re x-cel 25mm I have celesstron first scope 80 eq 900mm focal is this good for moon view Would I see whole moon or the craters well etc.? 80mm f/11
354996
This eyepiece would provide 36 power through your scope, so you would be looking at the whole moon. To determine what power an eyepiece would provide divide the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece (900/25 = 36 magnification). I basically see the entire moon in my eyepieces up to about 90 to 100 power. Too see craters in more detail you need to have around 150 magnification or more so to accomplish this with your scope you need to have a 6mm eyepiece (900/6=150). Also your scope's theoretical maximum effective magnification is about 160 power, to determine the theoretical maximum of a telescope you take the aperture of your scope in inches 80mm is 3.15inches and multiply that by 50, therefore 3.15inches X 50 = 157.5 max power. The moon however is a big bright easy user friendly target so you might be able to get away with 200 power for looking at the moon but not anything else really, unless you get a scope with more aperture. So if you want to have a go at studying the craters a bit closer, to do that in your scope you could get a 9mm eyepiece that would give you 100 power and then use a 2X barlow lens that would double your magnification, but you may have a slightly cleaner image at 150 magnification. However, some say the multiplier for theoritical maximum magnification is 60 not 50 per inch of aperture which would put your telescopes max power at 189 instead of 157.5. Anyways I wouldn't try to anything beyond than 200 power through your scope. Hope this helps.
1844559
Though designed for terrestrial viewing, it would work fine for casual astronomical use. Astronomical scopes are typically of higher magnification (I wouldn't recommend the zoom as the image quality on this older design is simply not that good). BUT the fixed eyepieces are excellent. The SMC XW14 offers 37x and is sharp- probably best suited for astronomical use due to the higher magnification. The SMC XW10 gives 26x and has a really wide bright sharp field of view. As a multipurpose eyepiece this one is great but might be a bit low on magnification for your purpose (and even 37x isn't much for astronomical use). I loved the XW10 though- it's a joy to look through. Though designed for terrestrial viewing, it would work fine for casual astronomical use. Astronomical scopes are typically of higher magnification (I wouldn't recommend the zoom as the image quality on this older design is simply not that good). BUT the fixed eyepieces are excellent. The SMC XW14 offers 37x and is sharp- probably best suited for astronomical use due to the higher magnification. The SMC XW10 gives 26x and has a really wide bright sharp field of view. As a multipurpose eyepiece this one is great but might be a bit low on magnification for your purpose (and even 37x isn't much... » Read More Though designed for terrestrial viewing, it would work fine for casual astronomical use. Astronomical scopes are typically of higher magnification (I wouldn't recommend the zoom as the image quality on this older design is simply not that good). BUT the fixed eyepieces are excellent. The SMC XW14 offers 37x and is sharp- probably best suited for astronomical use due to the higher magnification. The SMC XW10 gives 26x and has a really wide bright sharp field of view. As a multipurpose eyepiece this one is great but might be a bit low on magnification for your purpose (and even 37x isn't much for astronomical use). I loved the XW10 though- it's a joy to look through. « Show Less
1770075
It is a standard 1.25 inch EP. As noted in the other answers it may not be possible to focus correctly. The EP on the Regal scope works in my Lunt Solar telescope and the Lunt works in the Regal. In general though you will have to test it out. The scope is very nice. My first one had a problem with the focuser after 90 day replacement warranty ran out. Celestron took it back but it was about 2 months before I got a replacement. When it was working it was a very nice scope, and I like the replacement although I use my other scopes more.
