Magnification Limits
Every telescope has a useful magnification limit of about 2X per millimeter of aperture. This comes to 300X for the StarBlast 6. Some telescope manufacturers will use misleading claims of excess magnification, such as “See distant galaxies at 640X!”. While such magnifications are technically possible, the actual image at that magnifica- tion would be an indistinct blur.
Moderate magnifications are what give the best views. It is better to view a small, but bright and detailed image than a dim, unclear, oversized image.
One can merely be a pretty image someone gave to you. The other is an experience you will never forget!
Objects to Observe
Now that you are all set up and ready to go, one critical deci- sion must be made: what to look at?
A. The Moon
With its rocky surface, the Moon is one of the easiest and most interesting targets to view with your telescope. Lunar craters, marias, and even mountain ranges can all be clearly seen from a distance of 238,000 miles away! With its
Use an optional Moon filter to dim the Moon when it is very bright. It simply threads onto the bottom of the eyepiece bar- rels (you must first remove the eyepiece from the focuser to attach a filter). You’ll find that the Moon filter improves view- ing comfort, and also helps to bring out subtle features on the lunar surface.
B. The Sun
You can change your nighttime telescope into a daytime Sun viewer by installing an optional
Important Note: Do not look at the Sun with any optical instru- ment without a professionally made solar filter, or permanent eye damage could result.
C. The Planets
The planets don’t stay put like the stars, so to find them you should refer to “This Month’s Sky Summary” in the Learning Center section of our website (telescope.com). Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are the brightest objects in the sky after the Sun and the Moon. Your StarBlast 6/6i is capable of showing you these planets in some detail. Other planets may be visible but will likely appear
JUPITER: The largest planet, Jupiter, is a great subject for observation. You can see cloud bands on the disk of the giant planet and watch the
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
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. Because it is so close to the Sun, it never wanders too far from the morning or evening horizon. No surface markings can be seen on Venus, which is always shrouded in dense clouds.
D. The Stars
Stars will appear like twinkling points of light. Even powerful telescopes cannot magnify stars to appear as more than a point of light. You can, however, enjoy the different colors of the stars and locate many pretty double and multiple stars. The gorgeous
E. Deep-Sky Objects
Under dark skies, you can observe a wealth of fascinating
To find
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