Best telescope eyepieces according to redditors
We found 564 Reddit comments discussing the best telescope eyepieces. We ranked the 117 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 564 Reddit comments discussing the best telescope eyepieces. We ranked the 117 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Hi :-)
Great telescope!
> advice
"Turn left at Orion" - the missing manual on how to observe, what's worthwhile to observe.
A 6mm gold-line or so for planets, as the kit eyepiece(s) don't quite cut it.
And ideally, a collimation tool, e.g. a DIY collimation cap or a $12 cheshire-sight-tube
> maintenance
Never wipe the mirrors clean, dust doesn't matter much. Else you might damage the coating. If cleaning is required, http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-resources/caring-for-your-optics/
Clear skies! Have fun, keep us posted :-)
Is this them? Asking for....reasons....
SVBONY Telescope Eyepiece Fully Mutil Coated 1.25 inches Telescope Lens 66 Degree Ultra Wide Angle HD (6mm 9mm 15mm 20mm) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MR78I42/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_Q4CEDbXMHV0W1
I do not have this particular telescope so i can only give you some general advice.
First of all, read the users guide for your telescope if you have not done so already :) I can see there are some youtube videos of how to use the SkyAlign that might be worth checking out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgfY5wT4VYo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1umvV3XKtCs
The best advice I can give you starting out is to learn to use the telescope at day. Get familiar with the controls and the equipment it will really help when you are outside in the dark by night. Make sure that the finder is properly aligned, i can see it is a red-dot finder on the Nextstart so it is probably not a big issue, but still make sure that the dot is where you are looking when looking through the eyepiece.
You should expect the telescope to point in the general area of where the first alignment star is, but it can be quite a bit off. Until you complete the alignment procedure the goto will be mostly useless. This has to be done once each time you take it out, it will get easy when you have done it a couple of times. The Nextstart 8se has a very long focal length, so it will have a narrow view. This is not necessarily and issue but it will make it harder to locate objects. When aligning on stars, make sure they are as close to centered as you can, if they are off the alignment will be off as well.
You should get to know what you are looking at/for. You wrote that you took the tour but things only looked like stars, you need to know if you are looking at a globular cluster(extremely small) a nebula(usually larger and much more diffuse) or a galaxy(varies wildly). This will help you choose the right magnification for the target, some targets are best at a lot of magnification and some are best at low magnification. Sometimes a nebula is very diffuse and might not stand out when first looking. To start out, just to make sure to know what you are looking for in a DSO i would go for Andromeda(M31). Now here is the thing, Andromeda is huge, much larger than the full moon, so it will not fit in your view and it will not be the best target for this telescope. But, it will show you the core which should be very easy to see and give you an idea of what a DSO looks like. Depending on your sky condition it will look like a diffuse blob, do not expect any structure, but more a general shape. This will give you an idea of what you are looking for, however most other DSO's are much smaller. Be warned, Andromeda can be a let-down for beginners. Other good starter targets are clusters and planetary nebula, they are bright and easy to see. Try looking for M13(cluster, early night), M15(cluster), M27(Planetary nebula, fainter target), M45(cluster, later at night, large target). You can look up good beginner observation targets for the season by searching a bit on google. You will learn what to look at/for with time and patience.
Your eyes will need to be dark adapted before you can get the best views. Expect this to take 20-30 minutes, no light including phones. A dim red torch is a must-have accessory. If you have to use your phone, use a red light filter, you can get apps for this. You can get observation apps for your phone wich can be very helpful, my favorite is SkySafari, but there are many out there. Most come with a red light filter bult-in.
For planetary you can catch Jupiter if you get out early in the night after sundown or Saturn for some hours longer that Jupiter. Both are great targets but you will need more magnification to get the best observations. I can see the telescope comes with a 25mm in the box, this will give you approx. 80x magnification (focal length / eyepiece length). This will not be enough for good planetary viewing, it will also not be enough for smaller DSO's. You should see a shape when looking at Saturn, but do not expect details. You should be able to see moons around Jupiter too.
The "goldline" eyepieces are recommended beginner budget eyepieces, a 9mm will give you 222x magnification, I would not go any shorter than this because the atmosphere will limit your magnification and even at 222x it is probably a bit much for most nights: https://www.amazon.com/SVBONY-Telescope-Eyepiece-Accessories-Astronomy/dp/B07JHKP9D2/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=9mm%2Bwide%2Bangle%2Beyepiece&qid=1568963644&sr=8-2&th=1 - the 15mm and 20mm are not that highly recommended and the 6mm will give you too much magnification.
Something between the 9mm and the 25mm you have will be good too for medium magnification and for nights when the seeing is not good(most nights), but I do not have any recommendations for EP's in this length, i am sure someone else can help especially if you make a post about it. Usually most people will have a minimum of 3-4 eyepieces so you can get the right magnification for the target you are observing. You will probably also benefit of having a longer than 25mm EP for the widest view possible.
I hope this was not too rambly :) there is a lot of things to learn when starting out.
Just a heads up, there's a 6mm gold line on amazon currently going for $10 - that's cheaper than ordering it from China.
Not sure how long that deal will last, but it said "8 left - order soon!" when I bought one yesterday, and now it just says "In stock".
Here's the link: Amazon.com: Yosoo 1.25" Ultra Wide Angle Eyepiece Lens 6MM Focal Length 66-Deg Multi-Coated for Telescope (1.25 Eyepiece Lens)
Thanks to /u/KingRandomGuy for the tip.
For eyepieces, I'd consider this goldline set...
SVBONY Telescope Eyepiece Fully Mutil Coated 1.25" Telescope Accessories Set 66 Degree Ultra Wide Angle HD 6mm 9mm 15mm 20mm for Astronomy Telescope https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MR78I42/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_YCtVBb4T6TJV1
This sub often recommends goldlines to beginners because they are very solid with pretty good views for the price range. The entire set is a nice range of focal lengths. If someone breaks or damages an eyepiece, a replacement wouldn't cost too much.
And maybe a telrad finder?
I don't believe hooking it up to a monitor is a real option. The options that do exist would be relatively expensive and the results would still be pretty poor.
Have you looked for a local astronomy club that would be willing to help? Most clubs love doing public outreach projects and events. Or a local college/university that might have an astronomy department?
People swear by the "Goldline" 6 mm eyepiece. I don't own one, but almost every post asking for recommendations mentions them as a reasonably priced decent quality piece.
https://www.amazon.com/SVBONY-Telescope-Eyepiece-Accessories-Astronomy/dp/B07JWDFMZ4?th=1
I actually got this one. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00009R7RJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482765519&sr=8-1-fkmr1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=celestron+130+collimation. Very simple to use and comes with instructions.
Oh cool, that was my first scope! It still sits on my table, I have very fond feelings for it. It performs really well for its size, and it's a sturdy little thing. A lot of people count it out, but I think that's a great scope to get into the hobby with.
