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a 25mm, which gives a magnification of 40x, and a 10mm,
which gives a magnification of 100x. Other eyepieces can be
used to achieve higher or lower powers. It is quite common for
an observer to own five or more eyepieces to access a wide
range of magnifications. This allows the observer to choose
the best eyepiece to use depending on the object being
viewed. At least to begin with, the two supplied eyepieces will
suffice nicely.
Whatever you choose to view, always start by inserting your
lowest power (longest focal length) eyepiece to locate and
center the object. Low magnification yields a wide field of
view, which shows a larger area of sky in the eyepiece. This
makes acquiring and centering an object much easier. If you
try to find and center objects with high power (narrow field of
view), it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack!
Once you’ve centered the object in the eyepiece, you can
switch to higher magnification (shorter focal length eyepiece),
if you wish. This is especially recommended for small and
bright objects, like planets and double stars. The Moon also
takes higher magnifications well.
Deep-sky objects, however, typically look better at medium or
low magnifications. This is because many of them are quite
faint, yet have some extent (apparent width). Deep-sky
objects will often disappear at higher magnifications, since
greater magnification inherently yields dimmer images. This is
not the case for all deep-sky objects, however. Many galaxies
are quite small, yet are somewhat bright, so higher power may
show more detail.
The best rule of thumb with eyepiece selection is to start with
a low power, wide field, and then work your way up in magnifi-
cation. If the object looks better, try an even higher
magnification. If the object looks worse, then back off the
magnification a little by using a lower power eyepiece.
What to Expect
So what will you see with your telescope? You should be able
to see bands on Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, craters on the
moon, the waxing and waning of Venus, and possibly hun-
dreds of deep sky objects. Do not expect to see as much color
as you in NASA photos, since those are taken with long-expo-
sure cameras and have “false color” added. Our eyes are not
sensitive enough to see color in deep-sky objects except in a
few of the brightest ones.
Remember that you are seeing these objects using your own
telescope with your own eyes! The object you see in your eye-
piece is in real-time, and not some conveniently provided
image from an expensive space probe. Each session with
your telescope will be a learning experience. Each time you
work with your telescope it will get easier to use, and stellar
objects will become easier to find. Take it from us, there is big
difference between looking at a well-made full-color NASA
image of a deep-sky object in a lit room during the daytime,
and seeing that same object in your telescope at night. One
can merely be a pretty image someone gave to you. The other
is an experience you will never forget!
A. The Moon
With is rocky and cratered surface, the moon is one of the
most interesting and easy subjects for your scope. The best
time to view it is during its partial phases when shadows fall
on the craters and canyon walls to give its features definition.
While the full moon may look like a tempting target, it is actu-
ally the worst time for viewing! The light of a full moon is too
bright and lacks any decent surface definition.
Use an optional Moon filter to dim the Moon when it is very
bright. It simply threads onto the bottom of the eyepiece from
the focuser (you must first remove the eyepiece from the
focuser to attach the filter). You’ll find the Moon filter improves
viewing comfort, and helps bring out the subtle features if the
lunar surface.
B. The Sun
You can change your nighttime telescope into a daytime Sun
viewer by installing an optional full-aperture solar filter over
the front opening of a SkyView Pro 8 EQ. The primary attrac-
tion is sunspots, which change shape, appearance, and
location daily. Sunspots are directly related to magnetic activi-
ty in the Sun. Many observers like to make drawings of
sunspots to monitor how the Sun is changing from day to day.
Important Note: Do not look at the Sun with any optical
instrument without a professionally made solar filter, or
permanent eye damage could result. Also, be sure to
cover the finder scope, or better yet, remove it altogether.
C. The Planets
The planets don’t stay put like the stars, so to find them you
should refer to Sky Calendar at our website telescope.com, or
to charts published monthly in Astronomy, Sky & Telescope,
or other astronomy magazines. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and
Saturn are the brightest objects in the sky after the Sun and
the Moon. Your SkyView Pro 8 EQ is capable of showing you
these planets in some detail. Other planets may be visible but
will likely appear starlike. Because planets are quite small in
apparent size, optional higher power eyepieces are recom-
mended and often needed for detailed observations. Not all
the planets are generally visible at any one time.
JUPITER The largest planet, Jupiter, is a great subject for
observation. You can see the disk of the giant planet and watch
the ever-changing positions of its four largest moons - Io,
Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede. Higher power eyepieces
should bring out the cloud bands on the planet’s disk.
SATURN The ringed planet is a breathtaking sight when it is
well positioned. The tilt angle of the rings varies over a period of
many years; sometimes they are seen edge-on, while at other
times they are broadside and look like giant “ears” on each side
of Saturn’s disk. A steady atmosphere (good seeing) is neces-
sary for a good view. You will probably see a bright “star” close
by, which is Saturn’s brightest moon, Titan.
VENUS At its brightest, Venus is the most luminous
object in the sky, excluding the Sun and the Moon. It is
so bright that sometimes it is visible to the naked eye
during full daylight! Ironically, Venus appears as a thin
crescent, not a full disk, when at its peak brightness.
