Watch as someone looks through a telescope for the VERY FIRST TIME!

[@sasquatchhadarock968]

The Pleiades are *beautiful* even through a cheap pair of non-astronomy binoculars.

[@darrell9546]

The strongest reactions I've had to peoples' first views through my telescopes is when they see Saturn. I've been accused of having a pic stuck in the scope. I did have an elderly lady reduced to tears one time when I showed her Jupiter. :)

[@darrell9546]

One time I was observing the Moon and Venus soon after sunset. They were very close together, Venus was nearing inferior conjunction so they showed similar phases. Two adults came by walking a bunch of kids, I invited them up for a view. I put Venus in the eyepiece, then asked each kid what they saw--without fail each said they saw the Moon. I then nudged the scope so the real Moon was in view and let them look again. Their reactions: "OOOOOOOOOHHH!" lol

[@benhelm6212]

I run star parties at my observatory and I love seeing peoples reactions. When people see the planets in person for the first time everyone has a unique reaction and it’s my favorite to see how excited it makes them.

[@PafMedic]

❤️❤️❤️See,I Would Be Crying Too,lol..Thats Amazing,I Have It More With The Kids,I Live Across The Street From The Ambulance😂So I Take My Scopes Over,Small Community In Amish Territory,And The Kids Absolutely Love It,Some Are Learning To Star Hop,and Play With The Mak 90. Some On Their Own❤️❤️

[@mmb3006]

I was on a school trip when we were shown saturn and I saw it for like 5 seconds and my thought was wow people need to see this and I just moved to see the next person see it, its amazing I think it was like an 8in dob and now 3 years later I'm looking into getting a 16in dob

[@APerson-jf2md]

The strongest reactions I've had to peoples' first views through my telescopes is when they see sun! ... SCNR :D

[@tubedude54]

Had an uncle who gave me a pair of 6x30 WW2 binoculars back when I was 12 in '66. The space race was going on and I had the bug. I took them out one night and looked up in the sky and it was amazing! I literally looked at a part of the sky then lowered them and said 'wow' to myself at the amount of stars I could see with them vs my unaided eyes. I started reading every book I could at the library about astronomy and started to save my allowance so I could by a telescope. I saved enuff so I could afford the Sears 60mm alt-az refractor. Gave my money to my dad to order it and when it came in I find that my dad took my $50 and added another $50 and got me the 60mm scope but with the German Eq mount instead! I was elated! Spent many a sleepless weekend out with it exploring the heavens. Many much larger scopes later I still have that refractor and even took it out when Venus transitioned the sun 12-15 yrs ago and watched it's projected image with it.

[@mimimimek3488]

What can you see through the 60mm? I also have a 60mm refractor and I can't wait to buy a dobsonian or something until I save up a bit of money. The telescope I have is pretty horrible, atleast I think so. Do you have any tips on how to make the most of it, even though they are likely pretty different

[@MrGp3po]

That partial crouch position looks very uncomfortable. One accessory that makes using my 10" Dob so enjoyable, is a stool. The type that you see in a doctor's office would work great. Mine was bought second hand at a thrift store for $10. I removed the castors and replaced with rubber knobs from the hardware store. The stool is a cushioned round seat with no back; swivels and has a lever to raise and lower the seat. Super comfortable at the telescope.

[@jeffreyvictor3678]

My wife and I were doing some observing and astrophotography just outside of Barcelona, Spain in what would be the equivalent to one of our state parks. A lady in the group left her purse on the ground and a group of wild boars came through and one grabbed her purse and literally ran off with it. It was found (in tact) about a 1/2 mile from the parking lot! Ladies…hold on to your purse!

[@edting]

That's a great story!

[@joshuariddensdale2126]

I still remember my first time looking through my old 2" scope. Even if it was just looking at the Moon, it was still an unforgettable experience. I was only 9 at the time.

[@f-73p21]

I was about the same age, with a 2" Tasco refractor. I was with my Dad and the first thing we looked at was Jupiter. Will never forget it!