As u/schorhr and Submarine have already shared, it's definitely not the ideal scope for planets, but it will get you started! The 4mm schorhr recommends would probably be great. I personally (on his recommendation, back in the day, went with a 3.2mm). I think I bought this one. Knowing better now, I would probably look for one on aliexpress or ebay for cheaper. That eyepiece will get you around x125, which is definitely pushing the envelope for the scope.
I just bought a Orion 10" Skyline Dobsonian telescope. So far I'm having a blast with it. I did quickly by the book, Turn left at Orion and also I purchased a Celestron Eyepiece set. Celestron accessory kit . I wanted a lot of different options to start with. So far, not being an expert, they seem pretty cool. I will buy more expensive eyepiece in time. But for learning, I think this is lots.
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The one thing I will say, make sure you're comfortable with the size of the 10" scope. It's a beast to lug around and store when your not using it. Not something, you can just grab and go with or throw in the car.
The best way to evaluate an eyepiece is by looking through it. In cases where that's not an option, you can try to look for reviews. Generally speaking if you don't find any, that should probably be a red flag.
These are both Plossl designs, which means they should fundamentally be decent general purpose eyepieces. Optical quality of course varies. The one claims to be "Celestron" but has no Celestron markings anywhere in the photos. Instead, it has a Datyson marking. Datyson is a Chinese brand for various cheap accessories of debatable but occasionally pretty decent quality. That said, they also make some plastic lens eyepieces and accesories. This one says "multi coated" which would imply glass, but who knows. You won't know for sure until it's in your hands, and at that point it's too late.
On the other hand, we've got a "TMB Planetary II". Turns out this is also a knock-off, although a little bit more sophisticated of one as they did apply (fake) TMB Optical branding to it. The knock-off TMB Optical products are obviously not genuine or authorized by TMB Optical, and obviously were not designed by the late Thomas M. Beck. Reports suggest they are of variable but generally distinctly inferior quality. One guy says his was so bad he returned it via eBay, so that doesn't sound like a good sign to me.
In short, they're both cheap chinese knock-offs for inflated prices. Get either one at your own risk. You can get relatively cheap Plossls from reputable brands like Orion or Celestron (and reputable sellers that are not aliexpress!) For example, here's one from Orion for not much more. Here's a significantly cheaper Celestron 6mm.
He's right, I too own one. I struggled with this for a while before I realized what the problem is. If you feel like messing with it for hours you can get it close. That scope isn't really powerful enough that your going to notice if it's a little off anyway. That being said. It's a great beginner scope. Buy the RA drive for it and it can provide fun viewing of the planets and SOME dso's just get used to squinting and asking yourself, is that what I think it is?! Eventually I upgraded to a XT8 and now really know the difference between Bird Jones 1000mm Focal length and true 1200mm focal length.
Celestron R/A Single Axis Motor Drive for the AstroMaster Telescope https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00039R23G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Gvs3xbDQXJDN1
Celestron Collimation Eyepiece 1.25" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009R7RJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xws3xb7FXWMSM
(Edit: Links)
I love my AD8.
I've bought tons of eyepieces and accessories. Without a doubt the best accessory I've bought is this adjustable height chair. Having this chair is the difference between seeing something in space, and observing something in space. The best eyepiece in the world is worthless if you're too uncomfortable to spend much time looking through it.
Vestil CPRO-800LP Ergonomic Worker Seat/Chair, 13-1/2" Width, 10" Depth, 300 lb. Capacity, 18" - 33" Height Range https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052PJFCW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_NCyoDb02ZGBPR
My next favorite accessory is the Telrad view finder. It's a game changer. After getting it, I just took off the viewfinder that came with the scope and I don't miss it at all.
Telrad Finder Sight https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000ALKAN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xGyoDbJDEY6Q7
For eyepieces, I love the big 2" that comes with the scope. It's my favorite. Otherwise I use this 8-24mm zoom eyepiece.
Celestron 93230 8 to 24mm 1.25 Zoom Eyepiece https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNV8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_QIyoDb0P2HZCA
I've bought tons of other stuff but most of it doesn't get used much. This three things I use all the time.
Clear skies!
Jupiter and especially Saturn looked underwhelming for me in my telescope, but after cleaning up my eyepieces's lens and secondary mirror with just a wet and dry paper towel my quality was greatly increased. Weather conditions like heavy wind and humidity can also affect the view pretty badly. Collimating your telescope properly is something you probably hear all the time, but it really does make a big difference. As for eyepieces, the Celestron Omni has served me well but I've upgraded to a "Baader Planetarium 8-24mm Hyperion Clickstop Zoom Mark IV Eyepiece" (what a mouthful). The views are noticably better and the zoom feature is so, so, soooo convenient. It's especially handy for showing friends and family who are not into the hobby, as you don't have to change the eyepieces constantly for them. It runs for about 300 dollars which is a big asking point, but there are cheaper alternatives like the Celestron zoom eyepiece (https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93230-24mm-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B0007UQNV8) which are only 65 dollars. I would recommend getting one of those, a decent 2x barlow (shouldn't be more than 40 dollars), and a dedicated large eyepiece (in the 30-40mm range). That's all you really need for casual observing by yourself or to show friends and family.
Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007UQNV8/ref=pd_aw_sim_p_1?refRID=0014SNKCY8APY6WBWKF4
^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?
No expert here either but I got this one off Amazon and haven't had any issues, works just fine.
SVBONY Red Laser Collimator for Newtonian Reflector Telescope Alignment 1.25 inches 7 Bright Levels Triple Cemented Lens with 2 inches Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LX34ZH2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mbcADbZ4TNXZX
Do the more expensive ones align things better? Maybe.
I'm just not sure how noticeable it would be.
It doesn't have to be expensive if you know where to look for the best deals.
Astromania 4mm Planetary Eyepiece
That Eyepiece is rather inexsensive, but is rather good quality. at 4mm, it pushes your scope 300x. However, the you should also get the 6mm for average nights. That puts your telescope at 200x.
Are these the "gold line" eyepieces that people reference?
https://www.amazon.com/Astromania-66-degree-Ultra-Eyepiece-Telescope/dp/B0140UAI8E
Not a problem. I'm not an expert on that type of scope either, which is why I linked and mentioned the other sub, but the general consensus is that they are decent entry level scopes that will give you a good start in the hobby, but leave you wanting more over time, and it seems $50 is about what they are generally worth, so I think you made the right call to get into the hobby and figure out if you like it or not.
You didn't mention anything about eyepieces, but I would assume it came with 1 or 2 plossl or kelners, likely around 25mm for 40x magnification. I would recommend getting one of the "gold line" eyepieces this sun always praises. They have great eye relief and about the same FOV as a plossl, so they are great for higher mag when plossls force you to damn near touch your eye to the eyepiece.
