Observing reports - 120mm Refractor

This page is dedicated to observations made with a 90mm Maksutov Cassegrain. The observing reports shown below should give you a flavour of what you can see with this type of instrument.

Observer: Curtis Wilson

E-mail address: curtiscwilson@aol.com

Web site:

Date and time of Observation: 3.00 am

Observing Location: 45 long/ 122 lat Portland Oregon

Object Observed: Saturn

Viewing conditions: med light pollution from down town Portland Ore.

Telescope Starmax 90mm Mak Cassegrain (Orion)

Eyepiece 25mm Plossl / 12.5mm Plossl

Observing notes:
I am a newbe to astronomy and decided to try my first look at Saturn from my location in Portland Oregon. At 50x I could see the rings on Saturn very clearly, could not make out any details except the hint of Cass division. At 100x Cass division could be clearly seen but still unable to make out any other details on the planets surface. I tried a week later to see if I could get a better viewing, seeing was much better, also viewed Saturn at a higher alt than before time was about 4.00am west coast time.
Comment: Being new to astronomy I know I need a lot of practice viewing and training my vision to see details on object in the sky. I really like my 90mm mak Cass scope, for $297.00 I think it was a bargain for a beginner.

Observer: Jeff

E-mail address: benscute@my-deja.com

Date and time of Observation: 1/2/00 20:45

Observing Location: Backyard, Boston

Object Observed: Jupiter, Saturn

Viewing conditions: Suburban, very light polluted

Telescope Celestron C90. 1.25 eyepiece, hybrid .96-1.25 star diagonal

Eyepiece 30mm, 12.5mm,. 6.3mm 1.25" plossls

Observing notes:
Moonless night, as clear skies as you can get in suburban Boston. No cloud obstruction. Viewed at 8:45. The C90 is my first scope, and I must say I'm under whelmed by its performance with planets.
JUPITER
With the 12.5 plossl eyepiece, Jupiter shows up as a bright spot the size of, say, a fingernail. You can definitely see four planets as pinpoints. There is absolutely no detail at all on Jupiter--no clouds, no red sport, no nothing, no matter how hard I try to focus. With the 6.3, Jupiter is about as large as a dime but dimmer. Still no real detail and unable to focus well.
SATURN
12.5--Saturn is so tiny that you can just make out the rings, but barely. One moon is visible. No detail at all. Not very bright.
6.3--Saturn is a larger, fuzzy blob. Cannot get the rings in focus at all.
Comment: I bought this scope on someone's advice and regret the decision. I wanted a portable (i.e., cadatriopic) scope that didn't cost more than $400, but I guess my expectations were too high. I'm seriously thinking of selling this and coughing up money for a used 8" cadatripic.

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Observer:	Curtis Wilson
E-mail address:	curtiscwilson@aol.com
Web site:
Date and time of Observation:	3.00 am
Observing Location:	45 long/ 122 lat Portland Oregon
Object Observed:	Saturn
Viewing conditions:	med light pollution from down town Portland Ore.
Telescope	Starmax 90mm Mak Cassegrain (Orion)
Eyepiece	25mm Plossl / 12.5mm Plossl
Observing notes:	I am a newbe to astronomy and decided to try my first look at Saturn from my location in Portland Oregon. At 50x I could see the rings on Saturn very clearly, could not make out any details except the hint of Cass division. At 100x Cass division could be clearly seen but still unable to make out any other details on the planets surface. I tried a week later to see if I could get a better viewing, seeing was much better, also viewed Saturn at a higher alt than before time was about 4.00am west coast time. Comment: Being new to astronomy I know I need a lot of practice viewing and training my vision to see details on object in the sky. I really like my 90mm mak Cass scope, for $297.00 I think it was a bargain for a beginner.

Observer:	Jeff
E-mail address:	benscute@my-deja.com
Date and time of Observation:	1/2/00 20:45
Observing Location:	Backyard, Boston
Object Observed:	Jupiter, Saturn
Viewing conditions:	Suburban, very light polluted
Telescope	Celestron C90. 1.25 eyepiece, hybrid .96-1.25 star diagonal
Eyepiece	30mm, 12.5mm,. 6.3mm 1.25" plossls
Observing notes:	Moonless night, as clear skies as you can get in suburban Boston. No cloud obstruction. Viewed at 8:45. The C90 is my first scope, and I must say I'm under whelmed by its performance with planets. JUPITER With the 12.5 plossl eyepiece, Jupiter shows up as a bright spot the size of, say, a fingernail. You can definitely see four planets as pinpoints. There is absolutely no detail at all on Jupiter--no clouds, no red sport, no nothing, no matter how hard I try to focus. With the 6.3, Jupiter is about as large as a dime but dimmer. Still no real detail and unable to focus well. SATURN 12.5--Saturn is so tiny that you can just make out the rings, but barely. One moon is visible. No detail at all. Not very bright. 6.3--Saturn is a larger, fuzzy blob. Cannot get the rings in focus at all. Comment: I bought this scope on someone's advice and regret the decision. I wanted a portable (i.e., cadatriopic) scope that didn't cost more than $400, but I guess my expectations were too high. I'm seriously thinking of selling this and coughing up money for a used 8" cadatripic.