[@PafMedic]

Agreed,Was Given A 76mm Nat Geo When I Was 10,Was Still Running Around With By 40+ Years Later,Its Pretty Much The Baby In A Family Now😂

[@buttonsangel3074]

First time seeing Saturn was also with a 2" tasco. 12yrs old, by myself in NJ, standing in the snow.

[@oceaniccurrents]

I’m new to all this and am learning my way around with a 6” dobsonian. It’s so fun and fascinating. I look forward to clear nights and I have one right now 🤩

[@jimzeleny7213]

At age 8 I looked through a small refractor (54mm lens 80x) at Jupiter. I was hooked immediately.

[@jjs3287]

My daughter and I used to belong to a Uk astronomy club and its was a great feeling allowing strangers to see through our telescope during public observing evenings and seeing their reactions.

[@davidbridges3292]

Hi all. Way back in the 1970's when I bought my first scope, a cheap 60 mm. I remember looking at both Jupiter and Saturn. Both appeared as nothing more than round fuzzy balls of light. It took several weeks of puttering with the scope before I " Learned to See " and the planets started looking like planets. The only items that looked like they were supposed to, the first time, were the moon and open clusters. Thanks, and keep up the good work ED.

[@f-73p21]

My first telescope was a 2" Tasco refractor back in the 80's. I was about 12 and was with my Dad. The first thing we looked at was Jupiter. We were excited to see that the bright "star" was surrounded by 4 fainter stars! Will never forget it.

[@locoattack1210]

Sharing my love of space with others is always something special. I'm an instructor at a non-profit that trains people for the IT industry and sets them up with certifications at no cost, and when they graduate from the program, I always hold an afterparty where I try to bring along my 8" dob. Unfortunately, weather hasn't allowed me to actually show them anything yet, but hopefully this semester will work out.

[@bradleycarlson6081]

Great video Ed. Here in northern Nevada, with the Astronomical Society of Nevada we do quite a few public outreach programs and telescope viewings. Yet, explaining how to "see" through a telescope and the observer's expectations is not something we always explain well. (And I liked your framing it as "seeing", vs "looking".) You give me some ideas for talking to the public and taking a step back in considering one's first experience with astronomical telescope viewing.

[@RazorChrist]

Great video, Ed! I love seeing people's first look and reaction through a telescope. It reminds me of the first night I saw Saturn through my own telescope. Even though it was pretty small through a 5" SCT, I could see enough detail for it to take my breath away. I was hooked from that moment on. Now I go out and image just about every clear night I get. Just finished processing M94 last night. Got two whole clear nights worth of data on it. But I'll never forget that first look.

[@petset77]

Agree. My first view of Saturn with rings through a 4.5EQ last October had me hooked. I use an 8" dob a lot of the time now, but I still use the 4.5, a table top 3" dob reflector and binoculars for quick dashes out between winter clouds. Clear skies!

[@CamLewis07]

What telescope do you currently use?

[@oculuis]

In the words of Carl Sagan, "...it's it so exciting, it is so stirring." and I tend to quote this a lot whenever I have the opportunity to show family members the views of our solar system. The usual reaction is just "Wow!" and "Oh my god!", it is so inspiring to hear and see the reactions of those that rarely see the planetary system that they call home. Thanks for the video!

[@ferenc-x7p]

I have yet to get this out of anyone, who I shown the usual planets, and even live-photographed Nebulae. Maybe I'm just surrounded by boring people?

[@k.h.1587]

Billions upon billions

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Double stars and star clusters are great starters! There are excellent globulars in spring, summer, and autumn.

[@stuartriley]

Another great video Ed! First timers, who ventured close to my telescope are always happy to see what the can see. When they look through a telescope they always are more amazed at seeing the moon and planets (if available). However, for myself, I was more appreciative of their remarks about the views; such as “WOW, the has craters and they are huge!”

[@KimSevern]

5:30 "I just lost it." I sure have a lot of trouble with this. I hope it gets easier. It seems like there should be a cup. Maybe there would be too much movement. Thanks for all the great videos. So far I still have more time in unboxing than viewing. Very excited though. I saw a meteor or something cross the field.