I generally wouldn't recommend an eyepiece kit, as they are generally not that great with overlap of ranges and being bundled with other useless filters and stuff, but this one is a bit better, though I would suggest getting only 1 or 2 of the eyepieces in the kit anyway (the 6mm for sure, maybe the 9 or 15 as well):
https://www.amazon.com/SVBONY-Telescope-Eyepiece-Accessories-Astronomy/dp/B01MR78I42/ref=pd_day0_hl_421_9?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01MR78I42&pd_rd_r=38600535-6f7e-11e9-8571-61275becdf34&pd_rd_w=lYs1c&pd_rd_wg=Ezw2r&pf_rd_p=ad07871c-e646-4161-82c7-5ed0d4c85b07&pf_rd_r=JGJ2X0WVDD2MC1DZSXRQ&psc=1&refRID=JGJ2X0WVDD2MC1DZSXRQ
The 6mm will give you 166x, 9mm 111x, 15mm 66x, and 20mm 50x. I'm getting these values by dividing your focal length (1000m) with the eyepiece focal length. Again, I'm assuming you already have a low power eyepiece around 25mm, so a 20 won't be much different. The 15mm or 9mm will be medium mag, which I like to use on larger objects like the Orion nebula, and the 6mm will let you zoom in on small objects, which based on your pic of Jupiter is probably something you are interested in.
In general, the mag limit of a telescope is about 2x the aperture in mm, but with the spherical mirror, you have have focusing issues before getting to that point, so I wouldn't recommend going further than the 6mm.
Eyepieces will transfer well from scope to scope, so if you are at all interested in continuing the hobby, I think it's well worth it to start getting slightly better eyepieces early.
Most scopes of that vintage don't use standard parts. The eyepieces are likely .965" diameter, not the usual 1.25" used with today's scopes. If they are .965, I'd get a hybrid diagonal that will convert the .965 so you can use 1.25" eyepieces. Then get a few new eyepieces, the goldline series is good for the price.
I haven't tried it (yet), maybe Make your own cardboard planisphere can be of some use.
A few smart folks on this sub have explained why the maximum 'sharpness' magnification equals the lens diameter in mm (and 2x diameter for a bigger picture but without more detail), for your scope that would be an 6.7mm eyepiece.
An Svbony 'gold' line 6mm, FOV=66º. eye-relief=16mm is well regarded, and (slow boat from China) AliExpress and Ebay are even cheaper.
Svbony makes a goldline, has a golden ring near the top. I hear others make then as well.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07JWDFMZ4?aaxitk=6iUk8FfxTKuiD0yNM3ODYg&pd_rd_i=B07JHKP9D2&pf_rd_p=30dbdc00-03a0-42f0-976a-08a7c08bd014&hsa_cr_id=8785284320301&sb-ci-n=asinImage&sb-ci-v=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F6197Xxj4hHL.jpg&sb-ci-a=B07JHKP9D2&th=1&psc=1
As u/schorhr mentioned... Field of View (FOV) can play a big role in this. Wide field eyepieces are usually advertised for nebulae and star fields and stuff like that, but they improved even planetary viewing for us immensely since it was easier to locate the object to begin with, a more enjoyable view (better overall opening on the EP), and an easier task to keep it centered in view.
Assuming a dob with a focal length of ~1,200mm (like Orion, Apertura, etc.) you'd want a ~6mm EP to hit a magnification of 200x:
> The main reason for making a post and not taking the suggestions from the sticky post is because I am looking for something that has a camera or camera mount or something like that so we can photograph what we see. I have no idea how this is done so I don't know if I am overreaching but I would appreciate any recommendations.
Unfortunately astrophotography works nothing like daytime pic snapping does. It's a complicated and involved process, and often requires significant equipment and time investment. It's not something I would suggest for a complete novice to start with.
Instead, an AWB OneSky is well within your budget, leaving you also with enough for some extras, like a planetary eyepiece (the 6mm one, and the 9mm is also good if you want to upgrade the kit eyepiece later). Also, don't forget to get the missing manual!
And you'll have the perfect starting kit!
I have the XT8 and I agree that there is no better scope on the market for the money. I do recommend spending another $125 on Celestron's Eyepiece and filter kit though. It will make a world of difference.
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-94303-Accessory-Kit/dp/B00006RH5I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397408068&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+eyepiece+kit
A great set of eyepieces and filters for a beginning astronomer and it all comes in a sturdy foam fitted case.
Here is what I bought:
Orion 5691 LaserMate Deluxe II Telescope Laser Collimator https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008XEGXMO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_iXYTub1Z3HSD4
Celestron Accessory Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006RH5I/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_MYYTub0G8V843
Turn Left at Orion: Hundreds of Night Sky Objects to See in a Home Telescope - and How to Find Them https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521153972/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_bZYTub0ZKHRFC
I got the accessory kit as a Christmas present. I wanted to get a range of eyepieces then upgrade the ones that would benefit, I'm going to get the eyepiece mentioned by someone else.
Orion 8920 6mm Expanse Telescope Eyepiece https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000XMXXO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_g0YTub1471RN7
As I'm having issues with my current 6mm eyepiece . Great scope!
Thanks so much for the reply, yeah the scope is normally set up about an hour before I want to use it :)
Yes using the focus dose help sharpen the image or make it worse but compared to some of the Pics I have seen people post of the sky from there scope (the same one or next moble down) the images always look a lot clearer and always seem to be of objects at a far greater distance than good old Jupiter lmao.
Am I right in thinking that a 2x barlow will help with this a bit?
Is this set worth getting or is it a bit OTT for this budget scope?
Again thanks so much for getting back to me so quick and thanks for the help and advice :)
I see from your other comments that you're in the UK. I got this scope and I'm in Ireland, so I know from experience the anguish of having the scope set up and it being cloudy for three weeks. It takes a bit of time to get used to the Equatorial mount, but once you do, it's awesome.
Once you've gotten the knack the scope, if you can justify it to yourself, get this set of accessories: http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-94303-Accessory-Kit/dp/B00006RH5I/ref=pd_cp_p_0. With the 8mm and 6mm eyepiece provided here, you can clearly see the rings of Saturn. Jupiter's been down since I picked up this kit, so I haven't had a chance to observe it with the more high-powered eyepieces, but damn, Saturn is exciting. When I get home, I'll upload a shitty Saturn pic that I took through the eyepiece with my cell-phone.
I actually think I found a better eyepiece/filter kit earlier while shopping around on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006RH5I/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Overall, not bad but its one of the smaller kits I've seen. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00006RH5I/ref=redir_mdp_mobile would give you three more EPs plus a couple extra filters for only $30 more.
