Trip Around The SOLAR SYSTEM !

If you can wait till about 1am, it will be as highas it gets really! Then, you should be able to get a clearer image of it. By the way, I don't think I saw it mentioned, but your ETX-70 IS just a 70mm refractor (in a nutshell), but Bill's scope is an LX90 8" reflector! Different class altogether to the ETX-70 Uranus!

Seanie.

ok ! lets cut to the chase !

What the difference in structure between a reflector and a refractor?

Do you think I will see the moons of jupitor on the meade etx70?

My intention is to explore as much as I can with the etx70 and then upgrade, but, and its a big but,,, I want to get as much as I can out of the etx70 as I can first....

Brian

Brian - the ETX70 will allow views of the Gallilean Moons (well, the four brightest ones anyway) of Jupiter. You can also see at least Titan (moon of Satuirn) with the ETX70.

You can also get good views of various Nebulae and clusters.

As regards the difference between reflectors and refractors, a reflector uses a mirror to focus light, a refractor uses lens(es). The ETX70 is a reflector.

As regards the merits of the two types of focusing light, there are many advantages/disadvantages to both. And when you get to different designs of the same type (e.g Newtonian, Richey-Chretien, Shmidt-Cassegrain), the differences become even more numerous.

Your strategy is good - and I suspect you may even keep the ETX70 if you 'upgrade' to another - its a handy scope with many advantages over others.

Cheers

Dave McD

the ETX70 will allow views of the Gallilean Moons (well, the four brightest ones anyway) of Jupiter.

Sorry Dave, the 4 Galilean Moons ARE the 4 bright ones that can only be seen from Earth!

What the difference in structure between a reflector and a refractor?

When I didn't know much about telescopes when I started out, the handiest way to tell the difference in merit between a refractor and a reflector was basicaly, whatever you saw in a reflector you can see in a smaller refractor. For eample, an 8" reflector is about the same optical power as a 6" refractor. But, while the refractor is more easily stored and transported, it is more expensive.
Innovations in design now make reflectors look and feel like refractors, such as the Schmidt-Cassegrain design, and the Maksutov - these basically make the telescope double back on itself, almost cutting the length of any reflecting telescope in half.

Have a look here in the Files section for some of the slide show (Telescopes (in short), about 220KB) from a lecture I gave last month on telescopes. It has some information relating to your query Brian.

Seanie.

Seanie - I had an attack of early-morning brain fog... Of course you are dead right. :oops:

Out of interest, has anyone ever spotted any other Jupiter moons bar the Galileans?

Cheers
Dave McD