Question 1

How much detail on Jupiter and Saturn can you see on average assuming clear skies and average distance from earth?

Accepted Answer

You can definitely see Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) with this telescope too. Agreed a 2X Barlow lens is definitely a helpful addition for planetary viewing. Also keep in mind that Jupiter's day is roughly 10 hours long (it rotates much faster than Earth), so the GRS will be visible for 5 hours (as it transits across Jupiter's face) and then won't be visible for 5 hours as it will be on the far side of Jupiter. It may or may not be in view on any given night during prime-time hours.

How much planetary detail you can see on any given night highly depends on what astronomers call "atmospheric seeing conditions" (or just "seeing"). This is a measure of how steady the air is from your ground position, up through the top of Earth's atmosphere. On a night with bad seeing, you won't see fine details -- it will look like the planet is "boiling". Bad seeing is made worse by high magnification, which planets require. Also, be sure to let your telescope's temperature equalize to the outside temperature or you will have bad seeing caused by air currents inside the telescope tube.

By contrast, good "atmospheric transparency" is what you'd need to view dim low-magnification "deep sky objects" (DSOs) like M42 The Orion Nebula or M27 The Dumbbell Nebula. This is a measure of how much light can pass through Earth's atmosphere. This doesn't affect planets because they are much brighter than DSOs because planets are in our solar system, but DSOs are light-years away.

Check the seeing and transparency forecast for your area at: www.cleardarksky.com

Question 2

How do I collimate the primary mirror?

Accepted Answer

The primary mirror is collimated at the factory and cannot be changed, unless you plan on doing a lot of modifications/customizations. All needed adjustments must be made using the secondary mirror.

Question 3

I would like to know how well can you see mars with this?? Any details of the surface???

Accepted Answer

When Mars was close a few months ago I could see the polar caps and very slight detail. Don't expect to see craters but it's much more than just a dot.

Question 4

Anyone know the link to the 2x Barlow glass for the Z100?

Accepted Answer

You can use any 1.25" diameter Barlow you like.

ASIN	B07CD3MS17
Additional Features	100mm parabolic primary mirror, high-reflectivity coatings for bright views
Best Sellers Rank	#4,972 in Camera & Photo Products ( See Top 100 in Camera & Photo Products ) #81 in Telescope Reflectors
Brand	Zhumell
Built-In Media	Zhumell Z100 Telescope Single Arm Dobsonian Mount Red Dot Finder 17mm 1.25” Eyepiece 10mm 1.25” Eyepiece Screwdriver
Coating	Multi-Coated
Compatible Devices	General astronomy accessories
Customer Reviews	4.5 out of 5 stars 203 Reviews
Exit Pupil Diameter	7.14 millimeters
Eye Piece Lens Description	1.25-inch telescope eyepiece lenses
Field Of View	250.02 degrees
Finderscope	Reflex
Focal Length Description	15.748 inches
Focus Type	Manual Focus
Global Trade Identification Number	00853555008034
Item Dimensions D x W x H	14.5"D x 11"W x 11.75"H
Item Type Name	Zhumell ZHUS001-1 Z100 Portable Altazimuth Reflector Telescope, Black
Item Weight	5.3 pounds
Manufacturer	Celestron Acquisition LLC
Manufacturer Part Number	ZHUS001-1
Model Name	Zhumell
Model Number	ZHUS001-1
Mount	Altazimuth Mount
Number of Batteries	1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included)
Number of Items	1
Objective Lens Diameter	10 centimeters
Optical Tube Length	14.5 inches
Optical Tube Length Measurement	14.5 inches
Optical-Tube Length	14.5 inches
Power Source	Battery Powered
Telescope Mount Description	Altazimuth Mount
UPC	853555008034
Unit Count	1 Count
Warranty Description	TWO-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
Zoom Ratio	around 1.67

Z100 Portable Altazimuth Reflector Telescope

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