What is the best and most affordable telescope to buy to look at the planets?

Answer 1

I bought a 6 inch reflector made by Meade. They are moderately priced and do a good job. You can shop and find one for $150 or so. It should have a Small;l computer with a motorized system to set coordinates for star gazing. The only drawback, and I find it a small one, is that the image is mirror image or backwards. It would cost quite a bit more to get one that automatically flips the image for you.

Answer 2

That is a tough question. See the first source for detailed help. A Dobsonian reflector will be the cheapest telescope and will do the job, but it won't be computerized and won't find, or even track, planets for you. But if you can point it manually and don't mind the planet drifting out of the field of view every minute or so, a Dobsonian like the ones in the second source will do. You may be disappointed with the views of the smaller ones; most serious observers today use at least an 8 inch telescope.

Answer 3

Orion telescopes www.telescope.com sells the best entry-level scopes. A 6" or 8" dobsonian is well worth the investment and will give you many years of things to view. Forget about go-to electronics, you won't need them if your primary interest is viewing planets. A dobsonian mounted reflector, is the most cost-effective telescope design that is made. The most bang-for-your-buck.

Answer 4

You can buy a decent telescope these days for around $100. Tasco and Bushnell are relatively inexpensive telescopes, and they are made by Bausche & Lomb(I hope I spelled that right)--which is an old time manufacturer of eyeglasses. It's very reasonable quality. Meade also has a line of telescopes for a little bit more, and one thing I like about Meade is that they make an adapter so you can attach a 35mm camera to the telescope for really cool pics of the stars and planets. You can also use this feature for super telephoto shots.

Answer 5

take

your pick

http://meade.com/