What magnification will be needed for photos of Saturn sufficient to show ring detail?
1313978
The supplied eyepiece will show the rings. What level of detail are you seeking? Cassini's division? Given good seeing conditions, achievable with suppied eyepiece which is roughly 50X.I have used 150X for better results. Cheers!
1313979
This scope probably isn't the best choice for photos of planets. It doesn't have a motor to track objects for the time required to get a sufficient exposure for photos. You can see the rings several of the available eyepieces (don't recall specifically which eyepieces, as it's been a while since I looked at Saturn). If I recall, you can see them with the one that comes with the product; however the Earth's rotation causes Saturn to appear to move across the field of view fairly quickly. As far as ring detail, I would recommend a scope that has tracking capability...
801416
The 70 Travel Scope can handle a "Shorty Barlow" from the top of the diagonal. The Scope is 70 mm, so It's Magnification Max is 140 power. Your 20 delivers 22.5 Magnification, the 10 mm 45. The Scopes power is the ability to not surpass 2 X the MM appeture (front Lens Diameter) so 70 X 2 +140. A Two times barlow would double your current numbers; a triplet would get you 135 Power with your 10 mm. That's 5 mm under the scope capacity so as not to darken the Picture. This Scope is great BTW, we used It to film the Venus Transit across the Sun and other Dark Sky Objects, great for Landscape photography as well (on a budget :) Though make sure It's a "Shorty" Barlow Lens, some are too long to go into the "top" of the diagonal (you need the Diagonal because It's part of the 450 mm Focal lenght ) from the "tube side" you won't be able to focus. Celestrons shortys work well as Meades. Hope this helps.
1305869
LOL Oh no, ask away!! Personally I believe a reflector scope will be much easier to use than a refractor. Yes, you should still be able to see Saturn and it's rings. Even with a scope having a greater aperture and a high magnification lens you will not be able to discern much in the way of surface features. In a good dark sky area and with ideal conditions you might be able to pick out some cloud bands and that's about it. BTW, even with a XT4.5 you will also be able to see the largest 4 of Saturn's moon's orbiting about it! If it is within your budget I would bump the scope up to an XT6, if not then the XT4.5 is still a fine scope for starters. Also, have you considered a good pair of binoculars? You will still be able to see Saturn's rings and binocs can afford you some truly impressive views of the milky way as well as star clusters and some comets. Their wide field of view can make for some stunning viewing. I'd recommend getting a tripod with binoculars so you can keep them steady while viewing. Binoculars are a fine way (and can be even cheaper) for beginning to learn the night sky.
989233
Not at all. My husband did the research for his gift. It is really nice quality for the money, you won't be disappointed. He was able to see the rings around saturn. It's heavy and works best to sit it on a table or something very stable. It was exciting to see so much with it.
1420989
As the others mentioned, you just need the T-adapter and the T-ring. What I also found useful was the Celestron f/6.3 Reducer Corrector for C Series Telescopes. This telescope is essentially a 2000mm lens on your camera. I have a Canon 60D, with an APS-C senor, and without the focal reducer I could not fit the entire moon in the image. With the focal reducer, I am able to get some nice moon shots (http://iwitness.weather.com/_Smokey-Moon/photo/20339734/148597.html).
1841087
first of all I like the Orion telephoto telescope lens with a 3x magnification Barlow lens. you may have to tighten the stand up to hold the extra weight. I have seen Saturn with this telescope.
920075
The rings can be seen on Saturn, the bands on Jupiter, and the Great Red Spot. You can make out the reddish hue on Mars, but don't expect to see the ice caps. On a clear night you can see this items fairly clearly. The moon has some excellent detail in it, but that's not too difficult to achieve. You can also view some star clusters nicely as well. The Great Red Spot "can" be resolved if you have a sharp enough focus and clear enough night. The double cluster looks fantastic.
62121
One of the easiest ways is with a "NextImage Solar System Imager" from Celestron for about $100. It fits where the eyepiece goes and connects to a computer via USB. Another relatively inexpensive method (around $50) is a universal camera mounting adapter which can attach almost any point and shoot camera to the telescope and take pics through the eyepiece. Or, as others have mentioned, add a T-adapter and connect a DSLR camera.
837341
Yes, you should definitely be able to see Saturn's rings. I have been able to do so without any issue. Jupiter's Great Red Spot, as well!And it's floor mount.
1469254
I use the 3 and higher for imaging Planets, thet 2X can be used for doubling the power at the eyepiece. The 127 eq is a great scope you should have lots of fun. I had a C5 at one time loved it.
2280905
Yes. Now I don't know whether the provided eyepieces will give you the best results, but with a good 17mm lens you can see the stripes of Jupiter and, of course, the rings of Saturn. Moons of Jupiter easily visible as well.
