Setting Up and Using Three Small Telescopes

21-March-2026 General Observing - 14:00 - With a weather forecast of clear and warm (70F) tonight, I took out my usual telescope, an Explore Scientific 102mm doublet refractor. I also unpacked my 5-inch Celestron tabletop Dobsonian reflector from Astronomers Without Borders. I even took out the Sears 6307B/4 60-mm refractor that Laurel found on the street in 2023. My goal was to use this one with my iPhone 15 on a NexYZ adapter to take pictures, at least of the crescent Moon. 

The extra gear was too much weight for the 1962 hardware. I did get to see the Moon at 35X with the 20mm Huygens and then 46X with the 15 mm Kellner oculars. I had other telescopes set up and waiting for use, so I stopped fussing with the camera. With clear nights ahead and no work in the morning, this could be a project. All of us old guys on the astronomy boards started with telescopes like this. (See Mr. Olcott’s Skies: An Old Book and a Youthful Obsession by Thomas Watson, on Cloudy Nights as desertstars.)

I am going to make this joke again: With a 60mm doublet refractor and Huygens eyepieces, I can see what the universe looked like in 1750. 

The AWB Newtonian needed collimation after over a year in storage. The process was the easiest it has ever been. I went in to the archives here under \Astronomy\OtherInstrumentManuals\Collimation and found 63 files. I chose Astro Babys Guide to Collimation. After the introductory materials,  they say on Page 3: 

Rule 1 – Before starting collimation don’t assume that anything is out of kilter and check each element before adjusting anything. About 90% of collimation errors are down solely to the primary mirror so don’t jump in and start meddling with the secondary unless you are sure that there is a problem. Each stage of this guide will show you how to check the various elements – only if they are out

of alignment will you need to make adjustments.[The red is in the original.] 

They continue with a reminder to get all the tools you need before you begin and allow enough time to work this through slowly and do not over-tighten anything. Then on Page 4, they jump right in adjusting things that don’t need attention. “Collimation Step 1 – The Spider Vanes and Secondary Mirror Holder.” So, I put that aside and went to my bookshelf. Philip S. Harrington’s Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer’s Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescopes and Accessories.  A quick look at his directions agreed with Astro Baby’s preface. Sighting through the collimating eyepiece and rotating the three adjustment screws and their set-screws, it was easy to put the donut in the center view. 

21:23 - with Meade 5000 14mm 82-degree. Messier 41. 

21:55 Messier 42 - Trapezium sharp. Then, Messier 41, Sigma Orionis, and. Mintaka. 

(There was a lot of playing with the Red Dot Finder on the AWB. I finally got it aligned into agreement with the telescope.)

Put the reflector on a different tripod and put it back in the storage shed with the Sears.

Continued with the ES-102. 

22:29 - Jupiter. wavery; in and out of focus; lots of atmosphere. 

Spent ten minutes lying on the picnic table bench looking up at Leo because it was not distinct at first. The view did not get any better with exposure.

22:32 - a last look at Sigma Orionis; another look around: the Big Dipper was behind the oak tree. I put everything away.

Overall, although I made no personal discoveries it was a good night out following an afternoon of setting up two telescopes that I had not used in over a year. 

PREVIOUSLY ON NECESSARY FACTS

Observation Log (December 28, 2023) 

Virgin Galactic VX01 VX03 

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions 

Tunguska, Chelyabinsk, Berlin, and New York