Re: [ATM] Magnitude Limit in Telescope

["Scott Ewart" <scott.e@quicksurfer.com>]

    I agree completely.  And what really gets me is that major magazines
still publish these useless over-simplified formulas that only serve to
discourage the novice.  That link just below is a good read.  Even the
question about the effects of magnification has too many variables to give a
good answer.
    To answer your other question, MY limits SO FAR have been 14th+ with a
4.5", 16th with an 8", and 17th+ with a 13", all Newtonians.
    Some variables are:
your health
your genes
your age
your experience
scope quality
scope size
clock driven or not
altitude (feet above sea level and degrees above the horizon)
light pollution and/or air glow
transparency
seeing
integration time (how patient are you?)
percentage of eyepiece time object is visible (how patient are you?)
seating comfort
type of object
magnification
    For stars, I usually use about 150x. For extended object's, I think I
usually use a bit more.

Scott Ewart


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David O. Trevino" <david.trevino@byu.edu>
Cc: "ATM List" <atm@atmlist.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 4:58 PM
Subject: Re: [ATM] Magnitude Limit in Telescope


I read recently the following article.

http://www.twcac.org/onlinehorizon/eyepiecedarkly.htm

Looks like the limiting magnitude can be debatable

Stathis Kafalis wrote:

> Hello list members,
>
> how to calculate the telescopic magnitude limit? I found this Java Script
> http://www.go.ednet.ns.ca/~larry/astro/maglimit.html
> which shall be based on an S&T arcticle from Nov. 1989 page 522. Is this
> article or the formulas for the above website somewhere available? (it's
too
> old to download it from the S&T arcives) In particular I am interested in
a
> term that considers the gain or loss of limiting magnitude due to the
> magnification in a telescope.
>
> I also read this at Nils Olof Calin's site:
> http://web.telia.com/~u41105032/visual/Schaefer.htm , but I am not sure,
If
> this is the same approach.
>
> Can some of you post which limiting mag they achieved with a certain
> telescope (aperture, type) and given limit with the unaided eye. What was
the
> most favorate magnification?
>
> Greetings
>
> Stathis Kafalis
> www.stathis-firstlight.de
>
>

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