[@KimSevern]

10:37 I'm crying. I can't wait to see Saturn.

[@jameshalliii8224]

Thank you for all you do for the astronomy community. I enjoy your videos and hope you gain a larger audience. Also I am envious of your telescope collection!! Please let us subscribers know if there is anything we can do to support your outreach efforts.

[@epickcrom5606]

Nice video Ed, it's always fun seeing people's first reactions looking through a telescope 😊

[@rickkearn7100]

Great idea giving this kind of perspective, Ed! Very revealing, and much appreciated. True, Joni was a great sport! Cheers.

[@Medicated1]

I wish we had a local astronomy club. I'm 58 years old and have never had the privilege of looking at anything celestial through a telescope. I'd love to get into the hobby but everything is so expensive. I love watching your videos, it gives me all the basics I would need to be an observer.

[@rictor133]

Ed, great video! Btw it was because of your review years ago of the Stellarvue AT1010 nighthawk that I purchased one, I love it to this day, such a great grab and go scope, I owe you a coffee Ed, appreciate your great expertise! Cheers!

[@ferenc-x7p]

When I first saw Saturn with my Newt (abt 20+yrs ago) with my own eyes, I was transported to a different dimension , same with Andromeda Galaxy. I was staring into the nothing for days and the word "wow" kept repeating in my head. A life changing experience, even if that sounds corny to many. When I showed the same things to my daughter and my wife, both said "Ok" and went back to watch Netflix. I got less impression or surprise out of them, than just showing another cat picture on Facebook. :( I guess, people are just so different or not sure if they process the information the same way .

[@caviestcaveman8691]

People like that tend to not really be interesting to begin with lol call them npc and funny I saw a meme yesterday saying don't ask me about hobbies I just look at screens until I go to bed so they are admitting they are bland

[@palake750]

Thanks for sharing. Very insightful. Personalities come out in videos.

[@aw7425]

Very cool. Clear skies

[@GTFreeFlyer]

Another great video. Thanks for sharing :) If I had one request, it would be to talk more about the eyepieces you use too. Each time she was looking through the scope, I was wondering what eyepiece she was using. Focal length, AFOV, etc. Perhaps a few videos on eyepiece comparisons would be fantastic ;) There's so much to learn. Thanks again!

[@starfruit6775]

Awesome Video, Ed!! If your reading this, I have just got interested in astronomy and wanted to pick up a 8 inch dubsonian as my very first scope. I went and looked at the one on Orion’s website and it’s $849 dollars!!!! I watched a video you posted 6-8 months ago about them and was wondering why it went from $400 to $849. Also I wondered if you know of any deals I could get on one or alternatives.Thank you

[@edting]

Yeah, after 20+ years of stable (even falling) prices, stock has depleted and prices have gone up in the past 18 months. I give some alternatives in the description. At this point, take whatever you can find in stock.

[@starfruit6775]

@@edting thank you and I will check the description for the alternatives 👍 Edit: I’ve found the Orion 6 inch Dub for $430 so I think I will go with that one

[@LxcasOnYT]

high point scientific sells an 8 inch dob for $699, also comes with $200 worth of accessories.

[@jajmcg]

I still remember the first time I saw Jupiter when I was a kid. My parents bought me a 70mm refractor from the local camera store. Even with that wobbly alt-az I was able to find and watch the Galilean moons slowly march across the surface. Then my kid found it using her telescope and I couldn't have been prouder.

[@permafrost7781]

Ha, nice night! You guys make a good team! Make more videos from different locations. Awesome location btw.

[@catchupnishant]

Interesting video Ted. Thanks for bringing this one. Always interesting to see reactions, as it also helps to keep motivated to look up in the sky once in a while and imagine the vastness of the universe...

[@davidparadis490]

Ed keeps the heat low in the house so he can save up a few more bucks for the next telescope

[@edting]

I turned up the heat before she got there!

