how to focus celestron telescope

For planet-viewing, you're better off with a refracting telescope, which doesn't have a spider structure. When the conditions are poor, the object can wiggle and wobble. point the main scope at something about 100 feet (30.5 m) away like a tree (not the sun!). wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. It has a wider viewing range, so it can be used to find small objects in the sky. I have purchased the required Nikon T-ring and the T-Adapter that fits into the telescope 1.25 connector and am able to securely attach the camera to the telescope. This is another piece of equipment that is … The basic screw controls your telescope offers for adjusting focus can be really hard to use. (Reverse these directions for the 4SE.) Focus your telescope. If your telescope can lock in place, engage these locks to keep it from moving away from object you have found. Now carefully loosen the thumbscrew holding the eyepiece in place, slide it out, and insert the new eyepiece. How do I stop seeing the secondary spider when trying to focus on a planet? Find the field of view. It is caused by the atmosphere, and in this case, it is hard to focus so focusing aid will help you with that. This article has been viewed 51,026 times. Point your telescope. Turn one of the two knobs to the side or below the eyepiece–first one way, then the other–until the object is in focus. Where can I find coordinates to use with my telescope? To calculate the magnification of the telescope, divide the telescope's focal length by the focal length of its eyepiece. What lenses should I use to get a clear vision of the moon? Focus Camera has been in business since 1966, so we’re well-equipped to help you find the appropriate telescope for your specific needs and budget. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. When I use BYE I can slew the telescope but the focus motor control does not work. Or, remove the eyepiece, insert a Barlow, reinsert the eyepiece, and repeat the steps above. For smaller home scopes, the more you increase the magnification, the lower your resolution of image will be. With the focus motor installed, you can bring celestial objects into sharp, precise focus using your telescope’s hand controller or a computer instead of using the focuser knob. wikiHow's. Move the telescope to adjust the finder’s position otherwise the finder position will no longer match up with the telescope. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. New focus motor for Celestron telescopes. Change your magnification level. You should see the shadow of your finger. Turning clockwise focuses farther than the current focal level, while counterclockwise focuses closer. You may need to re-focus for the new eyepiece. As a fast telescope with a very short focal length and spherical mirror, it doesn’t provide sharp and clear quality at high power – … StarSense Explorer is ideal for beginners thanks to the app’s user-friendly interface and detailed tutorials. But with the arrival of COVID-19, the stakes are higher than ever. 2. The Batinov mask consists of three separate grids that produce three angled diffraction spikes when the telescope is pointed at a bright star. These guides will give you an idea of where to look in the sky to find the planet by eye. There's a lot of planetarium software available for computers, tablets, and phones. You want to adjust the magnification before you locate the planet in your finder because you could jostle the telescope out of position when making the change. We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. I don’t know how I missed it before but now that I’ve found it, it has quickly become one of my favorite telescope kits available today. If you have an interest in astronomy, knowing how to use a telescope would be a great way to learn more about the night sky. Once you have your telescope pointed at the desired object to view, look through the eyepiece and turn the knob located just below the eyepiece. I have 3 eyepieces 4mm,12.5mm, 20mm and a 1.5* erecting eyepiece and a 3* Barlow lens. These programs can show you what's in the sky at a given location, date, and time. He runs a major San Francisco travel website, is widely published in both online and print publications and has contributed to several travel guidebooks to South America. The eyepieces come in various strengths, with higher numbers being higher-powered. Using a few simple tricks and aligning your finder with the telescope will allow you to find any visible planet in the night sky. Connecting via Hand Control You can connect to the mount using the port at the bottom of the Celestron hand control. Once you have your telescope pointed at the desired object to view, look through the eyepiece and turn the knob located just below the eyepiece. When this focus motor is installed, you will be able to bring celestial objects into sharp, precise focus using your telescope's hand controller or a computer instead of using the focuser knob. The finder is usually a smaller tube that sticks off the side of the telescope. Can a DSLR comes to Focus with the Celestron VX Refractor? To get your telescope to move, you will have to loosen the lock nut at the base. Should be about $180 for a good set. Even the best optics only deliver sharp images if the focus is spot on. A Bahtinov mask is a must-have for every astrophotographer. The Focus Motor for SCT & EdgeHD provides electronic focusing for Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain (SCT) and EdgeHD telescope optical tubes. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. To look at craters, you can use the 4 mm eyepiece. Take note of the black circle and where it sits off-center. % of people told us that this article helped them. Polar Align Celestron Omni or CG-4 Equatorial Mount Inserts Into Polar Finder Port Big Dipper, Cassiopeia & Octans Star Patterns Etched Into Reticle; Polaris & North Celestial Pole Etch Assists Northern or Southern Hemisphere Alignment; Eyepiece Focus Adjustments for Reticle Clarity The Focus Motor for SCT & EdgeHD provides electronic focusing for Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain (SCT) and EdgeHD telescope optical tubes. Avoid jostling the finder out of place as you try to find your object. Carefully place your finger on one of the screws without touching the collector plate. Celestron Telescopes Filter by All 925 Alt-Az Mount Astrograph Astrophotography Celestron Computerized Discontinued Dobsonian Edge HD Equatorial Mount GoTo In Store Only Maksutov Manual Telescope New Newtonian NexStar Optical Tube Assembly Oversize PRE-ORDER RASA Recommended Reflector Refractor SCT Special Order Spotting Scope StarSense Table Top USED … The outer focus knob moves the SCT mirror at the same rate as the original focus knob, but an inner focus knob moves the mirror at a tenth the normal rate, allowing you to more precisely adjust your SCT’s focus. Most amateur telescopes by Vivitar, Meade and Celestron feature manual equatorial mounts or full-sized, adjustable tripods so you still get an adaptable viewing experience. To find the relative size of the area you are viewing, you must determine your field of view. A motorized focus has two advantages over manual focusing: it is vibration-free and very precise. