60mm telescopes are usually the most popular telescopes being purchased at the moment. It is the most popular size telescope that is also sold in many department stores. Many people use their telescopes for terrestrial observation, that is, to observe only terrestrial objects. If you own a 60mm telescope, don’t make the mistake of thinking your telescope isn’t good for astronomy. There are many wonderful objects in the night sky that are right at your fingertips. I will share with you several that I have found satisfactory over the years.
Amazing objects for your 60mm telescope
Moon
The obvious object for your telescope is the moon. In fact, he can see hundreds of craters with his telescope if he really takes the time to count them. You will definitely get much more pleasure from moon watching when you take a close look at the details. Try looking for craters within craters. That’s the real deal. Also try to observe the many mountain ranges while observing the moon. Look for the most distinct craters, such as Plato, Tycho, Copernicus, etc. Your 60mm telescope can easily resolve these craters in good detail. You may also want to use a moon map to see what other moonscapes are sure to catch your interest. You can search “moon” on Google and then click images on Google to get started. Have you heard of Google Earth? Consider Google Moon… you’ll find it just amazing.
planets
There are several planets that will easily surprise you when you see them through your telescope. For starters… Jupiter. Even with a compact 60mm telescope, it is possible to see at least 2 or 3 red cloud belts on Jupiter. Plus, you’ll get to see four of Jupiter’s much larger moons (Jupiter has 63 moons), all named after Galileo’s 4 children, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. If you watch them for a few days, you’ll see them change position around Jupiter as they continue their orbit. With a good high-power eyepiece, you can see a solar eclipse on Jupiter from time to time.
The planet Saturn is also a real treasure to visit. My first telescope was a 50mm tabletop refractor that my mom and dad decided to buy me at Kmart in the 1970s. The first planet I looked at through that telescope ended up being Saturn. At ten years old, he was simply amazed. You will be ready with your 60 mm. Its rings as well as the Cassini division can be seen with a high-power eyepiece. Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is also visible. It is larger compared to our own moon and the planets Mercury and Pluto.
Mars and also Venus will also be within range of your 60mm telescope. However, there is much less detail to see compared to Jupiter and Saturn. The reason is that, although closer than the other planets, they are also quite a bit smaller. With Mars, you may be able to see its polar ice caps in perfect viewing conditions. With Venus, all you can see are moon-like phases and no surface features because its entire surface is covered with gaseous clouds.
stars and stars
There are actually a lot of stars to see with your 60mm. They all appear in various formats, so to speak. Single stars, double stars like Albireo in the Cygnus constellation. Several of the brightest globular clusters, including M4, M13 and M22, the Pleiades open clusters, as well as one or two galaxies such as Andromeda, are within range of a 60mm telescope. Naturally, to enjoy these jewels of the night, you have to locate them first. There is a free program for your computer that is just awesome for learning how to move around the night sky. The name of the program is Stellarium. Just google it and go to their website and install it. Once installed, simply enter your location and the program will display the sky for your area and time of day.
My suggestion for a 60mm telescope
I would personally recommend the Celestron Nexstar 60GT 60mm Go-To Refractor Telescope. If you’re in a hurry to enjoy the night sky without having to learn star maps, this really is the telescope for you. It will point you to more than 4,000 celestial objects with the push of a button.