Top 20 things to see with a small 4 inch reflector scope

Got a question on astronomy that you'd wanted to ask? Ask your questions here and see if the old timers can give you some good answers.
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weixing
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Post by weixing »

Hi,
Don't worry... Did you check that you use 150x?? At 150x, Mars should appear as a tiny disk...
Anyway, Mars is one of the most difficult object to observe even using higher aperture telescope. If you take your time and look carefully, you can actually see some feature on that tiny disk... :) Remember to keep breathing(you may hold your breath without realizing) while you observe the Mars... you can see better when your brain get more oxygen... :D
Yang Weixing
:mrgreen: "The universe is composed mainly of hydrogen and ignorance." :mrgreen:
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Terry
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Post by Terry »

Yes, under 150x it appear as a tiny disk. I can't see any surface feature of it. So the only best thing I can see is the moon. :roll:
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weixing
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Post by weixing »

Hi,
You can see quite a lot of the Messier Objects under moderate weather conditions, especially the star cluster.. a lot of them can be seen even using a bino... try those objects under 8 magnitude first and remember to be patient... happy hunting... :)
Yang Weixing
:mrgreen: "The universe is composed mainly of hydrogen and ignorance." :mrgreen:
Grievous
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Post by Grievous »

We see better when our brains recieve more oxygen? Thats something new!? Didnt know that!

:lol:
Charlie
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zong
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Post by zong »

Lol, in singastro can even learn things not related to astro :lol:

Maybe breathing really does help, but i've got the notion breathing makes the telescope unstable so cannot see anything then, hehe. :lol: :lol:
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Airconvent
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Post by Airconvent »

Not too sure if you're interested but I'm selling a book "Turn Left At Orion"
which is a hightly recommended book in the US.
It describes 100 objects you can see on a small telescope and how to find them. PM me if you're interested.
Warning : does pampered by gotos can avoid this book! You need to know at least the constellations...and find the objects manually using the guide stars they provide in pictures..

me? I stick to my ETX..heh heh

rich
The Boldly Go Where No Meade Has Gone Before
Captain, RSS Enterprise NCC1701R
United Federation of the Planets
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chris shaw
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Post by chris shaw »

As I told a newbie friend of mine who just bought his first scope, don't expect that you have bought a TV set. You can't just switch it on and expect to be entertained.

Most of the joy of visual astronomy comes from learning the facts of what you are seeing and the techniques of how to see it. So it is just as necessary to spend time in the library boning up on astronomy as it is to spend time behind your scope. The moon is just about the only thing that you can see minute in-your-face details like mountains, valleys and craters. Of the planets, Saturn is dramatic and so is Jupiter. Other than that, everything else (including Mars most times) presents as subtle, sometimes very subtle objects to the eye.

But Astronomy involves as much the mind as the eye. One needs to educate oneself. That is why seeing fuzzy patches get some of us so excited. An good analogy can be obtained by a glass of fine red wine. One can just gulp it down or savor the silky smooth subtle texture and flavours of what you are drinking. To do the latter, it is better that you learn the methods of wine tasting, of the details of the wine, of where it comes from, the year, the make, of the subtle aromas and flavours that can be drawn from every informed sip. To some people a glass of red wine is just a glass of red wine. To others, a glass of red wine is sheer heaven and they can spend hours sipping and discussing.

Astronomy, like wine, is an intricate, subtle art of collecting and interpreting.

Chris
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VinSnr
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Post by VinSnr »

chris shaw wrote:Astronomy, like wine, is an intricate, subtle art of collecting and interpreting.

Chris
that's true. For some, they won't understand why we spend so much time looking at blurry small objects in the night sky.

So through this forum, hopefully they can understand better.
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IceAngel
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Post by IceAngel »

An good analogy can be obtained by a glass of fine red wine. One can just gulp it down or savor the silky smooth subtle texture and flavours of what you are drinking. To do the latter, it is better that you learn the methods of wine tasting, of the details of the wine, of where it comes from, the year, the make, of the subtle aromas and flavours that can be drawn from every informed sip. To some people a glass of red wine is just a glass of red wine. To others, a glass of red wine is sheer heaven and they can spend hours sipping and discussing.

Astronomy, like wine, is an intricate, subtle art of collecting and interpreting.
Wow.. i am feeling in heaven when i reading this... just like fairy tales... hmm... i think i should learn how to appreciate more about everything!! :D
*~Stars AND Clear Sky always~*
Leslie
*Owner of Antares 93mm Achromat Refractor* :)
-10.11.03-
*Owner of Takahashi SKY 90 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat Refractor* :D
-25.03.06-
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