How to see through a telescope?
meena g asked:
I recently bought a Field&Stream model #HEH00251. I want to know whether it is a refraction or a reflection telescope. And I also want to know which eyepiece to buy to see celestial bodies.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, August 9th, 2009 at 12:00 am and is filed under Astronomy & Space.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I recently bought a Field&Stream model #HEH00251. I want to know whether it is a refraction or a reflection telescope. And I also want to know which eyepiece to buy to see celestial bodies.
August 9th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
A reflecting scope has a mirror. Read the owner’s manual.
August 9th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
I believe that you bought a spotting scope used for hunting. Field and Stream doesn’t carry celestial telescopes.
I would like to suggest that you join a local astronomy club or astronomical society BEFORE you spend your money on a scope. There are many different kinds of scopes and what is perfect for one person is not perfect for another. Everyone has their own set of eyeballs and no two are the same. If you join a club, you can attend a few of their star parties and try out members scopes to see what works best for YOU, before you buy a scope. The members can also help you when you get your scope and show you how to get the most out of your new scope as well as to help teach you where the treasures in the sky are located. Most clubs have loaner scopes and extensive libraries that you can gather more information from too. Most clubs will have monthly membership meetings with informative presentations given by members and by guest speakers. You can really learn a lot from these clubs and an added plus is all the great new friends you make there too. Go to this site to find a club in your area.
This only has clubs that belong to the National Astronomy League, so there are many more which do not appear on this list. Continue searching google if you don’t see one in your area here.
There are several different kinds of telescopes and all of them have some excellent features. Refractors and Reflectors, plus Schmidt-Cassegrain, APO refractors, Mac-Cass, and many more. There are also several mounts to chose from and the mounts are just as important, if not even more important, than the scope is. All of the different scopes and mounts have some features that some people like and do not like. No two eyeballs are the same and the perfect scope for one person might be completely wrong for another person.
There is no one scope that is “better” than another —except for the junk scopes out there which are all just a waste of money. Never, ever buy from Walmart, Costco, Target, or any other discount store like that. Junk scopes are flooded into the market from those stores. You will be buying nothing but bad optics and plastic.
If you are new at this, then stay away from anything used from any site. If you don’t know what you are buying and who you are buying from you will most likely be getting someone else’s headache—with no warranty either. Some great deals on used equipment are out there, by people who know how to use and take care of scopes, but if you don’t know what you are doing, you might be spending a lot of money on worthless junk. One improper cleaning can destroy a scope. Buyer Beware.
I recommend:
Orion is the very best for value and for customer service too. I have 3 of their scopes and I will only buy from them from now on. My first scope was a manual controlled scope and I am very glad that it was because it forced me to learn where things are in the night skies. Go-To type scopes can be frustrating to use. If you do not have them aligned exactly perfect, they do not find the targets. If you are a beginner, you will be frustrated unless you spring for a GPS Go-To. An object locator is just that—it will locate objects for you (must be aligned first) but an object locator is not a tracking motor. It will not keep the scope on the target.
The Orion site has some excellent diagrams and explanations of all types of scopes and mounts.
Things to consider are size–can the user lift and transport the scope to the viewing site easily? Does it fit in your car? If not, then it will gather dust in a closet. I recommend a carrying case too so it is protected in storage and transport. Can the viewer reach all the knobs and buttons? I have a long tube large manual refractor and it is very difficult for me to reach the knobs when I am pointed to Zenith. I am not a tall person.
Take your time in making your decision.
Some people will suggest that you purchase binoculars. Not a bad idea but don’t buy anything less than 10×50 and you must have a tripod too or you will not be happy with your astronomical views because they will be too shaky from your movements. Even your pulse will make them shake. Personally, I prefer a scope to binos because if binoculars are not aligned properly at the factory, then you get double images and distortions that can’t be fixed. Most of the cheaper binoculars are not properly aligned. That is not as important for terrestial viewing, but it is a killer for astronomical viewing. Binos can also be bumped out of alignment and become useless for astronomy.
When you buy, go Orion and you wont be disappointed. Don’t try to learn everything all at once or you will be overwhelmed and discouraged. Patience is the key to Astronomy.
You will need a good star chart program too.
This is great freeware that you can download. Tell it where you are and it will
August 13th, 2009 at 8:47 am
I am not familiar with that scope, and I have not been able to find it on line. It may be an old spotting scope that was designed to be used for hunting, bird watching, etc. If so, it is probably like a monocular - half of a binocular. If that is true, then it is a prism type refracting scope with no ability to change eyepieces. It can still be used for astronomical purposes, just like a binocular can - and with decent results. Just don’t expect Hubble views.
ADDED: Your question about “seeing celestial bodies” implies that you are trying to see things through this scope that it is not capable of showing you. You should understand that with a monocular or binocular, you may be able to find a few nebulae, clusters, and maybe even a galaxy or two. But you will not see any detail at all. Those things through this scope will look like dim little smudges of very faint light against a black background.