Great video, so I made timestamps: 00:00 🌌 New telescope owners often expect more from their eyepiece. 01:00 🔭 To avoid overpowering, know your telescope's max magnification (2x aperture). 03:07 📏 Calculate eyepiece magnification: telescope focal length / eyepiece focal length. 06:48 🔍 Lower magnifications are better; high magnifications need perfect conditions. 11:01 🌠 Use 2-3x Barlow for visual astronomy; avoid high-power Barlows.
If you’re a beginning hobbyist astronomer, even an astrophysics and Astronomy major like me who loves astrophotography, seeing Saturn through your own view is the absolute most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed. It never gets old and I’ve watched saturn 100’s of times
The astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said: -There are two kinds of people, those who have seen Saturn [with their own eyes through a telescope], and those who have not. I myself got my first telescope, a 4" refractor, 11 years ago. And directed it towards Saturn. And I can confirm that the view somehow changed my life. Regardless of the size, provided you can see the rings, the view does something with you.
I feel so stupid. I selected the biggest eyepiece (40mm)because I thought the bigger the number, the more powerful. I just purchased my first telescope (celestron evo 8 hd) and man, channels like this have been a blessing. I quickly realized I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm overwhelmed, but learning.
Why do you feel stupid, you can’t know everythjng about everythjng, you’re learning and interested, so don’t say you’re stupid. In fact the only stupid thing you have done is calling yourself stupid. What I’ve learned in the last few weeks was 1 I know nothing about telescopes. 2 there is heaps to know and 3 if you just keep plugging away and don’t give up you will very soon understand enough to enjoy yourself. Every one I know who has bought a telescope has given up before they even started as they get overwhelmed and think they have to know everythjng right this minute. It’s like learning the piano, you can’t play a Rachmaninov prelude in the first few months but you can certainly play things that sound good and give you great enjoyment and satisfaction. All the best to you and happy telescoping,
I was thinking of getting a 40mm but bought only 32mm but I would say try the 40mm with 2x or 5x Barlow & it will probably give you a nice wide image instead of the less mm lenses like 4mm or 5mm which are difficult to look through. Hope this Helps!!!
Low power eyepieces like that 40mm you purchased tend to be more expensive because they are larger and contain more glass. Experienced astronomers highly prize a good quality low power eyepiece for their wide fields of view. The idea that "more magnification/power is better" is total nonsense. Remember that when you increase magnification, you decrease your field of view. This is not good if you are viewing one of the larger deep space objects.
Even with a 60mm, being able to just see saturn ring is euphoric enough regardless of the expectation. It literally made me stop breathing for a sec. So magical....
Couldn't agree more Janus, In my opinion Saturn is the most beautiful object in the night sky to observe, I'll never forget my first time seeing it, almost brought a tear to my eye.
Unfortunately, Saturn won't be as majestic for long. Research shoes that in a couple million years from now, Saturn's rings will dissipate either from gravitational pull or the sun's ionizing radiation. It's such a shame that nothing good lasts forever.
@@attackoramic8361 Humans won't be around then either!, sure you can always visit the planets, "remote viewing" Takes a fair bit of time to learn how to do it!
I wasn't a life long fan of the stars, but I'm about to turn 28, and my girlfriend bought me a Celestron SLT 133mm Scope and there's a big learning curve. I've been fascinated the last 3 years with space, astronomy and everything in-between. So learning these things in the past few days, having videos like these really do help us beginners. Aka Noobs. Thanks, great video.
Recently, I've been able to observe Jupiter, and her Moon's, and Saturn, and able to make out the Rings (JUST) with a cheap 45x50mm spotting scope. No matter how small they are in the eyepiece, doesn't seem to diminish the amazement that I feel knowing what I'm seeing, with my own eyes. It certainly makes me want a more capable scope, it might just be my next big purchase.
Hello Adam. Great to hear you are appreciating what you are seeing. I agree a 100% with you, it doesn't matter how it looks in the eyepiece as long as it is giving you that Wow factor.. Because that's what count's at the end of the day.. Take care friend, clear skies :)
@@TheStevecas9860 Absolutely! Reading about them and then seeing them is WAY more exciting than just seeing them alone without all the background stories.
He is right about "expectation" and "overpowering" or using too much power. I've been an amateur astronomer and ATM'er for decades now and one thing is certain, your most enjoyable experiences will be with low power oculars. If you want to increase magnification after viewing in low power, vibration or "wobble" will also increase with the higher power oculars. This is especially true with manual focus vs. non wobbling auto focus. Also, you will tend to have better contrast with a high quality refractor vs. a reflector unless it is a high quality mirror like a Zambuto. Either that or having your mirror refigured by a reputable company. Typical "assembly line" type reflectors do not show color very well which means "refiguring" the mirror for better contrast. This costs $$. And faster telescopes (lower F-Ratios) allow more light but don't magnify as well as slower telescopes with the same size aperture. Reflectors with large apertures don't cost as much as refractors which is why they are so popular, but there is that "contrast" issue again. If you are good at working with your hands, you can save money by becoming an Amateur Telescope Maker! Read everything about telescopes and find a good source for lenses and)or mirrors. Apochromatic vs. Achromatic refractor telescopes is where "CA" or Chromatic Aberration are an issue. This is where the red and blue light focus at different points, usually only visable or apparent with brighter white objects like Sirius or Venus. I'd much rather see an image like Saturn look smaller in real time, than a larger picture of it in super high definition on a computer screen. That's why astronomy is so much fun. And the joke of the day are the 2 types of telescope owners. The refined owner who appreciates beauty by viewing the sky in all of it's splender, while some telescope owners simply peer through windows. This is like comparing a crystal clear spring to a mud puddle
Hi Jason I thought this was very well explained and a gem for beginners. I think turning expectation into appreciation was a great message to pass on. 👍
Brilliant tutorial! not only for beginners but reference for amateurs aswel. I learned this a long time ago when first starting out in astronomy. Always watching the bbc program ‘the sky at night’ with the “iconic” Patrick moor!🙂 and he did an episode on this subject. he recommended using 50x per inch of aperture and I found out he was absolutely right! I think the best way to not be caught out by this “scam” these manufacturers use! is to do your own research and join a local Astro group in your area or social media is great aswell lots of help out there. Take care
I’ve just spent over an hour watching 6 of your videos. This is channel is an absolute gold mine for someone with a beginner telescope. I have learned so much about my telescope and how to operate even though your content wasn’t specific to my telescope model
As a complete beginner to astronomy and using a telescope, this video has provided so much useful information which will allow me to get the best from my new toy. Thank you for your simple explatations
My first telescope was from radio shack many years ago. It cost 40.00. I remember my first discovery was saturn, and when I saw the ring I was crazy happy. The image was similar to the one showed here, small but amazing.