[@LxcasOnYT]

I ordered my 8 inch apertura dobsonian and it gets delivered on Monday, I'm excited as it will be my very first telescope.

[@dtuck1076]

How do you like it? I’m considering that telescope as well for my first.

[@deanblackwell2090]

I well remember the first time I saw the moons of Jupiter through my little cheap 80mm refractor. Up until then I had though you needed a professional observatory to see stuff like that. I'm still amazed at what you can actually see in the sky with a quite modest telescope - yup I did upgrade to a C6 :)

[@usmcbrat2]

Nice video. Thanks! I have enjoyed giving people their first look hundreds of times since the 80's. It's my favorite part of being an astronomer. I'm bummed that this year (2023) the moon will be 3 days past full on Halloween, because that's the best night to roll the scope out into the driveway and satiate my craving to live vicariously through the eyes of first time viewers. Eye candy produces bright smiles, as opposed to sugary candy. :) At least there will be Jupiter and Saturn. If the seeing turns out excellent then Saturn may be the big WOW for kids, but the Moon makes a great fallback if the seeing is poor.

[@edwardhickman850]

That's a good idea. All the trick or treaters coming by your house will amount to a lot of people having a chance to look. I like our astronomy club's outreach events.

[@bowrudder899]

Joni is right: Venus is beautiful. I think you're underrating it, Ed.

[@logiticalresponse9574]

Im gonna be up that way visiting my newly found parents in laconia the first week of june . Ive heard the sky is great up there . Way better than south Louisiana.

[@hornet224]

If you put the scope on a 12-15" high pedestal it is much more comfortable to view. No back ache.

[@edting]

Agreed. The problem is finding a good steady pedestal at a good price. Orion used to sell one but it cost a lot for what you got. The better solution for us that night was to get a chair, which I should have done.

[@billducas]

Another great video. What power did you use for each object?

[@edting]

I used a 27mm Panoptic (45X) and a 19mm Panoptic (64X).

[@MikeLikesChannel]

John Dobson used to do this and have people look at the moon, it was surreal.

[@jimpoop]

I love sharing the universe with other people. The planets and moon usually blow people away, but sometimes I have trouble with deep sky objects.. I find people either find them amazing or not so much... And I'll get.. is that it? I had my 12" lx200 out and I was showing people M81 and m82. Through some of my big scopes people are usually impressed. It was a great night and they looked fantastic, some girl looks through and was upset they didn't look like pictures.. "oh.. that's it..." I felt so deflated.. so I started bringing out my 12" or 16" and also my astrophotography gear, so I could show both a live view and an "enhanced" view.

[@TheRustyRazorOriginal]

Great experience for the first time looking through a telescope. My great moment was with my grandmother and she was looking though my telescope at Saturn and she said " wow it has ears!" When at the University I was the astronomy lab assistant and had the keys to all of the equipment and observatories, always a great night looking through the 16" Meade reflector

[@lowellmccormick6991]

I love taking my 16" dob to outreach events, especially when Saturn is up. People walk up to the scope and I point out the eyepiece and how to focus. I can tell when they get proper focus because there is usually a big "Wow" at that moment. I've had people accuse me of having a photo taped inside the telescope. It's really fun and fulfilling to give folks that experience.

[@Guido_XL]

Experiencing Saturn for the first time through an eyepiece is overwhelming. It is like an unmeasurable statement of truth: "yes, the Universe is as you were told, and now you see it for yourself!". I also saw it the first time through a rather humble telescope, a 90 mm Mak, and yet, the impression it made was intense. Later on, I made videos of Jupiter and Saturn with my 190/1000 Mak-Newt, which became better or worse, depending on the atmosphere's seeing. The software-generated pictures from Saturn and Jupiter with the Great Red Spot and the Galilean moons are impressive as well, but they never came near that first glimpse through the eyepiece. It's like the telescope, the camera and the software made those exposures, so that it's not my accomplishment that I'm seeing. I'm only the operator, not the performer in that play. Seeing an image through an eyepiece is putting my eyes back into the driver's seat again though.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

I've found women are often more inquisitive about looking into the eyepiece and ask lots of questions. Men can act leery and wary and even hostile--or all they care about is the cost of the equipment. Strange disconnect.

