Saw moon at 60x magnification last night with Nikon spotting scope on Bogen Manfrotto with pistol grip head, and lo & behold, about midnight, there was Jupiter, high in the southern sky with three of it's moons visible. Yep, you need 60x magnification to see it (although it was the brightest "star" in the sky without the spotting scope). The top photo is one that I got online from someone else who had 60x magnification, and that is precisely what I saw--very clear that it's not a star, as it has a faint planet shape. And just as in his photo, there were the moons of Jupiter around it. Maybe the night sky has more to it than meets the eye--it has been a long time, since childhood with my white and black Tasco telescope, since I have stepped back and looked up to see the stars. I plan to drive way out in the central Illinois countryside, far from the city lights, and zoom in with binoculars and spotting scope, and see what else I can make out. Maybe a nebula or two.
1 comment:
That's some sweet gear you have there, bro. If you find yourself drawn to the terestrial, then you might want to consider buying a "real" telescope... would be cool if taken out to the corn fields with less extraneous light.
With that you could probably see the rings around uranus... (an oldie, but a goodie).
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