March 18, 2009
What would the objects through telescopes look like?
Can you answer Carl Carlson's question about Binoculars?:
Well, I might be buying a telescope soon, and I was wondering, if you had a good 12" scope with alot of aperture, you'd probably be able to see nebulae galaxies etc. But if you were to look at them what would they look like? How big would they appear?
Thanks!
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Comments on What would the objects through telescopes look like? »
it would depend on what ur buying.usualy they give the magnification(like 15x or 30x)they would of course appear magnificent
This depends on the darkness of your sky and your visual acuity. Except for Andromeda, galaxies are inherently dim, and their detail comes only with photographs. With the brightest galaxies, a 12" reflector, a dark sky and good eyes will reveal spiral structure. If you have very good eyes a 12" will show the horse head nebula (my usual test for a good dark sky).
There will be no color for galaxies. In fact, there will be no color for almost all objects; planets and some multiple star systems are an exception.
Before you make a purchase, find an astronomy club nearby and attend one of their star parties. Generally, they will be happy to show you what you can expect to see on your own.
If you learn to use well a good 12" reflector you will have a scope that will last you the rest of your life.
HTH
Charles
Hi Carl -
The best way to describe what you will see is to actually take you out and show it to you. That's why lots of experienced folks (me included) will recommend that you go to a local astronomy club observing session in order to establish your expectations. You may be surprised. While you can certainly see hundreds of objects with a 12 inch aperture, it will take a little practice to see much in terms of detail. On first glance, even the Orion Nebula looks pretty dim and small. That's because you are used to seeing Hubble photos that are very bright and colorful. Most galaxies will appear as dim, oval smudges of faint light. On a very clear and dark night, you will be able to barely discern some spiral arm structure in the brighter ones. Star clusters are very bright and clear, and usually stunning, at least to my simple nervous system. Many nebulae are really pretty bright and easy to see - but the wispy clouds that you see in the photos will take a few minutes of steady looking - perhaps indirect looking - in order to see them clearly.
By the way, I think you should hold off on astrophotography until you at least learn the sky a little (my opinion). It's almost an entirely different hobby, and it's just as expensive.