Observing planets: optimising your views
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ค. 2012
- Getting consistently good views of planets and other targets in the night sky can seem a bit hit and miss to the new telescope user. In this video we look at a couple of the most basic variables that can affect the resolution and detail seen in planetary observation. We also explain how and when to address the target to optimise image quality with any telescope.
Presented by Robert J Dalby FRAS
for The Astronomy and Nature Centre
Produced by DB Video Services for Astronomy and Nature TV - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
All the videos by this chap are really superb. He explains everything really clearly. Cheers mate!
Nice observatory in the background. I wish my garden was situated in such an open place.
agreed
That little gold colored model he had on the table is cool
Ukraine2011 How is it called? ✌🤔
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orrery
This is the most instructive video on the subject, I have seen to date. Very clear, especially the warning about the primal time of the year to observe celestial objects. Many thanks for sharing.
It's always a joy to go onto youtube and find out that you've uploaded a video!
I learned more about telescopes today than ever. Good video. thanks!!
Thank you, Sir! Great videos indeed, please keep up the good work.
I really found the video helpful. Thank you for posting!
Very nice video. This is a good breakdown of some of the basics for new observers. Well done! Scott
You defiantly have the best astronomy chanel on you tube. Congratulations!
your videos are by far the best !
Thank you. I'll be getting a new scope in a few months and I'm really interested in taking up astronomy.
New to this business and tons to learn. NO ONE has taught me more and with greater wit and evident enthusiasm than this presenter. THANK YOU (and yes, I’m not too proud to admit I was one of those guys who ought to have had his intelligence insulted when told to take BOTH dust caps off the end of his newt!!)
this is great. I'm glad I stumbled up your channel. cheers!
I just learn so so much from every video here!
Very nice and clean explanation. Thank you
You make the most excellent videos for tyro astronomers. Thank you.
Your time and efforts are greatly appreciated - thank you.
At the age of 50, my interest for this hobby has rocketed....I'm so excited about getting my NexStar slt130 in action. Your presentations are wonderful..... So helpful and are inspiring me further. I've been looking for one of those orrery's (orreries?) for years... They look so amazing. Thanks!
Nice! Hope by now you've gotten your telescope and had good viewing. I'm ordering one this week as a Christmas present to my siblings and myself.
Here’s a very useful tip: The maximum magnification your telescope can handle before the image goes blurry is the aperture of the telescope doubled. To make sure that you don’t go over that limit, you divide the telescope’s focal length by the eyepiece. For example, if you had a 70mm telescope, and a 10mm eyepiece, you get 7x magnification. If it’s a 5mm eyepiece, then you get 14x magnification so on and so fourth.
Marvellous video, very concise and practical logical presentation but also I can feel your enthusiasm, thats what makes it great. ps I would loved to have seen more of that gorgeous looking BIG refractor!
Great tips for observation thank you for making this video
This is best video I've seen to date!
Excellent tips! Thank you so much :)
the always excellent astronomy and nature tv.
you really know your stuff thank you for teaching me so much :)
That was brilliant!
verry thanks for this posts.. i learn alot from it.
its really helpful video , thank you so much
Very interesting perspective of view to begin a healthy way of seeing heavenly bodies.
May the force be with you and show more.
Thank you verry much for the videos, i learn allot of it .
Very informative video, you guys are great! thx from Germany :D
Hi I enjoyed the video a lot. Thanks. Are there on line tables or programs that will tell you when is the best time to see the planets in terms of orbit? If I wanted to create such a web page if it doesn’t exist can you describe a reference the astronomy facts I would need?
Excellent video, Very helpful, love your videos, you have really helped me on my Astro journey! Dublin Ireland, Love the scope at the start! was that a refractor ? 😍
As always, good information.
Thank you. Very useful
I saw the rings of Saturn a couple nights ago aiming my telescope through a window. I couldn't see any divisions in the rings, shadows, or surface detail but I preferred that over cold weather at 2am.
I heartily agree with your principle. Perhaps I should have said in the video; it's better to observe the night sky through a dirty window and a fly screen, than not at all! But just remember not to blame the scope for poor views. KR RJD
I often practice window astronomy! I draw the line at around minus -25 F or so. Not uncommon for us to have minus -50 and much colder windshields! Record, minus -70 F! That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! Thanks for the video!
Wszystko co jest tutaj powiedziane to absolutnie prawda. 😉😁
Super ten refraktor, który jest pokazany na początku!😉😄
Pozdrawiam serdecznie!😄🤚👍🏻👍🏻.
thanks so much!
