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Attempting to Observe Jupiter/Venus

  • conor-figgy
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12 years 9 months ago #92649 by conor-figgy
Attempting to Observe Jupiter/Venus was created by conor-figgy
Hey guys! I'm a relatively new amateur astronomer and tonight I tried to view Jupiter and Venus through my Celestron AstroMaster 130EQ. So, when I managed to get it in my scope this is what I saw:
[img


Apologies for the crude ms paint drawing. The grey is the planet and the black is the structure of the mirror holder (as far as I can see). So, my questions are:

1) Why can I see the struts of the holder? I've observed the moon many times and it's never been in the way.
2) I couldn't get either planet into any recognisable focus, and ideas to why?

Thanks!

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12 years 9 months ago #92650 by astroado
Replied by astroado on topic Re: Attempting to Observe Jupiter/Venus
Not quite sure, new to this myself, what power eyepiece were you using? Did you use a barlow? To my untrained eye it looks like too much power.

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12 years 9 months ago #92651 by PaulWalsh
Replied by PaulWalsh on topic Re: Attempting to Observe Jupiter/Venus
Hi this looks like the 'scope just needs to be focused. If you are using a barlow or an eyepiece with magnification that is too high you wont be able to get it any better then that.

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12 years 9 months ago #92652 by Coldfieldboundary
Replied by Coldfieldboundary on topic Re: Attempting to Observe Jupiter/Venus
your eyepiece is not in focus, so turn that wheel to turn it in/out until you get focus. Maybe you cannot reach focus, then your distance to move it in/out is too small, but then your eyepiece is not suitable on your scope.

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12 years 9 months ago #92653 by conor-figgy
Replied by conor-figgy on topic Re: Attempting to Observe Jupiter/Venus
I've tried it with a 20mm, 10mm and 7mm eyepiece and all with/without a barlow lens and I got relatively the same thing.

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12 years 9 months ago - 12 years 9 months ago #92654 by dave_lillis
Replied by dave_lillis on topic Re: Attempting to Observe Jupiter/Venus
have you tried focusing on the moon and then moving the scope to jupiter without changing focus,
On bigger dobs, you do get the vains holding up th secondary as spikes on the brightest stars.

Dave L. on facebook , See my images in flickr
Chairman. Shannonside Astronomy Club (Limerick)

Carrying around my 20" obsession is going to kill me,
but what a way to go. :)
+ 12"LX200, MK67, Meade2045, 4"refractor
Last edit: 12 years 9 months ago by dave_lillis.

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