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OpticsBlog – Thoughts and reviews of binoculars, telescopes, scopes, sights, and much more - birdwatching, astronomy, target shooting - pretty much anything related to optics, nature, and life!Wednesday, December 31, 2008Happy New Year with your new telescope
Happy New Year with your new telescope or astronomy binocular. 2009 could be a good one for a binocular or a telescope with a possible bright comet in February, six planets in the spring morning sky at once, a better look at Jupiter this year in late summer, a possibly great year for the Leonid meteor shower in November and much, much more. If you just got a new telescope or astronomy binocular for the holidays, the fun is just beginning.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008Cheap tripod? Not me
Okay, let's face it, tripods are not too glamorous. Most of us think in terms of what sits on top of the tripod. That's understandable, but trying to get by cheap when choosing a tripod is a mistake that only a beginner makes. Mount a good digital camera on a cheap tripod and see what happens to your pics. Mount a big, heavy astronomy binocular on a light flimsy tripod and you'll understand in only a matter of seconds. Crank up the magnification on a spotting scope when mounted on a light tripod and try seeing fine detail when the wind blows. I know only too well from past experience what happens with cheap tripods. In short, tripods are more than a necessary evil in the world of optics. Tripods, are, in fact, an essential for so many types of optical instruments.
The moon with a telescope
A lot of new telescopes that were purchased for the holidays are trying to see the rings of Saturn and a lot of new telescope users are being disappointed. Sorry, this year and next, the rings of Saturn are nearly edge on due to the relative position of our planet and Saturn in their orbits. On the other hand, the moon makes a great "first target" for new telescopes, even the very thin crescent moon visible in the evening sky, right now. In fact, the terminator - the edge area between the light and dark portions on the moon - is the best place to see detail on the moon. Experienced moon watchers really don't do that much work when the moon is full and covered with glaring light. So get those new telescopes out, right now and start watching the moon reveal new detail each night as the terminator creeps across the moon's surface. Each night brings something new to see on the moon with a telescope.
Monday, December 29, 2008Telescope for Saturn
Saturn is perhaps the most sought after object in a beginner's telescope and rightfully so. A first time look at Saturn though the telescope eyepiece never fails to elect some oohs and ahhs. This year may be an exception, though, because Saturn's rings, the star of the show, are nearly edge on to us this year and next, so we'll have to be patient a bit if we expect to see Saturn in all its telescope glory. The reason? It's a matter of Saturn's orbit with respect to Earth's orbit. Over a period of 4 or 5 years Saturn's rings tilt in and out of view for us. Not to worry, those rings are still there. In the meantime, there are plenty of other telescope objects to keep that telescope busy.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008Using a telescope
Using a telescope for the first time? Don't feel too lonely. The holidays are the most likely time of the year to find a beginner behind a telescope. More telescopes are sold during the holidays than the rest of the year combined. Now, you would think that the manuals supplied with beginner telescopes would be all a beginner would ever need to learn how to use a telescope. Not so. Most instruction manuals that come with beginner telescopes are generic and, well, skimpy. That's why I wrote several articles on our website to help answer some basic questions for new telescope users. The first, Telescope FAQs can be used with any telescope, any brand. It covers all the basic procedures you need to get that new beginner telescope into action. The next is see A Dozen Telescope Observing Tips For Beginners. This telescope article includes a dozen tips that will allow you to make the most of that new telescope. The last article is my Ten Telescope Eyepiece Questions. This is a more detailed discussion of that most important telescope accessory, the eyepiece. There is some math, but, not to worry. I kept it simple.
Tuesday, December 23, 200860mm refractor thoughts
Okay, I'm no fan of the ubiquitous 60mm refractor telescope. Let's face it, there are better choices in a beginner's telescope. Even stepping up in size to a 114mm reflector, such as the Celestron Astromaster 114 AZ is a significant improvement in terms of how much and how many things you can see. Still, I would be less than honest if I didn't say that I started my love affair with astronomy with a 60mm refractor that wasn't even as good as the Bushnell 6570x60. Maybe because I am stubborn and maybe because I am passionate about everything I do, but I squeezed every last drop of performance that old 60mm refractor could give. When I moved on to larger telescopes, the lessons learned with that old 60mm telescope served me well.
Monday, December 22, 2008Telescopes this winter
The weather outside has been frightful, here in the Chicago area, at least from an astronomy point of view, but, like very astronomer, I know the sky will clear sooner or later. Winter is really not a problem for a telescope, by the way. You can use any telescope safely in cold weather, with a little planning. Battery drain is greater in cold weather, so if you are using a computerized and /or motorized telescope like the Meade DS-2114, be sure to use fresh batteries or keep spare batteries on hand. In terms of optics, you also need to allow a telescope to cool down to air temperature before using it, otherwise performance will suffer and the larger the telescope, the longer the cool-down time. That's one advantage of a smaller telescope like the Meade ETX-80. It can be carried out the back door and you can be observing in no time.
