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If you keep the dust caps on your telescope when it is not in use and avoid
handling the lenses or mirrors, only minimal optical maintenance of your
telescope should be required. Extensive cleaning is usually only necessary
every few years.
Jupiter
has many moons, four of which
are often visible through your telescope,
when viewing conditions permit. As you
watch them throughout the evening, you
will see that they change position relative to each other and to Jupiter. It is
possible with careful planning to actually see one of the moons disappear either
in front of or behind Jupiter as it orbits around the planet.
Saturn
, the second
largest planet, is not as bright as Jupiter and so its moons are not as visible
through small telescopes. The large rings that encircle Saturn are spectacular
to observe, however. The planet and its rings appear pale yellow.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN THE SKY
There is a whole universe of objects you could view at night, so where do you
start? We recommend starting with the most prominent objects first.
The Moon
The Moon is the easiest target to find at night. When the Moon is in full position,
it bathes the night with a silvery light that washes the sky of all but the brightest
objects. The best time to view the Moon is not when it is full, but rather when it
is less than half full. The dividing line between dark and light on the moon,
called the terminator, shows the best detail in the craters and mountains.
The Planets
To find the planets, you
will need information
about their times of
visibility. An astronomy magazine will give you the locations of the planets, as
they change position from month to month. The Internet is also an excellent
source of information, star charts, maps and more! The popular and more
familiar constellations often provide the easiest landmarks to help find the
planets locations and paths of orbit. Most people have looked up at night and
seen some of the planets without even realising it. A planet appears like a bright
star but does not twinkle like a star; it will look like a tiny ball. Venus, Mars,
Jupiter and Saturn are the easiest planets to view. Mercury is dimmer, usually
below the horizon and is more challenging to find.
Each of the planets provides interesting views.
Venus
is covered with clouds so
all that is visible is an extremely bright light, the brightest next to the Moon.
Venus, like the Moon, goes through phases. As it travels around the sun,
different areas of the planet’s surface are illuminated, producing crescent
shapes of varying size.
Mars
is the red planet. When it is above the horizon,
it is noticeably red and stands out like a beacon in the night sky. The apparent
brightness of Mars varies as the planet orbits around the sun and throughout
its period of visiblity, it will brighten and dim depending on how near or far it is
from Earth.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. How far can I see?
If you stand outside and look up at the night sky on a clear evening, you can see
hundreds of stars with the unaided eye. The telescope is a light-gathering
instrument that magnifies the view – providing significantly more detail and
unveiling more stars, nebulae and celestial objects. With the aid of a telescope,
you will be able to enjoy exciting views of Saturn’s rings, Jupiter’s major moons,
the Orion Nebula and much more.
2. Why can’t I see anything?
If you see only gray or black when looking through your telescope, even after
searching for an object to view, it is very likely that you are using an eyepiece
that is too powerful. To solve this problem, always start with the lowest power
eyepiece first and only insert the higher power eyepiece after you have found an
object. Also, be sure to remove the dust cap from the lens.
3. When I use my high-power eyepiece, everything looks much darker. Why?
As magnification in a telescope increases, brightness diminishes. Conversely,
brightness increases when magnification is reduced. If an image appears too
dark or unclear, use a lower-powered eyepiece. Views of small, bright objects
are better than those of large, dark, or blurry ones! Atmospheric conditions, air
currents, as well as light and air pollution also affect viewing quality.
4. As I look through my telescope, objects in the sky appear to move.
Why is that?
The constant rotation of the Earth makes things appear to move. Lower-power
eyepieces will reduce this effect of movement considerably and allow you to
observe an object for a longer duration before you have to readjust your
telescope.
The planets, our solar system companions, range
in size from moon-size rocky bodies to giant gas
balls, which could hold the Earth 1,000 times over.
Jupiter is the largest planet in
our solar system and the second
brightest next to Venus.