Will the planets look like the ones pictured here? help: Will I be able to view the objects in the sky like that out of the box?
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.
1249150
Yes of course. When you get the box, it shows you both kinds of Views. The vertical view looks alot better though.
1978040
That doesn't sound right to me. At a guess, perhaps your telescope alignment with Venus is not correct.
1611082
You will see the moon with decent clarity. You will see saturn and its rings, jupiter and its moons. It takes time to get used to and to identify the planets but it is good for the price. Find a dark area in your yard (try to avoid street light) and you will see some cool things. Patience is important. Enjoy
2280906
I've seen Venus, mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. The moons of Saturn and Jupiter are also viewable right out of the box.I would recommend the extra lenses kit, though.
539748
No, it does not project specific planets. Its an impression of a night sky, but not an astronomical reproduction.
1247397
The planets are more like cardboard, not as thin as paper. They are a pretty good size, about 6 inches across so it's hard for me to say if they would be too big for a Christmas tree. I don't know if you were thinking of using the whirls but they're quite long. Cutting them would be easy, though. The planets are nicely colored and in good detail.
525453
Good afternoon. The globe has a light sensor built into the base. Turn the globe on and then turn the lights in the room off. The constellations will then be visible. You can only see the constellations in the dark. In normal light, it just looks like a regular globe. I hope this helps. Have a GREAT day!
2250562
No, it's just a laser show. They are basically just green dots spinning around- but still pretty cool looking, unless the constellations are what you really want. There's a video on YouTube that shows what it looks like.
1263027
Yes, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus, the Moon, Orion nebula (M42), Ring nebula (M57) -- all show up great! I haven't tried Pluto yet.
1585850
Yes on a good night, Jupiter is a clearly visible disc, and it's moons are very bright points of light with this telescope. You can even just get a make out the colored banding. Stars are still stars of course - to far away. But some objects like galaxies that look like a star to the naked eye are obviously larger more diffuse objects with this.
43650
Just last week I was able to pick out 3 of Jupiter's moons under city lights with these. Although I couldn't make out any banding, I could clearly tell that Jupiter was not just a point of light. I expect Saturn will look slightly oblong, but I doubt the rings will show up distinctly. Orion and the Pleiades looked impressive with the wider field of view than what my telescope gives me. Open clusters looked good as well. They're far more convenient than hauling out a telescope, but there are large trade offs vs a decent 6 or 8" dob telescope that will run 1/2 the price. But then a telescope is useless during the day for birding or sports. Just last week I was able to pick out 3 of Jupiter's moons under city lights with these. Although I couldn't make out any banding, I could clearly tell that Jupiter was not just a point of light. I expect Saturn will look slightly oblong, but I doubt the rings will show up distinctly. Orion and the Pleiades looked impressive with the wider field of view than what my telescope gives me. Open clusters looked good as well. They're far more convenient than hauling out a telescope, but there are large trade offs vs a decent 6 or 8" dob telescope that will run 1/2 the price. But then a... » Read More Just last week I was able to pick out 3 of Jupiter's moons under city lights with these. Although I couldn't make out any banding, I could clearly tell that Jupiter was not just a point of light. I expect Saturn will look slightly oblong, but I doubt the rings will show up distinctly. Orion and the Pleiades looked impressive with the wider field of view than what my telescope gives me. Open clusters looked good as well. They're far more convenient than hauling out a telescope, but there are large trade offs vs a decent 6 or 8" dob telescope that will run 1/2 the price. But then a telescope is useless during the day for birding or sports. « Show Less
43861
If you want to see the moon and planets, then yes, it will work. But it won't work for anything else like deep space objects.Also, keep in mind that the images of planets you get live on the screen won't be terribly bright or detailed. That's not really the fault of the camera. That's just the atmosphere affecting the image.
419963
Yes, you can set it to follow and seek for stars, planets!! You just have to align the telescope and you are ready to rock!!
1719016
You need a filter for looking at the planets during the day. At night try a moon filter, or visit your local astronomy shop.
1652453
If you want to use it terrestrially like that, you will need to purchase and image inverter so that the image is not upside down.OOOppss!! My earlier respons is WRONG, the scope has a built in erector, which most astro-scopes don't so there should be no problem.
1873331
No, You will not be able to see all the planets with great detail. I volunteer at an observatory with a 16" scope, and neptune still looks like a blue dot. If you want to look at planets, then get a refracting telescope. Also, you do not want an eq for your first scope.