[@Guido_XL]

@@RideAcrossTheRiver Men generally do not like to be out of control. Having to peek through an eyepiece and telescope that is not theirs, is like an insult to their ego. Their minds focus onto the goal to possess their own equipment. The experience of awe and wonder is wasted on them in such a mindset. Women are more focused on feelings and much less on hardware. They want to see beautiful things, rather than possess things. I'm a man, but perhaps, in this case, not the cliché version of a man.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@Guido_XL Don't worry--I've had female insults of 'nerd' or 'why are you doing this, no social life?' or 'that's what old men do'. So, women can be just as bad.

[@tensorhugh2588]

The best for the last - Saturn, always amazes me.

[@yeetfeet731]

I remember my first time looking at Jupiter. It was amazing

[@peter7624]

Everyone loves Saturn best the first time!

[@pyrointampa7254]

My 4-year-old grandson is obsessed with the solar system. He knows all of the planets (in order!), all of the minor planets, most of their moons, and many deep space objects. He's a little sponge. To help encourage this passion, I bought him an Orion 4.5" Starblast II reflector telescope. The last time I looked through a telescope was back in 1984 when I took an astro-physics class in college. So, this was essentially new to both of us. All we could see that night was Venus. Pretty much a speck in the viewfinder, but he loved it. Me being me, I'm not happy with seeing a spec. So, I'm looking to get something much larger. I've been looking at a 10" dobsonian with a "goto" mount. What you had up on the roof in this video looked to be an 8" and the pictures you showed of what Ms. Joni was seeing appeared to be very large relative to the size of the viewfinder. I'm curious to know if you showed them actual size, or if you enlarged them for the purposes of the video. If you could recommend a 10" Dob with a goto mount that would be very much appreciated. I'm going to need the goto until I can learn to find things on my own. Just starting out at 60, I can't afford to waste any more time! As a side note, I've been watching your videos the past few days and I must say that I love the way you explain things. Very understandable even for a newbie like me. I've subscribed to your channel, and I hope to learn much more as this new hobby unfolds for me and my grandson!

[@edting]

Thanks for your nice comments. I'm not aware of any goto 10" Dobs. You can get the 10" Celestron StarSense I reviewed on this channel. I still recommend the 8" as the ideal size. Motions get a little sticky on a 10", and you'll use it less because of its size.

[@MyTube4Utoo]

Wow! This just gave me a fantastic idea. A double-barreled, combination telescope/tee-shirt launcher!! :-)

[@RodrigoPonzio88]

Great video Ed! If you'd have given her somewhere to sit she'd have enjoyed even more, I'm sure you already know that being comfy while observing is important! P.D: that's an 8 dob right? Sometimes it looked like a 10.

[@edting]

It's an 8" Dob. Yes, come to think of it a chair would have been nice. But we would have had to haul it up there.

[@RodrigoPonzio88]

@@edtingyeah it's annoying hauling a chair up there. I myself have a collapsible skywatcher 10" with the same focal length and eyepiece height as your 8" dob, and bought a very basic drum throne which works wonderfully with it. It has 3 height positions and collapses down to something small and lightweight. It might even fit in the purse she almost loses! Thanks for your answer and keep the great content going!

[@scguy681]

so the pictures that appeared in the video " what shes looking at" the acutal view she saw or was it just a picture sample

[@marcfitkin8789]

Nice video. I was wanting to go out a few nights ago but I'm not fully Omicron Covid recovered.

[@2147B]

Immediately touched the eyepiece, yup thats a true first timer :) Edit: Was a wonderful video though, I was happy for her!

[@jomon723]

When I was young and first saw Saturn , It was nothing like the pictures on the Department store telescope box.....🤣

[@f-73p21]

Haha, same with the pictures of the Orion Nebula on mine! Having said that, I'll never forget that 2" Tasco refractor!

