Up Late
journeyman
Reged: 12/06/07
Posts: 9
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Hey Dylan
Yes I was viewing with the fan running, that's not a problem is it ? I have done this several times before.
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Up Late
journeyman
Reged: 12/06/07
Posts: 9
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Hey Thj
Yes I was able to clearly make out the 4 stars in the Trapezium.
On that note, I found it funny last year when all I had was my 3 inch Refractor. I had read about the four stars in the nebula and when I looked at it with my small 3 inch scope, I foolishly thought I could see the four stars.
When I saw it again the other night with my Dob, I now realized that what I saw the year before was the 3 stars surrounding the Trapezium and what I thought was a single very bright fourth star last year, turns out to be the four stars that make up the Trapezium.
Also with my 3 inch scope the nebula just seemed like a hazy green spot, with my 8 inch dob it looks more like a wispy cloud - I couldn't believe it. It was just beautiful.
Now reading that others here also have trouble getting a clear view of the planets, I feel that I'm not necessarily having a hardware problem with my scope. There are just so many other factors to consider.
I was kind of leaning that way myself but as I know no one else who has a similar scope, for me to compare mine to, I was left with the uncertainty. I am glad the tech at Zhumell suggested I come here and share my thoughts.
Thanks everyone for your input. I feel better about my scopes ability and what I can expect from it.
Now it's just a matter of waiting for the sky to clear .. thanks again.
Victor - (Up Late)
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Tony Flanders
Postmaster
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 8212
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
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Quote:
Now Mars is here. Again the Astronomy Mag says, and I quote, "Still, Mars will show lots of detail through small and medium-sized telescopes, and will appear stunning through large scopes."
Hmmm, that's not how I would describe it.
Here's what Alan MacRobert says in Sky & Telescope:
In a high-quality 4- or 6-inch telescope on a night of excellent steady air, you may be able to make out the north polar cap or cloud hood, dark surface markings (depending on which side of Mars is facing Earth), limb hazes, occasional white clouds, and possibly ... dust storms.
But Mars is never easy to study visually; every bit of what you see is a hard-won prize...
Likewise with Jupiter. The Great Red Spot isn't exactly easy to make out in its current pale-pink incarnation -- certainly not if you don't know exactly what to look for. And at my latitude (42N), with Jupiter near its southernmost point on the ecliptic, seeing the Great Red Spot at all is a major accomplishment. I only saw it a few times in 2007, and never got a really good view.
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Tony Flanders
First and foremost observing love: naked eye.
Second, binoculars.
Last but not least, telescopes.
And I sometimes dabble with cameras.
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Dylan Gladstone
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 08/05/07
Posts: 992
Loc: Connecticut, USA
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Quote:
Hey Dylan
Yes I was viewing with the fan running, that's not a problem is it ? I have done this several times before.
I don't know for sure, but I think I remember reading somewhere that the moving air can introduce turbulance in the tube. Also it seems like the motor itself might vibrate the mirror?
I was under the impression that the fan was only supposed to be used during cool-down, then turned off for viewing.
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Orion SkyView Pro 127mm Maksutov
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Penarin
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/22/04
Posts: 1166
Loc: Orion, IL
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It sounds like you have been through quite a few hardware problems- the 4 nuts, the tension spring, bad 9mm eyepiece, collimation device not fitting properly, etc. Congrats on getting through all of those 
Anyway, I think you are doing just fine with the sights up there. M42 looked great, as it should. The Ring Nebula was a gray ring- that sounds about right. And you found quite a few globular clusters. All of those objects should hold up well against light pollution.
Like others have said, planets can be tough. You need high power to bring out the detail, but high power draws attention to bad seeing conditions / atmospheric turbulence. High power + bad seeing conditions + a position low on the horizon can make things really tough.
Other than waiting for Mars, Jupiter, or whatever to get up higher in the sky, try the old "keep staring" approach. More detail will appear the longer you look, and if you stare for 10 minutes, you might get treated to a few minutes of clearer seeing where the detail really pops out.
Stay with it and have fun
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Meade 6" f/8 refractor
Orion Atlas (EQ6) mount
Oberwerk 25 x 100IF
Pentax 10x50 PCF WP II
Orion Outsider 8 x 40 WA
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Up Late
journeyman
Reged: 12/06/07
Posts: 9
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Hey Dylan
That's a thought. I never thought that I could be introducing a problem for myself. It will be easy enough to test - once I get another clear night.
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tommyhawk13
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 09/28/07
Posts: 869
Loc: Jacksonville, Fl
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You're on the right track. There were so many responses, I didn't notice if anyone mentioned seeing (I'm sure someone must have). I have the same troubles you are having, but jsut stick with it. Keep looking at it for as long as you can stand it, and it might clear up for a brief moment, and you'll shout out Whoo-hoo!
The neighbors will think your loony.
My best view of Mars looked liked a wrinkled pea. That was with a moon filter, and a blue filter stacked together.
Keep going back to the Trapezium. There are more than 4 stars there, if you can make them out, you're in real good shape.
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Meade Starfinder 8,Meade SN-8 OTA, Orion Atlas, and a handfull of film cameras
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DougP
sage
Reged: 06/11/06
Posts: 441
Loc: New Brockton, Al
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If I lived in Victoria, I would never get my scope out. I would spend all my time at Murches drinking tea and coffee at the sidewalk tables. My inlaws lived in Victoria before moving up island on the Oyster River. Victoria is one of the really great small cities of the world. Hope to get back up there this coming year.
Even down south in Alabama, Jupiter was a tough target this year due to it's nearness to the horizon. I got a few good views, but most nights the bands came and went due to the air currents.
DougP
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