My wife and I met 53 years ago. She has had her telescope 52 years. I've used it about 50 years since we married. I thank you for this video. I learned most of this the hard way over the years. Basically I stopped using the Barlow lens and all of the extra eyepieces and I just use the one that is the basic. It is super bright and also allows keeping the moon and or planets in the field of view longer. I can see Saturn's rings and the bands of Jupiter. It's a simple little thing, 700mm. I finally got a camera mount and I can put a lightweight DSLR on it. Just a nice little telescope. Thanks for confirming my actual experience over the last 49 year time span.
When I was a kid, I had a cheap refracting telescope with a 600mm focal length and an aperture of 50mm. I bought a separate eyepiece of 6mm, it was heavy; I saw quite an enlargement in the image viewed and it looked sharp. When I looked at Saturn , it looked like a bright star with a short line in the center. I could see some points of stars around Saturn, I guess that was its moons. The moon always looked good, but all other objects suffered from chromatic aberration. Venus always looked like a bright star through that telescope.
I have an ancient copy of a little "Golden Book" on the subject of stars, planets and astronomy. There are artist drawings showing you exactly what to expect to see of Jupiter and Saturn in your "small, backyard" telescope. Surprisingly, they are RIGHT ON TARGET! Even at 250x or 300x the image of the planet in the eyepiece is very SMALL!
I experienced the Barlow Blur that you described and quickly learned to go for clarity. I'm still learning but this video was fantastic. I really enjoyed your presentation style. It's very direct and useful! Thank you!
you have just explained something which has helped and saved me money I only have a 70mm travel scope and a 1000mm reflector . Yes I am learning all the time and find the eye pieces hardest to grasp hopefully your vids will help a great deal........... Has anyone ever thought of dimmer switches for lampposts as light polution is getting worse.
Thank you. I have learned a lot from this video. I have a nice beginner telescope since i just started the hobby. Tonight my kids, age 5 and 7 saw, Jupiter, and its little moons. The childlike wonder and awe that they experienced was one of the best moments I will always remember.
Im just starting on this cool hobby and as you said, I’ve got lost in the internet with so much information. Your video was simply the best thing I could watch with a real and useful information that changed everything for me :) thanks for your time and for the great video!
After watching this as a new starter i have prob wiped 90% of mistakes that newbies make when buying kit. nice bit about the barlow x2 that can be a 1.5x . I will be looking at used equipment and it seems a reflector of range 6" or a 8", i am on a budget and i have to make a choice f5 or a f8 dobsonian or mount.
Not sure if you still look at comments, but tonight I for the first time viewed Jupiter with my 80mm refractor telescope :) my 20mm eyepiece could even see the Galilean moons! What was super duper neat is I looked at a Jupiter moon position map and Today Callisto wasn’t actually the farthest moon away it was Ganymede! Thank you for these types of videos because they directly help a newbie like me!
Thank you for explaining this! I got my first telescope last year, and I fought and fought with it trying to get a better close up of Saturn. Through a lot of trial and error, I came to the conclusion you just gave. Start small, and work your way up. I also discovered my galaxy s21 ultra takes better pictures of the moon that I can view through my telescope.... mind, it is a really really really cheap telescope. I need a better mount. It's basically on a cheap camera tripod. I plan to upgrade to something with a better mount. I will say though, even with this cheap telescope, I was able to get to see Saturn's rings. I showed them to my 2 adult daughters and they were absolutely freaking out. It was a great dad / daughters moment. This video shows, a little knowledge goes a long way.
I'll never forget my first view of Venus. Even with 10x50 binoculars on a photographic tripod, I could see the crescent, like a mini moon. It got me hooked on planetary astronomy.
This was brilliant advice. My wife just got me a 70mm for my birthday and I'm swotting up while the weather's crap before I go out using it. Ironically the scope did come with a below lens amongst it's peripherals lol! Great video, thanks for the info!
Very informative, thanks. I'm at this stage in my astronomy journey (choosing eyepiece upgrades) and what you are saying makes a lot of sense. You hear about experienced astronomers using 15mm and 25mm eyepieces and think, "why wouldn't you go to at least an 8mm to get a closer view?". But it's not that simple. The reality is that other factors like clarity, brightness, apparent field of view and eye relief make views much more enjoyable.
Excellent presentation. This afternoon I’m visiting a new scope owner who can’t achieve focus. I’ve helped folks several times but this has helped me get my thoughts organized. Thanks so much.
And again! Thanks for share the knowledge, there it's a special phrase that I hear in this video: "turn expectation into appreciation", for me it's a very wise words, and apply to a lot of things in life :)
What a refreshing and no-nonsense video! I've retired a couple of years ago and purchased a Celestron 114 lcm shortly thereafter. I'm finally getting around to using it and I find myself enjoying more and more. I have to honestly say that I was falling into the 'more power' trap until I saw your extremely informative video! Thank you so much for posting this, it is immensely appreciated!
Celestron 114 lcm is unfortunately total scam design made from pretty much rejects dumster junk and will never give high magnifications. Already 1x of magnification per 1mm of aperture is likely pushing it. Telescopicwatch is about only review site with real reviews and not ads.