[@assaultpickle77]

*She touched the back end of the optical tube, and then grabbed the focuser, and then she tried to side eye the Eyepiece!

[@marcusbrown3880]

Still awaiting my first time since buying my first scope, how long should i wait for my mak127 to acclimate? UK here btw

[@nekite1]

Give it 30 to 40 minutes outside - it might also be a good idea to get a dew shield.

[@Astronurd]

About 30 minutes is fine in the UK. Have you never used it before?

[@nekite1]

@@Astronurd No, I have a 150/750 Skywatcher reflector on an EQ3-2 mount, but I do want a 127 as it is much more portable and less prone to collimation problems. Looking for a secondhand one atm, but they are few and far between.

[@lixced3264]

What eyepiece were you using?

[@Snail2G]

What's your lens setup that is allowing you to see Jupiter so close up but so clear? I just just entered this field, I picked up a Sky-watcher 150p 6" Dob, and it came with an SVBony 7-21mm eyepiece. I can see Jupiter very clear when I have it zoomed all the way out, but if I try and zoom in, one, I cant get it nearly as large as you pictured here 7:03, and 2, the image becomes blurry and unable to focus. I have it laser collimated, and I double checked that tonight before using it. Even with the moon, once I zoom in past a certain point, I'm no longer able to get proper focus in the eye piece. Am I in need of a Barlow lens?

[@Hana-xo4wi]

I’m also a beginner so take what I say with a grain of salt but could it be that your eye piece is not compatible with the power or focal length of the scope? I heard if you try over magnifying it would get blurry.

[@textandtelescope8199]

She's a good Jo!

[@edting]

Yes, she is.

[@billturner4427]

Very cool!

[@ericnovotny4356]

Great video--did a similar observing event with my grandchildren using an Orion ED80. Used A Baader SkySurfer V finder. Can you tell us what finder you were using on that Newtonian? And there seemed to be other accessories mounted as well.

[@edting]

It's just a generic red dot finder. I'm not too picky about these.

[@martin.B777]

Great video; thank you, Ed! Are you using only a red dot finder scope on this Orion Dobsonian telescope? I'm about to buy my first telescope, most likely the SkyWatcher 8 Dobs, because it's available at my location.

[@nekite1]

A properly aligned RDF is easy to use and is accurate enough for visual viewing. I have one on my 6" reflector (which is on an EQ mount) and much prefer it to my 6 x 30 finderscope.

[@martin.B777]

@@nekite1 Thank you. What about (illuminated) RACI finder? Would you recommend the upgrade?

[@robgerety]

I live just across the river. Do you take local folks for observation sessions?

[@k.h.1587]

Turning up the heat there is probably about the same cost as a type 6 nagler every month or 2. Ed has his priorities straight

[@petset77]

Nice video! What eyepiece were you using? (for her to see cloud bands on Jupiter and moon) Just curious.

[@edting]

The low power eyepiece is the 27mm Panoptic. For the planets, I used the 13mm Nagler. You'll see me talking about these two eyepieces a lot in these videos.

[@petset77]

@@edting, Thanks Ed!!

[@bsavagestudios]

I looked at the sun through a Tasco as a child in the 90s... I was curious, now I'm just curious what life would be like with better eyesight....

[@buttonsangel3074]

Thanks. No one would want to carry anything extra up to the roof - but Joni deserves a chair.

[@jbondy100]

Are you using an 8” Dobsonian?

[@CamLewis07]

Hey, I am an amateur astronomer and i am attempting to get into astrophotgraphy. What is the best telescope to get the best views of planets such as saturn and comets or galaxies? I am trying to enter pictures to win my county youth fair.

[@veganhusband]

Ed doesn't need to turn up his heater... AFTER THAT SICK BURN!

[@helenwilliams7698]

Learnt a lot watching this, so do you recommend looking for the first times in the light the you did it in? I’m struggling so bad to see anything I managed to get the moon but i kept losing it and was really disheartened

[@edting]

No, get to the darkest place you can. We had to make certain compromises here. We needed enough light to film the video so we had to start early.