I've tested the eyepieces of the kit, and they're not good value. I would go for fewer but better eyepieces. A Celestron 32mm omni for wide views (due to a wider apparent field of view, you will get wider views than when using the 40mm one). For higher magnifications (ie: shorter focal lengths of the eypieces for the same telescope), lots of experienced people suggest getting the "gold-line" eyepieces as a starting point, sometimes branded as svbony. They are supposed to have a very decent quality for the price you pay if you choose the shorter focal length ones and use them in a long focal ratio telescope, like the 6SE and other Cassegrains (f/10). See for example the 10mm and 4 mm ones. They have longer eye relief than the short focal length eyepieces of the kit (meaning that they don't requiere you to put your eye too close to the eyepiece), and they have a wide field of view (so you don't feel like you're looking through a straw). The wider versions (20,30-ish mm) of the gold-lines seem to be not that good. They suggest to look for ghosting (diffuse internal reflections) and as for a replacement if needed. You can research that aspect if you will.
Another good option seems to be the Agena Starguider Dual ED series, also better in slower (higher focal ratio) telescopes, with good field of view and eye relief. It seems they are not available in Amazon Canada, but check this in the US store.
Although using eyepieces by themselves will get you better quality, a decent enough barlow is a good idea to get more magnification if needed. The celestron omni 2x barlow is good enough for a start.
Maybe get a moon filter. Not sure if this is good enough. Note: the so called "skyglow and moon filter" is to partially diminish the natural night glow of the atmosphere, and the atmospheric glow due to the moon, and work better in darker skies.
I recently bought a C6 optical tube assembly (OTA), basically the same as the 6SE. I have not received it yet but as for eyepieces I got the celestron omni 32 mm, I'll be testing the stock 25mm Plossl that comes with the OTA, I added a Meade series 5000 HD-60 9mm for higher magnification adn good eye relief, and the celestron 2x barlow. The latter will allow me to expand the set as if I had a 18mm (=32mm/2), 12.5mm (25mm/2) and 4.5mm (9mm/2), which don't overlap my actual set, while keeping relatively wide fields of view and good eye relief, but with a small penalty for the extra glass in the optical path.
Also, note that the magnification you will get will be limited in reality by the stability of the atmosphere of the moment and place you are observing from. For planetary and lunar observation you will probably want to magnify as much as you can. The 6SE is capable in theory of getting usable magnifications a bit above 300x. But getting 300x magnifications will probably be feasible only a few nights when the atmosphere is stable. You get that with a 5mm eyepiece in the 6SE, which has a 1500mm focal length. Your magnification will equal the focal length of the telescope divided by the focal length of your eyepiece: 1500mm/5mm = 300. So you are better off with less magnification for MOST of the nights, since you will be able to use that more often. Also, when using the 6SE with the nexstar mount, you will have a bit less of stability, due to the support of just one arm and the quality of the mount and tripod. This makes observing with higher magnifications a bit more cumbersome, since any light touch, like when you are focusing, will make your object move a lot for a short while.
For astrophotography, use a T-adapter and a T-ring. The latter should match the mount of the camera you will be using; in your case it should be one for Canon cameras.
Lots of people are going to say 8" dob, Z8 specifically, and I have nothing but good to say about that. For a lot of people that's the only answer necessary.
However, let me offer an alternative case in favor of OneSky telescope by Astronomers Without Borders.
Three reasons for this recommendation:
SIZE The OneSky is a collapsible tabletop reflector. It is quite modestly sized when collapsed. It will fit in the front seat or trunk of a car and can easily be carried by even a child. Size ultimately is the thing that keeps a telescope indoors. There have been several nights this year where I've had 20 minutes to sneak a peek out at a beautiful crescent moon or something, but haven't, because I knew it would take me 20 minutes to set up my telescope and I would have no observing time. Plus all the work of lugging the heavy parts from my shed to my front yard. With a tabletop scope there's none of that. It takes 2 minutes to set up and requires no heavy lifting.
You will never miss an observing session due to the work of setting up the telescope, and you will never have to leave the telescope at home on a trip. An 8" Dob is going to show more simply because it's a larger scope, but the OneSky is going to show more than an 8" scope in the shed.
COST With a budget of $400, you will be able to afford some killer accessories after getting the $200 OneSky. Turn Left At Orion is the ideal book for a new telescope owner. A wide-field eyepiece like this one will give really good views of clusters like the pleiades and large nebulae like the Great Orion Nebula. A 6mm, 66 degree eyepiece will allow excellent, comfortable viewing of planets and smaller objects like binary stars. In addition you will be able to afford a comfortable stool to place the scope on, and a nice chair to sit on.
If you buy an 8" scope you will not be able to get all that stuff and stay in your $400 budget.
COMMUNITY The OneSky is well reviewed (review 1, review 2 under the Heritage 130 name) and has an active community of fans who have a lot of ideas about how to improve the performance of the scope for very little money/effort.
Troubleshooting this telescope is a breeze and the community is favorable. Even among seasoned enthusiasts the OneSky is popular.
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-T-adapter-Schmidt-Cassegrains-Threads-Cell/dp/B00009X3V8
This is everything you need to attack the camera to the back of the scope:
TRing for camera: http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93419-T-Ring-Canon-Camera/dp/B000237C9M?ie=UTF8&keywords=canon%20t%20ring&qid=1463021630&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1
T-Adapter (connect T-Ring to scope): http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-T-adapter-Schmidt-Cassegrains-Threads-Cell/dp/B00009X3V8?ie=UTF8&keywords=t%20adapter&qid=1463021693&ref_=sr_1_3&sr=8-3
Only thing I'm unsure about is that you might need an additional adapter to convert the threads on the mak to SCT threads (not sure if it has SCT threads or something different)
Connecting the camera: You need an adapter for Canon M to T-mount , like this, and one for T-mount to the telescope. I don't know whether the C5 connection has changed over the past 20 years, but this one will work for the current C5. No eyepiece on the telescope and no lens on the camera, the C5 will act as the camera lens.
That's sufficient for lunar and planetary pictures, assuming you have some sort of tripod.
DSO is harder, take a look at the suggestions in the wiki. The Orion Sirius (aka Skywatcher HEQ5) is pretty much the default recommendation for an EQ mount, but the focal length and focal ratio of your C5 will make long exposures more challenging than with something shorter and faster.
A lower cost way to get started with DSO is to skip the telescope, and instead use a standard lens and a tracker like the iOptron SkyTracker or the SkyWatcher Star Adventurer.
I started off with a 100 dollar 4.5 inch (70mm is 3 inch i think) orion tabletop. Then I added a barlow lens and a 6mm eyepiece for about 40 dollars each. You can find cheaper pieces though.
The tabletop I had is pretty good for beginners, I could see dark objects like the andromeda galaxy and orions nebula. Planet views are good too but the eyepieces that come with the scope dont get you a lot of zoom which is why i got a 6mm and a barlow.
