonian I would give one a try. Other than the finderscope you dont have to align a dobsonian. After having used much larger scopes for many years I can tell you that a 60mm refractor is disappointing. It might as well be a binocular.
truemartian 2 years ago
Well, that's what I thought. The little 60mm aperture Televue refractor would give acceptable 4mm exit pupil with the 24mm eyepiece giving 15x magnification. So, my 16x70 binocular can do better than that. If I used the 6mm eye piece for 60x magnification, the exit pupil diameter would only be 1mm, which is way to dark... I'll stick with the binocuars then for now. My issue is portability, because I don't have a car, so I can only walk with my scope. In that case, the binoculars are good.
dvamateur 2 years ago
Thank you for this video, truemartian. I just got my first telescope, and thought it was a piece of junk before I saw this. Apperently I had too much zoom, I don't even know, all I know is that you helped alot! :)
- Berkley
TheBerkley 2 years ago
Hi truemarian, is there any difference between having the 15mm eyepiece with a barlow lens attached to it or a smaller eyepiece of the same magnification?
wigglychickenable 2 years ago
I'm not sure, but someone once wrote in and said that the field of view may be different. Otherwise the magnification is the same.
truemartian 2 years ago
*it´s refractor
clone2per 2 years ago
I have a Meade RB-60 altazimatul, 60mm x 700mm. I have a 25mm eyepice and 9mm, + barlow lense. Do you think it would be of any use having a 3mm-7mm eypiece? Why?
clone2per 2 years ago
CAN SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT A BARLOW LENS IS, I can't figure the damn thing out for the life of me.
jsb779 2 years ago
A barlow fits between your eyepiece and the focuser. Simply put the eyepiece into the barlow and put the barlow in the focuser. Barlows double(2X) or triple(3X) the magnification of the eyepiece you use with it. Ex:50X eyepiece becomes 100X magnification with the use of a 2X barlow or 150X with a 3X barlow. I find that I rarely to never use a barlow though there may be applications where you may find it useful. I prefer a quality set of three eyepieces in the ranges mentioned in this video.
truemartian 2 years ago
test 1 2 3
truemartian 2 years ago
What is a good number of eyepieces to have? I have 7 and I feel like that's too many.
gaz52 2 years ago
Three basic eyepieces in the following ranges will do the job: 25-30mm, 10-15mm, and 3-5mm. There are various designs with as variable a price that specialize in how they handle light. You may find that some objects appear better in one than another. I wouldnt say its wrong to have so many eyepieces but some might eventually get sent to the case permanently as you explore your preferences.
truemartian 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
OK, thanks for your help.
gaz52 2 years ago
thanks alot man
ive watched most of these and there alot of help
MDCLod 2 years ago
so, what would happen in your example of using a 3.8mm eye-piece on a 3-inch diameter meter telescope? you say there is no point in doing that. is it because the resulting image would be to dim to see cause there's not enough light?
echelecopao 2 years ago
There is what we call useful magnification. Because small telescopes dont resolve the detail a larger scope would all you would be doing is magnifying a fuzzy blob.
truemartian 2 years ago
i have a question if anyone can answere me ppl said their no coolor when u look through them in space true or not
bettythehalf 2 years ago
Brighter objects like planets have some color but deep space objects are so dim that the cones, the color receptors in your retina, are not sensitive enough to pick them up. Instead it is the rods that we use, which are much more sensitive but only see in black and white, that are able to pick up faint objects like nebula and galaxies in backyard telescopes. The color is there its just that your eye isnt as sensitive as say a camera to pick it up.
truemartian 2 years ago
So you're saying that we wouldn't see colour through the telescope, but we would see it in the photos?
gaz52 2 years ago
Yes, for most objects through the telescope, we use mainly the rods in our retina which only see in black and white. The cones, the color receptors in the retina, are just not as sensitive as the rods and thus less sensitive to dim objects.
truemartian 2 years ago
is a 25mm eyepiece good for looking at nebulaes
+ could u recommend a good telescope for looknig for nebulaes
TrophYHunteR123 2 years ago
You need a minimum of 4.5 inch aperture to begin looking at nebulas. Always start out with the lowest magnification first. The larger the mm number the lower the magnification and the smaller the mm number the higher. Nebulas are usually best in small scope on low to medium power. (25mm-15mm) It varies greatly from object to object.
truemartian 2 years ago
If I'm not mistaken coatings can be reapplied by professional places that a camera shop could recommend. I had this done once on a 16mm film movie camera, a long time ago.
rayunseitig 2 years ago
Do you get the advantage of the bigger eyepiece lens when you use a Barlow as opposed to the shorter focal length alone (given the same mag. factor?)
OrganCat 2 years ago
I wouldnt feel comfortable answering that question because I still dont quite understand all I need to know to do so. Perhaps one of my subscribers or readers could comment on that.
truemartian 2 years ago
alrite mate i have a helios 102mm/1000mm telescope, i just wanted to know if that was a good telescope for viewing planets ect. with different eyepieces and borlow lense's would i see them very well
DANbrown1988 2 years ago
Your telescope will do just fine I'm sure. Most telescopes usually dont have an issue with their primary optic. Its sucky lenses and a shaky mount that make some scopes, especially cheap ones, undesirable. Even so a cheaper scope can still perform its function. It just needs a little more patience.
truemartian 2 years ago
Hi, i just got a very late Christmas present from my family. It is my first telescope. Judging by what ive learned from watching your videos it looks to be 4.5" Reflector. Ive just put it together and havn't brought it outside yet. When i look into telescope where the eye peice is supposed to go without an eyepiece there should i be seeing my own eye in the very center? and surrounding that is the image coming from what the telescope is actually looking at? Thanks.
