Frustrations Beginning Star Gazers Face

 

  1. Can’t focus subject in telescope.
    • Use lower power eyepiece
    • Slowly adjust focus knob
    • Don’t look out a window with telescope
    • Poor quality telescope
    • Distant land object is blurred by air/heat waves
    • Object is to close to telescope
    • Clean eyepiece.
    • Fogged main Lens/Mirror (Objective)
  2. Can’t find stuff through telescope

·        See page on site for  finding stuff.

·        Telescope to small to see faint objects

·        To much light pollution

  1. Object won’t hold still (shakes)
    • Usually caused by poor tripod

                                                               i.      Don’t extend tripod as much

                                                             ii.      Tighten screw/bolts on tripod

                                                            iii.      Get better tripod

    • If caused by wind

                                                               i.      Try to block wind

                                                             ii.      Lower tripod

    • Make sure star diagonal and or Barlow are in tight if used
    • Make sure tripod is set up level
  1. Object won’t hold still (slowly moves across eyepiece field)

·        Most always caused by Earths rotation with Alt-Azimuth type mount

                                                               i.      Cured by using properly set up Equatorial or Fork Mount ($)

·        May be caused by telescope mounted to loose

                                                               i.      Tighten mount to scope

·        May be caused by too much weight added to front or back of telescope

                                                               i.      Use weight to counter balance 

·        Much more noticeable and bothersome at high magnification

                                                               i.      Lessened by using lower power

  1. Objects viewed do not look like the pictures!
    • Eyes aren’t as sensitive to light as photographs (biological limitation)
    • Eyes do not see color in low light situations (biological limitation)
    • Earth based telescopes aren’t as good as Space probe photos (Atmosphere)
    • Misleading advertisement
    • Telescope too small ($ limitation)

                                                               i.      Larger telescope ($$$) will see more detail and fainter objects but your eyes still won’t see color.


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Dan Murry murryfamily@ulink.net