[@helenwilliams7698]

@@edting I am in uk and have a celesteon 76 I’m just watching your videos to see if any can help me thank you for reply appreciate it. You are so awesome

[@jeddiajones4570]

Nice.

[@pjcd7016]

I find you video's to be very informative, I'm looking at a Celestron NexStar 6SE Computerized Telescope as a first telescope, I will be taking it camping with me and wanted a portable, compact telescope. I would appreciate your opinion as to if I'm making a good choice.

[@edting]

The NexStar 6 is a good choice. Avoid the urge to "upgrade" to the 8. The 8" optical tube is too much for that NexStar mount.

[@pjcd7016]

@@edting..... Thanks for your input, it's appreciated.

[@N8844H]

The first telescope I built as a kid was a 4 1/4" reflector made from Edmund Scientific parts and set up on a simple pipe mount. I took it out in the the back yard and invited my father to come look at the crescent moon. The terminator was studded with craters. It was pretty spectacular. He put his eye to the eyepiece (a simple kellner, as I recall now), looked up into the sky, back into the eyepiece, then stepped over and shoved his hand down the tube. "What are you doing?" I asked him. I was worried he'd broken the diagonal (he didn't, but he did move it out of alignment). "Where'd you hide the slide of the moon?" he demanded. "It's in there somewhere!" I built a lot of telescopes after that, including a 12" reflector I made with a mirror grinding machine I set up in the garage. But I never invited him back for a second look.

[@kenthompson4739]

Amazing

[@kennyg3336]

Hey Ed, I have the infamous 8inch SkyQuest, but the primary mirror is spotty and I want to remove the mirror to try to clean it but the screws are rusted and locked in. I don’t want to be too rough getting it off. Any suggestions on how to tackle this without messing up everything?

[@edting]

My usual advice is to just leave the mirror alone. Some people damage the mirror more by trying to clean it. If you must, take the optical tube outside, stand it on end, and dump a bucket of soapy water inside. Then keep dumping clean water until it's clean. If you really want to clean it, find a local astronomy club and have them walk you through it.

[@ryanlovecchio6881]

Hi Ed. I tried visiting your scope review website, but my browser warned me it couldn’t connect because of an expired security certificate. Just wondering if there was an issue with your site that you were aware of, or maybe I followed a bad link…? Thanks for the help

[@edting]

Yeah sorry, that cert was supposed to be on auto-renewal. I'll try to fix it this week.

[@nadavdanieli]

The reactions I get from people looking at the moon through my 114mm refractor at 75x are much stronger. And if I am imaging using electronic eyepiece with my phone they want to take a picture of the screen. Last one was inspired to go to a lecture + observation at the nearby observatory just few days later.

[@falklevien]

An 8" Dobsonian. I'm shocked 😆

[@kobac8207]

Is this 8" Orion dob?

[@edting]

Yes, it's the XT8.

[@ADF_Cable]

Thankyou for the video! What is the scope you were observing with please? Thanks!

[@edting]

Orion XT8 Dobsonian. If you can't find one in stock, just look for "8 inch Dobsonian". The 6 inch also works. There are a few models linked in the description.

[@ADF_Cable]

@@edting thankyou!

[@mzmagister]

What's everyone's goto magnification for showing first timers? I usually use my 30mm uff from apm on my 10 inch Dobsonian (skywatcher 250)

[@edting]

I usually use my 27mm Panoptic for general purpose viewing.

[@hooper365]

You cannot duplicate the experience through pictures you really gotta see it 👀

[@rsscous4170]

Ed what size is the OTA an 8 inch or 10 inch?

[@edting]

That is the Orion XT8 you see in many of my videos.

[@kevingumfory]

A great great reaction is when you show them Venus at 2 pm ! Venus can be seen in the middle of the day whilst the sun is blazing .... you just have to be patient. The first time I seen it I was flabbergasted ! The crescent was the most astonishing ppl are certain you are tricking them.