Excellent Video! Makes me want to buy a telescope :)
excellent presentation! some of which i have been aware for some time.the big one is out of my reach i have a 6inch f5 refractor on a dobsonian mount built by me, i have also some projects on the pipeline. what i would like to ask you is not about the 8 inch big boy but for the small reflector,mostly about the alt-azimuth mount,i like it very much could you please tell me if it is home made or commercial,if it is commercial could you tell me the maker and the model? thank you and keep up the good work.
Hi there, thanks for that information,I understand what you mean now !
Great video
Very good video! Thnx alot!
Thank you very helpful
You have your own little observatory! Wow, that sure is a handsome Tele, bet that set up put you back a few beans. I just ordered my first one a 500.00 refractor with go to cap. I think I'm already ready for an upgrade! Lol Nice stuff OIC you have a company. Is there any free software downloads for stacking photos?
Wow! That orrery is absolutely gorgeous. Probably costs a fortune as well.
hey... did u ever try and look over the ocean? how far can u see ships with your telescope? and how far can u see at all over the ocean on a bright day? what is the limit that our atmosphere permits us to see when looking across, not up through it?
great review.
I just got a small scope and i used it last night in our utility room, which is grouind floor, rear of the house and i had the heating off so it was a 3C difference from outside. I got some really good views of stars in Ursa Major.
I wish i had a telescope
any suggestions maybe?
Pass Sha you can get Celestron travelscope 70 or 76/700 reflector telescope
Gary McKinnon how much money?
Pass Sha they both are below $70
ty for this video.
Nice vid, thank you
Can anyone recommend a 6x26 or 6x30 finderscope with a curved bracket?
Thank u👍🏼
Thank you that was useful. Indoor astronomy ;-)
Which stellarium software do you use? the one i have just shows planets as a white dot, just the same as all the stars. Great video by the way, I have watched pretty much all your vids and many of them have ended in me buying new gadgets for my scope. great advice!
What did you say the name of that planetary motion device was?
Thanks!
Wow! That second ‘scope, was that made by Rob Miller from Astro Systems in Luton, many years ago? I have a 6” f6 by him and that alt-az pier, though I usually use it on a Vixen equatorial. Marvellous little ‘scope with superb mirrors by David Hinds. Performs like an 8” SCT. Nice to see one.
Hi there, and well spotted. It is indeed a Rob Miller/Astro Systems creation. It's as much about what they left out as what they put in that made them great scopes. There's an attitude of economy and minimalism in the design, and it's done with a near perfect touch. Get it wrong and the instrument is stark, utilitarian - and lumpen to use. Get it right, as they did, and the result is a simple and beautiful instrument that is a lasting pleasure to use. KR RJD A&NTV
Astronomy and Nature TV I remember asking Rob why there were no easy collimating adjustments. His reply said all you need to know about his engineering philosophy. If you build in adjustment, it will go out of adjustment. And he’d built optics for satellites where there wasn’t an option to go and adjust them, and had to be made right. So he made his telescopes the same way. Superb lesson I’ve tried to apply to my electronics designs ever since.
I was trying to do nighttime astronomy, and oh man I regretted it after 30 min, I live in Canada and it is currently -30, and it's been like this for about 2 weeks now, hopefully it'll be over soon!
Yours is definitely bigger than mine! I'm talking about the refractor, of course! Cheers from Brittany!
Hello Robert
I am new to astronomy but i learned a lot from your presentations. I started astrophotography a few months ago and i would like to ask your oppinion in maximizing my telescopes. My budget was low when i bought the telescope so i bought an Astromaster 130eq. I arrived to a point where i have to buy a good eyepiece (6mm) and a barlow. The question is what is the maximum magnification that i can have for this telescope?. I would buy a 6 mm eyepiece and a 3x barlow. It is too much?
Your videos are great and I'm sure that will help a lot of people that are starting with their astronomy hobby, or maybe thinking about it and hesitating to do the first step.
I keep wondering what us back yard astronomers can contribute to the world of astronomy
Jim Connoy Jim, look up AAVSO, members regularly contribute to the field of astronomy! I'm sure there are others as well
Absolutely correct Jim, ground based telescopes contribute and provide a lot of data astronomers and scientists need. They don't just depend on the high tech orbital telescopes and satellites to gather data, a lot of the data is provided by amateur astronomers. Also as you know already, some significant discoveries were made by amateur astronomers using 8" to 14" telescopes :)
Many discovers have been made by back yard astronomers like us! There is 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000+ stars in the sky. Nasa can NEVER find them all
Many new comets are discovered by amateur astronomers. Variable star magnitude brigtness tracking by AAVSO too.
