Notable Difference?

[vgeric]

Hey guys- <br /><br />I went out last night and found M27 for the first time (Yeahhh!). I was using my old 4.5" to do the job. I've been saving up recently to get money for an 8 inch Intelliscope from Orion (I'm only 16, don't have a job yet). <br /><br />But to the point. When I saw M27 last night, I thought I could make out the shape from that gray smudge. When I get the 8 inch scope, how different will views of nebulas, galaxies, and clusters look? I know I won't see color and all that jazz. Would I be able to actually make out shapes, or would it still just be smudgy looking areas? I also would like to know how big the planets would look in an 8 inch scope compared to my 4.5"<br /><br />Thanks in advance.... you guys know your stuff <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Eric P

 

[bbrock]

Eric<br /><br />With the 8" scope, all of your images will be much brighter and show more detail. Also, the 4.5" scope is limited to around 220x. The 8" scope will be limited to around 400x. You might be disappointed with M31. Most Galaxies will remain a smudge. Spiral arms are viewed with timed ezposures. Also, Uranus and Neptune are dismal targets for viewing. You will be able to look at these targets with 400x and find they are still small green balls. Not much to see. Where the 8" will really stand out is on Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Moon and many globular clusters. Some nebula take magnification well. But most nebula are best viewed with larger aperture scopes. Moving up to an 8" scope will be a great benefit in viewing. <br /><br />Keep up the good work.<br />Best of luck and keep us posted.<br /><br />Bill

 

[vgeric]

Thanks much for the reply! That certainly helps me! I'm glad to know there will be more detail in nebulae. I've also wanted to see Jupiter in more detail- which you said I could see. How big is Jupiter in an 8 inch scope? Would it appear much bigger than in the 4.5? Also, how detailed will Saturn look? Will I be able to see ring divisions?<br /><br />Thanks !<br /><br />Eric<br /><br />BTW, I've managed to save up 100 bucks! I'm on my way... <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[CalliArcale]

How big something looks will depend on how much magnification you use, and that's determined by your eyepiece. But you can magnify the image a lot more usefully with an 8" telescope than a 4.5" one. So it can look a lot bigger! With the 8", you'll be able to see cloud bands on Jupiter, and the Great Red Spot (although it's fainter than it used to be, ever since it gobbled up a couple of paler storms). The GRB isn't always visible; Jupiter revolves once every nine and a half hours, so it'll sometimes be on the far side. As far as Saturn goes, you may indeed be able to find the Cassini Division (the largest gap in the rings) although it will take patient observation. Saturn is moving away from its solstice, which is the best time to spot ring divisions because the rings are "open" as seen from the inner solar system. As it moves towards equinox, the rings will close and eventually become just a thin line as we see them edge on (the so-called "ring plane crossing", which is a popular time for astronomers to hunt for undiscovered Saturnian satellites; Saturn's rings tend to wash a lot of them out). Saturn's year is about 29 and a half of our years; equinoxes obviously occur twice for each orbit, as do solstices, so that gives you an idea of how the rings will appear to change as you observe them over time. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>