telescope advise?

Question

What is the minimum size telescope it is worth spending money on (for astonomonical viewing)

Answer 1

51/2 to 6 inches....

Answer 2

To answer your question specifically, For Refractor Telescopes the minimum size for any type of serious viewing is 80mm of aperture ( lens diameter ) with a focal length of 800mm or better.
For Reflectors, the minimum usable size is 4.5" (114mm) of aperture, but in this case it's a mirror.
Telescopes below these sizes are more like toys and someone with any interest in Astronomy will soon get bored with these.
Even small increases in size beyond the above minimums will be great improvements.
But please, whatever you do, DO NOT even be tempted to buy a telescope from places like ebay, amazon, discount houses or department stores. It takes quite a bit of experience to pick out the few good Telescopes from amongst all the junk sold there. Also, NEVER buy a Telescope which is advertised by it's magnifying power, run the other way, it's a sure indicator of a Junk Telescope.
As already Mentioned, Orion is an excellent source for beginner's telescopes. They sell excellent equipment at reasonable prices and are famous for their customer service even long after the sale.Take a look at their on-line catalog. They have lots of good info there.

Adolph

Answer 3

The answer to this question is simple.

Just visit your local telescope store (please not department store) and shortlist them by the following three simple steps:

1. Decide exactly how much you really want to spend. Be honest the first time, and you will save hours considering scopes that are too cheap or too expensive.

2. Pick a size based on what you are comfortable carrying and storing. Actually pick up a few and carry them a few feet. Do you really want to be packing around an 8" scope? Is that long retractor going to fit in your Honda? Would you rather a small scope you might actually use? Or, do you have the means to store and handle that lip-smacking 16" dob.

3.Take a look through the ones that are the right price and size, and then pick one. As long as it is a quality scope (you know, non-tasco department store type), how can you lose? Maybe you'll even find one used. As long as you can afford it and its small enough for you to handle, you will have a lot of fun.

Don't worry, it will be both right and wrong. There is no such thing as a perfect scope. They all have aspects you will like and hate.

Big ones have great viewing but sit in the closet alot. Small ones get used more, but have crummier optics. A Questar has less crummy optics, but you will spend as much as the 16". Don't sweat all that, just buy something following my words of wisdom and use it.

What do I have? An old, decrepit Criterion 8" SC. Its almost too big, but I haul it around anyway, and I love the old dinosaur. I have some binoculars (B&L 7x24 roof prisms) that frustrate and delight me.

Follow this sage advice I have given and you will certainly find the right/wrong scope and have lots of fun. Happy viewing!

Answer 4

It depends on the type of telescope, as well as the size.

More important is this. Will you enjoy using it? The mount counts a lot for that, as well as the optics.

A cheap telescope is a very frustrating thing to use. The flimsy mount won't let you point it properly, and the optics may be fuzzy or have color rings around bright objects. This is the cheapest I can recommend.

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=refractors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=24688

Decent mount and optics, $300. Orion is perhaps the best inexpensive telescope. I believe a refractor is a better choice for a first telecope than a reflector. More sturdy, more intuitive to use.

Whatever you do, DO NOT get a telescope advertised by power, like 300 Power! A sure sign of junk.

For $100 you could have a good time with these:

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-7249-Action-10x50-Binocular/dp/B0001A3N58

and:

http://www.amazon.com/Binocular-Highlights-Celestial-Telescope-Stargazing/dp/1931559430/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197102224&sr=8-2

Or these, for a little more money:

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=binocular_astronomy/~pcategory=binoculars/~product_id=09463

Once again, though, don't cheap out. Poor optical instruments are no fun at all.

Answer 5

I wish there was an easy answer to this question. It seems to keep coming up in various forms here. Your best option is to visit a local astronomy club observing session to see what is available vs what you are looking for. If you are out of time, then I would highly recommend that you speak to a local dealer in telescopes that has a good reputation. He can help you more than anyone here can.

In the meantime, in an effort to give you some sort of input, I really need to ask you some questions.

1. Who is this for? Does this person know anything about amateur astronomy? If it's for a child or a beginner, you might consider the 4.5 inch Orion Starblast shown here:

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=reflectors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09814

2. If the recipient is sort of knowledgeable but still just starting out and is interested in general seeing of as much as possible, then I would recommend an 8 inch Dobsonian. These can be found at

oriontelescopes.com
meade.com
celestron.com

3. If the person is reasonably advanced in amateur astronomy, then you should give him some money (quite a bit of money) so that he can buy the scope he really wants.

Answer 6

Oddly enough, a beginner needs a larger telescope than an experienced amateur astronomer. The things which astronomers look at are _much_ more difficult to see than the things we look at in everyday life. The only way to make them brighter is with a telescope with a larger aperture (main mirror or lens). That's why I usually recommend an 8" or 10" telescope for a beginner. An experienced astronomer can have a lot of fun with a much smaller telescope because their eyes are trained to see faint details; but a beginner will find a small scope totally frustrating.

The best buy for a beginner is a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount, such as these:
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

Answer 7

Any size telescope can be useful, and many experienced amateurs hang onto a small telescope for quick or casual observing. I still use my 70mm refractor from time to time. But the smallest aperture that doesn't quickly cause aperture fever (the burning desire for a bigger telescope) seems to be around 8" for most people.

Answer 8

6". But you can make your own as good or better than a commercial product. There are 20+ groups of guys who make them. The Stellafane website lists some of the groups and suppliers of materials.

A first project is usually from 4" to 10" in diameter.

Newport Glass Works and Willmann-Bell are two suppliers of materials. NGW gives prices of mirror starter kits at its website

Mark Prange

Answer 9

A couple of hundred dollars but don't look through the sun mate. LOL