Thank you very much sir! This is exactly what a bloody beginner like me needed to understand and to finally SEE the light and simply be AMAZED! 🤩 I guess you got both my 9yo daughter and me hooked on astronomy now! 🔭
So glad I found this download as just bought first telescope for my daughter and this was a crash course in simple language. Now subscribed and will look for more videos. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Had been watching the sky with naked eye my whole life. Finally got my first ever telescope… Super excited to experience seeing them from a closer distance! Very informative video, thanks! 🌟
Thank you so much for this video, now I easily got the hang of how focal length, aperture and eyepieces all work together to calculate magnification. Very much appreciated, its useful for newbies at astronomy like myself.
Thanks for your easy to understand video. I am so much wiser, now. I wonder just how many people waste £100s - £1000s on a telescope, only to be so disappointed, that they can't see the foot prints on the moon!!!!
I bought my first telescope last month and will be using it in a dark sky zone this weekend (horrible timing I know with the full moon, but only time my husband could get off). Thank you for breaking down the maths. Jason you have made me glad that I didn't invest in a barlow lenses for this weekend. I figure better to learn how to use the scope properly, and then see what it can do with a barlow at a later date.
Get a decent filter to dim your view a bit. Baader moon-skyglow filter is very useful. For star gazing get something with 72 degree or wider that is low power- You want to view a wider field vs close ups... 40X or less for star fields...50-75X for moon..... 75-150X for planets.
@@christiana8820 Hello Christian You seem to know a good deal about telescope I’m aiming to get a telescope and it’s been an interest of mine for a long time(astronomy) I aim to use it to satisfy my personal curiosity and hobby and also try to make contents out of it. Not really a social person so I think this will be a great opportunity. Do you have another social network platform I could dm you on when the time is right?
I can say that I'm not entirely obsessed over these things.... yet. lol but this video was absolutely amazing, very well put together. I felt as if I had walked in the room and asked you some questions myself. My father once took me to a meet/get together for some star gazing, and it was just great. The people were very nice, the equipment and such was super cool, and so on. Now I'm looking to introduce my boys into this stuff. Maybe they'll have more luck and time and such to invest into this than I will.
I have that same Barlow and never even thought about taking it apart before, let alone that it could be used to give 1.5X, and here I am shopping around trying to find a 1.5x, lol
Having my own telescope, and building my next scope being in the works, the wow factor of seeing the planets and other sky objects is just plain fun! I don't even have my 8 inch reflector constructed yet, and I am planning on my next jump in aperture!
I remember my 10 inch dobs pointed at moon nearly got blinded !! So be mindful of that as a head up I got filters later on and managed to find more detail then I thought what's that bright star pointed at it and it was Jupiter then I was hooked great hobby to get into
I took a photo of Saturn, no telescope, just my DSLR and a 300mm lens, it was amazing to be able to actually make out the rings of the planet. It may have looked just an elongated dot in the picture but it makes me so happy. If you're mad your telescope didn't return a 'James Webb Telescope'-like view, then you're focusing on the wrong thing or the wrong gear.
Your welcome sir😁 Will keep watching and try my best in astronomy . And a question is celestron powerseeker series a good one or a bad one because I’m planning to upgrade to a new telescope and thinking of buying the powerseeker 127eq (focal length-1000 aperture-127 mount-eq) and the price itself is quite reasonable for around 231dollars including an accessory kit and have doubts in the quality plus I’m moving to a 127 aperture from a60 mm aperture so should I move to a less aperture telescope than the 127 or shall I continue with the 127 eq?
@@BasmanIqbal Hey Basman. The Celestron power- seekers are great I would recommend upgrading to the 127mm it will give you a lot more light grasp making everything seem brighter, especially for deep sky targets. There are a lot more things you can see with a 127mm that you can't see with a 60mm. And as you say they are great value for the money. The Power-seekers are a great introductory into reflectors and eq mounts, I think you will be more than happy with it. Stay safe friend :)
If you’re starting out don’t worry about power worry about the bass for the telescope. A steady scope is worth 100x more than power. Nothing ruins a night star gazing than finally getting your object in view only to have it pushed off by an accidental bump. When you get used to finding stuff with a small scope then start thinking about getting a bigger light bucket.
I,m far from a beginner and I have to say you are spot on with all your points. I would like to add though. Personally I would avoid using a barlow 98% of the time just on the fact that you lose light gathering power just by the glass inside. Your better off spending your money on decent eye pieces. I can easily spend a night with a 80mm F4 telescope with a 40mm eye piece.
Hello Mark, I agree pal, as you know less is usually more when it comes to visual.. I'm with you on the eyepiece , I much prefer a good quality high power over a barlow any day...
"You need to turn expectation into appreciation" well said right there, 5x barlowe with my 4mm eyepiece (insert laugh emoji) cause I cant figure out how!
as soon as you mentioned magnification I thought of the scene from Futurama where Captain Brannigan asks Kiff to zoom in on a corner of a video from a satellite and he does and it gets super blurry. Brannigan wants to know why it isn't clear and Kiff sighs and explains the zooming doesn't change the *resolution* of the image, it can't make the image clearer. Thus, the real question new astronomers need answered is "how do I increase my image resolution?"
I have a Televue 76 refractor. I put a 4 x power mate barlow on it so that i can put my bigger Nagler eyepieces on it and still get high magnification. The result is breathtaking, but, what you are saying makes complete sense for lesser quality optics.
Once and only once I was able to view Saturn at about 600x using an Astro Physics 6" F8 refractor. The atmosphere was extremely humid and steady. Otherwise 175x is about maximum for the best image. And the Double Cluster at 35x is magnificent.
Fantastic video, I, learned alot from this! I did not know how to calculate the max magnification that a telescope could handle or indeed that there was a limit at all. now I do. Thanks again for clear, straightforward explanations. As a previous commentor said, a gem of a video for us beginners👍
I just got a telescope for Christmas and learned so much already from your videos. My telescope is 80mmx500mm refractor with a 3x Barlow and I think a 10mm eyepiece. I will change to the 25mm bc as I now know, less is more. I didn’t use the Barlow before when viewing mars and Jupiter and only used the 10mm eyepiece so hopefully I’ll see them better.
