What size of telescope do you need, to see natural surface colors on planets?

Question

What size of telescope do you need, to see natural surface colors on planets?

Answer 1

You would need a really huge telescope to see the color patterns of Jupiter with the naked eye. I looked at Jupiter thru the 24" refractor telescope at Lowell Observatory, and the colors were barely perceptible.

However, you can get colorful time-exposure photographs from even a 3 or 4 inch telescope if you have a rock-steady tripod and a good clock drive.

Answer 2

Cloud bands on Jupiter were visible with the 16" reflector telescopes at Stellafane this year.

Answer 3

a lot depends on your definition of "natural".

the planets show striking colour contrasts with the naked eye. even more so with binoculars.

Answer 4

There are several different kinds of telescopes and all of them have some excellent features. Refractors and Reflectors, plus Schmidt-Cassegrain, APO refractors and more. There are also several mounts to chose from and the mounts are just as important as the scope is. All of the different scopes and mounts have some features that some people like and do not like.

There is no one scope that is "better" than another except for the junk scopes out there which are all just a waste of money. Never, ever buy from Walmart, Costco, Target, or any other discount store like that. Junk scopes are flooded into the market from those stores. You will be buying nothing but bad optics and plastic.

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http://oriontelescopes.com/

Orion is the very best for value and for customer service too. I have 2 of their scopes and I will only buy from them from now on.

The Orion site has some excellent diagrams and explanations of all types of scopes and mounts.

Things to consider are size--can the user lift and transport the scope to the viewing site easily? If not, then it will gather dust in a closet. Can the viewer reach all the k***s and buttons? I have a long tube large manual refractor and it is very dificult for me to reach the k***s when I am pointed to Zenith. I am not a tall person.

Take your time in making your decision.

I would like to suggest that you join a local astronomy club or astronomical society BEFORE you spend your money on a scope. There are many different kinds of scopes and what is perfect for one person is not perfect for another. Everyone has their own set of eyeballs and no two are the same. If you join a club, you can attend a few of their star parties and try out members scopes to see what works best for YOU, before you buy a scope. The members can also help you when you get your scope and show you how to get the most out of your new scope as well as to help teach you where the treasures in the sky are located. Hint: they will be especially helpful if you take cookies to star parties. Most clubs have loaner scopes and extensive libraries that you can gather more information from too.

Some people will suggest that you purchase binnoculars. Not a bad idea but dont buy anything less than 10x50 and you must have a tripod too or you will not be happy with your astronomical views because they will be too shakey from your movements. Personally, I prefer a scope to binos because if binoculars are not aligned properly at the factory, then you get double images and distortions that cant be fixed.

But when you buy go Orion and you wont be disappointed. Don't try to learn everything all at once or you will be overwhelmed and discouraged. Patience is the key to Astronomy.

You will also need a good star chart program.

http://www.stellarium.org/

This is great freeware that you can download. Just tell it where you are and it will tell you what you see.

I wish you all the best. Enjoy

Answer 5

depends on the planet.  and the scope.  

when mars is at opposition, i can clearly see it's color with little to no problem in my 4.5 inch reflector.

i cannot say the same with jupiter, saturn and venus, even though "hints" of their colors and some of the darker bands on jupiter are defined pretty will with magnifying eyepeices.

to see quality surface details, a much larger scope is needed.  also, keep in mind, you are looking through earths atmosphere, which, on some humid nights, can create some viewing problems in the "detailed" portions of planetary observations.