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 many bright
Remember that you are seeing these objects using your own telescope with your own eyes! The object you see in your eyepiece is in
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 eyepieces (you must first remove the eyepiece from the focuser to attach a filter). You’ll find that the Moon filter improves viewing comfort, and also helps to bring out subtle features on the lunar sur- face.
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 instrument 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 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 Observer 60 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 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.
MARS: The Red Planet makes its closest approach to Earth every two years. During close approaches you’ll see a red disk, and may be able to see the polar ice cap.
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 famous
E. Deep-Sky Objects
Under dark skies, you can observe a wealth of fascinating
To find deep sky objects in the sky, it is best to consult a star chart or planisphere. These guides will help you locate
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