+ Alice By no means only NASA. On the contrary :)
notice the swirl at the top that never goes away, lots of planets have those at the polar ends including earth, my school science book was from late 60's or 70's & a clear photo of the earth an at the north pole looks like a big hole. Admiral Byrd talked about finding them an entering. are planets hollow, honey comb?
Makes me want my old astronomy OMC back....wish I would not have sold it few years back. This video makes me want to go back to Leiden Univ. observ. where I was a member years ago.
I got the Celestron Firstscope not long ago, but I found it hard to align the spotting scope with the telescope. That made it hard to observe planets. Not giving up though.
The Mars video is fantastic. I learned from this a great deal. My wife gave me a Celestron 80 lcm for Christmas an I have been battling to see anything worthwhile. I'm finding advice like yours excellent. Thank you very much.
Where can I get an Orrery like the one in this video?
That's really useful thank you! I'm a newcomer to astronomy and may i ask can anyone help me in wondering if i should invest in new scopes? I have a 10mm, and a 20mm scope. Would it be worth getting a different scope for closer more accurate results? If so which scope would you recommend? Above 20 or below 10? Thanks a lot!
Hi Robert, where did you get the Orrery? I would love to get one like that.
No finder-scope or setting-circles ?? /G
Astronomy and Nature TV I currently have a 20-60x60 Coated Optics Bushnell telescope. It is very small, very simple and old. It just has two wheels, one for the focus and the other for zooming. It doesn't zoom in a whole lot to be honest, at its max zoom it allows me to see craters on the moon more in-depth, but still small. I am starting to think it wasn't even made for looking at things in the night sky. No electronic features on it. I tried looking at Mars last night and it barely did anything to change its size, let alone allow me to see ANY features. Do you know of any not too expensive telescopes that will zoom in enough to allow me to see the rings of Saturn, and noticeable features(the poles, different surface colors) of Mars and Jupiter? I really want something that will allow me to see the planets quite clearly without something super-huge and super-expensive, and I would appreciate any advice.
Whats your budget?
Where did you get that planetarium device?
Love the instructional vids. Keep up the good work. Has anyone ever told you that you sound like Michael Caine?
thank you. So if i point it at minimum 35 degrees and higher, should be ok? Or if i go too manny degrees higher, is also bad choise?
@mikegordonbrasov161: The higher the better.
Can you tell something about the beast you were looking through at beginning?
Would it be possible to use a telescope through an open window, if there is no difference in temperature?
I wouldn't need to do that, because i have a large garden, but it would be nice to know this.
+StarTrek123456 When I visited Guatemala I noticed that a lot of homes in the rural areas didn't really have glass windows, just the window opening. Guatemala is considered tropical so I understand the reason for it. I would imagine that in a place like that, pointing your telescope out of the window wouldn't make a difference but in colder climates the mixing of hot and cold air at the open window would definitely cause the turbulence he mentioned and make focusing your telescope a pain in the rear.
I don't see but two or three nights per year where the seeing is really great. Of course I don't observe every night, even if that were possible.
I'm new with telescope...my problem I I can see the star from my finder but cannot see it from my eye pieces...any advice??
what type of telescope is the first one???
Hi there, the large instrument at the start of the video is a TMB 8" (200mm) refractor. KR A&NTV
+Astronomy and Nature TV thank you ;)
@@RocketPlanet I had a D&G 8" f/12 refractor. When the atmospher cooperated gave killer planetary views.
What eyepieces should i use for my celestron nexstar 130slt to get the best magnification. I already have a 9mm and 25mm eyepiece but i wouldnt mind buyung another eyepiece or barlow.
What is your telescopes focal length?it is capable of somewhere around 280 times magnification
+Sotiris Krol the focal length is 650mm, i recently bought a 2x barlow lens ,but i still have to try it out.
Which type of telescope will you recommend for Astro Photography?
Depends what kind of astrophotography.
