Telescope suggestions?

Question

I am looking to purchase a telescope. I would like to have one that has the ability to see nebulea (sp), and be able to see individual creaters on the moon. Being able to see (with clarity) Saturn's moons would be great. I am not looking to mortage the house to get one, however. But, I also don't want one of those cheapo walmart one either.

Answer 1

Any telescope can see craters on the moon so let's talk about nebula and planets.

Most nebula are somewhat dim and you need a good amount of aperture to see them directly with the telescope. It also helps to have a OIII filter to help bring out detail. An 8" telescope would allow you to easily see the brighter nebulas and the dimmer ones you can take timed exposures of. A 10" telescope would allow you to see even more nebula but you'd want to make sure it has a 2" focuser with a 1.25" adapter because this will allow you to use eyepieces that have wide fields of view, which is good because some nebula take up a lot of sky.

You can always fit the telescope with this later though.

Planets and the moons surrounding them require high magnification. You'd want a telescope with high resolving ability and a long focal length.

You are probably looking at a large dobsonian if you don't want to do astrophotography, or a slightly smaller schmidt cassegrain if you do want to do astrophotography. Don't buy anything smaller than an 8" though.

Meade, Celestron, and Orion are all good brands.

Answer 2

I tend to agree with Triteamdan and Charles. An 8-10 in dobsonian will show you enough to keep you interested and looking for more, but will not break the bank. I recommend that you use any money that you were going to spend on goto technology on better eyepieces, and that you attend a few club meetings and get familiar with the sky and with the various types of equipment that are out there. Good luck and have fun.

Answer 3

I, too, recommend a dobsonian mounted newtonian reflector. Here is an Orion 10" scope for about $550.00.

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=252216&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=3&iSubCat=334&iProductID=252216

This scope offers higher performance, more capability, and has advanced features. It typically takes a bit longer to learn and needs some set-up or adjustments, but offers excellent optical and mechanical performance. Anyone with the slightest technical bent will have no problem getting familiar with a telescope like this one, and will appreciate the extra features and performance. The non-technical types among us may have to refer to the manual occasionally.

A dobsonian will require you to learn to use a star chart for finding objects in the night sky.

DISCLAIMER!!
I own and use a 10" dob, but not this one, nor one made by this company. I do not own stock in Orion. I just believe that for the backyard astronomer the larger scope the better with lower technical gizmos to have to use.

HTH

Charles

Answer 4

Mostly good advice, except for the person recommending the 6" reflectors on eBay. I know several people who have bought these, and all agree that they are total junk and a total waste of money. Stick with well-known brands like Orion, and get an 8" or 10" Dob, and you will be happy for years.

Answer 5

if you have good knowledge of the night sky, get a 8"-12" dob. that has no motor drives. you will get good views of everything. but without motor drives to track celestial objects, you will not be able to photograph these objects. the dobs are the best bang for the buck. but at extreme magnification, you will have to be constantly moving the scope with two controls at the same time , and that will soon get to be a pain in the u no what. I have a Meade lx200 gps 8" and it was my first scope. and hopefully my last, for it will outlive me ,if taken care of properly. as far as Saturn's moons are concerned, you will only see pinpoints, but nothing more, unless you want to mortgage the house.

Answer 6

Get a dobsonian reflector with at least an 8" diameter mirror. Dobsonians are quality scopes which give you a lot of seeing power for your dollar. Expect to spend $500 or more for a decent one. Also save some of your bucks for a couple of good eyepieces.

Answer 7

It's great you want to buy a telescope, and becoming educated about your options is the best step to take.

Here is a brilliant podcast addressing exactly the concerns your facing. I HIGHLY recommend listening to them. They are entitled, "Choosing and Using a Telescope," and "Getting Started in Amateur Astronomy

http://www.astronomycast.com/observing/episode-33-coosing-and-using-a-telescope/
http://www.astronomycast.com/observing/getting-started-in-amateur-astronomy/

Answer 8

For what you want you need a BIG scope. 8" Newtonian or 10" Cassigranian. So you are talking over $1,000

Answer 9

EBAY!!!! including shipping charges, you can by a 6" reflector for under 200 bucks....brand new. Good luck!