Get a good dark filter before you look at the moon. It hurts without. With the 25, that should be a fun scope to get lost wandering around the Milky Way in the summer. An O III filter will be useful for some of the bigger nebulae, like the Dumbell or the Lagoon, though most of the joy with that size of scope will be the thrill of discovery rather than ooohs and aaahs. I leave a scope that size on an altazimuth mount as a "grab and go". Zero assembly or packing required.
I expected to see the swirls on the andromeda Galaxy. When I found it, it was just a bright center spot with fuzzy fading as it goes further; kinda like a dandelion. After getting a z12, it didn’t changed much. The ball of fuzz got bigger and brighter but no swirls 🤣😂 I still love visual observation. 70 @ 30mm degree seems to be the sweet spot for my eyes for getting lost in space.
Great Video. I’m new to Astronomy and I didn’t know any of the things you said. I will have to watch this a few times I think, so I won’t forget it. I just purchased a GSkyer 700x90 and will be mostly looking at the Moon. I waiting on the Shipping right now, but I’m hoping I can see the Craters really clearly. It has a 10mm, 25mm, one other one I can’t remember off hand, and a 3x Barlow Lense. I plan on doing some Adventure Motorcycle Riding, and plan on using the Telescope while Camping. I will definitely be watching All of your Videos. Thanks Again from Texas. By the way, Everything is bigger in Texas, even the Moon ha ha😁
Hi Jason, very well explained, I have watched a lot of your vlogs for beginners and now I better understand eye piece magnification and focal length, many thanks 🙂
Thank you! I learned a lot, likey "big" telescopes, one with a 900mm focal length and 114mm aperture, and the other with a 700mm f and 70mm aperture, can't work with the 4mm lens. However, my small backpacker telescope with a 400mm focal length and 70mm aperture can! Pretty wild.
i got potentialy one of the worst telescopes posssible for christmas but even then its amazing, looking at jupiter i could see the moons which was amazing i coulnt see anything on the "surface" but just being able to see the moons of Jupiter has opened a Pandora box for how much there is to see out there
Jason I have a Skymax 180 2700mm focal length and I find the sweet spot with this telescope to be with my 26mm Svbony eyepiece =103 magnification to be the sharpest brightest clear image for the Moon and planets even putting in a 2x Barlow=206 it hardly degrades the image. I totally agree less is more. Thank you for sharing this knowledge! I will post this to an Astronomy group
Thank you so much for this video. I just started star gazing to see what I could find with my Canon R6 and a 800mm f11 lens after the news had been talking about how close Jupiter is currently. I was amazed at seeing Jupiter and its 4 visible moons and audibly whooped with joy as my girlfriend laughed at me by the fire. I’ve been researching telescopes and astrophotography ever since with my sights on an eventual telescope purchase, and no one else is talking about this the way you are! Thanks again for some great and clear info on the real deal. I am a suscriber to the end.
![ลองสุ่มไอโฟน 990 โกงมั้ย? [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.101 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bfsWe0j492k/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video, so I made timestamps:
00:00 🌌 New telescope owners often expect more from their eyepiece.
01:00 🔭 To avoid overpowering, know your telescope's max magnification (2x aperture).
03:07 📏 Calculate eyepiece magnification: telescope focal length / eyepiece focal length.
06:48 🔍 Lower magnifications are better; high magnifications need perfect conditions.
11:01 🌠 Use 2-3x Barlow for visual astronomy; avoid high-power Barlows.
Thank you my friend very much appreciated 👍🙂
If you’re a beginning hobbyist astronomer, even an astrophysics and Astronomy major like me who loves astrophotography, seeing Saturn through your own view is the absolute most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed. It never gets old and I’ve watched saturn 100’s of times
At what magnitude?
lol u must be a pices
I can remember exactly where I was when I first saw Saturn with rings. 34 years ago.
Yes absolutely love viewing Saturn and there really is something special about seeing these objects with your own eye through your own instrument.
The astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said: -There are two kinds of people, those who have seen Saturn [with their own eyes through a telescope], and those who have not.
I myself got my first telescope, a 4" refractor, 11 years ago. And directed it towards Saturn. And I can confirm that the view somehow changed my life. Regardless of the size, provided you can see the rings, the view does something with you.
This video reminds me of the good ole days of TH-cam. Honest creators sharing their knowledge. Thank you for the video, my friend.
that’s exactly what i was thinking about,love his channel
I feel so stupid. I selected the biggest eyepiece (40mm)because I thought the bigger the number, the more powerful. I just purchased my first telescope (celestron evo 8 hd) and man, channels like this have been a blessing. I quickly realized I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm overwhelmed, but learning.
Same here with my 5 inch reflector
Rule of thumb: smaller eyepiece focal length = bigger magnification. Exact magnification is dependent od particular telescope focal length.
Why do you feel stupid, you can’t know everythjng about everythjng, you’re learning and interested, so don’t say you’re stupid.
In fact the only stupid thing you have done is calling yourself stupid. What I’ve learned in the last few weeks was 1 I know nothing about telescopes. 2 there is heaps to know and 3 if you just keep plugging away and don’t give up you will very soon understand enough to enjoy yourself. Every one I know who has bought a telescope has given up before they even started as they get overwhelmed and think they have to know everythjng right this minute. It’s like learning the piano, you can’t play a Rachmaninov prelude in the first few months but you can certainly play things that sound good and give you great enjoyment and satisfaction. All the best to you and happy telescoping,
I was thinking of getting a 40mm but bought only 32mm but I would say try the 40mm with 2x or 5x Barlow & it will probably give you a nice wide image instead of the less mm lenses like 4mm or 5mm which are difficult to look through. Hope this Helps!!!
