Extremely high magnifications

Dear all,

While observing with my 20" tonight, a colleague of mine and I noticed a very, very good seeing and we decided to try and see how high we could push the magnification. On Epsilon Lyrae we achieved a magnification of 2560x by using a 4-2 mm Nagler click zoom eyepiece (2 mm setting) and a 2x barlow. Using the same eyepiece (4 mm setting) and the barlow, resulting in a magnification of 1260x, we observed the Ring nebula, which didn't fit completely in the field of view anymore!

Has anyone here tried such extreme magnifications as well?


Clear skies,

Wouter van Reeven

2500x sounds like fun. The highest I've gone was 1200-1400.

6000x a few years ago; please see http://bbastrodesigns.com/6000X.html.

I settled on 1200x or so with my 20 inch as the highest practical magnification.

Mel Bartels

Thanks Mel, I was going to write about that special night at the 1997 OSP but your account is right on the mark. I remember looking through your scope when it was at 2000x or so and wishing I could round up another barlow too!

I've observed some planetary nebulae with 742x on a 94mm achromat and 381x on a 63mm achromat. Aperture for aperture, that's very high magnification. I've tried 2000x on my C8, but that was not very good. It does show some nice planetary nebula images at 800x, though, but the seeing is rarely good enough to support that.


Clear skies!
Thomas, Denmark

At this years Cherry Springs Star Party I had Dr. Robert Werkman and Dan Pontone observing along side myself and my 25". The Catseye was looking exceptionally good at 851x. Robert had the idea to keep pushing power until it was just a stupid idea. Through different combinations of barlows (powermates) and eyepieces the highest we had the scope at was something in the neighborhood of 2550x! Though the Catseye still resembled itself, 2500+ proved to be just too much. We settled at 2130x and enjoyed the view for quite a while. Seeing was quite good and at moments of "perfect" seeing, the Catseye was absolutely beautiful! I hate to use the analogy that it looked like a Hubble photo, but I have to see it really did look like Hubble photo in some respect.

I hope Robert chimes in here.

Dragan is correct!
I call these observing adventures in successively increasing levels of magnification on small bright contrasty PNs, 'Climbing Jacob's Ladder' as it was Saint John Chrysostom who wrote: "And so mounting as it were by steps, let us get to heaven by a Jacob’s ladder..." Other times I've named them "Stupid Telescope Tricks"!

I once observed the Cat's Eye at a maximum magnification at 2293x on June 6th, 2011. I had three observing witnesses who confirmed my observations!
You may find my observing report and the comments of the other observers and the technique listed here on the ChestMont Astronomical Society web site: http://chesmontastro.org/node/6980

Robert W aka Gastronaut

I never seem to have the right equipment on hand when the seeing is that marvelous.
I have used 777X on my 12.5", but not higher. I have eyepieces to yield 986X, but i don't always bring them along.
You guys have convinced me I should, because you just never know.

The highest magnification I've ever experienced was only 1123X (Saturn with perfect seeing), a mere pittance compared to your high magnifications.