I'm "rebuilding" a filthy telescope!

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Dr Weems		#41	[-]
Posts: 38880 (07/13/08 9:41 PM) Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite	No.....$100. It's a little cloudy and polluted tonight (because of California fires)....but I can't quite get it focus on the cloudy moon. :c ( I guess I want the weakest lens to see the moon? Would that be the smallest lens (3 mm instead of 9 mm)?
Dr Weems		#42	[-]
Posts: 38925 (07/14/08 11:08 PM) Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite	I GOT IT! I GOT IT! :c D I've been looking at the moon like NEVER BEFORE. I could see all the craters and their shadows and the craters on the edge and lines running all over it and big desert areas.....SO KEWL! I tried to get focused on the bright planet to the east (well it's east now anyway). It's either mars or Venus. I could either see the canals on Mars....or I think I saw the spot on Venus. I kept bumping it and messing it up when I changed lens'....I'll try again tomorrow. I just got it down when to adjust the knobs and lock them down. Apparently, I need to site-in the spotting scope. Anyway....I REBUILT IT RIGHT. It's nice and clean and clear looking at the moon. :c D
Aunt Pappy		#43	[-]
Posts: 16470 (07/14/08 11:12 PM) Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite	Hallelujah, spud.
Dr Weems		#44	[-]
Posts: 38927 (07/14/08 11:14 PM) Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite	It was really cool. I know my big brothers had one when I was a kid but I don't remember it looking like that. I could see soooo much detail. I found out that the "Celestron" brand I have is highly recommended.....very well made. Not like a K-Mart toy at all. I'm hooked. :c D
Antithesys		#45	[-]
Posts: 22523 (07/15/08 12:17 AM) Gadabout Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite	That planet in the east was Jupiter. You can tell your friends you saw the Red Spot but more than likely you probably just saw a random convergence of cloud bands, which is still cool. You should also be able to see the Galilean moons of Jupiter, which appear as four distinct dots hovering around the planet. If you see them one night and see them again the next night they'll have clearly moved. Mars is close to Saturn right now but both are setting not long after sunset. It's not possible to see Martian canals with that scope, especially as they don't exist. Try some galaxies and nebulae.
HaroldBalzaccio		#46	[-]
Posts: 6003 (07/15/08 1:16 AM) Registered user Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite	Antithesys wrote: Try some galaxies and nebulae. With a 60mm scope. That Weems rebuilt. It's like a nerdy version of Clue, refereed by Tim Donaghy.
Antithesys		#47	[-]
Posts: 22524 (07/15/08 7:46 AM) Gadabout Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite	There are plenty of northern deep sky objects that should come in just fine.
Dr Weems		#48	[-]
Posts: 38933 (07/15/08 8:21 AM) Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite	Antithesys wrote: That planet in the east was Jupiter. You can tell your friends you saw the Red Spot but more than likely you probably just saw a random convergence of cloud bands, which is still cool. You should also be able to see the Galilean moons of Jupiter, which appear as four distinct dots hovering around the planet. I know I was looking at a giant spot on a planet to start with....I think I did see spots of moons in front of it too. I started out with it really in focus...but I lost it and couldn't get it back (damn...bending over like that for 15 minutes fidgeting around is hard on your back). I'll try again tonight if I have time. As far as seeing galaxies and nebulae, the sky is pretty bleached out with light in the city. I can only spot the brightest things.
ccinnddee	Looking at Weems - from space	#49	[-]
Posts: 432 (07/17/08 10:29 PM) Registered user Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite
HaroldBalzaccio		#50	[-]
Posts: 6004 (07/17/08 10:41 PM) Registered user Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite	If I were Weems, I'd probably check out Stellarium to find things to examine through my terribly underpowered telescope. It's kinda like Starry Night, only free (and open source).
WesternBulldogs1		#51	[-]
Posts: 4977 (07/17/08 11:47 PM) Registered User Reply Quote More Recent Posts Message Connection Block Invite	Weems still hasn't told us if he's looked at Uranus. C'mon, buster, 'fess up!

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