Low power eyepieces like that 40mm you purchased tend to be more expensive because they are larger and contain more glass. Experienced astronomers highly prize a good quality low power eyepiece for their wide fields of view. The idea that "more magnification/power is better" is total nonsense. Remember that when you increase magnification, you decrease your field of view. This is not good if you are viewing one of the larger deep space objects.
"Turn expectation into appreciation"❤!
Jason, put this on a T-Shirt!
Best advice ever!
You're the best Jason🙏!
Even with a 60mm, being able to just see saturn ring is euphoric enough regardless of the expectation. It literally made me stop breathing for a sec. So magical....
Couldn't agree more Janus, In my opinion Saturn is the most beautiful object in the night sky to observe, I'll never forget my first time seeing it, almost brought a tear to my eye.
@@smalloptics753 i was jumping up and down like an excited kid. Was in the dark open field so no one get to see it!
Unfortunately, Saturn won't be as majestic for long. Research shoes that in a couple million years from now, Saturn's rings will dissipate either from gravitational pull or the sun's ionizing radiation. It's such a shame that nothing good lasts forever.
@@attackoramic8361 Humans won't be around then either!, sure you can always visit the planets, "remote viewing" Takes a fair bit of time to learn how to do it!
@@attackoramic8361 yea not long... If you're immortal, sure.
I've learnt more in 13 minutes than in last 6 months,glad people like you exist,thank you.
I wasn't a life long fan of the stars, but I'm about to turn 28, and my girlfriend bought me a Celestron SLT 133mm Scope and there's a big learning curve. I've been fascinated the last 3 years with space, astronomy and everything in-between. So learning these things in the past few days, having videos like these really do help us beginners. Aka Noobs. Thanks, great video.
Recently, I've been able to observe Jupiter, and her Moon's, and Saturn, and able to make out the Rings (JUST) with a cheap 45x50mm spotting scope. No matter how small they are in the eyepiece, doesn't seem to diminish the amazement that I feel knowing what I'm seeing, with my own eyes.
It certainly makes me want a more capable scope, it might just be my next big purchase.
Hello Adam. Great to hear you are appreciating what you are seeing. I agree a 100% with you, it doesn't matter how it looks in the eyepiece as long as it is giving you that Wow factor.. Because that's what count's at the end of the day.. Take care friend, clear skies :)
Adam that is the joy I still feel after 50 years. Clear steady skies!
@@smalloptics753 Also with a bit of knowledge with what you are seeing makes a big difference!
@@TheStevecas9860 Absolutely! Reading about them and then seeing them is WAY more exciting than just seeing them alone without all the background stories.
Venus is a girl...Jupiter is a bloke. Saturn on the other hand, having more than one ring?🤔
That was about the best and most hands-on video in the internet ever! Only info, no show-off...
He is right about "expectation" and "overpowering" or using too much power. I've been an amateur astronomer and ATM'er for decades now and one thing is certain, your most enjoyable experiences will be with low power oculars. If you want to increase magnification after viewing in low power, vibration or "wobble" will also increase with the higher power oculars. This is especially true with manual focus vs. non wobbling auto focus. Also, you will tend to have better contrast with a high quality refractor vs. a reflector unless it is a high quality mirror like a Zambuto. Either that or having your mirror refigured by a reputable company. Typical "assembly line" type
reflectors do not show color very well which means "refiguring" the mirror for better contrast. This costs $$. And faster telescopes (lower F-Ratios) allow more light but don't magnify as well as slower telescopes with the same size aperture. Reflectors with large apertures don't cost as much as refractors which is why they are so popular, but there is that "contrast" issue again. If you are good at working with your hands, you can save money by becoming an Amateur Telescope Maker! Read everything about telescopes and find a good source for lenses and)or mirrors. Apochromatic vs. Achromatic refractor telescopes is where "CA" or Chromatic Aberration are an issue. This is where the red and blue light focus at different points, usually only visable or apparent with brighter white objects like Sirius or Venus.
I'd much rather see an image like Saturn look smaller in real time, than a larger picture of it in super high definition on a computer screen. That's why astronomy is so much fun. And the joke of the day are the 2 types of telescope owners.
The refined owner who appreciates beauty by viewing the sky in all of it's splender, while some telescope owners simply peer through windows. This is like comparing a crystal clear spring to a mud puddle
Hi Jason I thought this was very well explained and a gem for beginners. I think turning expectation into appreciation was a great message to pass on. 👍
Hello Ollie, Thank you :)
Brilliant tutorial! not only for beginners but reference for amateurs aswel. I learned this a long time ago when first starting out in astronomy. Always watching the bbc program ‘the sky at night’ with the “iconic” Patrick moor!🙂 and he did an episode on this subject. he recommended using 50x per inch of aperture
and I found out he was absolutely right! I think the best way to not be caught out by this “scam” these manufacturers use! is to do your own research and join a local Astro group in your area or social media is great aswell lots of help out there. Take care
"Turn expectation into appreciation..."
Good words to live by.
I’ve just spent over an hour watching 6 of your videos. This is channel is an absolute gold mine for someone with a beginner telescope. I have learned so much about my telescope and how to operate even though your content wasn’t specific to my telescope model
Excellent video you have certainly give this 62 year old a lot of food for thought, thank you
This video is definitely a keeper and should be mandatory watching for anyone wanting to get a Telescope.
As a complete beginner to astronomy and using a telescope, this video has provided so much useful information which will allow me to get the best from my new toy. Thank you for your simple explatations
You're more than welcome. Enjoy your new telescope all the best for the new year.
My first telescope was from radio shack many years ago. It cost 40.00. I remember my first discovery was saturn, and when I saw the ring I was crazy happy. The image was similar to the one showed here, small but amazing.
My wife and I met 53 years ago. She has had her telescope 52 years. I've used it about 50 years since we married. I thank you for this video. I learned most of this the hard way over the years. Basically I stopped using the Barlow lens and all of the extra eyepieces and I just use the one that is the basic. It is super bright and also allows keeping the moon and or planets in the field of view longer. I can see Saturn's rings and the bands of Jupiter. It's a simple little thing, 700mm. I finally got a camera mount and I can put a lightweight DSLR on it. Just a nice little telescope. Thanks for confirming my actual experience over the last 49 year time span.
