What to expect to see when viewing from HDB home windows ?

Picnic · Post by **Picnic** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:51 pm

Hi everyone,

I just got my celestron nexstar 6" scope 2 days ago and trying to figure out what I can expect to see from my home windows.
I had setup the scope with a 2X barlow and 38mm eyepiece and try to point at 1 of the star on the sky to see.
However, I am not able to see anything thru the scope. I try to put in the uhc/lpr filter also see nothing. I thought that I should be able to see something even if the star is far away ??

To test that my scope is ok, I try viewing it during the day and the scope seems ok and good.

I wonder if anyone can share your expertise on the use and things expected to see.
Also, the necessary lens expected to use when viewing?

Appreciate! Thanks.

antares2063 · Post by **antares2063** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 5:30 pm

Angular diameter of a star is pretty small, is your scope aligned properly before you started hunting for objects?

You should try stargazing at a open field or space...try the moon for starters..

guangwei · Post by **guangwei** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 6:00 pm

You can use the provided finder scope or red dot finder to locate the star first. Then try using your scope to see.

You stated you ''setup using a 2X barlow and 38mm eyepiece and try to point at 1 of the star on the sky to see.''

So i was wondering, if you used the 2X barlow to search. Because when there is too much magnification, your field of view becomes lesser and very restricted to find objects, furthermore, the nexstar 6'' have a long focal length of 1500mm.

Try using a lesser magnification to find objects and then locate it in the middle of the eyepiece before using a higher magnification.

Hope this helps!

yybmage · Post by **yybmage** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 6:41 pm

Welcome! I see you got a pretty good start on the Nexstar 6. The problem is most probably what they had mentioned. Try to see if your finder is properly aligned in daytime. Focus the scope first on the moon or any other bright object before adding the barlow. This will allow for the best focus.

Post by **weixing** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 7:09 pm

Hi,
Welcome to SIngAstro!!

You need to align your optical or reflex finder to your main scope before you can point accurately with it.

First, use the widest actual FoV(Field of View) (usually the lowest magnification) eyepiece you had... in this case, the 38mm eyepiece. Then use your finder to aim at a far terrestrial object (such as aircraft warning light above building, street light & etc) that you can easily see and identify. Look through your main scope, find and aligned your scope so that the object is in the centre of the FoV using the hand controller. Now use a high magnification eyepiece to perform a more accurate alignment to the centre of the FoV. After the object is in the centre of the FoV, aligned your finder to point at the same object using the alignment screws on the finder.

After you had done the above, you can now point object accurately using your finder, but since you didn't perform a star alignment, the scope will not be able to track the object you are viewing.

Good luck and have a nice day.

superiorstream · Post by **superiorstream** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 7:21 pm

Hi,Picnic
You can practice what I had practice years ago when I live in a flat--WINDOW SIDE ASTRONOMY.Indulge in a mobile tripod(maybe short but with stable,wide leg spread) and a short tube scope .Your Nextstar 6 seems correct and is a powerful one--except for one thing --the focal length is too long.Try the moon on it first to get the place of proper focus;then try the stars.For the stars,perhaps use a long focal length eyepiece-like a 40 mm or even a 50mm--or better 55/56 mm eyepiece if you have one.Normally that should be enough for the field of view should be 1.5 to 2 degree.Try deep view or superview eyepieces.--perhaps 2 ins barrel type.Happy observing.

Picnic · Post by **Picnic** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:56 am

Hi evryone, thanks for the response. I will try the suggestions that you all have advice and hope sky will be clear for view soon.

It has been a long childhood ambition for me to get a scope to look out for the sky till I finally got my hands of it recently to start with. I guess I have alot to learn even from the start of identifying the few objects on the sky... [smilie=woa.gif]

andeelym · Post by **andeelym** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:07 am

Same thing here, I also only started out a couple of weeks back. Still trying to get a grasp of the sky.

One thing to note is that you have to know your finder and your diagonal. Standard finders gives a 180 degree rotated image. And depending on the diagonal used on the scope, it might give you a left-right flipped image. Therefore, it can get rather confusing cos the scopes do not give you what you see from the sky.

Post by **weixing** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:18 am

Hi,
Those scope with a mirror diagonal will give a mirror image (left-right flip), but that's not a problem for viewing... just don't get a finder that give a mirror image as you can't do a left-right flip on your star chart, unless you are using software star chart or transparent star chart.

Hope more clear night ahead... especially this week.

Happy obbing and have a nice day.