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Posted on April 22, 2022 (Updated on July 9, 2025)

What’s a good magnification for telescope?

Space & Navigation

For most purposes, a telescope’s maximum useful magnification is 50 times its aperture in inches (or twice its aperture in millimeters) . So you’d need a 12-inch-wide scope to get a decent image at 600×. And even then, you’d need to wait for a night when the observing conditions are perfect.

What magnification telescope do I need to see planets?

Experienced planetary observers use 20x to 30x per inch of aperture to see the most planetary detail. Double-star observers go higher, up to 50x per inch (which corresponds to a ½-mm exit pupil). Beyond this, telescope magnification power and eye limitations degrade the view.

Is 300x magnification good?

There is still a practical upper limit though—about 300x is the highest useful magnification even with excellent seeing.

Is a 70mm telescope good?

A 70mm telescope is a great starting point for beginners as well as more intermediate astronomers. You can have a decent view of almost all of the prominent objects in the night sky seen from the earth.

Is 100x good for a telescope?

100x – This is a great all around view of Jupiter, as you can see cloud detail on the planet, and see all four moons all in the same FOV. The Great Red Spot can also start being seen as well as a tiny orange colored dot on the planet (if it’s on the side facing Earth).

What can you see with a 700mm telescope?

With a 70mm telescope, you will easily be able to see every planet in the Solar System. You will also be able to take a great look at the Moon and clearly distinguish most of its recognizable features and craters. Mars will look great.

What can you see with a 500mm telescope?

A 500mm telescope will yield a lunar image that’s about 5mm across in a DSLR camera with a full-frame, 35mm-format sensor; a 1,500mm telescope will produce a 14mm image, and a 2,000mm telescope results in an 18mm image.

What can you see with a 90mm telescope?

A 90mm telescope will provide you with a clear view of the Saturn along with its rings, Uranus, Neptune, and Jupiter with its Great Red Spot. You can also expect to see stars with 12 stellar magnitude with a 90mm telescope.

How far can a 50mm telescope see?

With a 50mm telescope, the Moon will look great and you will be able to see al the major craters and geological features. Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will be visible as long as the orbits allow it. You might be able to see a bit of detail out of Mars, but the rest will mostly be shown in one single color.

What can you see with a 9 inch telescope?

9-inch Telescopes offer exceptional resolution for their size. They can resolve double stars at . 51 arcseconds and can be magnified up to 304 times the human eye. 9″ Optical tubes also make exceptional light gatherers by allowing an observer to see 15.5 magnitude stars!

What can you see with an 8inch telescope?

You will be able to see quite a bit! Open clusters and globular clusters will be great, although the fainter globs won’t look like much. Some galaxies won’t be visible due to your moderate light pollution but many will.

What can you see with a 130mm telescope?

130mm (5in) to 200mm (8in) or equivalent

b) Stars: double stars separated by about 1 arc second in good seeing, and some faint stars down to magnitude 13 or better. c) Deep Sky Objects: hundreds of star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies (with hints of spiral structure visible in some galaxies).

What can I see with a 14 inch telescope?

14 Inch Telescopes offer exceptional resolution for their size. They can resolve double stars at . 33 arcseconds and can be magnified up to 712 times the human eye. 14″ Optical tubes also make exceptional light gatherers by allowing an observer to see 16.5 magnitude stars!

What can I see with a 200mm telescope?

200 mm refractors, 250 mm reflectors and catadioptric telescopes (and beyond): binary stars with angular separation of 0.5″ (under ideal conditions), faint stars (up to 15 stellar magnitude); lunar features (less than 1.5 km in diameter);

What can you see with a 16 inch telescope?

Details on planets and deep sky objects will be visible even for inexperienced observers. Thrill to the sight of the elusive Horsehead or North American Nebula, and see faint structure in galaxies, planetary nebulae, and more with this powerful 16-inch Dobsonian telescope!

Are Dobsonian telescopes good for viewing planets?

As a good telescope for viewing planets, low cost Dobsonian telescopes will give great views of the planets in our Solar System, as well as star clusters, nebula, and deep sky objects.

Which is better Dobsonian or Newtonian?

This makes the Dobsonian more robust, and better for carrying around without worry of damaging your telescope. Dobsonian tubes are twice the length of some standard Newtonians, as a Dob uses a flat secondary mirror as opposed to curved.

How powerful does a telescope have to be to see the rings of Saturn?

25x

The rings of Saturn should be visible in even the smallest telescope at 25x [magnified by 25 times]. A good 3-inch scope at 50x [magnified by 50 times] can show them as a separate structure detached on all sides from the ball of the planet.

How big of a telescope do I need to see Pluto?

eleven inches

Observing Pluto is the ultimate challenge. It is smaller than Earth’s moon and is approximately 3.3 billion miles away from us. You will need a large aperture telescope of at least eleven inches.

Can you see Neptune from Earth with a telescope?

Neptune can easily be seen with either binoculars or a telescope. You’ll observe a small blue disk that shines at about magnitude 7.7.

Can you see Mercury with a telescope?

Mercury. Mercury is difficult to see with the naked eye but can be seen even in the daytime with a telescope if you know where to look. A small disk can be seen when Mercury is close to the Earth, and phases (like the Moon’s) can be seen.

Can Uranus be seen with a telescope?

“Although Uranus is not considered a visible planet, at opposition it is bright enough to be visible for someone with excellent eyesight under very dark skies and ideal conditions,” NASA said in a statement. “If you know where to look, it should be visible with binoculars or a backyard telescope.”

Can I see Pluto with a telescope?

Can I See Pluto With a Telescope? Yes, you can see Pluto but you’ll need a large aperture telescope! Pluto resides at the very edges of our solar system and shines only at a faint magnitude of 14.4. It is also just 68% of the size of Earth’s moon, making it even trickier to observe.

How big of a telescope do you need to see Neptune?

With a telescope, trying to resolve Neptune into a disk will be more difficult for observers to do than it will be with Uranus. You’re going to need at least an 8-inch telescope with a magnification of no less than 200x, just to turn Neptune into a tiny blue dot of light.

Can you see Mars with a telescope?

Ans. You can observe Mars with an entry-level telescope (3-inch) and be able to distinguish its shape and colour. Through an 8-inch telescope, you’ll be able to make out surface features.

How much magnification do you need to see Jupiter?

To look at planets like Jupiter and Saturn, you will need a magnification of about 180; with that you should be able to see the planets and their moons. If you want to look at the planet alone with higher resolution, you will need a magnification of about 380.

How big a telescope do I need to see Jupiter?

Telescopes that have 4 or 5 inch diameters are great for viewing solar system objects like the planets, our Moon, and Jupiter’s moons.

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