+Sreeji Nair I would recommend a refractor with a low f-ratio because it is a lot more forgiving if you don't have really good tracking. A newtonian type telescope is also really good because of it's size, but that increases the weight which can be a problem if you don't buy a pretty expensive mount. I would stay away from Schmidt Cassegrains or "SCT" type scopes because although they may provide really good views, the (normally) high f-ratio makes it really hard to photograph with.
Do you have a german equatorial mount? If not, do you have one in mind that you want to get?
I want a little telescope like that one!.
I wonder what size this white refractor is. Looks beautiful. It must be incredible when looking at the moon and planets. Probably wouldn't even need high power eyepiece. I have a 4 inch f/15 refractor I enjoy I usually use often 12.5 f/6 dob. Could the aperture be an 10 or maybe an 8? Just wondering.
Hi and thanks for watching. The telescope is an 8" (200mm) TMB - and you are quite correct, short focal length high-power eyepieces are not essential with this instrument. A&NCTV
Astronomy and Nature TV
i remember when thomas beck was alive and built your telescopes' lens
you are very lucky to have an 8" apo..i doubt he made more than 10 of them
and they where 5.000$ in 1999 just for lens
i think he made a #1 12" apo thats at some rich guys house in florida
clear skies
dave zdrojewski
boston ny usa
So cool dude I live in atlanta not many good place for a telescope I love astronomy
What’s the name of the item you are using that has the planets on gears? I want one and can’t find what they are called. Thanks
Ryan Zaleski ferguson orrery bro
dude thats one big fine looking telescope
What method did you use to capture the images of Mars and how did you process them???
+Papi Chulo thats not actually mars, its just a simulation.
I got 14 things we can all see with our own eyes for globe earth evidence. e.g Planets directly observed through a telescope proves space to be true, so flat earth isn't true. I can see the Southern Cross constellation circle the south celestial pole (in stages) as I go out for a pee, throughout the night. Proof of two poles.There is no evidence for a flat earth that can't be easily explained.
Go to a star party and ask them for a look through their telescopes. I BET that would be the LAST thing that you would ever do (and still claim "fakery"). lol
dual pane windows give 2 images also.. so your scope always loooks out of focus... i did the winter new scope inside thing. for 3 weeks not knowing learning.. why my scope 12 inch dob would not focus at all sharp.. dual pane windows. soooo be aware of that. dont stop enjoyin the sky form inside if it works for u . but know that the windows do take away form bein outside.
Whats the name and model of the telescope in the begening when the gentleman starts to talk ?
Hi and thanks for your query. The telescope is an 8" refractor by TMB and the mount is made by Astro Engineering, England (they only ever made two like this). Kind regards A&NTV
Astronomy and Nature TV thanks so much for your reply .cheers .
Astronomy and Nature TV do you know how much it cost?
+Antreas Cy Well - everything has it's price I suppose, and you could buy a pretty good car and a few tankfuls of fuel for the cost of that scope and mount. I've compared the views from both - and each has its strengths (the car is very good for close-ups of the Earth for example) but the tiny mileage costs on the scope are out of this world. And who'd buy a car after it had done a trillion-billion miles? Kind Regards RJD
true
Great tips. I don't even own a telescope YET but am slowly doing my research and hope to join the club this summer. Please do more great videos! :-)
I am a student of eighth grade from India. I want to what is the name of the tool you used to explain the planets position and is it commercially available ? Thanks.
sundararajaperumal Anandhakrishnan I would like to know this also? ta
sundararajaperumal Anandhakrishnan hmm, It's called an "Orrery" I am told.
From where did you got that small solar system.??
Hi there, it came from a clockmaker in Devon, England (I think they are still going) but they stopped making this item some years ago now. KR RJD A&NTV
“Size of my instrument”. Giggle
Size does matter people
I want a new telescope sooooooo bad but I don't have any money ;(
so do i that's why im saving up.
TheGalacticWolf Playz took me 6 months to save up for mine,.....just keep on saving and stay determined, you’ll get it 👍🏻
Srry for ur loss... jk im sure if u save up u will get it!😀
Finally got my first a 70mm for 15$ USD on craigslist used.. So happy I got at least that to finally look through
I want a telescope
0:27 This video gave me telescope envy.
well done
Where does he get all those wonderful toys?
Hi - No it's your choice, there's no imperative either way. You have a great GOTO mount there so why bother with the setting circles? The point we are labouring to make is that setting circles much under 200mm (8 inches) in diameter are of very limited utility. Clear skies A&NTV
which telescope to capture orion nebula
ED80 to 120mm or something like a 200-300mm newt.