When I was a kid, I had a cheap refracting telescope with a 600mm focal length and an aperture of 50mm. I bought a separate eyepiece of 6mm, it was heavy; I saw quite an enlargement in the image viewed and it looked sharp. When I looked at Saturn , it looked like a bright star with a short line in the center. I could see some points of stars around Saturn, I guess that was its moons. The moon always looked good, but all other objects suffered from chromatic aberration. Venus always looked like a bright star through that telescope.
I have an ancient copy of a little "Golden Book" on the subject of stars, planets and astronomy. There are artist drawings showing you exactly what to expect to see of Jupiter and Saturn in your "small, backyard" telescope. Surprisingly, they are RIGHT ON TARGET!
Even at 250x or 300x the image of the planet in the eyepiece is very SMALL!
Those books were the best. Thanks for reminding me.
I experienced the Barlow Blur that you described and quickly learned to go for clarity.
I'm still learning but this video was fantastic.
I really enjoyed your presentation style. It's very direct and useful!
Thank you!
you have just explained something which has helped and saved me money I only have a 70mm travel scope and a 1000mm reflector . Yes I am learning all the time and find the eye pieces hardest to grasp hopefully your vids will help a great deal........... Has anyone ever thought of dimmer switches for lampposts as light polution is getting worse.
You got me spot on, just got a telescope and IMMEDIATELY fit a barlow lens, thank you very much for correcting me
Thank you. I have learned a lot from this video. I have a nice beginner telescope since i just started the hobby. Tonight my kids, age 5 and 7 saw, Jupiter, and its little moons. The childlike wonder and awe that they experienced was one of the best moments I will always remember.
Thanks for the Very Important Math lesson!, now I understand how the optics work. Cheers!
Im just starting on this cool hobby and as you said, I’ve got lost in the internet with so much information. Your video was simply the best thing I could watch with a real and useful information that changed everything for me :) thanks for your time and for the great video!
After watching this as a new starter i have prob wiped 90% of mistakes that newbies make when buying kit.
nice bit about the barlow x2 that can be a 1.5x .
I will be looking at used equipment and it seems a reflector of range 6" or a 8", i am on a budget and i have to make a choice f5 or a f8 dobsonian or mount.
Not sure if you still look at comments, but tonight I for the first time viewed Jupiter with my 80mm refractor telescope :) my 20mm eyepiece could even see the Galilean moons! What was super duper neat is I looked at a Jupiter moon position map and Today Callisto wasn’t actually the farthest moon away it was Ganymede! Thank you for these types of videos because they directly help a newbie like me!
Thank you for explaining this! I got my first telescope last year, and I fought and fought with it trying to get a better close up of Saturn. Through a lot of trial and error, I came to the conclusion you just gave. Start small, and work your way up. I also discovered my galaxy s21 ultra takes better pictures of the moon that I can view through my telescope.... mind, it is a really really really cheap telescope. I need a better mount. It's basically on a cheap camera tripod. I plan to upgrade to something with a better mount. I will say though, even with this cheap telescope, I was able to get to see Saturn's rings. I showed them to my 2 adult daughters and they were absolutely freaking out. It was a great dad / daughters moment. This video shows, a little knowledge goes a long way.
I'll never forget my first view of Venus. Even with 10x50 binoculars on a photographic tripod, I could see the crescent, like a mini moon. It got me hooked on planetary astronomy.
The best video I found, as a beginner, to have good advices. Thanks a lot !
Greetings from Texas USA. Thank you ever so much Jason. Huge help. Much appreciated. Take care and cheers!
This was brilliant advice. My wife just got me a 70mm for my birthday and I'm swotting up while the weather's crap before I go out using it. Ironically the scope did come with a below lens amongst it's peripherals lol!
Great video, thanks for the info!
I really like that "turn your expectation into appreciation"
Been interested in this for a long time. Finally got my first telescope. I am now crippled. No one said how much this hobby kills your back!
Great lesson thanks. And as always please don’t forget to enjoy today’s blessings
Very informative, thanks. I'm at this stage in my astronomy journey (choosing eyepiece upgrades) and what you are saying makes a lot of sense. You hear about experienced astronomers using 15mm and 25mm eyepieces and think, "why wouldn't you go to at least an 8mm to get a closer view?". But it's not that simple. The reality is that other factors like clarity, brightness, apparent field of view and eye relief make views much more enjoyable.
Excellent presentation. This afternoon I’m visiting a new scope owner who can’t achieve focus. I’ve helped folks several times but this has helped me get my thoughts organized. Thanks so much.
And again! Thanks for share the knowledge, there it's a special phrase that I hear in this video: "turn expectation into appreciation", for me it's a very wise words, and apply to a lot of things in life :)
IYour more than welcome..Indeed it does my friend.. :)
Great info! My telescope came with a 3x Barlow and a 4mm eyepiece that I haven’t tried yet because I didn’t know what they were for yet.
What a refreshing and no-nonsense video! I've retired a couple of years ago and purchased a Celestron 114 lcm shortly thereafter. I'm finally getting around to using it and I find myself enjoying more and more. I have to honestly say that I was falling into the 'more power' trap until I saw your extremely informative video! Thank you so much for posting this, it is immensely appreciated!
Celestron 114 lcm is unfortunately total scam design made from pretty much rejects dumster junk and will never give high magnifications.
Already 1x of magnification per 1mm of aperture is likely pushing it.
Telescopicwatch is about only review site with real reviews and not ads.
Thank god i thought barlow is making the picture better but after listening to this absolute genius now i know how to work with a telescope properly
I am 30+ and you're explaining it like a cool school teacher that I've never had
Thank you very much sir! This is exactly what a bloody beginner like me needed to understand and to finally SEE the light and simply be AMAZED! 🤩 I guess you got both my 9yo daughter and me hooked on astronomy now! 🔭
Your more than welcome my friend.. That's great to hear have fun the two of you 😃🔭
Your equations for rookies like me are worth gold! I'm truly thankful for this video, it's a life saver!
