Skip to main content

Planetary Pursuit

In this episode, Planetary Pursuit . . . 

“We are voyagers on Earth sailing through space, like passengers on a ship, and many of us have never considered any part of the vessel beyond the cabin we occupy.” –S. P. Langley

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to On the Fly! Today, we're diving deep into planetary observing with my Celestron 500mm f/5 refractor telescope. We'll cover telescope basics, different eyepieces, the planets, and how to use 40mm, 25mm, and 10mm eyepieces to reveal stunning views of our celestial neighbors.

1. Learn the Night Sky; Before standing in the dark, wondering what to do, download "The Planets” app (free) on your smartphone or tablet to locate and identify each planet and when it’s visible.

Modern telescopes feature computer-aided go-to functions, but you'll pay considerably more for one with this capability. This may lead to frustration when the telescope doesn't perform as expected. However, remember you have a smartphone, and the Planets app is free; start with that instead.

2. Understanding Your Setup: Let's start with a quick overview. A 500mm f/5 refractor is a powerful instrument with a wide aperture, ideal for viewing planetary details. The 'f/5' indicates a fast optical system, offering a brighter image and a wider field of view. With this telescope and a combination of eyepieces, you can expect magnification ranges from 12.5X to 50X. Don’t be disappointed; this gives you great views of the planets with a telescope that will not break the bank.

When I purchased this instrument (~2000), it came with 25mm and 10mm eyepieces. However, adding a 40mm eyepiece offered a more expansive, low-power view, ideal for locating planets in the sky and orienting yourself. This saved me a lot of frustration trying to find an object magnified too high.

A few years ago, I upgraded my 25mm eyepiece to a Celestron X-Cel LX Series Eyepiece to improve image quality. This eyepiece offers a good balance of field of view and magnification, which is ideal for initial observations and enjoying larger planetary disks like Jupiter.

Here’s the challenge: when you start looking at eyepieces, you can quickly go down a rabbit hole of expensive options. I suggest not getting fooled by ads that say 2000 times magnification. The image distortion, complications, and frustrations are too problematic.

The 10mm eyepiece provides higher magnification, enabling you to focus on finer details such as Jupiter's bands and Saturn's rings. It’s thrilling to experience this for the first time.

3. Planetary Targets: Before viewing any object at night, align your telescope (during the day) with the finder scope that came with it. However, replacing that finder scope with a Celestron Starpointer Finder Scope ($23.95) simplifies alignment and makes locating objects at night easy. For too many years, I struggled with the original finder scope that came with my telescope.

This month, January 2025, let's concentrate on these planets; here’s what's visible–

1.     Jupiter: Currently well-placed for viewing, look for its four Galilean moons and try to spot its cloud bands.

2.     Saturn: Its rings are a must-see! The 25mm and 10mm eyepieces will provide excellent views.

3.     Mars: Even though it may not be at its closest, you can still observe its reddish hue and some surface features.

4.     Venus: It's the brightest in the night sky. Observe its phases, such as how we see the Moon.


Moon & Venus

Observing Tips:


Allow your telescope to cool to ambient temperature before observing to minimize image distortion.


Use a sturdy mount (or tripod) to minimize vibrations; eliminating vibrations is impossible. The image may appear blurry, so remove your hands from the focus knob and allow the telescope to stabilize. Carefully focus each planet using the telescope's focuser. This can be challenging at higher magnifications; adjust–allow the scope to settle–and then readjust until you achieve satisfactory results. You'll need to make slight changes as the Earth rotates.


Planetary viewing can sometimes be challenging due to atmospheric conditions. Don't get discouraged!


Using Your Eyepieces: Let's break down how to use each eyepiece:


First, if you want to calculate the magnification of your telescope with different lenses, here’s the formula:


Focal Length of the telescope / focal length of the eyepiece.


For example: 500 mm / 25 mm = 20X (That’s 20 times what you see with your eyes).


40mm (12.5X): Start with this for easy location and initial viewing.


25mm (20X): This will increase magnification for a more detailed look at Jupiter.


And 10mm for the highest magnification (50X); use this to try and spot finer details on planets like Saturn's rings.