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-10012-SkyScanner-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B00D05BIIU/ref=sr_1_11?keywords=orion+4.5&qid=1562969551&s=gateway&sr=8-11
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8920-Expanse-Telescope-Eyepiece/dp/B0000XMXXO/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=6mm+orion+eyepiece&qid=1562969593&s=gateway&sr=8-2
https://www.amazon.com/Orion-08711-Shorty-1-25-Inch-Barlow/dp/B0000XMWQW/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=orion+barlow&qid=1562969613&s=gateway&sr=8-3
You can find cheaper eyepieces and barlow lens though.
The smaller the eyepiece, the more zoom you have, the barlow lens doubles your zoom.
Still, here's the hardware:
http://www.amazon.com/Adorama-T-Mount-Adapter-Autofocus-Cameras/dp/B0002E3WRC
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93625-Universal-1-25-inch-T-Adapter/dp/B0000665V6/ref=pd_bxgy_p_img_y/180-3872360-3150301
and for really high powered viewing screw this to the t-mount adapter:
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93230-24mm-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B0007UQNV8
The t threads are under the eye cup.
In bright sun light, this telescope will work as a 1000mm lens, but telescopes, especially cheaper ones, are not as well corrected. So it's going to have more aberrations than even cheap photographic lenses have.
I can go over some of the math too. That telescope has a 130mm primary mirror, hence the 130 in its name. In inches that's about 5", this is also called the aperture. The maximum magnification on a very clear night is 50x your aperture. 50 x 5=250. So you don't want to go above 250 power. I looked up the focal length and it is 650mm. This is important because you divide the focal length by the mm of the eyepiece you're using to get magnification. Your telescope will come with a 10mm and a 25 mm, so 650/10= 65x and 650/25= 26x. These will be good for viewing the moon, and a decent view of the planets but not for galaxies, nebulae or star clusters. Reversing the math, if you wanted an eyepiece that gave you the full 250 magnification that you can theoretically get you'd need about a 3mm lens. 650/250=2.6.
The Svbony or similar Gold Line series is highly touted on here. Under $100 for 4 lenses that are very good you get a 6, 9, 15 and 20 mm lens. If you pair that with a 2x Barlow, which is a lens you put your other lens into that doubles its magnification, you can stretch those 4 lenses into also being 3, 4.5, 7.5 and 10 mm. So for ~$130 you can get the most out of your scope and not have to buy anything for a long time.
What I've been getting the most use out of is a Celestron zoom lens. It can go from 24mm to 8 mm by just twisting the body of it. At its lowest magnification it can't see very much of the sky, so it isn't super popular because it's hard to find what you're looking for, but when you zoom in it really opens up what you can see. If I can't find what I'm looking for I switch to a 25 mm lens with better field of vision then put the Zoom back in. The zoom is ~$70.
Lastly buy the book Turn Left at Orion. Note: Don't accidentally buy Turn Right at Orion!! This book gives you history, cool facts and will help you find hundreds of cool objects in Space. If you just cruise around without a guide you'll lose interest quick. Best advice I got for using this book is to rotate the book in your hands until it matches what you're seeing in your scope. Don't assume up is up or left is left. The book is on sale right now for a better price than I got, might want to scoop it up now. It's the current edition and just came out this year.
If I confused you with anything I can clarify!
Svbony Goldlines
2X Barlow
Celestron Zoom
Turn LEFT at Orion
An ok scope on a flimsy/shaky tripod will annoy you real fast. And a shaky equatorial mount is doubly annoying. The scope you list may be ok but their mounts are suspect.
You should leave some room in your budget for additional decent eyepieces (think plossl), a moon filter, and maybe a 2x barlow (don't go crazy with 5x.. you won't be happy). An ok zoom eyepiece may be pleasing to start.
Dobsonians have a sturdy base and are great suggestions. You may need to columnate them now and then and they can be bulky so travel is tough even sometimes getting it in and out of house/apt especially if stairs are involved.
Consider a small Maksutov such as Celestron c90 on a sturdy photo tripod. That should leave you plenty of room in your budget for accessories.
The c90 comes with erect image finder and diagonals so you can use this system during the day, too, for bird watching or whatever.. increasing its usefulness.
https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-52268-Spotting-scope-Black/dp/B0038QYRDO/
https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-93230-24mm-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B0007UQNV8/
https://www.amazon.ca/Gosky-Variable-Polarizing-Telescopes-Eyepiece/dp/B010UH5SL8
https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-Omni-2X-Barlow-Lens/dp/B00008Y0TM
edit:
Don't forget to save some budget for a solar filter such as....
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OXKGUS4
What is your price range? Does size of the scope matter? Do you want tracking abilities?
Some good brands would be Orion, Meade, and Celestron.
Astronomy is not necessarily about getting the best and most expensive scope. The telescope is only a tool. You need to have realistic expectations on what you're going to see. Also, you want a telescope that you will be able to use. If its too big and clunky to bring outside easily, a smaller telescope will be much more useful.
I would recommend buying a simple reflector to start off.
Here's a cheap, tabletop reflector.
Very affordable, very portable. I wouldn't go any cheaper than this.
Although, depending on how much you want to spend, you can get This tracking dobsonian. 600 bucks, 8 inch. Could be what you're looking for.
I would just hop on the bandwagon and get a classic XT8.
You also need to do some research on what kinds of eyepieces you want. Thats a whole new world you need to know, on top of getting to know telescopes.
Personally I have a classic XT8 accompanied with a Celestron 8-24mm zoom eyepiece.
After all thats done, go grab some free astronomy software, and once thats done, start exploring the skies!!!
Consider a zoom eyepiece. It offers a wide range of magnifications at an affordable price, while sacrificing some FOV. There's a decent celestron on Amazon... I have it and enjoy the convenience.
The C90 is actually pretty compact. Smaller than a lot of spotting scopes actually.
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/sMAz87iC-ok/maxresdefault.jpg
It's also only $170:
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-52268-C90-Mak-Spotting/dp/B0038QYRDO
Add this $52 eyepiece to get all the way to 156x zoom:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0007UQNV8/ref=pd_aw_sim_p_1?refRID=0014SNKCY8APY6WBWKF4
Then all you'd need is a tripod.
Appreciate the response! Those do seem like very good recommendations. I believe I have decided on this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0038QYRDO/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER. I already have a mount that the poster who suggested this one said would work with it.
Think I will be adding on these two lenses as well, unless you have a better suggestion?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005G4HT6I/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007UQNV8/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
​
And you're right, I know I will eventually get the "bug," and I will eventually get something that would be considered higher end, but that would be for me and me alone. This is something I want to share with people, and if I'm at a music festival and someone on LSD knocks it over, I won't be out thousands, just a couple hundred, but it would be well spent it to blow some peoples minds.
