<p>The key issue for a telescope is not magnification but light gathering capability - which is (crudely) the size of the main aperture. Thus a 90x magification on a very large (wide) telescope would let you see a very large number of things (if you are in an area where the sky is dark), but 90x on a small telescope would let you see a number of interesting things (the Moon, planets, some nebulae and star clusters) but not relatively faint objects.</p>

<p>Small, cheaper, telescopes are still worth buying if you want to dabble, seeing the Moon through a telescope is always amazing and a small telescope can show lots, for instance.</p>

<p>Also, for a small telescope don't go for big magnifications - 90x would be fine for a low cost 50mm refractor for instance.</p>

<p>As for where the planets are - Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn are generally easy to spot if you look up their positions online and know your way round the constellations. Because the planets are not, as stars effectively are, points at infinite distance, but small disks they (on most nights) do not twinkle as the stars do.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-26T19:16:32.797Z
Yeah, 90x is actually pretty close to the limit for a 50mm refractor; if it's low-cost it's quite possible it wouldn't work very well much above 50...60x or so, depending on a number of factors.
Florin Andrei
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-12T04:47:46.750Z
Wouldn't location also play a large part of what bodies can be seen? I can't imagine using any kind of telescope on the Strip in Vegas would be very useful compared to that same telescope on a high mountain in the remote Nevada desert.
iMerchant
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-26T22:11:49.607Z
2015-08-26T22:24:48.857Z
2015-08-26T22:24:48.857Z
adrianmcmenamin
<p><a href="https://in-the-sky.org" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://in-the-sky.org</a> will help you spot what planets are visible from your location with direction and time. I could see Jupiter, Saturn using the naked eyes as bright spots. </p>

<p>90x magnification should be just fine for Jupiter and Saturn - you'd see the disc of Jupiter clearly with the four Galilean satellites and Saturn's rings</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-05T04:37:48.077Z
90x magnification should be just fine for Jupiter and Saturn - you'd see the disc of Jupiter clearly with the four Galilean satellites and Saturn's rings.
MartinV
CC BY-SA 4.0
2017-08-04T18:12:15.307Z
2019-08-11T11:18:50.193Z
2019-08-11T11:18:50.193Z
Sakthi
<p>I am a 9th class student so I'm a beginner at using a telescope, hence please help me.</p>

<ol>
<li>How many bodies can I see using a 90x telescope?</li>
<li>How will I know when and where I should point a telescope to see planets?</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-02T04:53:16.590Z
to locate the planets.. use Google's Sky map app for Android phone ..
madan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-23T19:53:30.630Z
Or just look for bright things along the ecliptic and have a peek at 90DX.
Wayfaring Stranger
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-23T15:37:53.087Z
What do you mean by "bodies"? The magnitude limit of your telescope does not depend on magnification, it depends on the aperture (light-gathering power) of the telescope.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-26T22:16:26.343Z
Yeah, magnification means almost nothing. It would be much more useful to know what's the aperture of the telescope, and perhaps the type of instrument. Basically, what's the "make and model" of that instrument? Example: "it's an Orion SkyQuest XT8".
Florin Andrei
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-26T00:59:41.227Z
On spring break, quite a few.
Eubie Drew
<telescope>
How many celestial bodies can I see with a 90x telescope?
Sharaf Rizvi
# How many celestial bodies can I see with a 90x telescope?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-23)

I am a 9th class student so I'm a beginner at using a telescope, hence please help me.

1. How many bodies can I see using a 90x telescope?
2. How will I know when and where I should point a telescope to see planets?

**Tags:** telescope

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: What do you mean by "bodies"? The magnitude limit of your telescope does not depend on magnification, it depends on the aperture (light-gathering power) of the telescope.  
> **username_4**: Yeah, magnification means almost nothing. It would be much more useful to know what's the aperture of the telescope, and perhaps the type of instrument. Basically, what's the "make and model" of that instrument? Example: "it's an Orion SkyQuest XT8".  
> **username_5**: On spring break, quite a few.  
> **username_1**: to locate the planets.. use Google's Sky map app for Android phone ..  
> **username_2**: Or just look for bright things along the ecliptic and have a peek at 90DX.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2015-08-26. Score: 9

The key issue for a telescope is not magnification but light gathering capability - which is (crudely) the size of the main aperture. Thus a 90x magification on a very large (wide) telescope would let you see a very large number of things (if you are in an area where the sky is dark), but 90x on a small telescope would let you see a number of interesting things (the Moon, planets, some nebulae and star clusters) but not relatively faint objects.

Small, cheaper, telescopes are still worth buying if you want to dabble, seeing the Moon through a telescope is always amazing and a small telescope can show lots, for instance.

Also, for a small telescope don't go for big magnifications - 90x would be fine for a low cost 50mm refractor for instance.

As for where the planets are - Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn are generally easy to spot if you look up their positions online and know your way round the constellations. Because the planets are not, as stars effectively are, points at infinite distance, but small disks they (on most nights) do not twinkle as the stars do.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Yeah, 90x is actually pretty close to the limit for a 50mm refractor; if it's low-cost it's quite possible it wouldn't work very well much above 50...60x or so, depending on a number of factors.  
> **username_7**: Wouldn't location also play a large part of what bodies can be seen? I can't imagine using any kind of telescope on the Strip in Vegas would be very useful compared to that same telescope on a high mountain in the remote Nevada desert.  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2017-08-04. Score: 0

<https://in-the-sky.org> will help you spot what planets are visible from your location with direction and time. I could see Jupiter, Saturn using the naked eyes as bright spots.

90x magnification should be just fine for Jupiter and Saturn - you'd see the disc of Jupiter clearly with the four Galilean satellites and Saturn's rings

> **Comments:**
> **username_9**: 90x magnification should be just fine for Jupiter and Saturn - you'd see the disc of Jupiter clearly with the four Galilean satellites and Saturn's rings.  

---