Thursday, December 18, 2008Telescopes for day use
If you are looking for an astronomy telescope than can also do double duty as a daytime telescope, be sure to pay attention to the mount, not just the optics when buying a telescope. The best choice for daytime mount is an alt-az mount. An equatorial telescope mount is a better choice for astronomy, but an equatorial telescope mount is not well suited for tracking objects by day. As far as optics, for day use, go with a refractor telescope, a Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope or its close cousin, the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. When used with diagonals, these all produce upright images. Reflectors are great astronomy telescopes, but they produce upside down images. Under $200, a great choice is the Celestron Astromaster 90 AZ. It's big enough for some serious astronomy and can still be used by day.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008What size telescope is right for you?
Telescopes come in all sizes, so keep that in mind when shopping for a telescope for the holidays. For instance, the 16" Meade Lightbridge is as big as a Chrismtas tree. In fact, you will need a step ladder to get to the focuser when the scope is pointing directly over head. Talk about performance, though! At the other end of telescope size, are small Astroscan type reflectors, such as the Celestron Explorascope. This is not much bigger than a purse and, in fact, it has a strap so it can actually be carried like a purse. What size telescope is right for you? The telescope that you will use the most. A bigger telescope offers more performance than a smaller telescope, but a big telescope cna be a chore to setup and use.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008Telescope for Christmas
Great news for anyone getting a telescope for Christmas. The moon will be "new" on the 27th. That means skies will be dark enough to put that new telescope right to work on Christmas night with no interference from the light of the moon, provided, of course, you are fortunate enough to have a clear sky. Great beginner telescope objects this time of year include the Orion nebula and many great open star clusters, including the Pleiades, M34, M35 and so on. Get that new telescope out and use it! If you are observing in a cold climate, be sure to dress warm and also allow that telescope time to cool down to air temperature before using it. Otherwise, optics will not be at their telescope best.
Monday, December 15, 2008Beginner's moon telescope
The moon has been low over the western horizon, framed beautifully over the snowy landscape these last few mornings as I pedaled to work in the dark. Definitely earned a big "Wow" from yours, truly. Like many astronomers, I have always had something of a love-hate relationship with the moon. The light from the moon shuts down my deep-sky observing - galaxies, nebulae, star clusters - for a good chunk of each month and that hurts because those are my favorite objects for both my astronomy binoculars and telescopes. On the other hand, the moon has also provided me with a ready object for both my astronomy binoculars and telescopes. In fact, I have begun to see some renewed interest in the moon among serious astronomers, if, for no other reason, than the fact that the moon is not affected by light pollution which plagues so many of us, these days. Another appealing aspect of moon astronomy is that you do not need a large telescope to observe a lot of detail on the moon. Even the ubiquitous 60mm refractor will show a wealth of detail. Indeed, I started my astronomy many, many years ago with a telescope very similar to the Bushnell 675x60 Deep Space Refractor (have some issues with the way Bushnell labels this telescope -forget the 675 and the Deep-Space). For under $100, this beginner's telescope will reveal carters within craters, mountain ranges and deep gorges on the moon's surface.
Thursday, December 11, 2008Ultimate portable telescope
Not everyone wants or needs a computerized telescope. Let's face it; some of us don't get along with computers and some folks just like to keep things simple. What can be simpler in a telescope, especially for youngsters, than an Astroscan type telescope on a table top mount? One of the best of this breed of telescope is the Bushnell Voyager 100x4.5. It's big enough to see a good number of faint objects and the basic, no-frills mount means nothing to break or lose. At very low powers, it can even be slung over the shoulder with the supplied carry strap and used for some wide-field views of the Milky Way. Talk about the ultimate portable telescope, too.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008Dobsonian telescope, serious telescope
It's no secret that I am a big fan of Dobsonian telescopes. The way the Dobsonian telescope evolved and the spirit and motivation of its designer, John Dobson, makes a "Dob" something special in the world of telescopes. The original intent was to produce a large, no frills telescope at a price within reach of everyone. After all these years, the Dobsonian telescope, despite some modifications to the original, remains true to that original intent. Since telescope size is the primary factor in telescope performance, the Dobsonian is a great choice in a serious telescope for those on a limited budget. An 8" Dobsonian, such as the 8" Meade Lightbridge and the 8" Skywatcher Dob will show a beginner many, many times more objects than other type telescope you can buy for the asking price of $400. The price of an 8" Dobsonian may suggest a beginner's telescope, but performance puts an 8" Dob in the serious telescope category.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008A premium monocular with snob appeal
With only a handful of few exceptions, monoculars - tiny, handheld spotting scopes - are not regarded as premium optics. Let's face it, when people think monocular, they don't think in terms of snob appeal. Is there a monocular that can actually make a fashion statement and performs as well as it looks. Oh, yeah. One of my favorites is the Zeiss Miniquick. At first glance, you might think it is an elegant fountain pen, it's so small. That Zeiss logo gives it away, though. Pull it out of your pocket or purse and amaze everyone with some great optics and your great taste!
