What would happen if you look at stars in a telescope? Whats the best range telescope to look at planets?

Answer 1

How did the stars get inside the telescope?

Answer 2

Individual stars generally don't look like anything special in a telescope. In large telescopes stars will start to look like balls of light instead of points. You aren't actually seeing the physical dimentions of the star though. This phenomena has to do with the fact that the telescope is looking at a highly magnified image but it can't resolve it any more.

Some stars are double stars, and have a faint companion that is so close that it can only be seen with a telescope.

Generally, with telescopes, the more aperture the better. Aperture is the diameter of the primary mirror or lens, depending on the type of telescope. While you can see some interesting features of on Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in a telescope as small as 4.5" (in aperture), to clearly make out any considerable detail you really need something larger such as an 8" telescope. The only exception to this would be if you had something like a 5" apochromatic refractor, which would offer very nice views of planets. Most people can't afford these though, and an 8" reflector or catadioptric would still offer more magnifying ability, which is important with planets.

For planetary viewing you also need very good eyepieces that are comfortable to look through for long periods of time, and you need a calm atmosphere because you have to use high magnification, and the telescope will magnify any turbulence in the atmosphere. It'd also be nice if the telescope had tracking so that the planet stays in view. At high magnifications the rotation of the Earth is very apparent and without tracking the planet may move across your field of view in a matter of seconds.

Answer 3

When you look at stars through a telescope you get to see thousands of stars that are not visible with the naked eye - you could focus in on one star and find out that it is not actually one star at all and that it can consist of thousands. The best kind of telescope to buy for viewing planets is a reflector and you dont have to have a large one - a nice eye piece and a barlow lens should see you right.

Answer 4

The stars would obviously get bigger.

An 8 inch telescope should be enough to see the four Galilean satellites of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn.

Answer 5

1)you will see stars
2) a longer focal length is best for planetary observations. F/10 to F/13 . The longer focal length gives a narrower field of view. Of coarse, atmospheric "seeing" conditions play a large role as well.