I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but I'm leaning towards this one:
http://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0093VH9UQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1AVIPHAW1K3YS&coliid=I1D1F5W0IPT12
You could also get the AD8 and get a Telrad and slap it on next to the Right Angle Finder that it comes with. I like that on my 8" dob because the Telrad gets me there, then I use the Finder to get a medium look at where I'm going, recenter, then move over to looking through the eyepiece. To each their own, though :).
Edit: Although the price of the High Point Scientific one is pretty tasty. Their base model is now coming with the dual speed Crayford Focuser and fan and 30" eyepiece, that's the lowest I've seen for a bundle of that type. Will leave you lots of cash for getting that Telrad, Turn Left at Orion for teaching you how to find stuff, a planosphere, and a couple extra eyepieces (the 6mm "gold line" 66 degree eyepiece is a local favorite, it will be by some very random brands like this, often taking forever because they ship from China. Really I just go on cloudynights.com and find something that looks cool like this.).
I'd think a 6mm Chinese Gold Line would work well.
FWIW, That 66° eyepiece set is on sale for $20 off today, if you know anyone else who needs one. Hard to pass up at that price, even if the one eyepiece is not entirely appropriate.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MR78I42/
So we tend to watch when someone is selling a batch of these at a good price, usually short-lived, and there is a reseller selling some for a paltry $17 buzz on Amazon right now. I can seriously recommend picking one up. I've got the 6 and 9mm if these, and combined with my 20mm Plossl and 32mm Plossl are basically the 4 EPs I use the most.
Currently being sold here:
Yosoo 1.25" Ultra Wide Angle Eyepiece Lens 6MM Focal Length 66-Deg Multi-Coated for Telescope (1.25 Eyepiece Lens) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L1HBIME/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bcgADb6VNXKB2
Edit: also I've got the 8-24mm zoom eyepiece (which is basically the exact same optics resold by Meade and Celestron) and am fond of it, much better than stock junk eyepieces, and almost as good as base model branded Plossls, but these out perform it at low focal lengths.
Is this the one? https://www.amazon.com/Eyepiece-Length-66-Deg-Multi-Coated-Telescope/dp/B01L1HBIME
Yup, I’m also hearing good stuff about these svbony goldlines: Svbony 3,2 cm Teleskop Okular Zubehör-Sets Kits vollständig Mutil beschichtet 66 Grad Ultra Weitwinkel HD 6 mm 9 mm 15 mm 20 mm für Astronomischen Teleskop https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01MR78I42/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VHuuDb815047C
My question to you astro-gurus would be if these are comparable with something like the Orion Expanse line, because at this price they are quite a steal.
Thank you for the reply. I was looking at getting the goldline eyepieces(which are the ultra wide I think?). I'd like to get a kit if possible. Would These Eyepieces be sufficient or would you recommend something else? I didn't see any kits with the ones you linked me. I'm just trying to make sure I buy the ones that will be right for me because it seems I wasted money with the plossl set from Celestron, so I'm just going to sell it on eBay. Any kit suggestions would be great so I can view everything I'm wanting to ASAP (I go to Nags Head the last week of August and want to have them by then). Thank you for any replies and suggestions. I greatly do appreciate it!
Thanks for the reply. My parents got this scope for our oldest son (22 now). I used it more then he did. I was amazed by how much I could see of Jupiter. Yeah it was fuzzy but I could make out the cloud bands and the red dot.
And thanks for saying that the gold line is the SVBONY brand. I see it was mentioned in the faq but when I searched it it brought up SVBONY. I thought that was some boot leg china stuff, well I guess it kind of is, you didn't touch with a 10 foot pole. So would this be a good "kit" to start with?
See the pattern?
Edit:
Ok more info. Your telescope is a reflector just like mine. There are two mirrors, one at each end of the tube. Your eyepiece has to be lined up correctly with the front mirror, and the front mirror and back mirror have to be lined up properly. The collimator (Celstron calls it the collimation eyepiece) helps you to line up these optics. Without doing this first your experience is going to be like mine was, very disappointing. Unless you're incredibly lucky most everything will be blurry, or smeared to some degree. Once you have collimated the scope properly everything becomes much much sharper. The effect is kind of like shining a flashlight on a wall. If the flashlight is lined up properly the light is sharp and round, if the flashlight is at an angle to the wall the light becomes distorted, stretched out and oval shaped. This is similar to what I experienced with my scope. It's well worth the extra 30 bucks.
Get yourself a set of eyepieces of various sizes. Celestron has a decent entry level one for about 130 bucks I think. This will allow you to really get the best use of your scope once it's collimated.
Have fun!
Edit 2: Here is the collimation eyepiece and here is the eyepiece kit
I'm new to astrophotography. Can I get a view like that with this telescope? (I also have these accessories)
Thank you so much for your time. I think I'm going to to go with the Onesky. I really meets nearly all of my needs right now.
I don't know how I haven't seen the Onesky before, it never came up on my google searches. Also I guess while reading through this subreddit I ignored ABW because I didn't recognize the acronym, and had never heard of the maker. I think the mobility of the Onesky is really right up my alley, and the aperture is better than most of the other mobile scopes in this range. I think the 8" or 10" dobs will be a bit too big for my liking, and I'd probably use them a little less often because of that. Also, the dobs are much harder to store in my apartment (which is definitely a factor).
From most of the review I have read, a Barlow is strongly recommended for the Onesky. As the scope is a great value, and I have some wiggle room, is there a eyepiece set or any other accessories that you think would really enhance this kind of scope?
I was looking at the Celestron and came upon this Gosky set. Any thoughts/experience with either of these?
Imho it looks vastly overpriced for what it is - the standard 650mm FL celestron tube with a computer mount.
Better would be this
Or maybe a dobsonian
Also allow some room to buy some eyepieces
Check out the links in the side bar.
Okay I went with the XT8, this is the kit you recommended. You'd recommend that one over this one?
Thank you so much. Will this work? I just bought it
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-94303-Accessory-Kit/dp/B00006RH5I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453675615&sr=8-1&keywords=celestron+accessory+kit
I got one of these a few years ago although my weight setup is slightly different than yours; they changed it. I did remove the attached finder and added a ScopeStuff StarFinder Mount for my green laser:
http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_sfind.htm
I calibrate it during the day off someones license plate, etc. to get it centered in the eye piece.
Oh yes, be sure to get a collimator... The mirror was pretty off when I got it out of the box. I also got three 5 pound divers weights that contain shot for the tripod that I lay on the tree points in the tray area. It's not all that sturdy.
The Celestron Accessory Kit also helps too:
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-94303-Accessory-Kit/dp/B00006RH5I
If you have any questions, let me know!