Big Dipper

Safety First: Never look directly at the Sun through your telescope. Use proper eye protection when observing the Sun (if you have a solar filter specifically designed for your telescope). Be mindful of your surroundings and observe from a safe location.


This podcast invites you to pursue the exciting wonders of The Planets using a refractor telescope. Here’s to wishing you clear skies and happy planetary pursuits.


I’m Patrick Ball; thanks for listening; see you in the next episode.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

A Mother’s Day Reflection

With Mother’s Day here and the world bustling with cards, brunches, and busy schedules, I find myself reflecting on something a bit simpler: taking a moment to remember the person who helped shape my earliest sense of home. Mauricette Elaine (Bontemps) Ball. My Mom. We arrived in Cuba after leaving La Rochelle, France, in 1959—a transition whose enormity I only fully appreciate now. My mother, barely in her mid-twenties, stepped into Midwestern life with remarkable courage. Her smile could warm the coldest Illinois morning, and her hugs lingered long after she let go—quiet reminders that you were deeply loved. Born February 16, 1934, the third of four children, she grew up in Nazi-occupied La Rochelle. As kids, we listened wide-eyed to stories of soldiers patrolling her streets and fear shadowing everyday life. Yet she carried none of that darkness forward. What endured was resilience and an unwavering devotion to family—qualities she carried across the Atlantic and planted firmly in C...
1 comment
Read more

Time Travel, Roving Mics, and Muscle Memory

In this episode, the 2026 Sinkankas Symposium. Let’s get one thing straight: I didn’t arrive in a DeLorean. No flux capacitor, no dramatic lightning strike—just a Saturday parking pass and a name badge. And yet, somewhere between the rotunda doors and the first handshake, it happened anyway. This past Saturday, April 25th, I was transported—effortlessly and completely—back in time at the 20th Annual Sinkankas Symposium on the GIA campus in Carlsbad. Walking into that magnificent main campus rotunda early with my colleagues, Paul Mattlin and Glenn Wargo, felt like wrapping myself in a familiar, gem-encrusted blanket. It was less a building, more a family living room where nobody ever really forgets your name. The halls were quiet (a rare and beautiful thing), and the soft echo of our footsteps on the polished floors sounded exactly as I remembered it. For a moment, it wasn’t 2026—it was April 1997, my first time walking onto the beautiful, brand-new GIA campus as Director of Alumni. Som...
Post a Comment
Read more

Freedom 7 - 65th Anniversary

Podcast - Freedom 7; 65th Anniversary . "Man must rise above the Earth - to the top of the atmosphere and beyond - for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives." - Socrates, 500 B.C. May 5, 2026, marks the 65th anniversary of Freedom 7's launch. Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr. became the first American in space. A 15-minute sub-orbital flight, a day for the history books; the entire world was watching. NASA and the world had witnessed many trial runs explode violently on the launch pad. The space program was in its infancy. Unlike today, there were far too many unknowns. This prompted me to pull out one of my favorite books from my office library,  Light This Candle , by Neal Thompson, copyright 2004. Light This Candle is a biography of Alan Shepard, Jr., you won't be able to put down. It's - "Story-telling at its best . . . every page is alive," says David Hartman, U.S Naval Institute. In the opening pages, you read endorsements fr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ode To Gemology

For over 80 years, students of gemology have struggled with spectrums, bewildered by birefringence, and simply plagued by pleochroism. The following sonnet is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, a glow to your heart, and a simple reminder that students of life and gemology rediscover nature's gifts every day.  Ode to Gemology , by a GIA on-campus student. Dispersion, fire, adventurescence. Orient, sheen, or iridescence. Refractive index, high or low. The luster should indicate that, you know. Polarization, double or single. What to do now, they intermingle. Pleochroic colors you really should see. Was that only two, or actually three? Birefringence should help you a lot. Use your polarizer and watch the spot. Now, did it jump most on low or high? Sure, you can get it if you really try! Your liquids should be an aid, I think. Does it float, suspend, or slowly sink? Just use your imagination now. (He doesn't see me wiping my brow.) Solid inclusions or only bubbles? Huh, th...
Post a Comment
Read more