Help with using my telescope

[Charles Lockhart]

I purchased this small telescope, eyepieces and filters to share the night sky with my children and I realized I don't know how to really work it, what eyepieces to use, or even when filters should be used.

I've tried looking at a full moon, but it's never in focus and incredibly hard to even find in the scope. Where can I find help on how to know what eyepieces/filters to use for moon and planets?

(1) Orion telescope (not sure which model)
(2) 10 mm eyepiece
(3) 25 mm eyepiece
(4) Zhumell 1.25" Eyepiece and Filter Kit

• 4 mm Super Plossl eyepiece
  
• 6 mm Super Plossl eyepiece
  
• 15 mm Super Plossl eyepiece
  
• 40 mm Super Plossl eyepiece
  
• 2x Achromatic Barlow Lens
  
• #12 Yellow filter
  
• #21 Orange filter
  
• #23A Light Red filter
  
• #56 Green filter
  
• #82A Light Blue filter
  
• Variable Polarizing filter
  
• Moon filter

Thanks all,

Charlie

[Bill Wilson]

Hi Charlie,

First, if you haven’t already done so, read the New Scope Help article on the Memphis Astronomical Society website: http://www.memphisastro.org/members.htm.

Also, the scope must have come with a manual, which will contain its model number and a description of its type. It appears to be a Cassegrain design (lens of some sort on the aperture [open end], mirror at the closed end, and secondary mirror in the middle and on the back of the lens). I have to remind myself when struggling with and cursing some non-astronomical device “When all else fails, read the manual.”

Regarding finding things in the sky, first find things down the block. Do this during the day, not at night. Be sure the finder (the outboard device labeled EZ Finder II) is aligned with the main tube. It appears to be a “red dot” finder, which does not have lenses and does not magnify the object viewed; it appears to project a red dot onto the sky. To check on alignment, first aim the scope at some object a couple of hundred yards down the block, using the lowest-power eyepiece you have (this will be the 40mm; the longer the focal length of the eyepiece, the lower the magnification or “power; to calculate the magnification, divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece). Do not use the Barlow lens, which adds magnification. When you have the object (street light, traffic light, radio tower light) in focus, see if it also appears in the center of the finder. If it doesn’t, adjust the finder until it does. Then put an eyepiece with a shorter focal length (25mm) in, center the image, and repeat the alignment procedure. I doubt that you’ll get much use out of the 6mm or 4mm eyepieces, which provide the greatest magnification—using such a short focal length is similar to zooming in with a digital camera, which spreads the image out until it’s just pixels. As a rule, useful magnification is limited to about 50x per inch of aperture, so if your scope is, say, 4 inches in diameter, 200x will be highest useful magnification. You can use higher magnification on nights of exceptional clarity and atmospheric stability.

Color filters are useful mostly in viewing planets. There is a very good article on filters and their use in the July 2016 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine. You moon filter is useful in reducing the light when viewing the full moon, but is not necessary or even desirable when viewing other phases of the moon.

One of the best things you can do is to come to one of our observing sessions held at a dark-sky site about an hour’s drive from Memphis. If you come to one of our monthly general meetings at Christian Brothers University you can sign up for e-mail notifications of observing sessions. There is no charge for any of this. We meet at 8pm on the first Friday of the month unless that day falls on or next to a major holiday, which is the case next month, so we’ll meet on July 8 rather than July 1.

Bill Wilson

Treasurer

Memphis Astronomical Society 

[Freddy Diaz]

Hello,

 

That ls like an Orin Maksutov Cassegrain on an alt/az mount (possible from Orion too)

 

Bill’s advice it’s right on, you may bring it to one of MAS meetings and we can provide some guiding on how to observe and by example align the telescope.

 

For starters you may:

 

-          Collimate (align the red dot finder and the scope)

-          Always place the tripod on a stable surface to avoid vibrations

-          Start observing with the lowest powered eyepiece in your case the 40mm, then increase the power by inserting (and refocusing) eyepieces with lower focal length (15, 6) leave the 4 out for now.

 

Hope this can work for you

Freddy

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[Charlie Lockhart]

Thanks to everyone for the good starter advice. It will certainly be a tremendous help when the skies clear up. You all are so helpful, I'll enjoy meeting you at an upcoming  observing session.

Charlie