I just picked up that exact model as the best combination of size/portability/performance. Any recommendations on eyepiece upgrades? I was thinking this as a decent survey kit to get a bunch of pieces to try.
thanks for the quick response. I actually already have a 6mm eyepiece coming. It's a Celestron omni from here: https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93317-Omni-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B00008Y0S8/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1487712532&sr=8-5&keywords=celestron+omni+eyepiece
Not sure if it's any good, I didn't order it. It was actually a gift so hopefully it's at least descent. I thought about getting a 4 but I guess in my ignorance I didn't realize it wouldn't be practical. At least I didn't order it. I'll take a look at the gold line clones since $45 is more than I'd like to spend on an eyepiece right now.
There is a Celestron 6mm from Amazon, is this comparable?
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93317-Omni-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B00008Y0S8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1482955613&sr=8-2&keywords=6mm+telescope+eyepiece
I'd rather not have to deal with an ebay-like site but if the difference is big enough I would.
There are quite a few out there and it really depends on your budget. Here a few that I believe are good for DSOs.
http://www.telescope.com/Accessories/Telescope-Eyepieces/32mm-Orion-Sirius-Plossl-Telescope-Eyepiece/c/3/sc/47/p/8728.uts
https://www.amazon.ca/Celestron-Omni-1-1-32MM-Eyepiece/dp/B00008Y0SS
http://www.amazon.com/Televue-32mm-Plossl-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B0001GO16W
I like the Celestron because it is fairly priced and it is a decent eyepiece. If your budget can fit a Televue, then go for it!
Hopefully this helps.
Thanks for the tip. I just bought this Collimation Eyepiece and will give that a try.
Glad to hear there is someone in the same boat as me! I will end up getting an additional eyepiece, but I would think that the one that comes with it would do way more than what I saw!
I'll take another look at the website when I have it here with me and just see what I can tell by just eyeballing it. Perhaps it is off far enough that I will be able to tell just by looking at it. Then I can fix it when the Collimation Eyepiece gets in.
So with refractors, the lens are firmly mounted in place and should never move.
With a reflector, if you did the same thing the mirrors will break, so if you take a bumpy trip out to a dark site you you knock your telescope the wrong way, you need to collimate it.
Most of the time, the secondary mirror never needs to be collimated, but sometimes it does.
There are 2 things you can buy, a Cheshire eyepiece or a laser collimator. I personally prefer the latter due to ease of use, among other things.
Cheshire eyepiece
laser collimator
EDIT: What kind of scope do you have? I ask because the advice below only applies to Newtonian reflectors; collimation is a different procedure for refractors and Cassegrain telescopes.
While a collimation cap is a very cost-effective tool, I would highly recommend a cheshire collimating eyepiece (AgenaAstro, Amazon) if you can afford one. It works the same way as a collimation cap, but it also has thin wire crosshairs. These allow you to align the optics to a much higher degree of accuracy, or at least make it much easier to do so.
I find that an affordable laser is more trouble than it's worth (you have to collimate them before you can collimate your scope!), and reliable lasers are way too expensive (start at $120). I got a cheshire and it works great; it really is the quintessential collimation tool.
I have this for my C9.25 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009X3V8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It threads onto the back of your scope, and then the camera end t-ring screws on the end of this thing. (Actually, mount it all to your camera, THEN to the scope)
Double check that your scope is supported. I would think it would be.
How's this for viewing planets? https://www.amazon.com/Orion-8920-Expanse-Telescope-Eyepiece/dp/B0000XMXXO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?adgrpid=57148604158&gclid=Cj0KCQjww47nBRDlARIsAEJ34bn5dycoQsFgRFv3aaNTaKQOzs1WRqUZGf4t953qBn7PWATNrNCtfjgaAnYFEALw_wcB&hvadid=274704133880&hvdev=m&hvlocphy=9005446&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5705772407720476159&hvtargid=aud-647846986281%3Akwd-307605899414&hydadcr=19696_9664363&keywords=6mm+eyepiece&qid=1558484318&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1
I like the onesky due to the portability.
My budget only allows for one more eyepiece. These are the ones I'm looking at:
[4mm] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013SBTIK0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_5OHCzbMBC9ZNR)
[6mm - is this gold line? It doesn't say... ] ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0140UAI8E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_wRHCzbG7YQV8B)
Edit: found the Orion expanse, probably a better 6mm
Both cost the same. Which do you recommend?
I have a 10 inch, with eyepieces from 36 to 2.3. I really wouldn't suggest anything less than a 6mm. I would probably point you towards a varifocal instead since it's nice to not have to swap out eyepieces and use barlow's sometimes.
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93230-24mm-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B0007UQNV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1484563795&sr=8-1&keywords=1.25%22+eyepiece+zoom for example.
Very inexpensive, you can target in on a larger 30's, and then swap to this, and click in/adjust/drag/focus, and click in, etc. and continue that down to 8.
I think you'll be a lot happier this way.
You dont really have to spend so much. I can see Saturn pretty well with my Telescope. The Scope is around $340 and I got a 8-24mm Zoom Lens which is around $40. That'll do. I'll add the links when I get home.
Edit: Links:-
A telescope is not out of your range if you know what you really want and can save for it. I have a "smaller" one, but having a larger diameter opening allows you to capture more light and peer deeper in to space. You should get what you want and strive to save for it. I want to go bigger, maybe an XT10 computerized.
My telescope is good, in fact it over-preformed every time I went out. The one gripe I have about almost almost every inexpensive telescope is that it is not motorized. We live on a spinning rock in the galaxy so the telescope needs to be constantly adjusted. All you do with the motorized is find 3 stars and it can take you on a tour of the universe. It does a lot of the work for you so you wont accidentally lose what you were looking at.
I'd also recommend buying some filters, It helps when you look at the moon or nebulae.
Also, instead of swapping eyepieces for closing in on objects, this zoom lens is extremely helpful. With just a twist you can go from 8mm to 24mm. I own that exact model and it's great, plus you cant lose
It seems expensive, but if you really want it, you'll find ways to save and get it. I hope this helps and when you DO make a final decision I'd like to know what its is.
Billions and Billions
I've had a lot of success with this, I have an 8 inch dob and it does everything I need it to do. The only other thing I recommend, and this might be something you look for later on, is a larger (38-42mm) wide angle eyepiece for larger objects like the Pleiades and the double cluster.
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-93230-24mm-1-25-Eyepiece/dp/B0007UQNV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417238580&sr=8-1&keywords=8-24mm+lens+telescope
This is exactly what I was looking for. Seriously, thank you for taking the time to write this out.
I think I'm going to get a decent 8-24x zoom eyepiece so that I can get an "o.k" look at everything on different magnifications on a budget.
But I'm going to get one nice eyepiece along with that for ideally planet viewing. So I'm looking at either a 5mm or a 9mm Celestron LX (I'm not a die hard Celestron customer, they're just easiest for me to get online here in Canada). I thought I read that really low focal length eye pieces aren't good for shorter focal length telescopes.
