![]() While it is tempting to buy a telescope eyepiece offering higher magnification, we recommend firstly buying one with lower magnification since 75% of your viewing will be done with that eyepiece. Ignore the manufacturer’s “maximum magnification” which might apply if you are on the space station or moon where there is no atmosphere to contend with. A 10mm telescope eyepiece results in 200X magnification. Thus the 2000mm focal length of Celestron’s popular C-8 - (NexStar 8SE, etc.) comes with a 25mm eyepiece that results in 80X magnification. To determine magnification, you divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece. You will almost always have a sharper, clearer view of Saturn at a lower magnification and can increase the magnification until the planet begins to “swim” and offers a blurry view. As you increase magnification you also magnify imperfections in our atmosphere and the celestial object can begin to look like a hockey puck at the bottom of a swimming pool. This is not noticeable on brighter objects like the moon and planets but will be apparent on many deep sky objects. If you double the magnification you spread the same amount of light over a larger area and the object will be dimmer. Each telescope, telescope eyepiece and nightly sky conditions will determine how much you can magnify. While 75% of your viewing will be at the lowest power, 10% may be at high power for viewing the planets and lunar features with 15% of your viewing at medium power. It’s about “how bright” those deep sky objects (nebulas, galaxies and star clusters) and how much detail you can see. For best views you will want low magnification and large light gathering.įor most amateur astronomers, it is not about “how far” you can see. The Andromeda galaxy is 4 or 5 times the diameter of the full moon. ![]() Why? Many celestial objects such as the Pleiades star cluster, the double cluster in Perseus, the Orion nebula, the twin galaxies M81 & M82 and Andromeda galaxy are large. While the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in December 2020 drew a lot of attention to viewing the planets which can benefit from higher magnification, 75% of your viewing likely will be at lower magnification. Unfortunately if you have a “department store trash scope” it may have come with one or two unusable, high power eyepieces in addition to a useless barlow lens (these are not sold by All-Star Telescope). ![]() Manufacturers include a telescope eyepiece or two that are usable - start with the eyepiece marked with the higher number - often 25 or 20. It’s not all about magnification: The best way to understand magnification is to use your telescope regularly for several nights on several types of celestial objects - the moon, planets, nebulas, star clusters and galaxies. In fact we’ve been confused by the abundance of stars that are not normally visible from home. If you have the opportunity to visit Hawaii’s Mauna Kea or Haleakala you will quickly experience the advantage of higher elevation with less atmosphere for stargazing. A moonless night, no light pollution and higher elevation with thinner air will contribute to better viewing. The solution is not a better telescope eyepiece but better viewing location where the celestial object will be higher in the sky with less atmospheric interference. This comment from someone in northern Alberta is comparing views with someone in southern Arizona where the planet will be higher in the sky, experiencing less turbulence and less water vapor in the air. “I saw a YouTube video with the same scope as I purchased with much better views than what I’m getting.” Amateur astronomers use the term, “steady skies” for the best viewing. That atmosphere is often turbulent as the air warms and cools from the heat of the earth and may have more haze or low cloud. When viewing objects closer to the horizon, you are looking through two or three times as much atmosphere as higher in the sky. Unfortunately sky conditions and the position of the celestial body in the sky will determine the “sharpness” or “clarity” of the view. This comment expresses the hope that a telescope eyepiece with more magnification and better optical qualities will produce a better view of planets. “I’d like an eyepiece to see Saturn clearer and better.” If you're trying to learn about telescope eyepieces and how to pick the best telescope eyepiece or eyepieces for your needs, read on. Photographers understand this about cameras and camera lenses. ![]() All manufacturers mostly include a basic eyepiece or two in order to keep the cost of the telescope down and often a set of good eyepieces will exceed the original cost of the telescope. This comment illustrates how better telescope eyepieces will be the single most important upgrade to almost any telescope. A Difference Maker “I placed a $450 eyepiece in a $200 telescope and it transformed it into an amazing space discovery instrument.” ![]()
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