<p>Sounds like you are very out of focus. Dial the focuser all the way out towards you. The little knob on the right.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-09T00:53:26.837Z
thanks+++, that worked , saw mars tonite.
kilrory O Connor
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2020-11-09T02:44:31.750Z
@kilroryOConnor That's great news, congratulations! Btw you can consider clicking the "accept" check mark next to the answer This will give you a small reputation (points) bump and one to this answer's author as well, and also indicate to future readers that this question has been answered.
uhoh
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2020-11-10T03:01:08.177Z
Excellent. Welcome to astronomy and clear skies!
Matthias Schmitt
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2020-11-08T18:44:42.380Z
2020-11-08T18:44:42.380Z
Matthias Schmitt
<p>I just got a Celestron 8 and I'm a complete rookie: set up scope early so it would acclimate to the temperature. No difficulty locating Mars, but I see a dark planet with its circumference slightly illuminated and the night sky around it is bright? (scope in good dark location and nice dark sky) No amount of fine tuning makes a difference. What am I doing wrong?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-08T16:17:31.763Z
This sounds like something is very wrong.  Perhaps what you think is "mars" is the shadow of the secondary mirror and you are very out of focus.  I suggest you "practice" during the day.  Mars should appear as a very small disc perhaps with some surface features visible (but Mars is small and hard!)
James K
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2020-11-08T16:42:00.753Z
Can you take an image so we can see what you are seeing. As James pointed out, there must be something wrong with the setup you have.
Rory Alsop
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2020-11-08T21:36:11.020Z
See answers to [Black dot visible when looking into the telescope](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/37189/7982) and [Mirror telescope: blocked sight](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/19826/7982) and [Struggling to use my new telescope](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/27043/7982) and [Astromaster Celestron 130 EQ](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/39251/7982) The middle two have photos for comparison, because they are Newtonian telescopes you can also see the secondary mirror's spider mount in the shadows.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-08T21:39:00.057Z
thanks very much, will do bit of daytime practice
kilrory O Connor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-09T02:45:14.447Z
Great, but please be careful to avoid pointing anywhere near the Sun!
uhoh
<telescope><amateur-observing><mars>
Mars is dark, surrounding is bright, what am I doing wrong?
kilrory O Connor
# Mars is dark, surrounding is bright, what am I doing wrong?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-08)

I just got a Celestron 8 and I'm a complete rookie: set up scope early so it would acclimate to the temperature. No difficulty locating Mars, but I see a dark planet with its circumference slightly illuminated and the night sky around it is bright? (scope in good dark location and nice dark sky) No amount of fine tuning makes a difference. What am I doing wrong?

**Tags:** telescope, amateur-observing, mars

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This sounds like something is very wrong.  Perhaps what you think is "mars" is the shadow of the secondary mirror and you are very out of focus.  I suggest you "practice" during the day.  Mars should appear as a very small disc perhaps with some surface features visible (but Mars is small and hard!)  
> **username_2**: Can you take an image so we can see what you are seeing. As James pointed out, there must be something wrong with the setup you have.  
> **username_3**: See answers to [Black dot visible when looking into the telescope](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/37189/7982) and [Mirror telescope: blocked sight](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/19826/7982) and [Struggling to use my new telescope](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/27043/7982) and [Astromaster Celestron 130 EQ](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/39251/7982) The middle two have photos for comparison, because they are Newtonian telescopes you can also see the secondary mirror's spider mount in the shadows.  
> **username_0**: thanks very much, will do bit of daytime practice  
> **username_3**: Great, but please be careful to avoid pointing anywhere near the Sun!  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-11-08. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

Sounds like you are very out of focus. Dial the focuser all the way out towards you. The little knob on the right.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: thanks+++, that worked , saw mars tonite.  
> **username_3**: @kilroryOConnor That's great news, congratulations! Btw you can consider clicking the "accept" check mark next to the answer This will give you a small reputation (points) bump and one to this answer's author as well, and also indicate to future readers that this question has been answered.  
> **username_4**: Excellent. Welcome to astronomy and clear skies!  

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