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 51,026 times. Here’s how to focus it: Use your lowest power, longest focal-length eyepiece; turn the knob left to get closer to infinity focus, right for close focus (roughly 20 feet). If you get too far away and still can’t find the planet through the telescope, make sure the planet is still visible in the finder. Older 8" telescopes will have a metal focus knob which must be removed using a 1/16” hex-head wrench to loosen a small set screw. You can also look at star charts or planispheres. When you look through the finder, you should see crosshairs. "It got me started on finding an object.". If both views are of the object, you have successfully aligned your finder. By using our site, you agree to our. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. To reach focus with the telescope also depends on many outside factors like current seeing conditions or type of the telescope. This is a problem with any telescope that has a secondary spider. NOTE: If you are using the optional Celestron Focus Motor and it is connected to the mount’s AUX port, then it is possible to connect via USB to the mount through the focus motor’s USB port. The Celestron Travel Scope 70 has a… By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. If it is and you can’t find it in the telescope, try realigning your finder. Unscrew the thumb screws on the outside of the focuser, insert the desired eyepiece and tighten the screws. I selected in BYE the Celestron driver for the motor and it shows in the Ascom Focuser control area as AscomCelestronUsbMotor. Smaller scopes just aren’t powerful enough to sharpen the focus of a highly magnified planet. Once the knob is removed you will see the brass focus shaft as shown in the second picture above. Take a closer look at those stars and planets above you with this quick guide about focusing your telescope on planets. Retighten the lock nut to hold the telescope firmly pointed in the desired direction. Cable Focus. This Focus Motor is designed for Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain (SCT) and EdgeHD telescope optical tube assemblies.. Install an eyepiece. When it comes to astrophotography, the right focus is the most important thing. Step 1 Remove Focus Knob The newest Celestron telescopes have a rubber knob which can be pulled off. I bought a telescope with 700mm focal length. The finder is easily jostled out of place, so you may need to repeat this process again if the telescope is moved or bumped. Never turn the knob beyond the point where resistance is encountered, or you may damage the focusing mechanism. You can use the 20 mm lens, and if you want to get more details of the moon, use the 12.5 mm. Beginners often remove only the "hole" and leave the "doughnut" in place, blocking most or all of the light coming into the telescope. Remember to tighten the thumbscrew securely so that your eyepiece will not fall out when you move the telescope. Fields of view are rendered in degrees and can be used to help determine the actual size of the object viewed. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. So, be sure you have removed both parts of the lens cap, so that the entire front of the telescope tube is wide open, at least 5 inches in diameter. This focus knob replaces the original focus knob in Celestron or Meade SCTs, and provides two focus knob “speeds”. Most of Celestron's telescopes utilize the same basic logic and many of the same primary functional components. With the focus motor installed, you can bring celestial objects into sharp, precise focus using your telescope's hand controller or a computer instead of using the focuser knob. I installed the focus motor's driver from Celestron and I can control the telescope and focus motor using Celestron CPWI software. Turning clockwise focuses farther than the current focal level, while counterclockwise focuses closer. Change your magnification level. You may find that while the image is larger, you cannot focus as well. Check for where the black circle sits in relation to your finger shadow. If desired, switch eyepieces to a higher power and repeat the steps above. Focus your telescope. If you do mount a DSLR to the Advanced VX 6 telescope and manage to acquire good performance with the VX mount, you will be able to reach focus. How Does the Celestron FirstScope Perform? Celestron has reinvented the manual telescope with StarSense Explorer—the first telescope that uses your smartphone to analyze the night sky and calculate its position in real time. The aberration known as coma is enemy number one for Newtonian reflectors — even a perfectly made mirror suffers from it. Celestron makes a variety of telescopes designed for anyone from the beginning amateur astronomer to the experienced stargazer. Note that the photo shows a Celestron 8×20 finder I purchased separately to replace the supplied finder scope. For example, a 400mm telescope with a 20mm eyepiece results in 20X magnification. To determine magnification level of your view, divide the focal length of your telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece. I have covered a lot of telescope kits in my day and this one snuck up on me. This mask attaches to the front of the scope’s objective lens to show the astronomer how to precisely focus their telescope. Better than expected. After properly aligning the finder, you can center an object in these crosshairs and then look at it magnified in your telescope. Locate the finder on your telescope. The Celestron Travel Scope 70 is a small telescope designed for viewing distant land-based targets (such as birds and trees) and for casual viewing of the moon. When you look through the finder, you should see crosshairs. Try changing the eyepiece to increase the magnification and refocus. Every dollar contributed enables us to keep providing high-quality how-to help to people like you. The Celestron 70mm Travel Scope was a pleasant surprise to stumble across. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. The celestron nexstar 8SE telescope review comes with certain unique features. Celestron Travel Scope 70. You do this by dividing the apparent field of the eyepiece (it should be printed on the side) with the magnification level at which you are viewing (see Step 4). 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