Monday, December 08, 2008Beginner telescope
I knew it was cold as I pedaled to work the other morning in the early morning darkness, but I didn't mind. The sky was clear and I could see Arcturus directly ahead, so, naturally, my thoughts turned to astronomy. I couldn't help but wonder how much better todays beginner telescopes were than when I started so many, many years, ago. I remember of dreaming of the day when I could upgrade from my cheap 60mm refractor telescope to a larger reflector telescope. Of course, the Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ telescope was not available, back then. Nor was any Dobsonian, such as the 8" Meade Lightbridge. Heck, John Dobson hadn't even invented that design, yet. And computers? Ha! There was no such thing as a personal computer when I started in astronomy, let alone a computer on a telescope. If a person could transport a celestron 5Se back in time, some forty years, what a commotion that would cause!
Thursday, December 04, 2008Beginner telescopes
Beginner telescopes and the holidays go together like peanut butter and jelly. That's both good news and bad. Let's start with the bad. Since we are talking beginners, there is a lot to learn before buying a telescope and, unfortunately, you can't rely on advertising to get a true idea of what a telescope can and cannot do. That's the reason for my articles on our website. A great way to learn more on the basics of choosing a telescope is to first read my article, Telescope First Questions. This gets you started with the two most important decisions to make, right away. Then narrow your choice down even more with my article How to choose the right telescope. This discusses the pros and cons of each telescope design. Since telescope eyepieces are the most important accessory for any telescope, you may also wish to do more reading with my article, Ten Top Telescope Eyepiece Questions.
The good news is you can get a useable telescope if you can manage to spend in the neighborhood of $200. This price range gets you a telescope that is large enough to sustain an interest in astronomy. A couple of good choices here include the Celestron Astromaster 130 EQ (no computer) and the close-out version of the Meade DS-2114AT Wednesday, December 03, 2008Small telescope or big telescope
Want to make your cheap telescope or cheap astronomy binocular perform at the level of an expensive telescope or astronomy binocular? Maybe you can and it won't cost much more than some gas and some time. Moving from a light polluted observing site to a dark observing site will amaze you at how much more there is to see in even a small telescope or small astronomy binocular. Since most of us live with some degree of light pollution, just hopping in the car and driving away from the city lights will do more to improve the performance of your binocular or telescope than anything you can add to it. Hard to believe? My Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe is as expensive and as good as an astronomy binocular gets, but from my badly light-polluted observing site, I can't see many of the same objects that were visible in a smaller, cheap astronomy binocular I used at a dark sky observing site. Even the best telescope or astronomy binocular is a victim of light pollution.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008Meade ETX-80 telescope
What's the difference between the Meade ETX-80 TC Astro telescope and the Meade ETX-80 BB telescope (backpack) edition? Can I use the Meade ETX-80 BB for astronomy? Can I use the Meade ETX-80 TC Astro for daytime work? These are typical questions on the ever popular Meade ETX-80 telescope. First, you can do astronomy or daytime viewing with either version of the ETX-80, but the Meade ETX-80 Astro is optimized for astronomy and the Meade ETX-80 BB is a more practical choice if you plan to do a lot of day viewing and/or packing the telescope along on a camping trip, for instance. You get an erecting prism with the ETX-80BB and a more portable tripod as well. The choice is yours, but both are the ultimate in a portable telescope.
Monday, December 01, 2008Celestron 5" Schmidt-Cassegrian
The venerable Celestron 5" Schmidt-Cassegrian telescope has been around in one form or another for a generation. In fact, I can remember wanting a C5 Celestron telescope back in the 80s. The good news is that the Celestron 5" Schmidt-Cassegrain survives to this day on several great Celestron telescope mounts. One of the most affordable and easiest to use of the Celestron 5" Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes is the Celestron Nexstar 5SE. It combines the beginner friendly Celestron computer with the great portability of the Celestron SE mount. This is a great combination for a grab and go telescope - small enough and light enough for a gal like me to carry, but large enough to do some serious astronomy. Just the right size telescope to put in the corner of my living room when not in use and that orange color works with my décor. This telescope definitely makes it on my Christmas list.
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