Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/11/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 10:04 AM 11/6/2000 -0000, clive sanbrook wrote: >I used to have a Meade ETX astronomical telescope ((1000mm f19 (roughly) in >photographic terms)) and even with an eyepiece which gave around 100 times >magnification could only just see the rings on Saturn - And this was >difficult to keep centred in the viewing area because of the earths >rotation - IMO you would be stuggling to achieve this level of view with >your propsed combination - I found that I was always disappointed in the >amount and size of the detail that I could see. There is something severely wrong with this. First, the ETX would have been an f/11, not f/19. Second, the rings of Saturn were spotted by Galileo with his original 4x25 monocular, though not clearly perceived as rings. A modern pair of binoculars of decent quality and aperture, such as 15x60's, can certainly reveal the rings. Astronomical viewing is most certainly a matter of training and experience. I have been viewing the heavens for more than four decades with small to medium sized gear, and even my relatively poor eyes can see details some eagle-eyed novice would miss. There ARE optical reasons why a camera lens does not normally make a decent telescope, but a good telephoto can be so used with adequate results. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!