Magnification for viewing planets
- Jnicholes
- Pluto Ambassador
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 467
- Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2020 2:09 am
- 4
- Location: 83324
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
TSS Photo of the Day
Magnification for viewing planets
Hi everyone,
I have not been on for a while, heres why.
Yeah, that’s smoke. Two wildfires nearby. One in Stanley, one South of Burley.
Still far away, but close enough to affect my astronomy viewing.
Anyway, that’s why I haven’t done much astronomy lately and haven’t posted lately. That’s not why I’m posting, though.
I’m trying to figure out a good magnification for viewing and photographing planets. Right now, with my current setup, my magnification is 35X. I can’t make out many details, hard to make out the rings of Saturn. I’m wondering if there’s a problem with my magnification.
Here’s my question, what would be a good magnification for planetary viewing and photography?
I already purchased a Barlow lens and some filters hoping these will help me out. I just can’t use them now, because of the smoke.
Well, I guess it’s not all bad. At least I got time to figure this out.
Any advice will be appreciated,
Jared
I have not been on for a while, heres why.
Yeah, that’s smoke. Two wildfires nearby. One in Stanley, one South of Burley.
Still far away, but close enough to affect my astronomy viewing.
Anyway, that’s why I haven’t done much astronomy lately and haven’t posted lately. That’s not why I’m posting, though.
I’m trying to figure out a good magnification for viewing and photographing planets. Right now, with my current setup, my magnification is 35X. I can’t make out many details, hard to make out the rings of Saturn. I’m wondering if there’s a problem with my magnification.
Here’s my question, what would be a good magnification for planetary viewing and photography?
I already purchased a Barlow lens and some filters hoping these will help me out. I just can’t use them now, because of the smoke.
Well, I guess it’s not all bad. At least I got time to figure this out.
Any advice will be appreciated,
Jared
Celestron Nexstar 8SE Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
25mm plossl Eyepiece
Goto mount
Iphone 11 Nightcap app Camera
"Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude."
Alfred North Whitehead
25mm plossl Eyepiece
Goto mount
Iphone 11 Nightcap app Camera
"Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude."
Alfred North Whitehead
- sdbodin
- Milky Way Ambassador
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 1093
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 11:00 pm
- 4
- Location: Mattawa, WA, USA
- Status:
Online
-
TSS Awards Badges
TSS Photo of the Day
Re: Magnification for viewing planets
Same smoke here blowing in from the east, so I haven't been out either.
Back in the day when I first started out, magnification of 72x on my old 60mm/900mm efl frac showed the belts of Jupiter and rings of Saturn nicely. I suspect that the barlow and 20mm will be fine for now. As for filters, I have the full complement and all are back in the box they came in.
Then there is imaging, a whole different universe. Snaps with a cell phone are possible, but probably unfulfilling.
Clear skies,
Steve
Back in the day when I first started out, magnification of 72x on my old 60mm/900mm efl frac showed the belts of Jupiter and rings of Saturn nicely. I suspect that the barlow and 20mm will be fine for now. As for filters, I have the full complement and all are back in the box they came in.
Then there is imaging, a whole different universe. Snaps with a cell phone are possible, but probably unfulfilling.
Clear skies,
Steve
Scopes; Meade 16 LX200, AT80LE, plus bunch just sitting around gathering dust
Cameras; Atik 460ex mono, Zwo ASI1600MC-cool, QHY5L-II color and mono
Cameras; Atik 460ex mono, Zwo ASI1600MC-cool, QHY5L-II color and mono
- Bigzmey
- Moderator
- Articles: 8
- Posts: 7668
- Joined: Sat May 11, 2019 7:55 pm
- 4
- Location: San Diego, CA USA
- Status:
Online
-
TSS Awards Badges
Re: Magnification for viewing planets
For visual on planets 100x would be about right with your scope. So, 8-10mm EP , or 15-20mm EP with 2x barlow.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2437, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 257
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2437, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 257
- Shorty Barlow
- Interdicted
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 267
- Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2020 1:25 am
- 4
- Status:
Offline
Re: Magnification for viewing planets
It's amazing what you can actually see around 100x on Jupiter and Saturn. I had about an hour last night with Jupiter using my 102mm Mak'. The conditions were far from perfect and I reckon I was getting about 90x with a zoom. I could still see Io's shadow transit. For a while I could make out Io against the limb as a tiny pale yellow disc.
- Jnicholes
- Pluto Ambassador
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 467
- Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2020 2:09 am
- 4
- Location: 83324
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
TSS Photo of the Day
Re: Magnification for viewing planets
Thank you all for the input, I appreciate it. The smoke is getting worse, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to try out your advice.
Here’s hoping it clears up soon.
Jared
Here’s hoping it clears up soon.
Jared
Celestron Nexstar 8SE Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope
25mm plossl Eyepiece
Goto mount
Iphone 11 Nightcap app Camera
"Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude."
Alfred North Whitehead
25mm plossl Eyepiece
Goto mount
Iphone 11 Nightcap app Camera
"Our minds are finite, and yet even in these circumstances of finitude we are surrounded by possibilities that are infinite, and the purpose of life is to grasp as much as we can out of that infinitude."
Alfred North Whitehead
- Star Dad
- Orion Spur Ambassador
- Articles: 0
- Posts: 744
- Joined: Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:05 pm
- 4
- Location: Norwich CT
- Status:
Offline
-
TSS Awards Badges
Re: Magnification for viewing planets
Years ago - when I was truly a neophyte - I bought a 5x barlow - and have NEVER used it. But Mars is approaching, and I had some time available during an outreach program so I set up a test using the sun. I set up using my 1000mm Orion telescope, the ASI294MC, and the 5x Barlow. To my astonishment I was able to actually get a reasonable focus. It appears that it would be equivalent to about 110X - so in my case a 9MM lens - which also happens to be the lens I use most often for visual. Of course, now that the test is done and I know where to put the focuser, I've got solid clouds for several days. I've read that one should consider your camera to be equivalent to 50mm lens... so my 1000/50 = 20x and using a 5x barlow 5000/50 = 100X. That just also happens to be a sweet spot for focusing and getting sharp images. Given the large sensor of the 294 camera I might just be able to produce some decent planetary images. Hope this helps!
"To be good is not enough when you dream of being great"
Orion 203mm/f4.9/1000mm, converted TASCO 114mm/f9/1000mm to steam punk, Meade 114mm/f9/1000, Coronado PST, Orion EQ-G, Ioptron Mini-Tower and iEQ30, Canon 70D, ASI120MM,ASI294MC, Ioptron SkyHunter
Orion 203mm/f4.9/1000mm, converted TASCO 114mm/f9/1000mm to steam punk, Meade 114mm/f9/1000, Coronado PST, Orion EQ-G, Ioptron Mini-Tower and iEQ30, Canon 70D, ASI120MM,ASI294MC, Ioptron SkyHunter
Create an account or sign in to join the discussion
You need to be a member in order to post a reply
Create an account
Not a member? register to join our community
Members can start their own topics & subscribe to topics
It’s free and only takes a minute