can anyone recommend me a good telescope for a 14+ year old?? I'm currently excited about astronomy and i just want a cheap(or not so) telescope that can see Saturns rings for example..
2007-11-11 23:23:54 · 9 answers · asked by predatordin 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The most important thing is not to rush a thing like a choice of which telescope to get without investigating what is available thoroughly beforehand.
Any answer here does not necessarily mean you will get what you want or need, but you did express interest in seeing the rings of Saturn and for which you will require a large apeture instrument of at least 200mm.
This rules out refractors since the cost of a large apeture refractor usually makes this financially not viable.
I remember when I was 14 (a loong time ago) I was blown away by Saturns rings which I teased out of a little 60mm refractor, but it was a bit of a struggle with the crap mount that I had then.
I'm still a refractor fan, but also mirror lenses are much cheaper to manufacture than exotic optical lenses, so you can get a much larger reflector for the same price of a much smaller refractor.
The only drawback is that lager reflecting telescopes such as Dobsonians (which are very popular) need a fair bit of space and must have a good mirror well collimated and good wide angle eyepieces, (which are expensive).
I think the reccomendation to join your local astronomy club is the best advice, along with lots of websites such as www.Skyandtelescope.com or www.astronomy.com who go into detail about what to buy and why.
One thing is for sure, do not under any circumstances buy from a salesman at your local department store who will not be familiar with telescopes.
Buy it only from a reputable telescope outlet, after having examined what is available so that at least you will know what questions to ask. Otherwise you will be sold a lemon and the thing will remain in the attic and never see light.
All things being equal I would suggest getting the largest aperture you can afford, and this means a good quality 200mm Dobsonian probably fits the bill best.
As for brands, this is a personal choice but not using a Dob myself, I cannot vouch for any of them. Best to avoid Chinese made as QC can be appaling sometimes. Get something made in USA, Japan or Europe/Russia wherever it is you live.
Good luck on your quest.
2007-11-12 04:43:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
well...you are going to get a lot of different ideas about this one. So first of all check out my profile so you will have credibility in what you are about to read.
My first and only personal telescope was a relatively small one, by Jason Optical. 700 mm focal length, alt-azmuth mount, no slo mo controls and no clock drive. Lightweight portable and easy to use. With this scope I saw the universe better than the ancient astronomers did, and learned from what I saw.
Now a days, the scopes are electronic computer contolled and no longer require the basics we had to learn back in my time. But I learned enough to do the things I talk about in my profile. Thru this scope I saw Saturn and rings, jupiter and moons, could locate on a chart and see all of the planets, well maybe not pluto but Uranus and Neptune were beautiful green and blue dots. So if you are starting out, you need....a sturdy mount...light weight for portability....clock drive or other electronic guiding device. Basic common sense.
2007-11-12 07:59:44 · answer #2 · answered by orion_1812@yahoo.com 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I suggest that you join a local Astronomy Society or club first. That way you can go out in the field on star parties and actually look through a wide variety of scopes and choose which one is best for you. Many clubs have loaner scopes that you can check out and try first too. The club members will give you lots of advice and help picking the perfect fit for you then help you to learn about the scope that you buy.
Make sure you know the weight and dimentions of your choice so that you can easily lift and transport your scope. If you cant get it out in the field easily then you wont use it and you will lose interest. That would be sad.
I am an Orion fan. oriontelescopes.com
DO NOT buy from Target, Costco, Walmart or other discount store. Those are junk scopes.
2007-11-12 01:00:53 · answer #3 · answered by B. 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The best buy in telescopes is the Dobsonian reflector: good large optics, solid mount, easy to use, reasonably priced:
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
Get the biggest you can afford, preferably 8" or larger. Buy from a telescope store, either local or online, not a discount store or eBay, as all they sell is junk.
2007-11-12 00:21:12 · answer #4 · answered by GeoffG 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
To see saturn and its rings, a good refractor of only 2,5 inch is still fine.This is also a nice size for the moon, mars, venus and jupiter.
You can split a lot of double stars and see the biggest nebulae.
See the norton star atlas as a good guide.
2007-11-12 00:59:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
I bought one for my grand daughter and was very disappointed as they live in the edge of a large city. The light from the city blinded us so we could hardly see anything. Good luck.
2007-11-12 04:00:36 · answer #6 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A 4" mirror kit is $80. It'll take a couple weekends.
2007-11-12 04:37:07 · answer #7 · answered by Mark 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Check out space.com . They'll give you advice of what to do, what to look for. Best of luck to you.
2007-11-11 23:30:54 · answer #8 · answered by cajunrescuemedic 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
the hubble telescope :D
2007-11-12 00:07:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