1634743
I have used it on the C8 and Meade 12, SCTs, and it works great with a 2x barlow on these scopes. I do not have a 3x. As far as the AstroMaster, I think the barlow would be too much power, JMO. I would try it with the zoom alone and see how it resolves at the lower fl range. I've had mixed results with the lower focal lengths on this ep. Of course, the higher seem better. I use this mainly as an indicator of the seeing conditions and the best fl for the object I'm observing. Then I usually change to that dedicated ep that fits the condition. It's hard to get a multipurpose ep to perform as well as a dedicated fixed fl one. However, again it does work pretty well on the higher fl. Hope that helps. WEK. I have used it on the C8 and Meade 12, SCTs, and it works great with a 2x barlow on these scopes. I do not have a 3x. As far as the AstroMaster, I think the barlow would be too much power, JMO. I would try it with the zoom alone and see how it resolves at the lower fl range. I've had mixed results with the lower focal lengths on this ep. Of course, the higher seem better. I use this mainly as an indicator of the seeing conditions and the best fl for the object I'm observing. Then I usually change to that dedicated ep that fits the condition. It's hard to get a multipurpose ep to perform as... » Read More I have used it on the C8 and Meade 12, SCTs, and it works great with a 2x barlow on these scopes. I do not have a 3x. As far as the AstroMaster, I think the barlow would be too much power, JMO. I would try it with the zoom alone and see how it resolves at the lower fl range. I've had mixed results with the lower focal lengths on this ep. Of course, the higher seem better. I use this mainly as an indicator of the seeing conditions and the best fl for the object I'm observing. Then I usually change to that dedicated ep that fits the condition. It's hard to get a multipurpose ep to perform as well as a dedicated fixed fl one. However, again it does work pretty well on the higher fl. Hope that helps. WEK. « Show Less
142668
The zoom isn't too bad. I can see the moon very clear and the crators if the sky is clear. But you cannot zoom in as close as you would like. I'm happy with the zoom myself since it's a simple telescope.
1025717
This is a good scope for exploring the moon and seeing the constellations. Depending what magnification you use you might see details on the planets but I haven't yet.
1591413
Hi Robert, There are many many choices of eyepieces that have larger exit pupil and wider apparent fields of view that give more of a "window" like view rather than a "key hole" view. Celestron has their next line UP in quality called X Cell eyepieces in several differnt magnifications you may consider? We would love to earn your business! Mike at Orange County Telescope 888-471-9991
826160
Hi Scott, Yes, you can see all three. However: Because the scope is a short focal length scope it gives a wide field of view and rather low magnification even with 10mm eyepiece (35X). If you can obtain a 2X Barlow, a power booster lens that you put between the eyepiece and the focusing tube, you will be able to have 70X magnification with the 80mm Go Scope. I bought a 7mm wide angle eyepiece for mine, which gives a magnification of 100X with my Orion Shorty Barlow. This gives very good views of the planets and spectacular views of the moon. Keep in mind, that "seeing conditions," that is how steady the atmosphere is any given night, can be the biggest factor in how good a planetary image will be. It can vary quite a bit, night to night, so if you don't get a sharp image of the planet, don't blame the telescope. Try another night. Also, particularly with Mars, it depends how close to the Mars the Earth is at any given time in our orbits. I have had only so-so views of Mars with big telescopes with high powers and steady seeing conditions when the planets were at great distances from one another. On the other hand, the clearest, brightest, and most detailed view of the surface features of Mars was through my 70mm Tele-Vue Pronto when Mars was at its nearest point in years back in 2004. And that view was obtained in the heart of a light polluted city! Hope this helps. If I can be of any further assistance, let me know. Sincerely, Joe R.
1606764
This works well for moon shots. That's one of the reasons I purchased the lens and I am very happy with the sharpness and quality of the images. This is an awesome lens.
704469
I would suggest finding a 5mm and below lense. This set is great but I just wish is came with a lense smaller then a 6.3mm. If you want to look right on the surface of the moon or,be able to view Venus in full color then you should look for a 4mm or a 2mm lense. Maybe even smaller. Cantact your local astronomy club. They would be able to answer all the questions you might have.
770255
I assume you are asking about the orion scope vs the celestron scope? I've no experience with the orion st, there's a comparison on cloudy nights' user forum. There is a lot of info there. I beive that is where I found a write up on what to expect from various size optics and focal lengths. I'm still happy with the astromaster. It has pretty good optics, but as many people have pointed out, the mount is a little flimsy.
757052
Hope my answer is not too late. The included 20mm and 10mm eyepieces reach 50X and 100X power. In daytime landscape viewing, especially a lake in summer, the power might be too much. Mostly you will not see a stable image due to evaporation. I tried viewing farm land in summer, the image was not stable when reached 30X with my other eyepieces. So you probably will need eyepieces with longer focal lengths. You can also try spotting scope with zoom magnification.