Symbolite 3 years ago
Sounds completely normal so far. :)
truemartian 3 years ago
Have you had much experience with filters (apart from solar)? Could you do a video explaining what all the different filters are used for?
gaz52 3 years ago
I currently do not have much experience with filters other than solar and neutral density. I have used a basic set of planetary color filters but have found only one of them(a blue) to be somewhat useful for bringing detail out of Jupiter. For the most part the basic color set I have tends to dim the object to much for my liking as far as visual astronomy goes.
truemartian 3 years ago
shit i wiped my lense with my shirt when it got dirty will that severely mess up the view even if i properly clean it?
urokyon 3 years ago
What kind of eyepiece was it? How often did you do this?
truemartian 3 years ago
i put alot of dust on my eye piece so i went to a professional photography shop and the lady sold me a nice micro-fibre brush and an air spray can. she said no matter how good you treat our eyepiece, it will always degrade over time.
mistermuffin420 3 years ago
Sweet goatee Homie!
whiteboyjimmy20 3 years ago
So did the 7.5mm eyepiece turn out to be better or worse then the 15mm with barlow lens.
Driver599 3 years ago
Would you believe I still havnt got around to comparing them.
truemartian 3 years ago
my telescope is 1200, and it came with a 25mm and a 10mm and with those i can see Jupiter but i don't know where the other planets are juust yet, lol
HeyYou711 3 years ago 2
lol exact same here (i just used my scope tonite for the first time)
mistermuffin420 3 years ago
Thank you. 5 Stars!
kwgmaxamillion 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
you suck
DonaldRoberts 3 years ago
Thanks! Most informative stuff. Please keep them coming for us beginners!
BigLisaFan 3 years ago
TMart (that ought to be your new nick hehe)
im a complete Noob. and my scope came with a 1.5X Errecting Eyepiece!?!?! What the hell is that for?
ChknAdobo 3 years ago
Erecting eyepieces correct the view through the telescope so that if you use it to look at something terrestrial it appears the way you see it with the naked eye.
truemartian 3 years ago
I still have my Meade DS-2114 it still works great the eyepieces are much smaller for it though LOL but it's still a good telescope.
bstep13 4 years ago
Formal Request to truemartian: MAKE MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS ONE.
Thank you for your time.
notimelikenow08 4 years ago 2
I agree. :)
johannaerika20 3 years ago
noob question: if you link two barlows before the eyepiece, will it give you 4x the initial magnification?
OntZ 4 years ago
I'm pretty sure. Dont quote me on that one. I'm not sure why you would want to do such a thing unless you were doing prime focus astrophotography using a really large telescope.
truemartian 4 years ago
just curious. and another question: which is better for a primary mirror: pyrex or bk7?
OntZ 4 years ago
That is a question above my current scope of experience. But knowing what I know about mirrors light reflects off the coating on the glass not the glass itself. You might direct that question toward refractors since they have a direct baring on refracting light. Again this subject deserves more research on your part because it is currently above my scope of experience.
truemartian 4 years ago
I believe plate glass is better than pyrex for clarity, however, pyrex is less sensitive to size changes due to temperature.
jians5 3 years ago
I think you said in one of your other videos that you've been an amateur astronomer for 20 years, if I remember rightly. How can you still call yourself an amateur after 20 years?
gaz52 4 years ago
lol because I dont get paid for it! The truth of the matter is there are amateurs out there we call professional because they have done it so long and have developed their skills such that they contribute discoveries to science. I am definitly not one of them.
truemartian 4 years ago
thanks for the information on eyepieces. i've been confused about them up until now. great help
fradog23 4 years ago
Once again thanks for the videos. I have a couple of questions for you.
If all the planets in our solar system travel around the Sun in a horizontal plane, how comes I can see Mars and Saturn directly above my head in the sky. Surly this can only happen if you live near the equator. I live on the south coast of England 51 degrees. north.
With Saturn coming into opposition this month, what is the minimum size telescope do I need to see the rings. Thanks.
joefranjoe 4 years ago
The planets orbit on a horizontal plane relatively speaking. The "plane of the ecliptic" is a line drawn by the sun in its path across the sky. If the planets orbited on a perfect plane they would follow the sun on this line. However each planets orbit is not perfect and has a slight inclination. This causes it to appear above or below this line but never stray far from it. How far over your head the planet appears depends on the angle u are viewing the plane of the ecliptic on earth.
truemartian 4 years ago
Any telescope will show you the rings of Saturn. Larger telescopes will resolve the rings better.
truemartian 4 years ago
hi :) i was wondering if you are going to see the lunar eclipse the 20th(tomorrow)?... i am and i'm excided about it too!!!
LaKrisToya 4 years ago
If its clear hear I will be sure to view it ;-)
truemartian 4 years ago
it seems so clear.
blobrana 4 years ago
now you have your harp in the background
along with that sweet 6 inch refractor
pajamaninja367 4 years ago
I love your series of beginner videos. Informative and gets the ball rolling for those wanting to learn.
starsignproductions 4 years ago
cool video... nice seeing you again. peace
IChoseTheRedPill 4 years ago
As always, great information provided.
soylentsin 4 years ago 2