1661999
Yes, but you need to be aware that there are limitations to ground-based telescopes, particularly small scopes like this one. With a 76mm aperture (diameter of the tube), the maximum usable magnification is something like 150x, give or take. The 300mm focal length determines the level of magnification you can get from each eyepiece (divide 300 by the eye piece focus, so 15mm eyepiece is 20x magnification). This scope comes with 10mm and 20mm pieces. A Barlow (check out "Celestron AstroMaster Accessory Kit Telescope" for a tidy kit) can double or triple the magnification. Planets are big, but they are still far away. Even at 50x (6mm eye piece or equivalent), Mars will still look like a large red star. Venus, in addition to being hard to view because of its position relative to the sun, is covered by a dense cloud layer; you can see that it is a disc rather than a distant star even at lower magnifications, but there isn't a lot of detail to see through a small (or large) scope. Jupiter is much larger and better for viewing as a result. At 50x, it will still be small, but it should be easily recognizable as the gas giant we know and love. You should even be able to see the four bright dots in a line that are the planet's four largest moons. At 100x, the banding in its clouds should be clear. Saturn is smaller and farther than Jupiter. Still, you can see that the shape is distorted. A little more power and the cause should be clear: the rings. With my larger scope at home, by 125x (doable on this scope with the right equipment) it is clear that the rings are spaced away from the planet. Uranus and beyond, though, are beyond the reach of this scope, at least if you wanted to see more than a dot. So, yes, you can see the closer planets, but you need to keep your expectations realistic. I'd strongly recommend a Barlow and a decent eye piece. There are a number of kits, some less than $50, that should do nicely in that regard. Even without, there is still quite a bit to view in the night sky.
1436815
No. This goes in place of your eyepiece. This device is the equivalent of a 7mm eyepiece, which will already result in high magnification images. If you want to go further in, as many people do, then something like a 2.5X barlow lens should be employed. That's the next thing I'm going to acquire. I'm thinking that Jupiter with a 2.5X barlow will nearly fill the 640x480 frame size on my Celestron 8", with enough room to keep the image tracked. The frame stacking software, Registax is where the magic occurs. The videos you take of planets from this thing will not wow you, but after stacking they should. No. This goes in place of your eyepiece. This device is the equivalent of a 7mm eyepiece, which will already result in high magnification images. If you want to go further in, as many people do, then something like a 2.5X barlow lens should be employed. That's the next thing I'm going to acquire. I'm thinking that Jupiter with a 2.5X barlow will nearly fill the 640x480 frame size on my Celestron 8", with enough room to keep the image tracked. The frame stacking software, Registax is where the magic occurs. The videos you take of planets from this thing will not wow you, but after... » Read More No. This goes in place of your eyepiece. This device is the equivalent of a 7mm eyepiece, which will already result in high magnification images. If you want to go further in, as many people do, then something like a 2.5X barlow lens should be employed. That's the next thing I'm going to acquire. I'm thinking that Jupiter with a 2.5X barlow will nearly fill the 640x480 frame size on my Celestron 8", with enough room to keep the image tracked. The frame stacking software, Registax is where the magic occurs. The videos you take of planets from this thing will not wow you, but after stacking they should. « Show Less
1323126
Hi Ryan,As you know that this is a fast dobsonian, you have to use quality eyepieces to get the most out of it.With my Celestron eyepieces I got reasonable level of contrast of Saturn including Casini division, few saturnian moon with little cloudy bands of the planet in 300x .My cloudy nights friends who are using Pentax XW or TV Delos have got lot of viewing pleasure and some of friends who are using Orthoscopic eyepieces also satisfied well with this telescope.I think that you cannot go wrong with this telescope. Clear Skies...Best regardsDr. R.A.N.S Rajapakshe.
927307
Try a 9mm,, 4mm is even better. I can see 4 of jupiter's moons pretty clearly when focused.
1075283
Hi Ryan, Yes you can see the rings of Saturn with this device, but be prepared to be very patient and spend a lot of time. It took me four months to find the rings, and I am a trained aviation navigator, with 25 years of finding and focusing on the stars to calculate the position of an aircraft over the surface of the earth. For me t was worth the effort, reminiscent of my career. But if your desire is to "dial in" the rings of Saturn, you probably need a more powerful device. Sincerely, Don
252925
1.25; if you have better magnification eyepieces the scope does work well with them. The two that are sent with the scope are fine but with a little higher magnification, it still works well. The 20mm and 10mm are great for lunar observation especially near the limb. I can make out Jupiter's moons with the 10mm and I had a 8mm and could easily make out Saturn's rings without too much distortion. I even think this little scope could pick out the Cassini division if Saturn was more inclined.