What type of telescope are you using? The fact that you can get a good usable image without an eyepiece inserted suggests that you already have some kind of secondary lens installed in the light-path. Do you have other accessory lenses, such as field-flattener, barlow, compressor?Felix83 said:I decided to dust off my old telescope to see what I could see. I was looking at the moon and messing around, but I could only get a sharp image with the eyepiece removed. Without the eyepiece, I can focus in a good image with my glasses on or off, but with it in it is only a blob of white light. I cleaned it off, but no change. Any Ideas?
Felix83 said:yea there is a barlow x3 before the eyepiece. its a refractor telescope.
High magnification = short focal length. Shorter-f/l oculars often give you a narrower field of view and less eye relief, so the longer f/l oculars are more comfortable to use, especially with an unguided scope. If you're going to let people look through your 'scope who are not used to using one, you may want to stick to the longer f/l oculars for this reason. Long f/l oculars teamed up with a high-quality Barlow can be a good combo. Often the short f/l oculars bundled w/ commercially-available 'scopes are unrealistically short, delivering magnifications that are unusable, given the small aperture and poor optical quality of the primary.Felix83 said:I took the barlow out and it works pretty good now. Not a perfect image, but it's cloudy tonight so it seems to be working good. Which eyepieces are for higher magnification - long or short focal length?
There are a few potential causes for this issue. First, make sure that you have properly aligned your telescope with the night sky. You may also need to adjust the focus knob or use a different eyepiece. Additionally, atmospheric conditions or light pollution can affect your telescope's focus.
If you are not able to see any objects through your telescope, it could be due to incorrect alignment, a dirty lens or mirror, or an issue with the eyepiece. Double check your alignment and try cleaning your optics. If the problem persists, you may need to replace the eyepiece.
Blurry images can be caused by a few different factors. First, make sure that your telescope is properly focused. Additionally, atmospheric conditions, such as turbulence or humidity, can affect image clarity. If your telescope has a motorized mount, it could also be an issue with the tracking system.
If the image through your telescope is shaky or vibrating, it could be due to atmospheric conditions, such as wind or turbulence. You can try using a higher magnification eyepiece to reduce the effect of the shaking. Alternatively, investing in a stable mount or tripod can greatly improve the stability of your telescope.
If your telescope is not pointing to the correct object, it could be due to incorrect alignment or a problem with the tracking system. Make sure that your telescope is properly aligned and try using a star chart or astronomy app to help with locating objects. If the issue persists, it could be a mechanical problem with the telescope's motorized mount.