Top 5 tips for improving planetary views with your telescope

Our top five tips to coax the best possible views of planets regardless of the size or cost of your telescope. Scroll down for product links. It doesn't matter if your telescope costs tens or thousands, it always makes sense to try to get the best views your equipment is capable of when observing planets. And sometimes improving the view involves no more than selecting the best site available to you to set up the telescope or using the telescope within its ideal power range. This video will give you the information you need to consistently get the best views of planets with your telescope. Here's Robert's selection of the best value telescope accessories: Celestron Cheshire collimating eyepiece for reflecting telescopes: To purchase on Amazon.com Celestron Cheshire collimating eyepiece: https://amzn.to/2KRgcVW SvBony Cheshire collimating eyepiece (alternative if above is out of stock): https://amzn.to/3oKBF4i To purchase on Amazon.co.uk Celestron Cheshire collimating eyepiece : https://amzn.to/3iIX4Wx Topiky Cheshire collimating eyepiece (alternative if above is out of stock): https://amzn.to/3qN0w5i Upgraded mirror star diagonal. The SvBony is the best value and can be expected to upgrade your existing model if it is of all plastic construction typically supplied with a starter telescope. The Orion is a high-performance model, and this is reflected in the price, but it will typically upgrade all star diagonals bundled with telescopes (even the ones supplied with more expensive telescopes): To purchase on Amazon.com SvBony mirror star diagonal: https://amzn.to/3iKkomI Orion mirror star diagonal: https://amzn.to/3pkCcr5 To purchase on Amazon.co.uk SvBony mirror star diagonal: https://amzn.to/3qQ90bP See mirror star diagonal range. https://amzn.to/3obQA3H For the "Swiss army knife" of filters, a good quality 80A blue filter, ideal for telescopes over 100mm aperture: To purchase on Amazon.com Orion 80a blue filter: https://amzn.to/2Y4y7va Astromania 80a blue filter (if above is out of stock): https://amzn.to/3DoHV5I To purchase on Amazon.co.uk Explore Scientific 80a blue filter: https://amzn.to/2MlGjV2 For telescopes under 100mm aperture an 82A blue would be better as it's a little less dense: To purchase on Amazon.com Astromania 82a: https://amzn.to/2MftYlq To purchase on Amazon.co.uk Explore Scientific 82a: https://amzn.to/2Y6UEYj Light Yellow no 8 filter to suppress the false colour and improve the contrast of basic achromatic refractors: To purchase on Amazon.com Astromania no8 yellow filter: https://amzn.to/39Wg3cc To purchase on Amazon.co.uk Explore Scientific no8 yellow filter: https://amzn.to/369D629 00:00 Hello! 00:28 First tip for planets 00:52 For reflector users 01:04 The bad news 01:24 The collimation eyepiece 01:49 For refractor users 02:03 The star diagonal 02:56 The odd-sounding truth about star diagonals 03:30 Understanding the power of the telescope 06:23 Get a good Barlow first (replace the one that came with the scope!) 07:04 Understanding the power of the Barlow 08:05 Upgrading eyepieces 09:09 The humble Kellner eyepiece 09:49 Eyepiece filters 10:00 The Blue 80a filter - the Swiss army knife of filters! 10:33 The no8 yellow to improve low-cost refractors 11:28 A tip for using filters quickly 11:57 Optimising your view 13.00 When to observe to see more 13:22 Sky conditions 14:10 The environment of the telescope 14:33 Temperature and optical performance 15:25 Avoid heat sources in the observing path 16:30 Closing remarks and sign off. Disclosures: All opinions are our own. If you click on one of the product links above and choose to make a purchase, our channel will receive a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate/Affiliate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Presented by Robert J Dalby FRAS Produced by DB Video Services for Astronomy and Nature TV