I'll be getting a decent barlow eventually (when the budget allows). So I'm kind of torn on the 5mm or 9mm, since I'll have the 8mm option on the zoom piece. Do you think the 9mm Celestron LX will be a much better view than the 8mm on the zoom? If it's barely noticeable, I'll get the 5mm. But I like the idea of having a nice eye piece in the magnification I'll be spending 90% of my time in.
I'm probably over complicating things... I'm a student with a low paying job though. I've gotta get bang for my buck and buy smart.
I'd also add a zoom eyepiece as an option. It's not a big deal to swap eyepieces, of course, but if you've got the financial flexibility, something like this is a nice investment:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007UQNV8
I am hoping to find a decent one for relatively inexpensive (I know I get what I pay for). Here are a few I have been looking at.
http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-NexImage-Digital-Technology-93711/dp/B006ZN4VE2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1404867627&sr=8-3&keywords=ccd+camera+astrophotography
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-StarShoot-Eyepiece-Camera-Black/dp/B0093VH9UQ/ref=pd_cp_p_1
http://www.amazon.com/Orion-52175-StarShoot-System-Imaging/dp/B004E4M7QI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1404867627&sr=8-8&keywords=ccd+camera+astrophotography
I am most likely going to pick up the last one I posted (Orion Starshoot IV) but the reviews worry me. Again I am new to astrophotography and I apologize if my questions seem dense. I just want to be able to get my feet wet but I want to do it the right way. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi - noob here.... just wondering really, if I were to buy something like this : https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0093VH9UQ (or similar) - would that be all I need to get started? - would I just stick it in the telescope's view hole - connect it up to a laptop and run the appropriate software?
I assume I wouldn't attach any of my other lenses to it or anything, all the magnification would be done at the pc level?
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Thanks!
With a budget of ~$140 I'd definitely suggest the ES 82 degree line. I've got a 6.7 like this and it'll only be about $20 more than the allotted $140.
For planetary it's a fantastic eyepiece and the FoV is breathtaking under the right skies.
Hi there!
Well, first of all, I would be a little cautious going much above 140x with your scope. I know that the specs say the maximum magnification is 165x, but the general rule of thumb is to try not to go above 50x per inch of aperture (aperture is the width of front lens on your scope), or 2x per millimeter of aperture (so, for your scope, ~140x). So, since magnification depends on eyepiece focal length, the smallest focal length that you want to use with your scope is going to be about 6.4mm. Go any shorter than that and you'll probably just magnify a very blurry image. The only way to get more useful magnification than 140x is to get a telescope with more aperture (and then you'll hit a limit around 300x due to atmospheric distortions).
IMO, a barlow wouldn't do much for you at this point, as it would just give you one more magnification (180x), which is beyond the ~140x limit.
For eyepieces, it really just depends on what your budget is. For the most part, you get what you pay for with eyepieces (and pretty all much astronomical equipment in general). However, I will say this: if you feel this is a hobby that will last a long, long time, then investing in a high quality eyepiece might be a decent option for you, as you'll be able to use it with telescopes you might have in the future as well. Up to you.
One eyepiece that I could recommend to you is the Meade 4000 Series 6.4mm Plossl. This would provide 141x, so it'd be right at the limit of magnification. However, these Plossls with short focal lengths tend to have really short eye relief, which means you have to hold your eye very close to the eyepiece to see what you're looking at, which can be pretty uncomfortable. You can purchase this for ~$30 from Agena Astroproducts, or ~$34 from Amazon if you wish to purchase it there.
If you're willing to spend more, you could look at a Meade 5000 Series 6.5mm HD-60, which would provide 138x. This eyepiece has a bit more eye relief, and has a wider apparent field of view (you can Google info about wide vs narrow FOV). This is available for ~$80 from both Agena and Amazon.
If you really want a very nice eyepiece that you'd [probably] never really feel the need to replace, I'd take a look at the Explore Scientific 6.7mm 82 degree eyepiece, which would provide 134x. This is a very high quality eyepiece, and gives a very wide 80 degree apparent field of view (as opposed to a Plossl's 50 degrees or the HD-60's 60 degrees). Available from Agena for ~$140 or from Amazon for ~$145.
And of course there are other options - these are just the first three that came to mind.
Hope that helps! Be sure to ask any other questions you might have!
https://www.amazon.com/SVBONY-Collimator-Reflector-Telescope-Collimation/dp/B00LX34ZH2
Fixed it
Lol I’m a tanker in the u.s army. Only reason I mention that is because we collimate the fuck out of things. Same principle. Have to make sure our device is aligned properly in order to align our gun and sights properly
https://www.amazon.com/SVBONY-Collimator-Reflector-Telescope-Collimation/dp/B00LX34ZH2 had some great feedback on this
Thank you for your response! So, pretty much, I have [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-31045-AstroMaster-Reflector-Telescope/dp/B000MLL6RS) and if I want to see the planets / deep sky objects (given that I'm in the right place to do them), purchasing this one would do the trick?
> 4mm 58° HR Planetary
Before I make a mistake, does this look ok?
https://www.amazon.com/Astromania-58-Degree-Planetary-Eyepiece-Telescope/dp/B013SBTIK0
Thanks
This? https://www.amazon.com/Astromania-66-degree-Ultra-Eyepiece-Telescope/dp/B0140UAI8E Thanks so much again for answering my questions!
Well it depends on your budget. Wide angle 2" eyepieces can be expensive. The Explore Scientific 82° 30mm is considered to be excellent.
I have an older Agena UWA 80° 30mm that I got used. I believe this Astromania eyepiece is the same thing.
What exactly do you mean by "blurry"? Like it won't focus, or the stars at the edge are distorted, or stars across the whole thing have a comet or seagull shape to them?
I do not recommend getting a barlow, get a 6mm goldline their like $35 off of amazon and a 20mm wide fov one.
The reason i dont recommend a Barlow is its a temporary solution to a permanent problem, people think that their doubling their collection, but in reality it does, but at a cost, you cant see as much detail, which in my opinion is not worth it in a scope this size
I purchased a cheap CMOS camera: SVBONY SV105
When I contacted them, they said I would need a 0.5x focus reducer to see the moon.
I was thinking about getting this SVBONY camera for planetary photos with my 8" dob, but I can't find any reviews or sample pictures! Is this a good camera to get for the (budget) price? The recommended one from the wiki is out of production or something.
Well, I actually turned one of the spider screws initially when I first started to set it up because the instructions made it seem like that was part of the collimation process. So they may actually be off slightly!
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Would you recommend this eyepiece? https://www.amazon.com/SVBONY-Telescopes-Eyepieces-Eyepiece-Degree/dp/B07C6HDR58/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1549396291&sr=1-2-spons&keywords=telescope%2Beyepiece&refinements=p_72%3A1248879011&th=1 I'm considering buy both the 20mm and 9mm.