What is a really good telescope for an adult male with a keen knowledge of the universe?

Answer 1

JS
It totally depends on how much you want to spend. There's several tiers of quality based on technology and features. You could drop $500 on a 'good' one, just as easily as you could spend $200 for someone that just wants something really decent. Without knowing a dollar figure, it's really hard to zero in on one particular model for you.
I got one from my brother last year for his birthday (he's 42). I shopped very carefully. Here's what I learned:

1. Amazon.com has some amazing deals on telescopes - oddly enough. I'm talking about 1/3 to 1/2 the prices I was seeing in brick and mortar stores.

2. You don't want to get anything less than a 70mm reflector but 80mm is better.

3. A viewfinder is very, very important to have. It can be very hard to try and find something in the sky when all you have to go on is blackness to the left, black to the right, up, down,etc. and your aim is off by just a hair.

4. Read the reviews on amazon by other purchasers of whatever model very thoroughly. For whatever reason - buyers of telescopes are very willing to throw in their two cents on reviews, and that's the best source of info on any particular one.

So - I suggest you first establish a spending cap. Then - zero in on features it should have. Filter out some models that fit the bill on amazon, and then read the reviews.

I suspect at that point, one will 'bubble to the top' so to speak.

good luck.
Kevin

Answer 2

The trouble is that there are varying dregrees of "really good" depending on how much money you're prepared to spend. I wouldn't consider anything under $200, as it's likely to be a toy. As someone else suggested, if this is intended as a gift, it would be a really good idea to involve the recipient in the decision, even if it spoils the surprise. A telescope is a very personal thing; there's no one "best" telescope, as each person is interested in different things and has different abilities. Many people enjoy the challenge of finding objects themselves using a star atlas; others would rather push a button and have the telescope do the work.

Don't buy from a department or discount store, nor from eBay or Amazon; most of what they sell is junk. The best place to buy a telescope is a telescope store, either locally (look in the Yellow Pages) or online.You'll get a better sope for the money, and ongoing support.

Answer 3

There's no simple answer to that question, because there are so many types of telescopes over a huge range of prices. If there's an astronomy club near you, maybe the two of you could go to a star party together, and you can get an idea of what he's attracted to.

Here's a telescope FAQ that will give you some idea of what the options are: http://home.inreach.com/starlord/

I strongly recommend you buy from a real telescope store. Amazon.com sells mostly low-end stuff, and some of it is of dubious quality. Especially avoid eBay; they are notorious for moving large numbers of bad telescopes. Don't bargain-hunt this unless you really understand what you're buying. Here are some reputable dealers:
http://www.telescope.com/
http://www.buytelescopes.com/
http://www.astronomics.com/

Answer 4

I would look at a Cassegrain design from a reputable manufacturer such as Celestron. Cassegrain telescopes are the same basic design as the Hubble telescope, and they are compact and light for their power and aperture.

Answer 5

Oriontelescopes.com

They have a sweet APO refractor on a GEM go to mount that now offers gps option too for just under $4000.

That would be my choice

Answer 6

there's a ton of selection out there. I know it spoils the surprise but maybe you should ask him which he prefers first...refractive vs. reflective....etc...