Re: A few basic questions
- From: "Joe S." <anon@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 07:26:58 -0400
"good man" <goodman4300@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1144304947.784757.302610@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi,
I recently purchased on Orion xt 6. I like it, it's easy to use. But
am slightly disapointed I can't get in closer. Like Mars is still
pretty small, with the 0.9 lens and 2X Barlow, it still looks like a
little redish dot, about a mm accross.
Saturn looks about half as big as a 1 cent coin with the same lenses,
pretty cool but not close enough to see its moons.
1) What size scope should I get to see fine detail like the moons
around Saturn, to see featurs on mars and jupiter and to see galaxies
like adronoma (sp?) in some detail.
2) If I got the XT12 would that make a big difference? Could I see
those kinds of things with an 8 or 10?
3) How do I find Jupiter, I have no issue finding Saturn?
Thanks
An amateurs amateur.
Anon
Mars
Mars is receding from Earth and in my XT-12 it appears as a tiny orange
dot -- bright, but small.
Saturn
The XT-6 should show Saturn's moons -- however -- they will appear only as
tiny white dots near Saturn.
Use whichever of your eyepieces that gives you around 150X magnification.
You probably have noticed that, because of the Earth's rotation, objects
"move" across your scope's field of view. Find Saturn and set it up so that
Saturn is on the edge of the FOV. As Saturn drifts across the FOV, look not
only directly at Saturn (through the eyepiece) but also let your eye wander
around the entire FOV -- it's called "averted vision" and this practice
often causes you to pick up details you otherwise miss. You should see one
or more tiny white dots near Saturn -- note their relationship to the
planet.
In fact, you might want to make a sketch showing Saturn and these tiny dots
of light. Do the same thing for several days in succession and you will
notice the positions of these little dots of light change relative to
Saturn -- these are the moons and the change in their position is due to
their movement around Saturn.
Jupiter
Here in East Tennessee, Jupiter is rising around 2230 hours (10:30 PM).
Jupiter is crossing the zenith around 0330 and disappears into the sunlight
as the sun rises. Right now, Jupiter is the brightest object in the sky
except for the moon and, early in the morning, except for Venus.
Here in East Tennessee, I have been getting up around 0430. Venus is
blazing away in the southeast and Jupiter is nearly the same brightness in
the SSW -- you can't miss them.
Venus has phases like the moon -- it goes from being a full circle to being
a crescent -- you can see the crescent clearly in your XT-6.
As for Jupiter -- you can see Jupiter's four Galilean moons with no
problem -- they appear as tiny white dots lined up on either side of the
planet -- sometimes all four will be on the same side of Jupiter, sometime
one will be on one side of the planet and the other three on the other
side -- etc.
Your XT-6 should also show two dark stripes across Jupiter's face.
Go to this URL:
http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance/article_110_1.asp
This is Sky and Telescope magazine's sky maps of what's visible this week.
Go to this URL:
http://www.shallowsky.com/jupiter.html
This site features a Java applet that shows the position of Jupiter's four
Galilean moons. Just beneath the display of Jupiter and the four moons is a
bar with the date and time -- enter a new date and time and the position of
the moons will change.
Andromeda Galaxy (M31)
Andromeda is a tough target this time of year -- it's low on the horizon and
dropping lower. When you find it, all you will see is a dim, fuzzy blob.
Finding objects
Do you have any observing aids? You need:
-- a planisphere
http://skyandtelescope.com/howto/visualobserving/article_75_1.asp
-- "Skywatching" by David Levy
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/078354751X/sr=8-1/qid=1144322591/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-4612651-8714206?%5Fencoding=UTF8
-- "Turn Left at Orion"
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521781906/qid=1144322646/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-4612651-8714206?s=books&v=glance&n=283155
-- Observing software.
FREE: http://www.stargazing.net/astropc/
The XT-6 should have come with a CD copy of "The Sky"
FINALLY -- the amount of detail you see depends to a great extent on "seeing
conditions." Seeing conditions are determined by (1) the amount of light
that surrounds you and (2) weather conditions.
Ambient light comes from street lights, "security lights," the lights in
mall parking lots, and the moon -- light from the moon can wash out details
on the planets.
I have an XT-12 and live in an apartment complex, in a city, with lots of
"security lights," parking lots with lights, etc., etc. From my viewing
site outside my front door, I can see only the brightest of stars. If I
load the XT-12 into the back of my pickup and drive 45 minutes to a state
park, the glow from the city is still visible in the southern sky but the
number of visible objects is amazing -- the sky is filled with stars. For
example -- M104, Sombrero Galaxy -- is not visible, not even a hint of it,
from my apartment. From the dark site, I can't miss it -- it's a long,
slender object with an obvious bulge in the center, tapering out to the
ends.
Weather also affects seeing. Look at the vapor trails left by aircraft --
if the vapor trails are long, there is lots of humidity in the air and
seeing will be degraded -- short vapor trails means dry air and better
seeing.
I have never used the XT-6 but I did own an XT-8 (before Hurricane Katrina)
and now own an XT-12. I was extremely pleased with my XT-8 and even more
pleased with the XT-12 -- with one caution: The XT-12 is BIG and moving it
is not fun.
http://www.schlatter.org/Dad/Astronomy/XT%2012.htm
Join your local astronomy club and check out some larger scopes before you
purchase another one.
.
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- A few basic questions
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