What objects are best suited for the Explore Scientific 62° 9mm eyepiece?
The 9mm focal length provides high magnification, making it ideal for observing bright, detailed objects. It excels at revealing features on planets like Jupiter and Saturn, resolving fine detail in lunar craters, splitting tight double stars, and viewing the cores of bright globular clusters like M13.
How does the 62° field of view of this Explore Scientific eyepiece compare to a 9mm Plössl?
A standard Plössl eyepiece typically has an apparent field of view around 50°-52°. The 62° field of the Explore Scientific eyepiece provides a noticeably wider, more expansive view. This makes the observing experience more comfortable and makes it easier to keep an object within the field of view, especially with a non-tracking telescope mount.
What does 'Argon-Purged Waterproof' mean for the Explore Scientific 62° 9mm eyepiece?
This means the eyepiece barrel is sealed and filled with a dry, inert gas (argon). This has two key benefits:
- It prevents internal fogging when the eyepiece is exposed to rapid temperature changes.
- It protects the internal lens surfaces and coatings from moisture, dust, and fungus, ensuring the eyepiece maintains its optical quality for many years.
How will the Explore Scientific 62° 9mm perform on Jupiter's cloud bands in an 8" f/10 SCT?
In a typical 8" f/10 SCT with a 2032mm focal length, the 9mm eyepiece will yield a magnification of 226x. This is an excellent magnification for viewing Jupiter, providing a large enough image to clearly resolve the primary equatorial belts, the Great Red Spot (when visible), and potentially smaller ovals and festoons during nights of steady seeing.
Is the 9mm focal length of this Explore Scientific eyepiece a good choice for splitting the Double-Double (Epsilon Lyrae) in a 4" refractor?
Yes, it's a very good choice. A 4" refractor has the resolving power to split the tight components of Epsilon Lyrae, which are separated by about 2.3 arcseconds. A 9mm eyepiece in a typical f/7 4" refractor (714mm focal length) would provide about 79x magnification, which is often enough to see the split, but higher power (around 120x or more) is ideal. The high-contrast, sharp optics of the Explore Scientific 62° 9mm will give you a clean view to attempt the split.
Are the Explore Scientific 62° eyepieces parfocal?
The Explore Scientific 62° series is designed to be near-parfocal. This means that when you switch between different eyepieces in this series, you should only need to make a very small adjustment to the focuser. This is a convenient feature that saves time and makes it easier to compare views at different magnifications.
