How good of a Telescope is this?

Question

Celestron PowerSeeker 50.

I know nothing about telescopes....so anything would help.
Thanks!

That is some great info (injanier)! Thanks for that =D

Answer 1

There is nothing wrong with a small refractor. I have a number of larger scopes, but my most frequently used scope is an old modified 90mm meade f10 Meade. The views are not as spectacular; but, I can pick it up and plop it down assembled, and that lets me take advantage of many days when the weather or schedule calls for a short viewing session.

Having said that; I once picked up a Meade Jupiter 50 (very similar to the Celestron Powerseeker 50) at a garage sale. The optics are ok so long as you keep the power level below 62x (10mm eyepiece). The finder was poor, but identical to what is usually equipped on many 60mm department store scopes. The mount however is completely useless, which makes the scope as supplied equally useless. I have long since converted the little scope into a finder on one of my larger telescopes; and the mount was tossed into the trash long before that.

If you can, the best view for the buck in astronomy is a simple reflector telescope mounted on a dobsonian mount. The newtonian scopes are relatively inexpensive and the dobs mounts are light weight, simple to use, comfortable, and steady. But, useful examples are larger and much more expensive then the tiny powerseeker 50.

If you are on a tight budget, I would suggest a visit to your local thrift store. Alot of 60mm scopes are bought and discarded, and good used examples can usually be had for much less then a new Powerseeker 50. These are far from ideal scopes - and you have to check to make sure they are complete; but, they are still far better then what you are looking at here, and the important thing is to get out under the stars to look at some of the great natural beauty that most people ignore.

Answer 2

Don't buy a refractor, unless it is a spotting scope. At least that can be reused for birding and similar activities. Birds are just not a whole lot of fun in an astronomical telescope which shows everything upside down...

The binoculars are just as useless, IMHO. You will see little dots of light shaking in the dark. And that's it. If you want to see constellations, buy a stellar atlas of just load astronomy software on your computer. You can see the important ones with bare eyes without a problem... without the shaking.

There is no way you can do astronomy without learning to find things in the sky... that's part of the business, just like learning the traffic signs is part of driving. If the hardship of finding things in a telescope with a small field of view turns you off, just don't buy one. Binoculars won't make that any easier, they will just cost extra money. Invest the money for binoculars into a wide field eyepiece.

Any telescope below a 6" Dobsonian will likely be a disappointment. They are not that expensive, so no reason to cheap out. An 8" instrument would be better, but you have to look at the size and weight before you buy into that aperture. Just be clear about the consequences. In astronomy bigger is not just better, its almost everything. No other factor can make up for size.

Answer 3

I am not familiar with this telescope so I can't comment on its mechanical or optical quality. In general, the most important specification for a telescope is its aperture - the diameter of its main lens or mirror. At 50mm, this is a very small-aperture telescope, so its capabilities will be limited. Assuming it's of reasonable quality, you should be able to make out the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter, some craters on the Moon, and a number of deep-space objects, but the amount of detail you can see will be limited.

The eyepieces are .96", rather than the standard 1.25". The 4mm eyepiece and 3x Barlow lens are useless, as they provide more magnification than a scope this size can handle.

On the other hand, its price is also very low. A decent-sized beginner's scope typically costs $200 to $500. Assuming you are at all serious about astronomy you will quickly outgrow this telescope. If that's the course you are going to follow, a pair of binoculars -http://www.telescopes.com/binoculars/spectator-binoculars/celestronupclose10x50.cfm - would be a better investment, as they will still be useful when you move up to a bigger telescope. Binoculars are a better way to begin in astronomy, too. A telescope can be very frustrating when you're starting out because the narrow field of view makes it harder to find anything.

Answer 4

A good telescope is one that...

1. Has a great deal of light gathering power, a large objective lens or mirror.

2. Has a long primary focal length; f/10+

3. Has flawless optical configuration.

4. Has high resolution and magnification power.

5. Is on a direct line-of-sight with a window into the shower facilities of a women's dormitory.

There was an astronomy undergraduate who received some kind of unofficial award for resolving the facial features of the tiny "Jesus" figure on a little crucifix worn by one of the bathing girls, thus establishing the resolving power of one of the telescopes in the campus observatory. Yes, somebody paced off the distance to the girls' dorm. And, yes, somebody else asked to "look at" the girl's crucifix later... with a pair of vernier calipers in his hand. What a bunch of clowns. Science marches on!

Answer 5

Though Celestron is a good brand, this is one of their low end telescopes and is generally a piece of junk.

You would be better off buying a nice pair of binoculars.

Good telescopes usually start at around $300
An example would be an an Orion 8" dobsonian.

Answer 6

Easy to assemble 50mm refractor
Pre-assembled aluminum tripod and accessory tray
3x Barlow lens triples the magnifying power of each eyepiece
Finderscope: 5x24
Includes three .96" eyepieces and Star diagonal
Includes CD-ROM "The Sky" Astronomy Software
Suitable for celestial and terrestrial viewing

PowerSeeker telescopes are a great way to open up the wonders of the Universe to the aspiring astronomer!

The Celestron PowerSeeker series of telescopes is designed to give the first-time buyer the perfect combination of quality, value, features and power. Offering exceptional value, these telescopes feature portable yet powerful designs with ample optical performance to excite any newcomer to the world of amateur astronomy.

Answer 7

I'd say "You get what you pay for." Try going to a local planetarium of something like that to find some information on telescopes. I strongly suggest anything but a dunhams or walmart telescope, they will tell you ANYTHING to get you to buy them.

Answer 8

I have a Mead that looks just like it and it works great. I am sure there are more fancy ones out there but depending on what you are using it for ( iuse mine for college) Its rather reliable