Observing Planets and Comets?

Question

What's a good telescope for observing planets and comets , I'm not eniterly intrested in observing Galaxys,Stars or Constellations.I just want a good telescope that can bring up fairly detailed images of Planets and Comets,I undertsand that I'm not always going to get detailed images because of Atmospheric winds and a number of other things,but I want to be assured that on a Clear night with no disturbances I'll get a fairly detailed image of what ever planet I'm viewing.

Answer 1

I consider an aperture of 6" to be a minimum for observing the planets in a satisfying way; 8" or 10" is even better. The type of telescope doesn't matter, though my favourite scopes are Newtonian reflectors, as these give me good quality images at a reasonable price. Generally you will get what you pay for, though it takes quite a bit more money to get a noticeable improvement. My main telescope is an 11" f/4.3 Newtonian made by Starmaster with a mirror by Carl Zambuto, very similar to this one:
http://www.starmastertelescopes.com/html/Hybrid11/hybrid11.htm

This is by far the best telescope I have ever used, but there is no need to spend this much money; an Orion 10" Dobsonian will give you about 80% of the performance of my scope for about 20% of the cost. In fact, that's what I recommend to most beginners:
http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=276945&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=27184

Answer 2

I use an old 6 inch Newtonian reflector. See the source for what I can see with it.

The main thing you need is a big enough telescope and one of high optical quality.

By the way, comets are more like galaxies and nebulae than planets, at least in how they look in a telescope. They are dim smudges that usually do not show much detail. Many galaxies and nebulae were discovered by Charles Messier, who was looking for comets and kept mistaking these other things for comets, so he made a list of them. They are all galaxies, star clusters and nebulae.

Answer 3

For planets, you are probably best going with a high quality refractor or catadioptric. They can also be used for imaging with cameras. Aperture is not QUITE as important because planets are bright objects.

Large reflectors are not generally as good for planetary observing, but if you're looking for faint comets away from the sun, a reflector is good because you DO want aperture to let more light in. If you want to see comets when they come in close and bright, you're better of with binoculars.

Find a local astronomical society and ask the experts.

Answer 4

Keep in mind there is a huge difference in the requirements for observing, versus photography, whether with film or digital. Simple scopes like mine are fine for looking at simple objects, but barely capable of any type of photography. If your end objective is photography, you need to look at it differently.