1961934
There are several issues that could be here, depending upon your experience with telescopes and such. First question: could you see the moons in a more or less straight row on one side or the other of Jupiter? If not, it would seem you possibly aligned on a bright star like Castor or Pollux rather than Jupiter? The finder has to be aligned to the mail optical tube on a real object. I find the Moon easier as you can always find it by shadow, glare or just plain luck. Have someone hold the image in the scope while you tweak the finder knobs to get the red dot centered on some feature of the moon and have that feature centered in the eyepiece field of view. If you could see the moons, but no detail on the planet there could be a couple of issues. The more complex of which is that if your eyes are like mine, I need a bigger image to pick out detail. Yet observing buddies can see plenty of detail in small images. Go figure I guess. If you were using the eyepiece with the longer focal length number, the one with the scope might be a 20 or 25-mm I forget. Then once you have the planet centered or off to the leading edge of the field, switch to the higher power or the lower focal length eyepiece and refocus. Hope this is helpful!
1689632
As Daniel said, it will be compatible with any 1.25" eyepiece. Looking up NexStar 4SE, I see it comes with a 25mm focal length Plossl eyepiece. The X-Cel eyepiece you've asked about is also a 25mm, so you probably don't want to duplicate the focal lengths (unless you're looking for a little wider field of view). I think you'll want to get a shorter focal length - 18mm, 12mm, 9mm, etc - to get more magnification. Divide the focal length of the telescope by the FL of the eyepiece to get the magnification. In this case 1325mm / 25mm was giving you 53X. I have several of these eyepieces and like them. As Daniel said, it will be compatible with any 1.25" eyepiece. Looking up NexStar 4SE, I see it comes with a 25mm focal length Plossl eyepiece. The X-Cel eyepiece you've asked about is also a 25mm, so you probably don't want to duplicate the focal lengths (unless you're looking for a little wider field of view). I think you'll want to get a shorter focal length - 18mm, 12mm, 9mm, etc - to get more magnification. Divide the focal length of the telescope by the FL of the eyepiece to get the magnification. In this case 1325mm / 25mm was giving you 53X. I have several of these eyepieces... » Read More As Daniel said, it will be compatible with any 1.25" eyepiece. Looking up NexStar 4SE, I see it comes with a 25mm focal length Plossl eyepiece. The X-Cel eyepiece you've asked about is also a 25mm, so you probably don't want to duplicate the focal lengths (unless you're looking for a little wider field of view). I think you'll want to get a shorter focal length - 18mm, 12mm, 9mm, etc - to get more magnification. Divide the focal length of the telescope by the FL of the eyepiece to get the magnification. In this case 1325mm / 25mm was giving you 53X. I have several of these eyepieces and like them. « Show Less
1740777
I would assume they are doing terrestrial shots as I can't imagine using this for DSOs (deep space objects). The Moon might be a viable target with this scope and camera. You would remove the diagonal. At this point you need an adaptor to mount the camera to the back of the refractor. Focusing might be a challenge at first but is doable. Sometimes you may need a longer or shorter adaptor to allow the image to project onto the focal plane of the camera chip. Problems: balancing the scope with the extra weight, finding a T adaptor for your camera if it isn't one of the names like Cannon, Nikon (you may have to do a lot of fitment), vibration due to the light weight and strength of the setup. It would probably be good for a fun startup in astrophotography but would require an upgrade to a larger and more substantial scope/mount/tripod to get satisfying results. Hope that helps. WEK.
754225
very sharp.. I'd prefer the 100mm, but Pentax discontinued it due to lack of sales. For the $$ its a great scope. YOu MIGHT want to look @ Celestron C5, or check the specks..
1551307
Hi, a barlow 3x is a very good acquisition. For both stunning moon's surface details or planetary observations (Saturn will pop up at the size of your pupil, what means great observation of rings). You have a 1,000mm focal length telescope. With a 10mm eyepiece, that means 100x power. With a barlow 3x, that means 300x power. Without a motorized mounting, that is the limit for observation (motion due to earth rotation is too fast with such reduced field of view). A barlow 2x will give you very good views of Saturn with more comfortable observation (more time to focus and keep eyes on). On my refractor, which is not neither APO nor ED, barlow 5x gives no resolution, due to chromatic aberration and other effects. So, barlow 5x, which, in your case, means 500x, may be not so good, due to same reason. The image is quite large but both impossible to keep on view field (due to rotation) and nothing more clear than a blurred image, due to lack of resolution in my telescope. I hope this helps.