On 1 Jan 2007 07:43:49 -0800, wrote:

Just received a Meade 114EQ-ASTR (4.5" Equatorial Reflecting
Telescope), not exactly the recommendation on here from what I've seen,
for my daughter and I to start viewing with. Last night I attempted to
view the moon through 25 mm (and 9 mm) eyepieces but could not focus to
get anything other than bright light. Is the moon just too bright (when
full and overhead in this case) for this instrument or am I just too
much of a beginner? :-) I didn't have any problem focusing on various
stars though.

When 'focused', did the stars look like small, points of light; or did
they look like circular disks of light with a dark spot in their
centers? (Focused stars should look like tiny, pinpoints of light.)

If the stars did not focus to tiny pinpoints, then there may be a
problem with the telescope reaching a proper focus.

When your telescope has been focused for one celestial object (a star
for example), it will be focused (or very nearly focused) for any
other celestial object -- including the moon.

Are you absolutely certain that the telescope was pointed at the moon?
Have you adjusted the finder so that it and the telescope point at the
same (distant) objects? Sometimes, when a telescope is pointed near
the moon, but not exactly at the moon, you'll see bright light, but no
actual moon -- no hint of lunar detail regardless of how the telescope
is focused.

The moon will be bright; but it's not too bright for any telescope!
Looking at a nearly full moon with a telescope will temporarily reduce
your eye's ability to see in the dark (when you look away); but the
effect isn't permanent and will go away a few minutes after you've
stopped looking at the moon.

With the scope pointed at the moon and properly focused you will see
lighter and darker details on the lunar surface. The boundary between
the edge (limb) of the moon and the sky will be sharply defined. (That
edge is a good thing to look at when focusing the telescope.) When the
moon isn't full you'll see shadows from lunar mountains, etc. along
the terminator (the line between day and night on the moon.)

Use only the 25mm eyepiece until you're certain of what you're looking
at. Later, you can switch to the 9mm eyepiece for a more magnified
(and somewhat less bright) view. You'll need to re-adjust the focus
after switching eyepieces.
--
Bill
Celestial Journeys
http://cejour.blogspot.com