God bless TH-cam algorithms for taking me to this channel. This is the second video I saw and is another useful and crystal clear gem
So glad I found this download as just bought first telescope for my daughter and this was a crash course in simple language. Now subscribed and will look for more videos. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Thanks I think I seen the clouds on Jupiter and now I can't stop looking
I was given a 114 x F900 Tasco telescope and after watching this video I was finally able to enjoy the night sky. thank you!
Fantastic advice you have answered all my questions. Thank you for doing these videos and being honest !
Answered so many questions I had - thank you. Also realised I've been making a lot of mistakes!
Had been watching the sky with naked eye my whole life. Finally got my first ever telescope… Super excited to experience seeing them from a closer distance!
Very informative video, thanks! 🌟
Thank you so much for this video, now I easily got the hang of how focal length, aperture and eyepieces all work together to calculate magnification. Very much appreciated, its useful for newbies at astronomy like myself.
Thanks for this wonderful explanation on magnification
for telescope.
Thanks for your easy to understand video. I am so much wiser, now. I wonder just how many people waste £100s - £1000s on a telescope, only to be so disappointed, that they can't see the foot prints on the moon!!!!
Seeing it with your own eyes is what’s amazing to me. First time I saw the moons of Jupiter was through a 27x rifle scope. Just amazing
Even worse than planets is observing nebulas and galaxies. Photographs vs visual are completely different things.
I bought my first telescope last month and will be using it in a dark sky zone this weekend (horrible timing I know with the full moon, but only time my husband could get off). Thank you for breaking down the maths. Jason you have made me glad that I didn't invest in a barlow lenses for this weekend. I figure better to learn how to use the scope properly, and then see what it can do with a barlow at a later date.
Get a decent filter to dim your view a bit. Baader moon-skyglow filter is very useful. For star gazing get something with 72 degree or wider that is low power- You want to view a wider field vs close ups... 40X or less for star fields...50-75X for moon..... 75-150X for planets.
@@christiana8820 Hello Christian
You seem to know a good deal about telescope
I’m aiming to get a telescope and it’s been an interest of mine for a long time(astronomy)
I aim to use it to satisfy my personal curiosity and hobby and also try to make contents out of it.
Not really a social person so I think this will be a great opportunity.
Do you have another social network platform I could dm you on when the time is right?
you are the best. so communicative you simply explained everything. thank you
I can say that I'm not entirely obsessed over these things.... yet. lol but this video was absolutely amazing, very well put together. I felt as if I had walked in the room and asked you some questions myself. My father once took me to a meet/get together for some star gazing, and it was just great. The people were very nice, the equipment and such was super cool, and so on. Now I'm looking to introduce my boys into this stuff. Maybe they'll have more luck and time and such to invest into this than I will.
Thanks a lot. I’m a complete beginner and found this really interesting and a great legs up.
I have that same Barlow and never even thought about taking it apart before, let alone that it could be used to give 1.5X, and here I am shopping around trying to find a 1.5x, lol
Having my own telescope, and building my next scope being in the works, the wow factor of seeing the planets and other sky objects is just plain fun!
I don't even have my 8 inch reflector constructed yet, and I am planning on my next jump in aperture!
I remember my 10 inch dobs pointed at moon nearly got blinded !! So be mindful of that as a head up I got filters later on and managed to find more detail then I thought what's that bright star pointed at it and it was Jupiter then I was hooked great hobby to get into
Thanks 😊. I figured most of that stuff by myself, but it's nice to hear someone explain it...
I took a photo of Saturn, no telescope, just my DSLR and a 300mm lens, it was amazing to be able to actually make out the rings of the planet. It may have looked just an elongated dot in the picture but it makes me so happy. If you're mad your telescope didn't return a 'James Webb Telescope'-like view, then you're focusing on the wrong thing or the wrong gear.
You are the best person who explained me telescope basics and my watch later list is full of your vids 😀 And you explain it will well!!!
Hello Basman, Thank you for your kind words my friend. Have fun watching the videos :)
Your welcome sir😁 Will keep watching and try my best in astronomy . And a question is celestron powerseeker series a good one or a bad one because I’m planning to upgrade to a new telescope and thinking of buying the powerseeker 127eq (focal length-1000 aperture-127 mount-eq) and the price itself is quite reasonable for around 231dollars including an accessory kit and have doubts in the quality plus I’m moving to a 127 aperture from a60 mm aperture so should I move to a less aperture telescope than the 127 or shall I continue with the 127 eq?
@@BasmanIqbal Hey Basman. The Celestron power- seekers are great I would recommend upgrading to the 127mm it will give you a lot more light grasp making everything seem brighter, especially for deep sky targets. There are a lot more things you can see with a 127mm that you can't see with a 60mm. And as you say they are great value for the money. The Power-seekers are a great introductory into reflectors and eq mounts, I think you will be more than happy with it. Stay safe friend :)
@@smalloptics753 Thx a lot sir for giving me the advice and I will buy it for you have recommended it to me😀😄
And stay safe!!!😀
If you’re starting out don’t worry about power worry about the bass for the telescope. A steady scope is worth 100x more than power. Nothing ruins a night star gazing than finally getting your object in view only to have it pushed off by an accidental bump. When you get used to finding stuff with a small scope then start thinking about getting a bigger light bucket.
I,m far from a beginner and I have to say you are spot on with all your points. I would like to add though. Personally I would avoid using a barlow 98% of the time just on the fact that you lose light gathering power just by the glass inside. Your better off spending your money on decent eye pieces. I can easily spend a night with a 80mm F4 telescope with a 40mm eye piece.
Hello Mark, I agree pal, as you know less is usually more when it comes to visual.. I'm with you on the eyepiece , I much prefer a good quality high power over a barlow any day...