[@timlucia]

The first time I saw Saturn through a telescope was at the end of my first date with my wife. Someone in the parking lot of the apartment complex was outside with his telescope and shared Saturn with us that night... 25 years ago.

[@T.K.9]

First time I got my 102dx refractor from celestron. And seeing the bright star was actually Jupiter and the orange dot to her right side was Saturn. I kept telling people I know that it is Jupiter and Saturn and They wouldn't believe me. Up until I let them see for themselves under the scope. And the moon, its always so nice too look at. Now waiting for Jupiter to come back so I can look at her on my 10 inch StellaLyra Dobsonian =) And waiting for the clouds to move away. Everytime someone opens a pack of Astronomy Kit. It always become cloudy!!!

[@neiltonks]

When I first started looking in to astronomy, I was seeing pictures posted on twitter and KZbin of these amazing looking nebula and galaxy's. So I bought a scope and was thoroughly disappointed. What people don't tell you, is the amount of work needed sitting at a PC, stacking and photoshopping the image. Last week I showed my wife M42. She called it a grey thumb print.

[@tubedude54]

The expectation vs reality of newbies when they first look thru a telescope!

[@ogshotglass9291]

First off, what size telescope did you look through? It doesn't take a huge telescope to see it, but sometimes buying a large telescope and getting the lowest power eyepiece you can find that will fit will make an improvement.

[@neiltonks]

@@ogshotglass9291 I started with a Celestron travel scope. I then bought a Celestron 114 az. Next it was a 6 inch Newtonian,. After that an 8 inch Meade dob. My daily driver is an 8 inch Edge HD on a EQ6 R pro. But also I now have a 12 inch DOB plus a Celestron 102mm refractor.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@ogshotglass9291 Also use a filter like skyglow.

[@ogshotglass9291]

@@RideAcrossTheRiver true. I don't even need one of those, though. Live in the middle of nowhere lol.

[@51gofish]

Jupiter with moons was my ahh ha moment.

[@perry92964]

everyones reaction is very different, some people look and say cool now lets go watch tv and some people like me say cool and buy a telescope

[@nickademuss42]

My 7yr old after seeing the moon though my scope "its cratery".... we have a new verb.

[@CaptRescue2]

Ed's a biologist now lol

[@chris-ip4pk]

I used to burn ants aswell and worms

[@gordonwedman3179]

Yes, I burned bugs with a magnifying glass🙄. When I could see a couple of Jupiter's moons with binoculars I thought that was pretty cool.

[@snoozy04]

Best telescope

[@ufonaughts8814]

which telescope did you use

[@edting]

Orion XT8 Dobsonian. Look around the channel, it's in a lot of the videos.

[@elchappo1320]

Wait. So u can stargaze during daytime with telescopes. I thought our eyes have to get dark adapted? Sorry, newbie here

[@edting]

Within limitations you can see the moon, Venus, and sometimes Jupiter. Also, the video has been curved up so you can see better.

[@nikpan9744]

Wow! I never released I could use my telescope to watch planets in day time

[@edting]

It's actually quite dark during filming. I curved everything up in post processing so you can see.

[@tubedude54]

You actually can see them in the daytime too... just keep away from the sun!

[@toadamine]

Idk how you can see anything but the moon in the daylight...

[@bigguy5155]

my grandson told me he could not see thru his telescope, {I didnt know how cheap it was but his mom got it for him and he was happy} so I was out at my daughters and ask him to let me see his telescope. Now I'm new to telescopes but know some stuff and I saw it and thought its all plastic but anyway I go to looking at it and yes you can't see thru it so I start talking filters off and since he didn't know about them and his mom didn't know about them he had his 1.5 4 inch between the scope and diagonal eye piece, so I got it the way it should be and look at the moon {it was out early here in west virginia} and his eyes got real excided when he could see the moon

[@jasonmcintosh2632]

"Boys do this." : )

[@jimmimurphy5662]

My wife said Saturn looks like a cartoon.