5/16/2023 0 Comments Telescope resolution calculator![]() Larger scopes are more affected by atmospheric seeing while smaller ones are not as affected. Some larger telescopes will bottom out at around 30x per inch due to either seeing conditions or optical quality regardless of the fact that they “should” be seeing more at higher magnifications. ![]() Really though, what is “useful?” Some small telescopes may be able to push that theoretical limit higher, but is it showing you “more” than what you can see at 50x or even 30x per inch in aperture? Not necessarily. This brings us to the common saying of, “the highest useful power of a telescope is 50x per inch in aperture.” Essentially, it’s like saying a telescope with a 4” aperture can make use of 200x magnification. What are you trying to see? More power isn’t always necessarily better, however, with the quality of eyepieces available, especially with fast telescopes, many large Dobsonians are not limited to making the most out of high powers and optical quality as it can achieve. Be willing to travel away from the city to maximize performance and productivity. Dress warm to take advantage of those cold, Winter nights that may offer clear skies and longer observations. There are tips you can utilize to help improve factors within your control like waiting for planets and objects to be at least 30 degrees above the horizon where the atmosphere starts to thin out. Increasing magnification when seeing quality is poor will not solve your problems. If you can’t see clearly with your low power eyepiece in these conditions, a higher power eyepiece will not improve things. ![]() To get a night when turbulence is low and seeing conditions are ideal seems like a tall order to fill. What you’re left to contend with is air turbulence and the Earth’s atmosphere.Ĭlear, dark skies are ideal, but if your aperture is rather small, turbulence can turn those bright point sources into twinkling blobs intermittently whereas a larger one might just present a blob the entire time. This is why many will pack up and move their telescopes to a dark location outside city limits where there are less contending factors to deal with. You know what they say, you want to avoid an astronomer when there are clouds about – they’re likely in a bad mood. The Atmosphere and Telescope Magnificationīetween the types of light pollution, industrial pollution, inclement weather, and the atmosphere, there’s a lot that can quickly get in the way of making a productive observation.
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