Lesson Learned

[Doodlebug]

I prepared all week for my chance when the clouds would clear long enough to give me a view of the night sky.
I familiarized myself with the scope, calibrated the reticle finder, studied the sky with a sky app and was ready to be awe struck.
Now it was just a waiting game for a break in the clouds.
The mosquitoes started to come around, apparently; I am a favorite of theirs.
I hatched a genius plan to avoid the mosquitoes by viewing from inside the house.
I quickly moved my scope inside.
AHHHHHHH peace from the buzzing winged monsters at last!
Hey, this is nice, I could get use to this.
There in the night sky surrounded by clouds was to be my very first target....Arcturus
I quickly located it in the reticle finder, lined it up and then the moment of truth.
I looked through my eyepiece and there it was a horrible looking smudged blob of brightness.
I adjusted focus and fine focus and was still less than impressed.
What was I doing wrong???
Then it struck me.... The window glass and screen.
Quick.... internet search.....window glass issue confirmed!
Back outside to face the winged blood suckers (aka mosquitoes)
Set up everything again, align with Arcturus and look through the eyepiece... focus......SUCCESS!!!
I had a wonderful view for about 15 minutes before the clouds decided to venture back in.
I was mesmerized as two satellites ventured across my view.
Has anyone had luck shooting through a window or window screen?

Thanks in advance,
--Shawn

[Lady Fraktor]

Good that you managed to finally got a good view.
Viewing or imaging through window glass which is quite different from optical glass will always make the viewing worse.

[Lady Fraktor]

One other problem is trying to view from inside through a open window. In this situation you will also have to deal with heat waves moving across the view.

[Baurice]

I have been able to identify lunar features through glass but little else.

[Gordon]

Windows and screens will distort the view quite a bit. Obviously you have to pick options so do what you must.

But as a suggestion have you tried "skin so soft" from Avon? It REALLY helps to keep the mosquitos at bay.

[davesellars]

I spent over a year with an AP setup capturing images through an open window in an apartment. It actually worked quite well although the room as generally not heated and was taking images of DSOs so the seeing issue because of heat difference etc wasn't really a problem.

Either visual or AP though, no way would you get any good level of success through a closed window...

[helicon]

I once tried looking at Jupiter and the Orion nebula through a 60mm refractor with the window closed - it wasn't much of a view

[Doodlebug]

Windows and screens will distort the view quite a bit. Obviously you have to pick options so do what you must.

But as a suggestion have you tried "skin so soft" from Avon? It REALLY helps to keep the mosquitos at bay.

I will give the "Skin So Soft" a try, ordered some today from Walmart.
Thanks

[Doodlebug]

Many thanks to everyone that responded.
I really love this community!

[John Baars]

"Deet" is my best friend when I am observing in summer.

[pakarinen]

I observe through my (closed) dining room window in the winter when it's clear but sub-zero F* outside. It's obviously not as good as being outside, but when it's -10* F and I'm observing in lounge pants and a t-shirt inside, it'll do. I've been able to see a surprising number of star clusters in Canis Major and environs through the window.

I have DEET sprays, but I prefer to use picaridin-based sprays and lotions like Proven on my skin. Picaridin will not attack plastic or rubber or so they say. I've also had good results with lemon oil sprays.

[Don Alvarez]

Your favorite bug spray combined with a Thermacell, usually keep skeeters at bay for me. I view in the Everglades.

[jrkirkham]

Thanks for the report. It was sparked a lot of useful conversation and was fun to read.

[Richard]

I have never looked thru a window for astronomy

[Makuser]

Hi Shawn and sorry to come in late to this thread. When my wife and I lived in an older apartment building in Chicago back in the early 1970's, the windows were thick and had a slight greenish tinge. This is how they were made back in the 1940's. We were on the third floor, which put me above the surrounding trees, and I bought a 60mm refractor to look out of the window at the moon. Glass is denser and has a higher refractive index than air and the two window edges created a refractive nightmare for me, as I saw two overlapped moons. Modern windows are thinner and they now add magnesium oxide to correct the soda lime and/or iron oxide in the glass to correct the green in the silica and produce a water clear window. But you will STILL have the refraction problems with a telescope. Fortunately, we moved 2 months later to the country with open areas and no light pollution in the sky.
As for mosquito repellents, I agree with the above posters about Skin So Soft for outside night viewing. It contains icaridin (which is similar to DEET) and geraniol (which is used in Citronella). We use it effectively here in Florida if we are outside in the evening. I hope this helps Shawn and the best of wishes and great times on your astronomy observing sessions.

[planecrazzzy]

.
Yes, I've looked through double pane glass... Nothing more than a quick glance at Jupiter or the moon...
maybe testing Lense and Barlow combinations, getting familiar with the telescope also.
.
I'm posting more about the Skeeters...
I've lived in Florida where they were pretty bad.
Minnesota gets their share ( not in Winter )
.
What I learned from Granny was that Noxzema takes the ITCH away.
Otherwise "I" use OFF or CUTTERS ( Sparsely )
.
I keep several Noxzema containers around.... House , 4 wheeler , Shop...
.
Keep it out of the heat...it gets melty...( Stll good )
.
It's amazing how good it works , fast too.
and it doesn't hurt to be spread around a little... it's a moisturizing deep cleansing cream
.
.
A can of yard spray might help keep them back a little.
Here , I mow extra brush in the woods close to the house, it helps keep them just a little further away.
I buy cheap bug zappers... So I can buy more of them ,
I use an air compressor to blow them out every day when it's bad...
Actually, I even have one of those Patriot Mosquito magnets ( propane )
.
All that Firepower , and I STILL need Noxzema
.
Hey...it's 4am and Cloudy...
.
Gotta Fly...
.
.
PS With Windows like this... YOU'D be guilty of shooting through them from time to time...( Long Winter ? )

[planecrazzzy]

I have never looked thru a window for astronomy

Hmmm, Your profile sez "Naked eye astronomy"... Think about it.
Does a Car window count ?...

[chris_g]

I use a fan to keep the skeeters off me, works pretty good. They can be vicious here. If not there's Off then a hot shower afterward

[kevmoon2]

How do i add my scope to profile, and change binoculars to telescope in my profile

[JayTee]

How do i add my scope to profile, and change binoculars to telescope in my profile

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