Hello all! I am new to the AM, I have a question waiting for your suggestion. Now I have a NP101 which I am quite happy with. But as you know, 4''is just very limited to look planets. I am thinking to buy an Orion Eon 120APO or Skywatcher Equinox 120APO, I know these Chinese made doublets have great reputation, but I don't know how much more I can see with the extra 20mm aperture? I also thought about APOs of 127mm and up, yet their size, weight and price are difficult to handle...
Eon 120 to replace NP101?
Started by easyplay, 02/01/2011 05:13AM
Posted 02/01/2011 05:13AM
Opening Post
Posted 02/01/2011 12:45PM
#1
Bing Hong said:
Hello all! I am new to the AM, I have a question waiting for your suggestion. Now I have a NP101 which I am quite happy with. But as you know, 4''is just very limited to look planets. I am thinking to buy an Orion Eon 120APO or Skywatcher Equinox 120APO, I know these Chinese made doublets have great reputation, but I don't know how much more I can see with the extra 20mm aperture? I also thought about APOs of 127mm and up, yet their size, weight and price are difficult to handle...
I imagine you will some improvement moving up from the NP-101 to a 120mm scope but not a lot... To get the good planetary views, it takes a pretty good sized scope.
jon
Posted 02/02/2011 12:20AM
#2
Don't do it! The optics on the NP-101 are well corrected. A doublet of Chinese origin is going to result in a very soft image due to achromatism. Your final image with the NP-101 will be much better and that scope can handle the magnification if you want to use a shorter focal length eyepiece. A 4" refractor can yield excellent planetary detail for the experienced observer. Give that baby some power, it can handle it. Martin
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few." Shunryu Suzuki[COLOR="Blue"][/COLOR]
Posted 02/02/2011 02:16AM
#3
Seems all of you agree the visual improvement will not be big, so I should keep the NP101? I looked skys with NP101 all this winter time, nothing impressed me, the Juipter only shows one band, I am not sure if it's the seeing problem. maybe I need to wait till this summer to try the better seeing?
Posted 02/02/2011 11:49PM
#4
Hello Mr. Hong,
The advice above seems sound. Something to consider in a scope is what you look at. A 4" refractor excels at stars and wide fields. So with the NP-101 your most striking objects available to that scope are star clusters and double stars. On planets in Calgary you are fighting perhaps two difficulties one is your Northerly location which does not usually put the planets high in the sky but usually midway up where there is more atmospheric difficulty in getting a good view. Secondly you may have poor seeing on a regular basis. If the second is true you will have real difficulty in getting good planetary views out of any telescope! You are North of my location and I am plagued by a low altitude of the planet and poor seeing on many occasions although Saturn is always stunning. Jupiter and Mars are not that often great here. For most of my observing the planets are only a quick look to see if they are good and then move on to the open clusters and double stars for a good night of viewing (because a 4" refractor will show those things nicely pretty much no matter what the seeing).
Good luck
joe
The advice above seems sound. Something to consider in a scope is what you look at. A 4" refractor excels at stars and wide fields. So with the NP-101 your most striking objects available to that scope are star clusters and double stars. On planets in Calgary you are fighting perhaps two difficulties one is your Northerly location which does not usually put the planets high in the sky but usually midway up where there is more atmospheric difficulty in getting a good view. Secondly you may have poor seeing on a regular basis. If the second is true you will have real difficulty in getting good planetary views out of any telescope! You are North of my location and I am plagued by a low altitude of the planet and poor seeing on many occasions although Saturn is always stunning. Jupiter and Mars are not that often great here. For most of my observing the planets are only a quick look to see if they are good and then move on to the open clusters and double stars for a good night of viewing (because a 4" refractor will show those things nicely pretty much no matter what the seeing).
Good luck
joe
Posted 02/03/2011 01:46AM
#5
Thank you all above for giving ideas! I am living in Calgary Canada, now in winter time, star is always a dancing feather ball when seen from 150x and up. the warmest temperature I have at night is 0 celsius degree. perhaps the colder atmosphere is thicker and more turbulent. most of the time the sky is quite clear though.
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