What type of telescope is best for beginners?

Question

I am looking to purchase a good quality telescope, although I am new to the hobby. I don't want to break my bank when I am just starting out, so I am looking for a really good one at a fair price. Which one(s) would you recommend?

Answer 1

A 6" or 8" Dobsonian ("dob") is a good scope for a beginner, and one that can keep you interested for years to come. This is a Newtonian reflector on a simple alt-az (tilt & swivel) base. This type of scope gives you the biggest aperture (primary mirror or lens diameter) for your money, and aperture is in general the most important thing about a telescope. More aperture will allow you to see fainter objects, and see more detail on planets.

The disadvantage of a Dobsonian is that they are user-driven - no motor drives, no computerized go-to system. Orion telescopes does have a series of dobs with a computer that can guide you to objects if you're having trouble finding things. But leave some money for a planisphere, a red flashlight, and a book or two. Nightwatch and Turn Left at Orion are two good beginner's books that will help you learn the sky.

You will be much better off buying a telescope from a real telescope store. DON'T buy from discount stores, sporting goods stores, camera stores, or e-bay.

The forums at cloudy nights.com and the Yahoo telescopes group are good places to seek more information and ask questions. If you have an astronomy club in your area, seek them out. Most clubs also have public star parties where you can go and see various types of scopes in action.

Good luck and clear skies!

Answer 2

Apochromatic refractor telescopes have the best optics, but they cost thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. The Meade ETX90 is a very good "Mak-Cass" telescope for about $700, including the tripod and computer drive. Matsukov-Cassegrain telescopes like the ETX have really good optics. Craters on the moon appear razor-sharp, for example. The 90mm aperture (about 4 1/2 inches) is a little limiting, so if you can spend a little more, I would go for the ETX125. What you don't want to do is waste your money on anything with an aperature less than 90mm. Most cheap scopes have a 60mm aperature, and they boast a magnification of "up to 200x." All that means is that the fuzzy blob you see through the telescope can be made to look like an even bigger fuzzy blob. If you're on a tight budget, buy a good pair of 10 x 25 binoculars (for about $100) instead. You'll get more use out of them.

Answer 3

First, never by a telescope at Walmart or Target. The scope there are going to leave you disappointed and frustrated.

So what should you buy? It depends on what you want to observe. For the planets and moon, you can do very well in the city. If you want to see galaxies and faint nebula, you want the largest aperture you can get.

Let me recommend to resources. First, start monitoring www.astromart.com It the classified section for astronomers. But before you buy anything, go to http://skyandtelescope.com/resources/org... and find your local astro club. Contact them to find out when their next public night is and go. You'll get to look through a lot of different telescopes at a lot of different objects. By the end of an hour or two, you will know what interests you most and what kind of telescope you want. And, you are likely to get a good deal as there are always members looking to upgrade from their first scope.

If you are intersested in astronomy, try
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-obse...
You will find a large number of amateur astronomers who are glad to help.

Chuck

Answer 4

The editors of Sky and Telescope magazine gave this one rave reviews.

Answer 5

it'll depende on your budget. Check Sky and Telescope or Astronomy magazines.

Answer 6

First,try the world wide web.If that doesn't work for ya,the ones you could buy at Walmart or Target,should suffice...tom science