Also a footnote: Always have your telescope cool down and outside, never observe from an attic or indoors!
Thank you so much for this.
Wow. Thank you for that advice. I am just getting into astronomy. great video.
"You need to turn expectation into appreciation" well said right there, 5x barlowe with my 4mm eyepiece (insert laugh emoji) cause I cant figure out how!
Great info Jason thanks. Can't wait for my 5X barlow and 4mm eye peice i just ordered to arrive ! 😉
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge 🙏🏽
as soon as you mentioned magnification I thought of the scene from Futurama where Captain Brannigan asks Kiff to zoom in on a corner of a video from a satellite and he does and it gets super blurry. Brannigan wants to know why it isn't clear and Kiff sighs and explains the zooming doesn't change the *resolution* of the image, it can't make the image clearer. Thus, the real question new astronomers need answered is "how do I increase my image resolution?"
I have a Televue 76 refractor. I put a 4 x power mate barlow on it so that i can put my bigger Nagler eyepieces on it and still get high magnification. The result is breathtaking, but, what you are saying makes complete sense for lesser quality optics.
Once and only once I was able to view Saturn at about 600x using an Astro Physics 6" F8 refractor. The atmosphere was extremely humid and steady. Otherwise 175x is about maximum for the best image. And the Double Cluster at 35x is magnificent.
Fantastic video, I, learned alot from this!
I did not know how to calculate the max magnification that a telescope could handle or indeed that there was a limit at all. now I do. Thanks again for clear, straightforward explanations. As a previous commentor said, a gem of a video for us beginners👍
Hello Karl. Thank you and your more than welcome my friend. Clear skies :)
Great video. Very informative. I now know what my X2 and X3 Barlow's are for!! Thanks.
Thank you. Your more than welcome Alan😊
I just got a telescope for Christmas and learned so much already from your videos. My telescope is 80mmx500mm refractor with a 3x Barlow and I think a 10mm eyepiece. I will change to the 25mm bc as I now know, less is more. I didn’t use the Barlow before when viewing mars and Jupiter and only used the 10mm eyepiece so hopefully I’ll see them better.
Get a good dark filter before you look at the moon. It hurts without. With the 25, that should be a fun scope to get lost wandering around the Milky Way in the summer. An O III filter will be useful for some of the bigger nebulae, like the Dumbell or the Lagoon, though most of the joy with that size of scope will be the thrill of discovery rather than ooohs and aaahs.
I leave a scope that size on an altazimuth mount as a "grab and go". Zero assembly or packing required.
Excellent video! Thank you so much for this information - as a newbie I’ll really need it when making my purchase and setting my expectations.😊
I expected to see the swirls on the andromeda Galaxy. When I found it, it was just a bright center spot with fuzzy fading as it goes further; kinda like a dandelion.
After getting a z12, it didn’t changed much. The ball of fuzz got bigger and brighter but no swirls 🤣😂
I still love visual observation. 70 @ 30mm degree seems to be the sweet spot for my eyes for getting lost in space.
The first useful video I’ve watched on this topic, thanks!
Very well presented - a real "human " touch!
Some real good information here. You explain it very well.
Great Video. I’m new to Astronomy and I didn’t know any of the things you said. I will have to watch this a few times I think, so I won’t forget it. I just purchased a GSkyer 700x90 and will be mostly looking at the Moon. I waiting on the Shipping right now, but I’m hoping I can see the Craters really clearly. It has a 10mm, 25mm, one other one I can’t remember off hand, and a 3x Barlow Lense. I plan on doing some Adventure Motorcycle Riding, and plan on using the Telescope while Camping. I will definitely be watching All of your Videos. Thanks Again from Texas. By the way, Everything is bigger in Texas, even the Moon ha ha😁
THIS is the BEST telescope video I've seen so far. Great teacher. I subscribed.
Well done sir ! New 130 this xmas. Already learning from you. Thank you.
Hi Jason, very well explained, I have watched a lot of your vlogs for beginners and now I better understand eye piece magnification and focal length, many thanks 🙂
Hello Alan. Great to hear my friend, Your more than welcome :)
Fantastic video, this has helped so much ☺️ Definitely feel more prepared when I go telescope shopping now
@clairemorgan6907 Thank you Claire, happy telescope shopping 🛍 🔭
Just got my first computerized telescope the other day! So exciting. Loving your channel, keep up the great work!
Thank you! I learned a lot, likey "big" telescopes, one with a 900mm focal length and 114mm aperture, and the other with a 700mm f and 70mm aperture, can't work with the 4mm lens.
However, my small backpacker telescope with a 400mm focal length and 70mm aperture can!
Pretty wild.
i got potentialy one of the worst telescopes posssible for christmas but even then its amazing, looking at jupiter i could see the moons which was amazing
i coulnt see anything on the "surface" but just being able to see the moons of Jupiter has opened a Pandora box for how much there is to see out there
That was extremely useful information. Everyone should know this before starting out.
Love the videos just got a new one for Christmas and been having a blast with my pops.
Thank you, great to hear. Enjoy your new telescope my friend. All the best for the new year.
Jason I have a Skymax 180 2700mm focal length and I find the sweet spot with this telescope to be with my 26mm Svbony eyepiece =103 magnification to be the sharpest brightest clear image for the Moon and planets even putting in a 2x Barlow=206 it hardly degrades the image. I totally agree less is more. Thank you for sharing this knowledge! I will post this to an Astronomy group
Thank you so much for this video. I just started star gazing to see what I could find with my Canon R6 and a 800mm f11 lens after the news had been talking about how close Jupiter is currently. I was amazed at seeing Jupiter and its 4 visible moons and audibly whooped with joy as my girlfriend laughed at me by the fire. I’ve been researching telescopes and astrophotography ever since with my sights on an eventual telescope purchase, and no one else is talking about this the way you are! Thanks again for some great and clear info on the real deal. I am a suscriber to the end.
Simply. you just answered my most important questions :)
Great topic! Finally I'm imaging it a bit better with these numbers. Thank you