How to pick a decent telescope?

Question

Hi, I'm trying to buy a telescope for a friend as a Christmas gift. Dispite all the reading, I feel completely lost! If someone couple PLEASE just post a guide of decent ranges for whatever qualities ,or name brands I would be forever grateful
Thanks!

Oh, and I wanted to find a way he can take pictures of what he sees (him being a bit of a photographer and all). How in god's green earth do I help that happen? Is there a way to connect the digital camera he already has to a telescope.

Answer 1

This is not an easy question to answer. Buying a telescope is like buying a good pair of shoes; it depends alot on what most comfortably fits the buyer.

Perhaps the first question should be: what would they like to see? Are they primarily interested in solar observing (the SUN), or on double stars and the planets, or in deep space objects (galaxies, nebulas)? The scopes ideally suited to each of these are very different. The solar scopes tend to be very small; they lack conventional finder scopes, and are equipped for various protective filters. An important priority in the design of these instruments is to reduce the light to a safe level; looking at the sun with unprotected normal telescope will cause permanent and servere eye damage.

example:
http://www.astronomybuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/CoronadoPSTViewing.jpg

For those who prefer to study the moon and planets, a good choice would be a 4-6" refractor. These tend to provide ample light gathering and are able to deliver very good contrast. Price and quality vary widely; ideally you would want a scope with good color correction (gets rid of the purple outline around bright objects), a decent focuser (avoid the cheap plastic wobblers), and a steady mount.

Here is an example of a decent beginners/intermediate scope)
http://www.celestron.com/c2/images/files/product/21088_omnixlt102_mid.gif

Some of the most amazing objects to look at are those massive and distant deep space objects. The problem with these is that they are usually way to dim for the unaided human eye to see. Magnification is not a big issue (many are veiwed at very low magnification) but these objects require serious light gathering and that means a large aperture scopes. An 8 inch Dobsonian reflector is a good start, a 10 or 12 inch even better.

This is a 10" dobs by Celestron:
http://www.celestron.com/c2/images/files/product/10110_starhopper10_mid.gif

But, always keep in mind that no telecope of any size (including the Hubble space telescope) will ever let you see images like those seen in textbooks and magazine covers. The human eye cannot resolve such dim light, even when amplified by the largest scopes. With bigger scopes the gray fuzzies begin to take on familiar shapes - but they will usually lack those sharp colors and deep detail. To see things like that requires photography; you have to use long exposures, and stacks of images to gather enough information to resolve those beautiful images.

This is an area where the telescope becomes almost a secondary consideration. This kind of imaging required expensive specialized cameras, the highest quality mounts and motor drives, and specialized photo processing software. Just about any camera can be used with a telescope; but, CCD cameras are especially designed to process dim light and long exposures into high quality digital images.

Here is a specialized CCD Camera by SBIG
http://www.sbig.com/products/st402_75.jpg

As someone suggested above; it may be best to start by buying them a club membership, and worring about the equipment after they have had the chance to appreciate some of the many choices. They might even choose not to buy equipment at all. The internet has made it possible to simply rent robotic top quality equipment by the hour, and depending on your location it may even work best for you.

Here is a remote rental service:

http://www.global-rent-a-scope.com/BuyTime/

- or turn it into a vacation -

http://www.nmskies.com/equipment.html

Answer 2

Decent Telescope

Answer 3

Firstly, another regular contributor here recommends that you involve the recipient in choosing the scope. I give the attribution because that never occurred to me, but it seems a good idea. It won't be a surprise for your friend, but it's a big purchase and something for personal use.

Secondly, ask at a local amateur astronomy club. They'll be VERY happy to help an adult get into it.

Thirdly, notwithstanding what they may say at the club, look up Orion Skyquest Intelliscopes. This type of scope is an excellent starter, even though they don't look like what most people think of telescopes.

http://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes

On this link, look at the XT-6 and XT-8, with and without the Intelliscope handset, which is not necessary to enjoy the scope. This is called a reflector on a Dobsoniann mount. They're simple to use, look impressive, and are good for most types of backyard observation because they can resolve faint objects as well.

If you're on a limited budget, get a good quality pair of 50mm binoculars and a book of sky charts, especially "Nightwatch" by Terence Dickinson. Come to think of it, buy the book if you get the scope, too.

Forget the photography for the time being. It's not as simple as you think. Your mate will get into it when he knows the sky a bit, and has the patience to deal with it.

Answer 4

The best buys in beginners' telescopes are Dobsonian reflectors. These offer large, good quality mirrors on rock solid, easy to use mounts. Here are some examples:
http://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~VIEW_INDEX=0/~VIEW_SIZE=1000000
http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/product.php?class1=1&class2=106

It's possible to connect any good digital camera to a telescope to take pictures of bright objects like the Moon and planets, but serious astrophotography is a difficult and very expensive pastime. Best to concentrate on finding and seeing at first, rather than trying to take pictures.

Buy a telescope from a telescope store, either local (look in the Yellow Pages) or online. DON'T buy at a discount store or eBay, as virtually everything they sell is complete junk.

Be sure to include a good book, like NightWatch by Terence Dickinson (Firefly).

Answer 5

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How to pick a decent telescope?
Hi, I'm trying to buy a telescope for a friend as a Christmas gift. Dispite all the reading, I feel completely lost! If someone couple PLEASE just post a guide of decent ranges for whatever qualities ,or name brands I would be forever grateful
Thanks!

Answer 6

I recomend buying your friend a membership to your local astronomical society or astronomy club. After your friend attends several star parties, he/she will have a better idea of what kind of scope that he/she wants to own -- if any at all.
There is nothing sadder than at telescope that sits in a closet because it was the wrong one or it is not wanted.

A membership in a club will give back all year long with a vast wealth of information, new friends, and fun.

Answer 7

I heard you need one with a mirror of more then 4 inches diametre.

Answer 8

Get the cheapest one you can find that has an auto-guider.