barska astronomy telescope.(anything is helpful)?
I recently bought a 600 maginification Barska astronomy telescope. I have no problem seeing stuff in the day. But when it comes to night it’s different. I tried using the finderscope but doesn’t help to much with stars. So if you could help me with that.
Also which lenses do I use with what distances?
I have a 4x, then 12x, then 20, that go with my erecting eyepiece.
Here is my telescope.
Anything will be helpful.
http://www.atafa.com/sports/products/Barska-Power-Starwatcher-Refractor-Telescopes-Az-118246.html
Only bout it for 72 dollars
I am so sorry to inform you that this is one of the very worst excuses for a telescope that have ever been made. There is not much of any advice that can help with this. Buying an astronomical telescope takes a lot of research and can’t be done on a whimsical impulse.
There are several different kinds of telescopes and all of them have some excellent features. Refractors and Reflectors, plus Schmidt-Cassegrain, APO refractors, Mac-Cass, and many more. There are also several mounts to chose from and the mounts are just as important, if not even more important, than the scope is. All of the different scopes and mounts have some features that some people like and do not like. No two eyeballs are the same and the perfect scope for one person might be completly wrong for another person.
There is no one scope that is “better” than another —except for the junk scopes out there which are all just a waste of money. Never, ever buy from Walmart, Costco, Target, or any other discount store like that. Junk scopes are flooded into the market from those stores. You will be buying nothing but bad optics and plastic.
If you are new at this, then stay away from anything used from any site. If you don’t know what you are buying and who you are buying from you will most likely be getting someone else’s headache—with no warranty either. Buyer beware you know. Some great deals on used equipment, by people who know how to use and take care of scopes, are out there but if you don’t know what you are doing, you might be spending a lot of money on junk.
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I recomend:
http://oriontelescopes.com/
Orion is the very best for value and for customer service too. I have 2 of their scopes and I will only buy from them from now on. My first scope was a manual controlled scope and I am very glad that it was because it forced me to learn where things are in the night skies. Go-To type scopes can be frustrating to use. If you do not have them aligned exactly perfect, they do not find the targets. If you are a beginner, you will be frustrated unless you spring for a GPS Go-To. An object locator is just that—it will locate objects for you (must be aligned first) but an object locator is not a tracking motor. It will not keep the scope on the target.
The Orion site has some excellent diagrams and explanations of all types of scopes and mounts.
Things to consider are size–can the user lift and transport the scope to the viewing site easily? Does it fit in your car? If not, then it will gather dust in a closet. I recomend a carrying case too so it is protected in storage and transport. Can the viewer reach all the knobs and buttons? I have a long tube large manual refractor and it is very dificult for me to reach the knobs when I am pointed to Zenith. I am not a tall person.
Take your time in making your decision.
+++ I would like to suggest that you join a local astronomy club or astronomical society BEFORE you spend your money on a scope. There are many different kinds of scopes and what is perfect for one person is not perfect for another. Everyone has their own set of eyeballs and no two are the same. If you join a club, you can attend a few of their star parties and try out members scopes to see what works best for YOU, before you buy a scope. The members can also help you when you get your scope and show you how to get the most out of your new scope as well as to help teach you where the treasures in the sky are located. Most clubs have loaner scopes and extensive libraries that you can gather more information from too. Most clubs will have monthly membership meetings with informative presentations given by members and by guest speakers. You can really learn a lot from these clubs and an added plus is all the great new freinds you make there too.
Some people will suggest that you purchase binnoculars. Not a bad idea but dont buy anything less than 10×50 and you must have a tripod too or you will not be happy with your astronomical views because they will be too shakey from your movements. Personally, I prefer a scope to binos because if binoculars are not aligned properly at the factory, then you get double images and distortions that cant be fixed. Most of the cheaper binoculars are not properly aligned. That is not as important for terrestial viewing but it is a killer for astronomical viewing. Binos can also be bumped out of alignment and become useless for astronomy.
When you buy go Orion and you wont be disappointed. Don’t try to learn everything all at once or you will be overwhelmed and discouraged. Patience is the key to Astronomy.
You will need a good star chart program too.
http://www.stellarium.org/
This is great freeware that you can download. Tell it where you are and it will tell you what you see. Ask it where something is and it will show you.
I wish you all the best! Enjoy!
That is not a telescope for any useful purposes. No eyepiece will work in that toy. You would have more use from a pair of 10×50 or 8×40 binoculars for that price.
A decent astronomical telescope would cost about $1000 plus another $1000 for a decent sturdy tripod etc, and you usually get what you pay for.
There is a huge selection of different telescopes for different purposes, go to a website such as SkyandTelescope.com or Astronomy.com where you can find out about the basics.
If I were you I would start at the begining and learn a lot more before I started with a telescope, the example you bought is worse than useless, and the people that sold it to you deserve a good thrashing.
Take it back to where you bought it and ask for a refund.
You will only be able to use that scope with your lowest magnification eyepiece– it appears to be 60mm which is about the same size as a 10×50 binocular– which would have been a better buy and more useful than that very small refractor.
Save up some money and buy this–
http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09804
or this–
http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=reflectors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09814
I’m sorry to have to say that this is what astronomers refer to as a “junk telescope.” It is basically little more than a toy, and will be very frustrating to use. I’d strongly recommend that you return it to where you purchased it, and then save up a little more money to buy a good telescope. A good telescope will cost $200 and up.
Any telescope advertised by its magnification is a certain junk telescope. Real telescopes are measured by the size of their main lens or mirror, in this case 60 mm. This is so small that you will have a hard time seeing anything other than the Moon. You need to align the finder scope with the main telescope. This is done by pointing the main telescope at a distant object, and then trying to adjust the finder so that it’s pointing at the same object. I say “try” because most of these finders can’t be adjusted accurately. If you decide to keep this scope, forget about using the 4 mm eyepiece or the 3x Barlow lens, as both these have really poor lenses and cannot be focused, You can probably use the 20 mm eyepiece, and perhaps the 12 mm. The 20 mm eyepiece will give you around 40 power and the 12 mm 67 power. That’s the real upper limit on a telescope this size. I have telescopes costing thousands of dollars, and none of these can be used at 600 power!
Here are a few web pages with good information on beginner’s telescopes:
http://www.gaherty.ca/tme/TME0702_Buying_a_Telescope.pdf
http://www.scopereviews.com/begin.html
http://observers.org/beginner/j.r.f.beginner.html
For more advanced information, read Phil Harrington’s Star Ware, 4th edition (Wiley).
You’ll get the greatest value for your money with a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount, such as these:
http://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~VIEW_INDEX=0/~VIEW_SIZE=1000000
http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/product.php?class1=1&class2=106
Buy from a store which specializes in telescopes and astronomy, either locally or online; don’t buy from department stores, discount stores or eBay as mostly what they sell is junk. Find your local astronomy club and try out different telescopes at one of their star parties:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/organizations